300 AAC Blackout

There have been lots of calibers that hit the AR market, proclaiming to be the best. They make big claims and often talk about how they'll replace the 5.56 as the AR caliber of choice. Inevitably, they all fail and become niche rounds. One 5.56 alternative for the AR-15 is the 300 Blackout, and it's been one of the most successful. The success isn't because it's trying to replace the 5.56, but to compliment it. Unlike other guns, the 300 Blackout is interchangeable with nearly every part of a 5.56 AR-15. This interchangeability includes magazines, the BCG, buffer system, and more. All you have to change is the barrel. How effective is .300 Blackout really? Let Clint show you in the video down below!
 

300 AAC History

Advanced Armament Corp developed the 300 AAC Blackout at the behest of US Special Operations groups. They needed a round that would work with a standard M4, but would provide better short barrel performance and be more comfortable to suppress. Typically this role would go to a submachine gun. While SMGs are quite cool, they are far from versatile. The Military wanted a cartridge that could be used as both a CQB round and a rifle round without the detrimental effects 5.56 experiences out of short barrels. Thus the 300 Blackout was born not to replace the 5.56 but to compliment it.
Q LLC Honey Badger .300 Blackout Pistol

Why the 300 Blackout is So Darn Cool

Close Quarters Battle, or CQB, requires a short weapon to be successful. The 5.56 was designed around a 20-inch barrel, and as you'd imagine, those are less than optimum in CQB. For this reason, the 300 Blackout was designed to reach peak performance from a 9-inch barrel. That's teeny tiny and allows plenty of room for a suppressor without the gun getting too long or cumbersome. Speaking of suppressors, the 300 Blackout uses a 30 caliber round, and it can be loaded very heavily. A 220 grain 300 Blackout is subsonic. This means it doesn't have the telltale sonic crack that supersonic round shave. Heavy projectiles limit the round's effective range but make it very easy to suppress and comfortable to shoot. At the same time, the round can be loaded light with a 110-grain cartridge, and gives you supersonic performance and range. You can go for CQB suppressed to loud, proud, and powerful with supersonic rounds by just swapping a magazine. These different projectile options allow a 300 Blackout rifle to pull double duty as both a general-purpose rifle and a suppressed CQB weapon. As a rifle round, the 300 Blackout outperforms every pistol round on the block. It penetrates deeper, hits harder, and can defeat armor better. This makes it a better cartridge for fighting weapons and allows it to be as effective as an SMG and as powerful as a rifle.

Federal American Eagle Suppressor .300 Blackout 220gr OTM Ammunition

 

Is It Worth the Mula

The million-dollar question you have to ask yourself is, is the juice worth the squeeze? 300 Blackout ammo is considerably more expensive than 5.56. It's also less available than 5.56. With that being said, the price has dropped significantly in the last few years, and it continues to become easier to find and more affordable.

Sig Sauer .300 Blackout Match Grade 125gr Supersonic Ammunition

For Suppressed Use? - You Betcha.

If you want a suppressed rifle round, the 300 Blackout is a great choice. In fact, in the centerfire rifle category, it might be the best choice out there. Suppressors and home defense go hand in hand and for a good home defense setup. You can wield a short AR pistol and have a powerful, but a quiet, and capable weapon. If suppressors aren't your thing, then you're unlikely to see a ton of benefits by moving to 300 Blackout. The 300 Blackout is an excellent round, and it has only grown in popularity. The 300 Blackout isn't going away anytime soon, and with the growth of suppressor use in the states, it's sealed its fate as the go-to suppressed AR-15 round.

Fiocchi Extrema 300 Blackout 125gr SST Ammunition

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