Conceptual problem with 300 blackout

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Desentis
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Conceptual problem with 300 blackout

Post by Desentis »

Hi all, I’m hoping you can help me gain some clarity with my 300 blackout rifle.

I have a ruger ranch in 300blk and I’m not happy with the accuracy (commercial and handloads).

With supersonics I’m seeing mediocre accuracy at 100 yards (like 1.5” inches). With subs it is abysmal (like 4” at 50 yards). It’s slightly better with handloads. I thought I’d be able to lob in subs at 100 yards or further. But I struggle to get it on the paper past 100.

So now I’m struggling with the point of keeping this rifle. The supers are a little superior to .223 but close to 7.62x39 performance so maybe hunting smaller thin skinned animals...

The subs are very quiet with my suppressor but I feel like I’d have to be in the same room as something to hit it.

So I’m feeling like I can either show off my suppressor with subs (oooh! See how quiet!) or have a middling rifle with supers.

I like the round. I have an AR pistol in 300 also and with that I like being able to get 45acp or 7.62x39 performance with a mag change.

Maybe The bolt action just isn’t useful for me.

So can anyone suggest uses for my 300 bolt action? I’m in Alaska so there are deer but most things are larger (and no pigs!).

Thanks in advance.
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plant.one
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Re: Conceptual problem with 300 blackout

Post by plant.one »

have you checked for simple stuff like burr's around the crown?

just run a q-tip around there. if anything hangs up.. might have your problem.
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BlogSarge
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Re: Conceptual problem with 300 blackout

Post by BlogSarge »

Realistically, 1.5 at 100 yds is ok for a hunting rifle, although we’d like to see better sometimes that is the best it’ll do. Mine does an inch on a very good day, but usually in the inch and a quarter to half range. But the subs, damn! They should do better.


A couple thoughts;

1- Check your suppressor to be sure you aren’t getting baffle strikes and that it is concentric.

2- Check subsonic impacts for key holing

3- Double check your scope mounts/rings, etc.

4- Try swapping to another scope


Since the supers are better than the subs, it leads me to think that 3 and 4 might not yield improvement, but it makes sense to check anyway. The subs might be a bit unstable causing strikes while the supers don’t.


And let us know what you find. It helps us all to learn!
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dellet
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Re: Conceptual problem with 300 blackout

Post by dellet »

The "concept" is not the problem.

If you are getting better accuracy from the pistol, and you should be, then start trouble shooting the rifle.

If you are getting worse accuracy from the pistol, then start looking for what the two have in common and work on that.

Absolutely no reason that both can't be MOA or better with supers and 1 1/2 MOA with subs past 100 yards.
300 Blackout, not just for sub-sonics.
Desentis
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Re: Conceptual problem with 300 blackout

Post by Desentis »

Thanks very much for the advice.

I haven’t shot the pistol much, that’s next on my list.

I thought the same about baffle strikes. Though I couldn’t see that there were any. That 4” I mentioned was with no suppressor. I haven’t seen any keyholing. But I will check the crown. I did sand the stock down a bit since it was contacting the barrel from the factory. That helped (the group size (with the supers at least) alot.

I’ve tried about 4 brands of subs and a variety of handloads.

I’ll swap scopes just to be sure. This is my second scope on this rifle but you never know.

Thank you all
Desentis
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Re: Conceptual problem with 300 blackout

Post by Desentis »

I read another topic on the RARR, maybe I need to shoot it more.

I only have 300-400 rounds down the pipe.

I’ve read hundreds if posts like mine over the years. I know it’s a challenge to troubleshoot someone else’s gun but I feel like I’ve tried everything.

I was surprised how poorly the subs shoot.

What kind of accuracy are others finding with subs (and supers for that matter)?

FYI I was using a lead sled for most of my testing. The best subs were 110 gr Hornady varmints with Trail Boss at arouns 1030fps. Those got me around 2.5” at 50 yards.
Regaj
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Re: Conceptual problem with 300 blackout

Post by Regaj »

A few more details might help. What factory subsonics are you having difficulty with? And what handloads have you tried?

I'm well behind you in terms of round count - I've probably got 150 rounds through my RARR. But across a broad mix of factory loads and handloads, I find the rifle to perform quite well. It's not an Anschutz, but getting MOA from it isn't terribly difficult. That said, I didn't have to sand my stock or do anything else to it... just mount an optic, do a quick field clean, and begin shooting.

Like Dellet says, troubleshoot the rifle. If it were me I'd pull off the suppressor, take it out of the Lead Sled, and go back to basics until I had figured out what was going on.

I've got factory subs in Corbon, Winchester, and Sellier & Bellot. I received one box of Lehigh Defense 194gr Maximum Expansion bullets in the mail a couple days ago... and am looking forward to working up my first subsonic load in another week or so. Your experience of dismal performance from the subs certainly piqued my interest... but my initial, anecdotal results with those factory subs a few weeks ago didn't raise any particular alarms.
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Re: Conceptual problem with 300 blackout

Post by TRshootem »

First thing you need to do is make certain the barrel isn't touching the stock channel. Remove the stock, use a closet hanger sized dowel wrapped in medium grit sand paper to work back and forth in the barrel channel. The stock usually touches near the end when loading a bipod. I have two of these rifles ( .223, 300 BLK) both are great shooters and needed the above.
Desentis
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Re: Conceptual problem with 300 blackout

Post by Desentis »

Yes. I had to do that exact thing to my stock.

First time out with the suppressor on and using a bipod I couldn’t keep 2 shots on the same paper at 50 yards.

After removing the suppressor and sanding the stock I started getting closer to the 4” with subs.

Then I moved on to supers.

For subs I tried the S&B 200 gr, the 208 gr Hornady black, Remington 220 gr and Winchester 200 gr. Handloaded Berrys bullets 220 gr with cfeblk 11.5 - 12.3 gr, mbc 245 gr with cfeblk 10.8 - 11.6 gr and speer 110 gr with trail boss 5.2 - 6.2 gr with multiple oals.

For supers I tried Remington 120 gr, Hornady 110 gr Black, American Eagle 150 gr, Sig HT 120 gr and S&B 147gr. Handloads were Hornady 110 gr sp, speer 130 gr hp and TTSX 130 gr all over cfeblk.

Best sub group was 110gr Hornady SP with trail boss at 2.5” at 50 yards.

Best super group was handloaded 130gr TTSX at 1.5” at 100 yards.
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dellet
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Re: Conceptual problem with 300 blackout

Post by dellet »

Seeing targets would be helpful, without velocities.

I will take a stab and guess that all your CFE loads were spread twice as vertical as horizontal. 4" high 2" wide.

I would expect better from the Remington and Hornady loads, but if you can post some photos it might start sorting out.
300 Blackout, not just for sub-sonics.
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