Thoughts on subsonic 300 Blackout for deer hunting

[kselkhunter]

A muzzleloader may be a better option.

For 300 Blackout, if you reload give Andrew at Hawk a call and describe the scenario and he can recommend a bullet.  I think their 200gr x.025 RT moving at subsonic speeds should probably work for your needs and give expansion. That bullet is designed to open at lower velocities.  http://hawkbullets.com/bullet-selection.html

[Buckjunkie]

Rob,

I would think a heavy slow bullet would have a better chance of a pass through shot unless you hit a bunch of bones...both shoulders or an end to end shot. Since it’s a Doe you probably want to save meat.

I would think a light fast caliber like the .243 with a thin skinned bullet would have less of a chance of ending up in a house due to the rapid expansion.

Might be hard to convince the landowners of this if they get their information from the news or Hollywood.

[Rob]

Bullet aside, I think the comparison is valid.  if a given bullet drops to 1050 fps in a 300 WM at 800 yards, and you load the same bullet in a 300 BO with a MV of 1050, then the "kill power" of the two are essentially the same in terms of performance.

People do take shots at the 800 to 900 yard distance with a 300WM (Not me!) and they are confident in making a clean kill.

I can assure those type of guys aren’t using a round nose turd of a bullet at that kind of range. So that comparison really does nothing.

I don’t have or haven’t shot a blackout but there are ammo out there meant for hunting that supposedly will expand at lower velocity.

Totally agree, but the bullet is somewhat irrelevant to the comparison isn't it?  The point being if you loaded up a 220 grain Berger match bullet to be subsonic at the muzzle and shot it out of a blackout, and loaded it up in a 300 WM so that it hit 1050 fps at 800 yards, the ballistics, energy, bullet drop, etc will basically be the same from that point on, right?

i.e. 850 yards in the WM = 50 yards in the Blackout...

(not being difficult, just discussing it!)

yes the bullet moving th same speed is obviously going the same speed but that is a pointless comparison that doesn’t achieve anything. 

What I pull from the comparison is:

-if someone was willing to take a deer at 900 yards with a 300 WM and feel the chosen bullet will effectively and ethically kill, then that same person should be willing to take that same bullet and feel it will ethically kill from the 300 BO loaded subsonic at 100 yards.

Which was sort of the heart of my question.  Can a heavy subsonic bullet fired from a 300 blackout be used to make an efficient kill in the 50 to 100 yard range.

[Rob]

Rob,

I would think a heavy slow bullet would have a better chance of a pass through shot unless you hit a bunch of bones...both shoulders or an end to end shot. Since it’s a Doe you probably want to save meat.

I would think a light fast caliber like the .243 with a thin skinned bullet would have less of a chance of ending up in a house due to the rapid expansion.

Might be hard to convince the landowners of this if they get their information from the news or Hollywood.

He is a Vietnam Vet so he gets it.  Interesting point on the fast "exploding" bullet concept.

I think the benefit of the slow fat bullet is that it will fall like a brick even if a miss happens.  Heck, at 300 yards it will have dropped 10 feet!  The closest house is probably over 300 yards away in most cases. 

[BULLBLASTER]

Bullet aside, I think the comparison is valid.  if a given bullet drops to 1050 fps in a 300 WM at 800 yards, and you load the same bullet in a 300 BO with a MV of 1050, then the "kill power" of the two are essentially the same in terms of performance.

People do take shots at the 800 to 900 yard distance with a 300WM (Not me!) and they are confident in making a clean kill.

I can assure those type of guys aren’t using a round nose turd of a bullet at that kind of range. So that comparison really does nothing.

I don’t have or haven’t shot a blackout but there are ammo out there meant for hunting that supposedly will expand at lower velocity.

Totally agree, but the bullet is somewhat irrelevant to the comparison isn't it?  The point being if you loaded up a 220 grain Berger match bullet to be subsonic at the muzzle and shot it out of a blackout, and loaded it up in a 300 WM so that it hit 1050 fps at 800 yards, the ballistics, energy, bullet drop, etc will basically be the same from that point on, right?

i.e. 850 yards in the WM = 50 yards in the Blackout...

(not being difficult, just discussing it!)

yes the bullet moving th same speed is obviously going the same speed but that is a pointless comparison that doesn’t achieve anything. 

The 300 win mag bullets that guys are using to effectively kill at 900 or more yards is still moving at 1800+ FPS. So the comparison just doesn’t work.

I’m not saying that there isn’t any 300 blackout rounds that will kill deer at 100 yards because I just don’t know and don’t have any experience, but the comparison to a 300 win at extended range with the same bullet in the blackout just doesn’t work.
What I pull from the comparison is:

-if someone was willing to take a deer at 900 yards with a 300 WM and feel the chosen bullet will effectively and ethically kill, then that same person should be willing to take that same bullet and feel it will ethically kill from the 300 BO loaded subsonic at 100 yards.

Which was sort of the heart of my question.  Can a heavy subsonic bullet fired from a 300 blackout be used to make an efficient kill in the 50 to 100 yard range.

[Rob]

the comparison to a 300 win at extended range with the same bullet in the blackout just doesn’t work.

Why does it not work?  Not being difficult, just trying to understand.

[Rob]

The 300 win mag bullets that guys are using to effectively kill at 900 or more yards is still moving at 1800+ FPS. So the comparison just doesn’t work.

I missed this part of your message as it was buried.

I see the point you are making.

[Rob]

So that bullet would be like taking a shot at (totally making this # up) 1200 yards, not 800.

[Karl Blanchard]

What bullblaster is trying to say is guys shooting that distance are using loads that far exceed your numbers at those distances.  People shooting animals that far are shooting bullets designed for expansion at slower velocities, are pushing them hard enough to where they will have double your numbers at those long ranges, and if the game was far enough that their loads had slowed to your numbers they wouldn't be shooting. Nobody taking game at 800+ yards is using a 220gr round nose with a mv of 2650.

[Rob]

yep, what he was saying just clicked.

[KFhunter]

https://www.lehighdefense.com/308-maximum-expansion-194gr-subsonic-bullet

[BULLBLASTER]

The 300 win mag bullets that guys are using to effectively kill at 900 or more yards is still moving at 1800+ FPS. So the comparison just doesn’t work.

I missed this part of your message as it was buried.

I see the point you are making.

Oops. Too many quotes. 

[Rob]

A muzzleloader may be a better option.

For 300 Blackout, if you reload give Andrew at Hawk a call and describe the scenario and he can recommend a bullet.  I think their 200gr x.025 RT moving at subsonic speeds should probably work for your needs and give expansion. That bullet is designed to open at lower velocities.  http://hawkbullets.com/bullet-selection.html

interesting site, thanks

[Rob]

https://www.lehighdefense.com/308-maximum-expansion-194gr-subsonic-bullet

Very interesting -  Not cheap!

[BULLBLASTER]

I am interested to see the results of this, so if you do end up using your blackout can you please post up some info and pictures?