300 BLK AR Replacement - Plan B iteration #27

So I can't use my 300 Blk AR and I want to replace it with something cheap and cheerful - definitely under $1000 and $700 would be better.

I've had a good look at the various new bolt gun 300 Blks options and none of them really spin my wheels.

So I was thinking of maybe going to a 308 and loading down some reduced loads to match what I used in the 300 - which in my case was a 125 Hornady sst at 2100 fps (so supersonic not a sub). If I went down this path I already have a good stock of a projectile I know "performs" and it will stabilize in any 308. I already reload for 308.

I'd get a inexpensive secondhand 308 (working on the basis that an older model of good quality will be nicer than a similar priced to a new low end model), chop the barrel to 16" and fit my old 300 suppressor

What are the flaws in this plan . . . . . will the noise footprint be much different to the 300 blk.

I've been offered a Ruger 77 Mk II SS - how do they go - any issues?? Anything else anyone knows of on offer ??

Thoughts??

The ruger 77 is not the best action if you want to get a bit of angle on the scope to compensate for drop at subsonic speeds.
If you are going supersonic then it should be alright. As long as the gun is accurate ATM, it should work.but depending of the year of production, a good chunk of them were not always the most accurate. The more modern Hawkeyes were better .

Ruger American Ranch Rifle


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Zastava in 308. Barrel already pruned, think I have suppressor for it as well, only half the $$'s you are looking at spending. :thumbsup:

Savage man they group

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Haha you pretty much just retyped my plan. I was thinking I would go single shot though thinking a bergara in 308. Probably push the ssts harder than 2100 though, :thumbsup:

I thought I saw a new Howa in 300 Blackout but it's a 7.62x39.

Gonna trailboss the load, or go with something else?

Thanks for the suggestions. I have Trailboss so will be trying that, and maybe some of the old "Blue Dot" reduced loads, lots of people had good luck with these but there were also a few questionable incidents.

I don't need a fast twist as I'll not be using it subsonic, I got on real well with the supers in 300 BLK, its such a small amount of powder a reasonable size (DPT magnum) suppressor was very effective.

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Originally Posted by Tentman

Thanks for the suggestions. I have Trailboss so will be trying that, and maybe some of the old "Blue Dot" reduced loads, lots of people had good luck with these but there were also a few questionable incidents.

I don't need a fast twist as I'll not be using it subsonic, I got on real well with the supers in 300 BLK, its such a small amount of powder a reasonable size (DPT magnum) suppressor was very effective.

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Yeah I'm going to miss how cheap that little beast is to shoot. Perfectly little up close deer slayer

I had a bit of time on my hands so ran a whole series of "simulations" in Quickload, with the aim of duplicating or slightly bettering 300 BLK ballistics while not increasing factors that contribute to the noise signature of the load. Basically I was aiming to get a 125 Gn bullet at at least 2100 fps (2450 would be better) without using more than about 20gns powder or a muzzle pressure that exceeded about 5000 psi.

It wasn't possible in the 308, you have to get up to about 27 gns of Blue Dot, and using pistol powders in this way can produce erratic (potentially dangerous) results.

So I thought I'd try 260 with the 123 Gn bullet, and that was worse.

So it looks like I'll have to stick with 300 BLK or 7.62x39 after all.

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Originally Posted by berg243

I like the look of the ruger ranch rifle in 300blk with its 5 shot rotary mag and 16.5 inch barrel.tempted to buy one for myself as a pest rifle.

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Have one works well.



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How about this @Tentman

https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....45-70-a-49562/

Will drop the price if it goes without DPT, super light .Shooting 151gr cast subs from it with a pinch of TB atm.
Want to grab a 45/70 but minister of finance said something else needs to go beforehand :oh noes:

Ha - I did have a good look at your 308 but . . . for a start my suppressor won't fit (the Lightweight barrel is too slim). I bet it shoots well though, I had the one that floated round the forum for ages and it shot "lights out"

Quote:

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Originally Posted by berg243

I like the look of the ruger ranch rifle in 300blk with its 5 shot rotary mag and 16.5 inch barrel.tempted to buy one for myself as a pest rifle.

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i almost bought one of these .....then a 7.62x39 popped up a third of the price (s/h of course) and the highlander in my genes kicked in

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Originally Posted by Tentman

Ha - I did have a good look at your 308 but . . . for a start my suppressor won't fit (the Lightweight barrel is too slim). I bet it shoots well though, I had the one that floated round the forum for ages and it shot "lights out"

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Would swap suppressors , wifeys 7,62x39 needs one.

Howa Mini rifles are available in .300BLK and were going to be in the country within a few months, that may have changed with possible law changes and general confusion however. They are also making the Howa Mini in .224 Valkyrie if I remember right, already on the market in the US.

With a bolt gun you can make up some proper bunny fart loads for 300BLK. Quieter than equivalent 308 subs will be. 308 has lots more case capacity and a case full of Trail Boss produces a greater volume of gas than the tiny amount of AP70/AP100 that you can get away with in the BLK does. Slightly more consistent too since the powder's used more efficiently.

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Originally Posted by tommygun

Howa Mini rifles are available in .300BLK and were going to be in the country within a few months, that may have changed with possible law changes and general confusion however. They are also making the Howa Mini in .224 Valkyrie if I remember right, already on the market in the US.

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Hmm the balk would make a mean midrange goat buster or target gun. Like that idea

I think I'm going to go 7.62x39, I've got a Howa Mini set aside at a LGS but have to decide by close of play tomorrow. Its got just a smidge more oomph an the BLK, enough I feel to be effective on Red's out to 180-200M - it looks like with CFE-BLK powder 2500+ fps can be gotten in a bolt gun with 125gn projectiles.

Several guys in the States have written up reports on using 308 dia projectiles in the CZ or Howa's .310 bore with excellent accuracy results which offers a wider range of projectile choice. To cap it off Nosler are producing a ballistic tip boat tail 123gn speciffically designed for 7.62x39. I think I'm talking myself into it . . . .

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Originally Posted by PommyMcPomFace

With a bolt gun you can make up some proper bunny fart loads for 300BLK. Quieter than equivalent 308 subs will be. 308 has lots more case capacity and a case full of Trail Boss produces a greater volume of gas than the tiny amount of AP70/AP100 that you can get away with in the BLK does. Slightly more consistent too since the powder's used more efficiently.

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Why would you fill up the case with Trail Boss @PommyMcPomFace ? In my 308 7.5 grain is going at 1065fps.

@Boar Freak, yeah but with what bullet? Takes more than 7.5gr to drive a 200-220gr at that speed.

X amount of powder produces Y amount of pressure in a 308 case. Takes less X to produce Y in 300BLK because it's so much smaller, all else being equal.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PommyMcPomFace

@Boar Freak, yeah but with what bullet? Takes more than 7.5gr to drive a 200-220gr at that speed.

X amount of powder produces Y amount of pressure in a 308 case. Takes less X to produce Y in 300BLK because it's so much smaller, all else being equal.

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Am shooting the 151 casts, works well for what I need it (culling goats) never tried the 200. For bigger animals I go back to standard loads mainly because the chance of a 450+ shot that wouldn't work with any kind of .30 cal sub.