.223 to 300 Blackout conversion

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

mapcon1941

Sharpshooter
Special Hen
Joined
Mar 22, 2011
Messages
373
Reaction score
0
Location
Tulsa
Has anyone taken one of their .223 uppers and replaced the barrel for a 300 blackout conversion? I was wondering what you thought about the pros/cons, barrel length, ammo cost and availability and use with a suppressor.
Thanks
 

mapcon1941

Sharpshooter
Special Hen
Joined
Mar 22, 2011
Messages
373
Reaction score
0
Location
Tulsa
I guess my main concern is that the ammo is priced around $1.25/rd. and is pretty scarce. Does that mean that the ammo manufacturers don't sell enough of this caliber, and it may someday disappear? I would think that if supressors were approved for hunting, this would be a good choice, even though the bullet drop is pretty drastic.
 

ASP785

Sharpshooter
Special Hen
Joined
May 16, 2010
Messages
1,622
Reaction score
4
Location
Collinsville
I will give you my opinion with that in mind.

I think the 300 blackout is a really good cartridge. It is not the be all end all wonder cartridge that some believe, nor is it just another niche cartridge for the AR platform. It does have some advantages, such as the ability to shoot subsonic ammunition, that may or may not be a benefit depending on the user. The problem, as you recognize is cost and availability. Fortunately, I reload. If I didn't, I doubt I would ever own this cartridge. From a hunting standpoint, there is really only one load I would trust to take down deer sized game or hogs; the 110 grn Barnes Tac Tx. Many other offerings simply use bullets designed to expand at 308 velocities. Unfortunately, even from a reloading standpoint, this bullet is rare. I am one of those guys who has shot deer with that "tiny" 22 caliber bullet out of a 223 cartridge. From a price and availability standpoint, at least at this moment in time, I would rather hunt with the 223. A 60 grain Nosler Partition bullet will take a deer or hog down handily. There are multiple other loadings that will as well.

It seems like manufacturers are continually offering new components for the 300 blackout, but that doesn't mean the cartridge won't eventually go the way of the 30 Remington AR. In this scenario though, you would only be out the cost of the barrel should ammunition manufacturers stop supporting the cartridge.

If you have a suppressor, its hard to beat the 'cool' factor shooting subsonic ammunition through the rifle. In the end, you have to decide whether the cartridge is worth it to you or not.
 

GlockCop

Sharpshooter
Joined
Jan 15, 2007
Messages
1,786
Reaction score
1
Location
A highway near you.
I originally had bought my suppressor for .300 BLK. Well after not being able to find any AND not being a big fan of cutting down cartridges that idea went the way of the Dodo bird. It works just fine with my .308 bolts and 5.56 ARs. Keep this in mind...all Ive seen on the internet states that the subsonic rounds in this caliber are only accurate to 200 yards or so. I dont know if thats gospel ...but if thats true I dont see the point.
 

P20,000

Marksman
Joined
Apr 13, 2011
Messages
19
Reaction score
1
Location
Edmond
I turned one of my uppers into a 300 BLK. I went with a 14.5" Noveske bbl, pinned and welded with a YHM QD suppressor mount. I love it. I also have the YHM ti phantom can. (The titanium is much preferred for weigh reasons IMO)

I have shot pigs and varmints with supersonic ammo and a couple of varmints with subs. I really want to shoot some pigs with subs but haven't gotten that lucky yet. I reload my own ammo and cut my own brass. It's really easy to do and not terribly time consuming. Components are hard to find but I've been kinda lucky finding some here and there. I've found the gun gets dirty pretty quick and my sub ammo reliability is a little finicky but not terrible. Supers have seemed to run well all the time.

You can hit a 8" plate all day at 200 yards with my subs. I wouldn't shoot an animal that far, but pretty fun to have to wait that long for a PING. It's a cool toy but that's what I consider it.... a toy.
 

dubs chops

Sharpshooter
Special Hen
Joined
May 6, 2009
Messages
2,777
Reaction score
10
Location
Inola
If you reload, It is a no brainer, You will never run out of .308 projectiles or .223 Brass. If you don't it is sort of a roll of the dice. With all the companies that are supporting it, AAC/ Remington Mainly, By making firearms and components for it and SAAMI approval of this round making it no longer a wildcat, I see it staying around. Either way I Think it is a very versatile round if you own a .9mm suppressor or bigger you can screw onto the end of your gun.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom