Hey all,
I’m looking to build a versatile 300 BLK AR towards the end of the year. My intent is suppressed, and possible SBR. I’ll use it for range time and fun, but I definitely want to use if for deer hunting in the VA/MD region.
Is there a barrel length or range that would favor this application?
Thanks,
-Mike
It really depends on how far your planning on shooting when harvesting a deer cleanly. Just try and remember 800 fps is minimum speed for bullet to put down medium sized deer. faster is need for bigger game, so that short barrel is good self defence not so good for range esp in 300blk, 6.8 may be more of option if has to be SBR or could get 16-18’'barrel.
800 Feet per second is the base line for reliably taking medium sized game? Really, using what caliber? How did you arrive at this formula?
Was told that as a rough estimate, for working up reloads to make sure that had enouf on it to be able and down animal… Is this info wrong? 800fps for a med. sized game sounded reasonable, am I misinformed?
http://www.chuckhawks.com/rifle_bullet_killing_power.htm here is some info uses 30-30 as exp. still tryn to find exact data for reference. And was wrong not 800fps, was 800 ft lbs sorry.
You should make sure and look at the means and methods for your state. Some states require a minimum length (usually 16") or a minnimum ft-lbs for game animals.
as an aside, 800 fps is just an arbitrary statistic. Caliber, bullet weight, bullet construction are just as important as velocity.
Personally, I’d go for a supersonic loading. But that is my own opinion.
Obviously, the longer the barrel, the more energy will be generated with the same load. However, it simply becomes a matter of matching that energy to the range where that energy drops below a humane level and keeping your harvests within that range (assuming you have the marksmanship skill to make the shot).
There are plenty of happy people hog hunting with 300 BLK SBRs as short as 6", believe it or not. I have an 8" barrel and would happily hunt our deer with it if it were legal in NC. Alas, “weapons of mass destruction” (a.k.a., “NFA-regulated weapons”) are not legal for hunting here. It is a very handy size, and I mostly hunt wooded areas without long-range opportunities.
Ballistically, with the proper selection of loads, barrel length does not matter much with the 300 BLK for hunting.
The minimum length for hunting most places is 16".
If you can use a suppressed SBR for hunting in your area, more power to you.
Honestly hadn’t thought about the rifle requirements. I’m switching from bow to rifle, so no experience with rifle yet. I’ll dig into the regs more.
Are there any 16" 300BLK barrels with integral suppressors?
Thanks for all the info,
-Mike
You won’t find just a barrel. Liberty has just released an upper, though.
Be careful taking Chuck Hawks seriously. He combines the worst of print gunwriting with the worst of online gunwriting. For the most part, he regurgitates what other people have written without truly understanding it. He also doesn’t bother to revisit his articles as the thinking on a given topic evolves—the article you cited was current 10-15 years ago but is now out of date. The result is his signature it-takes-XXX-foot-pounds-of-energy-to-kill-a-deer horseshit, which originated after WWII and hasn’t been taken seriously in 25 years by anyone who understands the situation.
To kill game, a bullet has to hit the right spot and hold together long enough to make a mess of the vitals. The main factors in this are impact velocity, weight, construction, and diameter, but there’s a lot more to it than Mr. Hawks presents. His information on sectional density is basically correct for conventional lead-core bullets, but doesn’t take into account the marked differences and advantages of a solid copper bullet like the Barnes TSX, or the more sophisticated bonded-core offerings like the Trophy Bonded Bear Claw.
Instead of reading Mr. Hawks, you’ll get more reliable and useful information from sites where posters actually hunt and speak from direct experience. I’d start with the Terminal Ballistics forum here. (If nothing else, pick up some old copies of Handloader and Rifle magazines and read every article you can find by John Barnsness.) You’ll be able to ask them questions and get specific answers rather than having to infer your answers from an article.
PM me if you need a list of sites or if you have other questions.
Okie John
My vote for nicest guy on the site.
9 inch should be good for up to 300 yards. Check legal requirements that may say you need 16 inch.
With supersonic or subsonic ammo?
I have a 9 inch AAC upper but am also building a 16" gas piston upper specifically for hunting so I can turn the gas off and run the gun as a single shot for quietest shooting.
Supersonic.
There are not any widely available/reliable expanding subsonic bullets yet, I’d not hunt with subsonic for that reason. And if/when becomes available, range will depend on the velocity needed to expand and at what distance the bullet drops below that speed.
I was planning on doing testing with the 208 A-Max. A-Max bullets seem to be good hunting rounds. I just need to test to see how well it will expand at range.
Rsilvers, any more on the new expanding subs, or is that one going to vaporize. And has anyone done the solid copper subs in gel yet? Any useful expansion?
i know you want a sbr,but wilson combat just came out with 2 18" stainless steel barrels;one fluted and one non in 300 blackout at $300.00 and $250.00 plus $10.00 shipping.nice longer barels for hunting!
It appears that suppressed SBRs are legal to hunt with in VA. But I’m sure I’ll need to grab something longer if I go out of state 
Thanks for the help guys. I’m planning to go forth with the 9" once I can figure out the best route for applying for my tax stamp etc.
-Mike
So if I wanted to purchase a 9" barrel and suppress it, what company could give me the best deal for a quality product for both the barrel and the silencer? Should I go to the original and pickup an AAC?
Thanks,
-Mike