Thanks to Rainier Arms and Deliberate Dynamics, I will be able to provide a comprehensive evaluation of 300 Blackout capabilities and performance.
[…] 2009 (26)300 AAC Blackout Subsonic Velocity Data September 24, 2011 at 7:25 pm by Andrew Tuohy As mentioned previously, I am working with a series of 300 AAC Blackout uppers courtesy of Deliberate Dynamics and Rainier […]
Cool! I’ve been wondering about this.
Yeah, really looking forward to this Andrew.
Me too, looking forward to seeing what you think and if it’s worth anything more than 5.56 for any purpose other than suppressed MP5 replacement.
Fad or future? Inquiring minds want to know.
Based on this http://300aacblackout.com/ I just don’t think they can win contracts.
My personal decision was 6.8mm. I was quite comfortable carrying 5.56mm in all 4 deployments. But I think what sets the .300 BLK apart is not anything inherent in the caliber. It is bullet loading. Generally, the 7.62x35mm case does offer some advantages over 7.62x39mm. But the winning argument is going to be what does this caliber offer that makes replacing our armory of 5.56mm? I just don’t see it. Better bullets for the 5.56mm are used in certain circumstances. My ACOG equipped rifleman were issued a more accurate bullet for designated marksmen duties. It was color-coded in a magazine. If they needed to make a longer shot….
I want to know what you find. I am open-minded about it. But the bigger issue is does the 300BLK offer enough improvement that a fleet of weapons could be replaced.
@Sid, I think the Ammo Oracle clarifies the argument about small-caliber wounding I was going to make.
In a nutshell, if your 5.56 round is not traveling at better than around 2500fps you are looking at possibly not taking care of your target. 5.56 relies on fragmentation for it’s wounding effects. Final velocity at the target and bullet energy (nee: mass) deposited in the target have a lot to do with taking out the target (yes, as well as target condition, environment, etc. but you get the idea). You can reduce the error spectrum on the shooter’s end with a heavier bullet, which is why some old hands still prefer 7.62. The main gist behind 300BLK, 6.8, 300 Whisper, etc. is that the military has been pining for a .30 cal round (or near as the performance of 7.62 they can get) ever since McNamara’s Whiz Kids decided the M16 platform was better. The people behind the new rounds know it and want to provide that round. The ‘shiny-new-thing’ about 300BLK vs. other AR-based up-caliber rounds is the combination of A) a SAAMI spec, B) companies actually producing the rounds in large numbers, C) the wide availability of different bullets in .308 caliber, and perhaps most important of all D) it uses the same M16/M4 magazines, bolts, uppers, lowers, etc. *without* reducing the magazine capacity (30 round mag holds 30 rounds of 300BLK). All you need is a new barrel (and FSB, gas tube). Even the carbine recoil spring and buffers are adequate from what I’ve read. Military commanders can sell it much easier to the people with the purse strings. In addition they get a subsonic round that actually has some punch, meaning special operators can use their main platform rather than retrain them on other equipment that has to be bought, maintained, have separate supplies for (extra parts, ammo, etc.), has a different manual of arms, armorers trained to repair that make/model etc.