I was beginning to think EVERYONE has me on "ignore!"




The right bullet in the right place will tend to do that.

300 Blackout for pigs.

Like a few others, I was an early adaptor and thought it was the schiznet!
I really tried to like it.
Wasted a monumental waste of time doing load development for a caliber that didn't deliver.
I watched more hogs run off with the 300BO than ANY other caliber I tried, even .22 LR.
It was accurate but has no sack.

Yeah, it's easy to make the first shot while they are standing still but once they start moving, you might as well chunk rocks at them or use your .22.

Switched to 6.8 with ARP barrels and never looked back.

Question- for you 300 blk out nay sayers, what bullet (or bullets) did you try or shoot that was a let down?

The reason I ask, is I have been shooting the blk out for 5 seasons now as my main rifle for hunting. I absolutely love the round. I have been running the 125 grain SST or 125 Ballistic Tip, and occasionally the 115 Berger. I have taken MANY animals over the last 5 seasons. I use a Rem 700 bolt gun for my stand hunting, and an AR-15 for night hunting.

If you are using subsonics for performance evaluation, then yes, it's a downer. A blk out sub round is pushing a 200-220 grain bullet about 1000 fps, which is equivalent to a 45 ACP handgun round, without an expanding bullet. I think of the subs like a golf term- You drive for show and putt for dough. The show is the subs, and the dough is the supers for hunting when it matters.

And some of the factory ammo use a match bullet or non-expanding bullet in their super sonic, full power ammo.

When you use the right bullet (an expanding hunting bullet), the performance is very good. The recovered 125 grain bullets I have seen were perfect mushroom shaped, and often were recovered under the far side skin. That's a good performing round.

I do agree, the blk out is a low power round compared to other larger round. You do have to use it within it's limitations. But I think hunters who use the round and have a big negative on it, are not using the right bullets. I know this because I yield many phone calls about this discussion on the round.

Vern, you make some pretty good posts on here and I don't doubt you generally know what you are talking about. You can't seriously believe the 22 is a better round. I have dropped enough pigs on the run with my blackout to know it works. Put a round through their boiler room with it and they usually don't get too far. Not a whole lot different than the videos on here you see of guys shoulder shooting them with a .308 Win and they keep going. Its not a 30-06, but it does the trick.

That's very strange. My 300 blk is a pig killing machine and performs VERY well with the ammo I am using. It's a slower round, so after the first shot and the rest of the sounder runs....just had to learn how much to lead them, then pigs started rolling. Excellent penetration with the Barnes and perfect mushroom. I do like the 6.8 too, good performance & definitely faster but I'm fond of the Blackout.

Loading for a buddie's .22 Hornet. Just couldn't get that thing to make any speed, or very much consistency. He stuck it in tbe back of the safe once he got a .223 and I developed a load for it.

243 here, good killer if you treat it like it's a 22-250 but otherwise it doesn't measure up along with being a barrel eater.

Never was disappointed in a caliber, got into magnum cartidges in my younger days and was disappointed in the brass life so I went back to non magnums.

Once. I shot one very large boar with a 5.56mm - it turned and ran away and I swear was laughing at me. I've never shot another with that caliber again.

well did you honestly expect it to drop on the spot and never twitch?


i'm seeing the .223/5.56mm a lot in this thread?


are the guys using it novices/just got into hunting after getting an AR?

If you use .30-06 shot placement with a .223, you're gonna be disappointed. That's what I gather is/has happened.

Well they do with my .270 Even downs 2 at a time with that one (though I admit the 2nd one usually needs another shot to stop the twitchin". I at least want the animal to leave a blood trail. I got nothing with that 5.56mm - no downed animal, no blood - nothing...just a laughing big boar. I freely admit the shot placement on that specimen was not good. On hogs I mostly just want them dead or in the next county. Depending on shot placement the .270 doesn't always drop them, but there will be blood.

I got something else I'm going to try on them this year (going a little old school for fun) but I'm pretty sure it will put em down..older Marlin's in .35 Remington and 45-70.

I love my Marlin guide gun in 45/70. I shoot hot rod reloads and it will pack a punch on both ends of the rifle.

Shoot those hogs in the head with a 243 and they will go down. One of the best for me.

I’m disappointed in people that can’t shoot well enough to kill a deer with a 243.

Yep! After over a 100 hundred animals dropped dead to the 30'06, I finally had one run almost 65 yards..what a POS cartridge, should have switched to a 7mm-08 (which is what I currently shoot) or the 6.5 CM sooner I guess LOL! Match the cartridge to the game guys and you will never be disappointed! I assume you wouldn't go bear hunting with a switch or would you?

Agreed. I have a new Seekins AR that I need to get out and sight in. I don't know if I will use it for any hogs but it will be in my hands for varmints/predators for sure. Earl

Being disappointed in a caliber is kind of like being disappointed in a socket wrench.
Use the right tool for the job, you won’t be disappointed. Use the wrong one, you will.

It’s not the tool’s fault.

(Being disappointed in a particular tool because it’s faulty (inaccurate) is a different subject.)

Never shoot a large caliber animal with a small caliber gun.

Not really defending the 222 as a deer cartridge but: Bought one for my Wife over 25 years ago. She killed 3 deer with it and passed to Grandson. He probably killed 3 or 4 deer and about that many hogs with none lost. I have probably killed 3 deer with it. Only one lost and it was a bad shot on my part. If you poke a hole in the right place, just about anything works.

Most disappointed with 45-70. Expected much but with hogs it seems that there is little "shock" value with it. Never had one drop, they would run off and die but in thick brush it was not the cal. I expected.

Maybe your bullet choice could be better.

Quite the opposite. I’m not the type to take pictures of the animals I shoot, but I could add a few pages to this conversation with pigs that were killed with a .223/5.56. In fairness, I have lost two, but it was entirely my fault on making a bad shot.

I think guys are liking the fact they have an accurate, semi-automatic, with a detachable mag. .223/5.56 are the most plentiful, but they are not going to perform like a 6.8 SPC, 6.5 Grendel, or a .308 in an AR-10 platform. Many people finally realize that, and end up with an AR chambered in one those cartridges, eventually.

My opinion, of course.

.280 Ross
any WSSM