I've never played with medium bore subsonics, but I've noticed that DSA is now offering a .300 blackout upper for $320.00. Looks kind of interesting.

I understand they are popular for shooting heavy for caliber bullets, say something in the 200-220 grain range just under the speed of sound. What I'm wondering, does anyone make a bullet in the weight range that will reliably expand at these velocities?

Nosler recommend a miminmun impact velocity of 1600 for the Ballistic tip. How do the heavy SMK perform at these velocities? I can imagine alot of heavy hunting bullets performing about like a FMJ at these velocities, but since I've never played with them, I'd be curious what actually happens with real on game performance?

Right now they need above 1600 to open up but they would work great as a solid.

Depending on your barrel's twist rate, the long bullets may tumble on impact anyway - even if they were soft enough to expand. Some users have had great results with the long bullets killing well due to the tumbling action. While I have tried the 220s on targets I haven't used them on deer. I have used the Nosler 125 BTip, which is the go-to deer bullet for most .300 users.



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I have a friend who shoots foxes and very small deer with his, I'll ask him what he uses.

I do remember that he either uses full throttle 125 grain soft points but cast bullets in the subsonic loads.

I'm not sure anything expands much at subsonic speeds apart pure lead with a whacking great hollowpoint, The Eley subsonic .22 rounds I have recovered, a grand total of 6 mind you, haven't shown much expansion in game.

Of course the ones dug out of the bank look like miniature mushrooms but I'm not convinced they expand much in game, I think it's mainly the fact that they are almost flatnosed with the hollowpoint that gives them greater shocking than round nose bullets.

Perhaps something to consider? I personally don't particularly see the need for jacketed bullets at the sort of velocities you're talking about.

Thanks Boom, appreciate the info.

TX, I was considering a 1-8 twist, so it should handle the 220's just fine.

At 2300 the 125 NBT's you suggest should stay above 1600 to about 300 yards. I can see why guys would like that combination, and the pigs wouldn't.

Amir, your idea of a pure lead round nose might not be a bad solution. Maximum front surface area, and minimun hardness.....

Speer also made some 180gr round nose for the 30-30. I wonder if anyone has tried something of this nature in them?

Don't count on a 1:8" twist keeping the long bullets point-first in game. A well-known handgun hunter uses his .300 SSK barrel (1:8") on deer with the Sierra 220 RN bullet at just subsonic velocities. That bullet tumbles very well, and he counts on its killing power over the lighter supersonic bullets.

I can't find where Speer ever offered a 180-grain .30-30 bullet, even going back to my 1962-vintage Manual. Back then they only offered a 150 FN. Perhaps you meant the 170 FN bullet?


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Perhaps you meant the 170 FN bullet?

You are probably right, as my wife likes to remind me, my memory is less then perfect.

I'm only concerned about the bullet traveling point first through the air. Once it's inside the game, It can us whatever mechanism it likes, so long as it provides a clean kill. I was forgetting how much that low velocity would cut the rpm, so I'm sure you are right. A yawing 220gr bullet should provide a wide wound channel. A long pure lead bullet yawing like that might perform some interesting acrobatics inside a critter as well?

IF you are buying this as a special offer it is unlikely you have a choice of twist

I was planning a blackout before they got sammi but decided against it because in the end I really needed 2 barrels

One for 110 to 125 for hunting supersonic and

One barrel for 220-240 subsonic with a silencer

In the end I went with a 30BR

It is so dam accurate for hunting it is truly stunning even compared to a 6BR

I shot it in a bench competition in Ontario and can't get it out of my mind

Try casting your own projectiles and load subsonic with a silencer then you will be using the blackout to what it is really meant for

Have fun either way

I built a 300 BLK this summer, as a pistol on an AR receiver. 11.3" barrel. I am just getting started with an NOE bullet mould that casts a nice 240gr RFN slug. At 1068fps my one load matches the 44Mag lead factory stuff, and the bullet has a BC a bit over .5. Shooters over at www.castbullets.com are shooting them with good accuracy in 1:10" twist barrels subsonic.

It's a pretty neat spare upper for an AR, since you can use 20/30 round AR mags.

Rich

Rich, that sounds about like what I would like to try.

How about killing something with it and posting some pics??