Thread: 300blackout/subsonics/suppressor for bush/goat

Humour me here, I'm bored at work and know nothing about this. Would 300blackout/subsonics/suppressor be good for hunting goats in dense bush? Maximum distances 100 metres, most shots taken at less than 50 metres. Quietness would be a big benefit in some of the places I shoot. Would be using factory ammo.

Search for some of Tikka's hunting reports. He is slaying animals with his 300blackout, subsonic and supersonic.

what kind of rifle I'm running a mae on 223 ar it makes a lot of difference to noise as its short barreled I just get a lot of gas coming out the ejection port which is not ideal being a lefty

I used to hunt fallow in similar forest conditions and 300aac was AOK for the job. Though I doubt you need a round that big for goats at short distance. I guess you are thinking more about the noise than the slug.

perfect for the job. it's about the only round you can easily get factory subs for anyway.

One thing I can is there is if using subs for hunting you really need to reload to get best performance and accuracy. Here in NZ we are limited to a couple of decent subsonic projectiles that work well on deer are the Lehigh Defence https://www.oceania-defence.com/shoo...h-bullets.html and one of the guys on this forum that makes a cast 151gr Hollow Point he also sells them on TM.
Another thing to consider is a lot of range work with load development and knowing your bullet drop for every batch you reload as it can be out 30fps-70fps from batch to batch. Angled shots makes a big difference with subs as well.
I'm running a rebarreled bolt gun as my main gun instead of a AR platform and no longer using my 10/22 or my Sako 270win. I use mine with a dog for culling goats and pigs when walking into my main deer hunting area without the nearby deer knowing a thing. Knock over a deer or several and cull my way back to the truck.

The 300 blackout doesn't need a long barrel because it burns the powder within the first 9" of the barrel. So you can have a compact and quiet gun.

Any good quality suppressor will work.

Hunting in thick bush you need a open line of fire, any branches and sticks will deflect the bullet a bit or a lot. Shooting goats with big heavy bullets will pass straight through on broadside shots, three with one shot is the best I've done. So you really do need to know what's behind like rocks to ricochet on and on the odd head shot I've had bullets ricochet at 90 degree angles.

They are not the cheapest gun to setup and run but you can have a lot of fun with it and see some spectacular shots once all sorted and like everything it's the nut behind the butt with the right shot placement and projectile choice not the gun and caliber as there's guys doing the same with 7.62x39, 308win and 44mag etc but the 300 whisper/ 300 blackout was purposely built to run subs and supers.

April/May NZ Hunter has an article on this very subject

Originally Posted by WillB

April/May NZ Hunter has an article on this very subject

May have to buy it. Cheers!

I bought a Ruger American ranch for the job NI bush and goats - top option as it has 16.5 " barrel threaded 5/8 x24 so threw a Mae can on it - went out there and they had a over-run from some testing they did for the nz army. Robust little bugger.

If you go the Ruger way you need to stabilise the fore end and the trigger needs lightening and polishing to get it shmeck.
here's the rifle and Mae surpressor v a hardys

My go to sub like @tikka is Leigh high 196 maximum expansion rounds - expensive for the pill but be warned brutal. Belmont now have a nice hp 130 and Barnes tax-Tx 110's are awesomely fast and my choice for supersonics accuracy wise.

If you're looking for a whole rig let me know as for the right dollars I might be convinced to part with it. Otherwise I completely thumbs up the Mae for ruggedness. If you want light go dpt.

CD

I run Roberts 151grn cast subs through my 7.62x39mm at subsonic velocity with great results for the limited use I have for it...head shooting my wild house muttons at 40-50 yards,no mess no fuss no bother and no exit either. running load through charts using 150 grn jacketed flat nose hollow point as nearest thing I can find...it says dead on at 25 and 50 yards with 8" drop at hundy....... I wouldnt hesitate to poke one into goat broadside on at hundy yards,and with the measly amount of Trail boss powder Im using they are very quiet through a gunworks spartan can.

@tikka how much did rebarrelling set you back? I have a 223 xbolt that I was thinking about changing to 300 but after looking around it seemed as much as a new Ruger.

It was something like $1100 with a halfcock bolt safety and threaded for a ODL can, quite dear for a 12" 1:7 s/s barrel but I've more than $1100 worth of meat with it. There would probably be other gunsmiths around that would do it cheaper, it was just timing with who could put it together first. I bought the doner rifle dirt cheap on TM and had it sent straight to the gunsmith to start the work and was only waiting on the suppressor for fitting to barrel and barrel crown/thread work. I really wanted a stainless steel rifle less cleaning when hunting.

Nearly finished new load development with the Lehigh Defence 168gr CF as there's no more 194gr ME left in the country and just started Roberts 151gr cast HP, so back down the range tomorrow testing again. So early days yet before I start knocking animals over with them.

Originally Posted by MightyBoosh

Humour me here, I'm bored at work and know nothing about this. Would 300blackout/subsonics/suppressor be good for hunting goats in dense bush? Maximum distances 100 metres, most shots taken at less than 50 metres. Quietness would be a big benefit in some of the places I shoot. Would be using factory ammo.

If you don't want to spend a lot of money on a sub rifle just use a decent .308 Win the standard barrel twist will stabilise the 151HP cast bullet at 1050 fps mine has a 1:13" twist
loaded with 8.5 grains of Trail Boss shoots 12mm groups at 50 metres and 30mm at 100,
You will not save weight or bulk with a factory rifle in 300 BLK they are build on the same action, you should be able to pickup a good SH .308 on TM and get a DPT can fitted for less
than the cost of a rebarrel, if you run it with cast bullets the barrel will last forever.

Definitely a caliber on my to try list, the Ruger is the way to go, I've been quoted as low as 900 new for one so much cheaper than a rebarrel. Even if you factor in a Timney!!

Remember that true flite makes a short suppressor barrel ( under 17")for a bit cheaper than the full length one. Take that into consideration when getting a quote done.