Our ARs operate on the standard AR-15 platform, so no gas venting like on some bolt actions. It takes a lot to actually blow up a quality AR with a properly heat treated and shot peened 9310 bolt due to chamber pressure. Unfortunately we see quite a few .223/5.56 guns blown up when supersonic .300 BLK are shot in them !!!

I've always been curious why the Blackout (55k psi) and Ham'r (57.5 psi) use such a lower max pressure since they're both built on a platform rated for considerably more pressure.

I think the only reason we got SAAMI to accept 57,500 is because we made a big deal about the .204 Ruger being accepted at 57,500

Just one more question and then I'll quit flogging this dead horse. In your opinion could the Ham'r operate at 5.56 pressure levels or is there some design factor that would prevent that...assuming you could find a suitable powder?

OK, don't try this at home, but I've shot a lot of 60k pressure loads with CFEBLK with no apparent ill effects........ Keep in mind that bullet weight isn't bullet weight. Some bullets of the same weight generate a LOT more pressure than others. A good example is the 135gr Bonded vs the 135gr Sierra HP-V, you can push the bonded bullet almost 100fps faster at the same pressure.

Also I'm sure a rifle fed 55k loads will last longer than one fed 62k loads just like a car engine will last longer when ran at 2k RPM vs 6k RPM.

That said I don't like to give up accuracy for velocity and most loads seem to shoot the best in the 54-56k pressure area. We have a lot of great bullet choices now that will perform well when launched at modest velocity.

Thanks! I was just curious and have NO intention of trying to develop +P loads. Like you said I've found the best accuracy somewhere 50-75fps slower than your listed max loads. Now I'm curious why Hodgdon is so conservative with their load data since they're the ones who turned you on to CFEBLK.

So I came across this thread in my searches, had to make an account, chiming in from up in PA. I just bought one of the 16” fluted ranger barrels that went on sale, couldn’t pass it up. Now I have to build a gun around it. Gonna use Aero M4E1 for the build, have to decide on optics and camo, thinking old school 80’s BDU woodland with some aged copper accents.

But what I really would like to know is if anyone has used the heavier 160 gr Hornady FTX bullets and how they perform. Or even the 135s.

Also if Mr. Wilson sees this, I’m sold on the caliber from what I’m seeing, but I notice all the factory rifles you offer have a standard low profile gas block. Do you ever run an adjustable block? Especially considering the range of weights and pressures you can run through it.

I have been told the 160gr is too heavy to properly stabilize and too heavy to go fast enough in the Ham'r. Yet I have never heard a bad word about the 135gr FTX in either 300 BLK or 300 Ham'r. In any case there are plenty of bullets that do well in the Ham'r.

Welcome to the forum, you will find that there are a lot of good people here

I worked really hard to develop an accurate load with the 160FTX with no success, even tough I never got better than 2" groups I still successfully killed several hogs with it. I tried it in 1-11.25, 1-13 and 1-15 twist barrels, none would shoot this bullet better than 2"

The 135FTX is one of the best all around bullets for the HAM'R, keep in mind though that it spikes pressure quickly like the Sierra 135HP-V does, so be cautious with max loads.

I was just curious about the heavier bullets partially because the barrel I have coming, hopefully soon, is the 1:15 twist since that was the deal being offered. Also I have a bunch of the 135 FTX and use almost exclusively Hornady bullets, though I did get a couple boxes of factory ammo with my barrel in 130 and 150gr Speer.

My 18", 16" and 11.3" barrels all shoot/cycle perfectly with or without a supressor...all with WC fixed gas blocks. Was one of the big reasons I went to the Hamr.

Yeah you can get a gun running well with suppressor on or off with a certain load, but sometimes if you switch up loads you gotta start screwing with things again which I thought an adjustable might help with.

Mr. Wilson, I figured you had tried the 160’s and thank you for the advice on pressures. I’ll try not to blow up my face. I go for accuracy over speed anyways.

I have played around with almost every recommended bullet off Wilson's published load data along with different powder charges as I built up loads for each rife. I have yet to have any cycling issues , with or without, a can. Not an expert. .... Just my experiences

Alright, that is good enough for me, I’ll stick with a standard low profile, thank you.

I mean really the worst thing that happens is I have to order up an adjustable one right? More parts to lay around and eventually convince me to put together another rifle.

I'm glad to see the panic buying is over and the prices are coming down as everybody double ordered and are now overstocked. Targetsportsusa is selling a brick of CCI #450 primers for $88 bucks with free shipping which is pretty decent considering the last time I checked they wanted around 12 cents a piece for them. Not sure if the free shipping includes the hazmat or not but if it does that's a steal in todays market.

Reliability has always been a strong point for the 300 HAM'R. Accuracy has been another.
Add in the quality of Wilson Combat and you have to hunt to find anything to complain about.

The majority of my loads have been with the 130 HotCore just because of the results on game and by today's standards it is cheap. I use the 110 Lehigh when I want something "deader" faster!
The panic buying may be on a slight pause, but that may end in a couple of weeks. The biggest problem is the supply chain has not really been replenished on a lot of products.

Well I guess my excitement was short lived lol. The barrel that I ordered when it went on sale last week is just telling me back ordered now. I’ll have to figure something else to build in the meantime, the horror.

What barrel are you looking for, we probably have them. We have LOTS of completed barrels just off the profiling machines that are ITW so they can go for gun builds or be glass beaded for the warehouse for sale. We may have the bbl and all it needs is blasting and packaging.

I was looking at a 1:13 but I ended up ordering the recon 16” fluted 1:15 along with a couple boxes of ammo because I couldn’t pass up the sale price. Too many people must have had the same idea and ordered more than was in stock.

It’s not a big deal, I just get antsy with new projects lol. This will give me more time to creakier the frame and hand guard next week.

Aww heck, just came back to this and saw my autocorrect. I meant more time to Cerakote the parts, not make them creakier

Tks, you will like the 1-15 better unless you were planning to mostly shoot 150s

As a FYI to everyone on this forum, our HUGE Black Friday sale starts on Tuesday and most of the site is on sale.

Oh gee thanks, that's exactly what my wallet needed to hear

Ive already started putting the kids through some refreshers on their shoe polishing, cooking, and cleaning so we can get top dollar for them.

Lmao. Raising three teenagers if I just had the money spent on cars, insurance and tires(they have to buy their own gas) I'd buy one of each Mr.
Wilson has to sell. I will have enough left over to score a few boxes of V-Max rounds though.

Any chance I could get one of those NULA rifles with the black friday sale?