Deer ammo

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ADitom
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Deer ammo

Post by ADitom »

Hi.
I'm new to forum. I've been trying to follow posts. I can't seem to find what I'm looking for. Or discussions turn in post.
I have AR rifle 300 blkout 16" barrel 1:7
I setup because of sightmark wraith scope. It is a digital scope that can record my hunts. I have used for coyotes and love to watch the hunts. But it mounts to high on my bolt action rifle.
I will be deer hunting, my field yardage is out too 150. Downward angle shots from blind.
Does anyone have ammo recommendation? I am new to 300blkout.
My bolt action rifle is 700 in .270WIN.

I've been looking at barnes vortx 110 or 120. Fiochhi 125 SST. Per all my research of googling and youtube. Except out of stock everywhere. I did find and bought a box of barnes tac-tx 110g tipped ammo. Or is a higher grain better?

Factory ammo ok? Or I have a friend that reloads. So I have that option to just get bullets and load with him.

Thanks in advance!
BlogSarge
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Re: Deer ammo

Post by BlogSarge »

The 110gr Barnes bullets are my preferred.

Check out Gorilla Ammunition, they seem to have loads with the Barnes bullets in stock most of the time.

https://www.gorillaammo.com/product/gor ... round-box/


Happy hunting!
Obi-WanKannoli
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Re: Deer ammo

Post by Obi-WanKannoli »

So for supersonic ammo, by and large people use the Lehigh controlled chaos, barnes tax tx, nosler (I think green tip), and speer gold dot from what I gather. I'm sure others will chime in with what I have missed.

The name of the game is reliable expansion at low (300blk) velocities with weight / penetration adequate for the game you are after, I'm not sure where you live but I'm sure you know the size of the deer you are after. I know that sounds like "yeah no shit" but with the low velocity of 300 blk it's generally the reason bullets don't perform.
ADitom
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Re: Deer ammo

Post by ADitom »

Hey.
Yes the gorilla 110gr barnes tac-tx are the one box I bought to try.
I haven't had a chance to shoot yet.
Why the 110 gr over the 120gr?
Wouldn't you want more weight for bullet if can?
Or is that the 300 blkout expansion again?

I did see a post about speer gold dots. What grain?

And yes I did see posts about expansion and velocity, which was hard to follow because all talked about true manufacturers specs.

Thanks so far.
Last edited by ADitom on Sun Jan 30, 2022 7:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
blaster
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Re: Deer ammo

Post by blaster »

I've taken several Fla. deer and a bunch of hogs with my reloads using a 125 gr. SST and 18.3 gr. H-110. chronographed at 2170 fps. out of my 16" barrel. most of my shots are under 100 yds and the SST leaves about a one inch exit hole. I also have loaded up some of the 150gr. Gold Dots but haven't killed anything with them yet.
peace through superior firepower
BlogSarge
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Re: Deer ammo

Post by BlogSarge »

The 220 grain (and anything close to or over 200 grain) will be subsonic. Basically it will give you handgun-class ballistics with lower energy and parabolic trajectory. There are some great expanding subsonic rounds (I prefer the Hornady 190 gr Sub-X) for specialized use, but I stick to supersonics for nearly all of my hunting uses.

As for choosing the 110 Barnes over the 120 grain, I think it pretty much is a wash; choose whichever you can find in stock. :lol: The Barnes 110 was the original performance blackout load, designed right from the start for the 300 Blackout and its lower velocity. The 110 will expand down to 1300 fps or so and I believe the 120 will also. I think Barnes and AAC, the company that came up with 300 blk, are or at least were, owned by the same parent company. Hence the development of the ammo and cartridge at the same time.

With solid copper bullets like the Barnes and Maker T-Rex, you typically get better weight retention during expansion than with a traditional cup and core bullet. With traditional bullets the jacket often separates from the lead core and/or the core fragments. The better weight retention will allow better penetration since there is more mass to continue pushing through the terminal medium, whether gel or meat. The result is that you get penetration from solid copper bullets equalling that of heavier cup and core bullets. And, you get no lead fragments in your meat.

There is a Speer 150 gr Gold Dot bullet that has received great reviews. Sadly for those of us who don’t roll our own, it is available only as a bullet and not as loaded ammo.

The issue of the lower velocity from the blackout isn’t really a concern to me. At most normal deer hunting ranges you still get plenty to do the job humanely. The secret is in knowing your rifle and the drops at different ranges.

With the 110 Barnes loads I was getting 1968fps out of a 6 inch blackout and 2105 out of an 8 or 9 inch gun. I think a 16 inch gun should get you around 2350. Even with the 6 inch gun, the bullet will retain expansion velocity out past 300 hundred yards. At 2350 out of a 16 inch tube expect expansion velocity past 400 hundred yards.

Feel free to post up any other questions. We’re happy to help!

Cheers,
blog
ADitom
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Re: Deer ammo

Post by ADitom »

Glad I found this forum...
Thanks so much for your knowledge.
I appreciate it.

Hopefully get to get out and shoot soon.
Work/life getting in the way.
Hahaha
Obi-WanKannoli
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Re: Deer ammo

Post by Obi-WanKannoli »

Yeah it's a great place! I'm a long time viewer, new member but the community seems great.

As far as 110 vs 120 on the Barnes if you break it down as many have said you're splitting hairs. I think most grab the 110 as it is the "tried and true" or "old faithful" 300 blk hunting cartridge. The 120 came out some time later, and actual terminal performance on game appears to be about the same. If I lived in an area with larger bear and deer than we have, maybe I would go 120....or even just reach for my 300 PRC instead 8)
ReadyAimDuck
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Re: Deer ammo

Post by ReadyAimDuck »

If you have some 110gr. Tac TX, I think you pretty much found about as good of a deer cartridge that you can in this caliber. I don't know if the 120s give you anything extra over the 110s. I'd prefer the 110s for the slightly flatter trajectory, but again that is probably a wash too. I really think either is going to give you about the same results for hunting. I just prefer 110 grain bullets. I began loading them first and found no improvement in performance when the 120s came onto the scene.
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dellet
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Re: Deer ammo

Post by dellet »

None of anything said so far matters as much as shot placement with a low powered cartridge.

You need to find what shoots the best in your rifle.

125 SST, the Barnes bullets, 110 VMax or Varmageddon, Speer and Sierra Varmint bullets all have been proven performers and are loaded commercially.

Nosler 125 Ballistic tips and the Winchester deer loads have worked for people as has Federals 150 grain load,(power shock I think).

But you can’t shoot a deer in the ass and expect it’s brain to explode, that’s where the bad reputation as a hunting cartridge comes from for the Blackout.
300 Blackout, not just for sub-sonics.
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