I've got all the components on hand to build another 8.2" Noveske 300 blackout but I keep hearing about how great 6.8 is and I've gotten to wondering if I shouldn't go that route instead. My pigs are generally over a hundred pounds and are spotted via thermal hitting fields then stalk to shooting distance. Long range shots aren't safe due to livestock in the area. I haven't had any problem killing them with my current 300 blackout but just curious on everybody's thoughts. I've done some searching but the info is all over the board. Here are the requirements for the rifle:

1. Short & light as possible. It will be ran suppressed all the time.
2. Ammo isn't an issue since I handload, although I don't have 6.8 components yet but do have everything for blackout.
3. All shots will be inside of 200 yards at night. Most shots are at about 50-75 yards using NV and an IR laser.
4. Ease of locating reloading components is a factor. I've got a good stock of blackout stuff already.
5. Any input is welcomed. Thanks!!!

Suppressed SBR for short distance NV hunting single choice
	300 Blackout
	6.8 SPC II
Votes accepted starting: 03/22/15 08:13 PM You must vote before you can view the results of this poll.

I'm in your same boat so I'm tracking this as well. I already have a 8.5" SBR, but I'm thinking of adding another 8.5" or 10.5" as a dedicated thermal rig. I hate to buy a 6.8 since I already have the 300 BO stuff.

That's where I'm at too. Plus I'm not too crazy about the magazine choices for 6.8. If there was a good PMAG option then I'd be more excited about it. I don't mind changing the bolt but the magazines are an issue for me I think.

The 6.8 does have a little more power than the 300 blk out. But, the blk out is so much more versatile with bullet selections and ammo options. And for night hunting, the 300 blk out is not under gunned at all. I've taken all kinds of critters at night (and day) with my blk out, and it works great. Push a 125 grain bullet to 2150 to 2200 fps, and it will hammer whatever you hit with great penetration. Easy vote- 300 blk out.

Chad, I'm running your 125 SST's in my 8.5", do you think it is worth it to get a 10.5" for a little more FPS? What about running one of the 110 or 115 grain bullets for a little more FPS?

I was thinking of getting a 10.5" for my normal daylight rig for deer and a 8.5" for my thermal set-up....what are your thoughts? Should I switch them?

Appreciate the help.

edit---MD, sorry, not trying to hi-jack your thread, thought this was good info for both of us....

Inside 75 not sure how much of a difference is there

Definitely good info. No harm no fowl. I'm running 125 Nosler and 125 sst. I'm pleased with the performance thus far. I'm sure the 6.8 does better at distance but it seems like I shouldn't be trying to fix something that ain't broke. I doubt you'll see very notable improvement going from a 6.5 to 10.5 in the blackout.

Hey Doc, with 2" additional barrel (8.5" to 10.5"), you are looking about 100 fps increase with the 110-125 grain bullets. Is it enough to worry about, prob not, with good shot placement. The 115 Berger will have minimal expansion, but penetrates very well. I shot several deer and a few yotes with it (no pigs yet), and it went clean through everything with about a nickel to quarter size exit wound and everything dropped in it's tracks. So, I like the 115 Berger for hunting, even though it's classified as a target bullet.

The 110 V-max will run about 2080 in a 10.5" barrel, and about 1980 fps in an 8.5" barrel. (QuickLoad calculations)
The 125 grain bullets should run about 2020 fps in a 10.5" barrel and about 1920 fps in an 8.5" barrel.

When you start slowing things down, you have to consider bullet expansion. Most bullets will expand down to about 1900 to 2000 fps. The faster they go, the more expansion you get, and generally less penetration. The opposite happens when you don't get expansion, they penetrate deeper (keeping bullet construction the same). If you look at the different types of bullets when you shorten up the barrels, and you want to keep good expansion, you need to go to a bullet that will expand easier, like a varmint bullet. So, the 110 V-max would be a good choice when slowing things down some, to help get the expansion.

For example, I was shooting the 150 Nosler BT bullet in my Rem 700 blk out suppressed. I was running it right at 1980 fps. I shot 2 pigs with this load, and both times the bullet went straight through and gave about a dime size exit. Both pigs went down and expired, since shot placement was ideal (right behind shoulder on moving pigs on both shots). By the time the bullet gets to the pig, it's doing about 1800-1850 fps. From looking at the wound and exit, the 150 BT bullet did not expand much, if any at all.

So, split the difference, and go to the 125 grain options. I have had many customers send me pictures of the 125 grain bullets (Nosler BT, Hornady SST, and Sierra SP), and all have shown perfect mushroom shaped expansion. Most of the time you get a quarter size exit wound. If/when they recover the bullet, they are recovering them under the skin of the off side shoulder area. IMO, this is just about perfect expansion and ideal performance for shooting a 300 blk out caliber. This is why I like the 125 grain bullet weights the best for hunting with the blk out. They are fast enough to expand (in 16" barrels) and have good terminal performance.

If you shorten the barrel enough to lose this speed for good expansion, then I'd go to a lighter, varmint-style bullet to keep the expansion. Or, go to the 115 Berger and get the speed and deep penetration and pass through wounds. It's a personal preference, really.

Isn't the whole point of suppression to be quiet? Why wouldn't you be shooting heavy grain subs? At 1980 fps is there much of a point to suppression if you're trying to get multiple kills?

Excellent info, Chad. Much appreciated. I think I'll get the 10.5" upper for my day time deer gun and keep my 8.5" for the night time thermal set-up.

Yes, the suppressor will quieten things up a lot. The only thing you get with supersonic ammo is the sonic crack of the bullet. I've seen many times animals stand still after killing something that was standing right next to them shooting suppressed with full power supersonic ammo. I've also see many times pigs take off as soon as you shoot 1 of them with a subsonic round suppressed that is "Hollywood quiet". I want the full power ammo, and I want the ability to shoot quietly without the use of hearing protection.

I look at subs vs. supers like you would golf. You drive for show and putt for dough. The subs are for show, and the supers are for the dough. I have taken many, many, many, many (did I say many!!) phone calls from customers who shot a pig with a subsonic round and it run off and they never recover it. I have also been on hunts where 1 huge pig gets 15+ rounds of 208 A-max subs dumped into him. We recovered the pig, and could see the shiny reflection of the a$$ end of the 208 A-max bullet sticking in the front shoulder plate of the hog. That bullet went in about 1.5" and stopped! No thanks. I'll shoot the supers and get the full power (3 times more energy) of the round and get good expansion and deep penetration while shooting suppressed.

The subs need to be used for what they are. You have to take head shots and central nervous system shots to have a chance at anchoring it. With the typical 208 A-max and 220 SMK type bullets, you will NOT get any expansion. So, IF the bullet goes clean through, you will get what I call an ice pick wound- straight in and straight out. It's like hunting with an arrow with a field point on it.

All good points Chad. I haven't chronoed my 125 gr loads out of my 8.2" barrel but they're running at max published charge with no pressure signs. They've been effective so far but many times the pig doesn't anchor unless its a head or neck shot. That said most of the pigs I shoot are pretty big. I mowed down a bunch of smaller ones with one shot each the other day.

In fact I had one round punch through three small ones (about 15 lbs each) back to back with nasty expansion all the way. Pretty much halved them. I haven't used any subs yet. I'm sure they're fun for the range but I just can't see how they'd be effective on critters.

Although I hate the pigs for all the damage they do to my crops, I still want to make an ethical kill.

So I guess the consensus is that if you're inside a couple hundred yards with an SBR then the 300 blackout is the way to go. If you're trying to reach out further with a full size rifle than 6.8?

This thread has been of great value.

I don't think you are for going to see the bc advantage inside 100. I love the concept of the spc but don't like the special parts


If you want I can bring my chrony out and help do some real world testing

We can do that. I've been meaning to buy one I just haven't gotten around to it.

I appreciate all the unbiased info guys. It seems like a lot of the time when there threads have come up it gets into a pissing match of my caliber is better than yours and all that. There's always a bigger caliber but when you start factoring in weight, parts, ammo, etc. the choices get a little grayer. The compactness and weight of the 8" barrel is hard to beat. So it sounds like I'm going to stick with the blackout.

Just for fun, here's the biggest one I've gotten with my SBR. Took several 125 noslers to put this beast on the ground. The side shots are all from when he charged me and then ran broadside. It all happened in the dark via NV.

F That, if that big SOB was charging me in the dark I'd be up a tree or something LOL.

While I don't have much experience with the 300 BO I do have plenty with the 6.8 in an SBR. 6.8 is my choice and suggestion. If you hand load you can get the 120 SST's in the 2400 FPS range in 12.5", 2300 FPS range with 11.5 and almost 2100 FPS out of a 7". It will run the same weight range bullets as the 300BO but push them faster. I have been using the 6.8 for 4 years and have taken hundreds go hogs with it.

Thanks for the tips guys. If I was going to go longer than 11.5 I'd look hard at the 6.8 but since I'm wanting to stay light and compact then that puts me at sub 10" barrels and seems like the performance difference at that point is nominal.

Post from today that I pulled from another forum I frequent a lot.

"Just for the hell of it I ran comparable loads thru my 10.5" .300 BLK and my 11.5" 6.8 SPC II SBRs. The loads were as follows. The 300 was a hand load consisting of a Hornady 125 gr. SST running at 2000 fps across my chrono. The 6.8 was hand loaded with a Hornady 120 gr. SST running at 2300 fps. Both of these loads were fairly close to max. These were shot consecutively today so environmental was the same. They were both shot suppressed thru the same 30 cal. suppressor and the chrono was a Magnetospeed V2. Here are the results when the appropriate parameters are entered into JBM. As you can see they are pretty close out to 150 yds. as far as drop is concerned. Energy wise at that distance the 6.8 trumps it. As the distance increases out to 500 yds. the 6.8 really shines. Note that elevation and windage are in MILS not MOA. 1 mil = 3.6" at 100 yds. 1 MOA = 1.047" at 100 yds. If I am shooting subs the .300 BLK wins due to being able to throw 220 gr. bullet although with a lot of drop. With a 100 yd. zero the .300 sub load is approx. 12 MOA lower than the supersonic load"

6.8 SPC II 120 Gr. SST Data


.300 BLK 125 Gr. SST Data

That's all great info. Only issue though with that data is we're talking about two different barrel lengths, two different bullet weights and two different types of powder most likely. That's a lot of variables there. I would venture to guess that if the variables were removed they would be more comparable in muzzle velocity. That said, after a couple hundred yards the 6.8 would definitely stand out because of the lower drag profile of the bullet (I think). Either way, it seems like a great cartridge but for my purposes the 300 blackout is going to be the winner I think. That said I'm going to get me a 6.8 also at some point as a longer distance daytime gun.

I'm glad I clicked on this thread. I just ordered the Noveske 8.5" 300bo 2 days ago!! Great info in here!!

I run the barnes 110 tac x in my blackout, but now they are also coming out with a 120 grain tax x also, ive killed a bunch of stinking hogs already with the 110 barnes. We have been shooting my friends 8.5" noveske barrelled ar, that thing flat out shoots. Hes got another 8.5" barrel that I may buy off him, if my form 1 sbr ever goes thru..today is day 47.

That is a great boar! Can't wait to get my 300 bo up and running. I have the lower, waiting to get the upper...

I really LOVE my 10" 300 BO with my can!