300 Blackout vs 556 – Which Caliber is better?

Am Shooting Journal ^ | 4/12/2018 | J Hines

[mcshot]

All
I’m perplexed and bothered by the continual use of “AR platform”. Heck, you never hear about the bolt action, pump, lever, single shot or break open “platform”. Why not AR style or type? I know Jerry Miculek is famous for use of the “platform” but I find it inappropriate. rant off

[Big Red Badger]

Looting Dead Bodies...?

Zombie Attacks will at least leave
A fairly clean environment.

[deoetdoctrinae]

Here is an image showing a fairly good variety of calibers.

As far as ballistics info, there are enough charts out there to make your eyes bleed sorting through them, lol.

[SgtHooper]

If a requirement is SHTF, then the answer is simple—NOT 6.5 and NOT 300—either 762 NATO or 556 NATO. You need to get the caliber that is likely to be plentiful! 300 BLK will be oddball ammo, and far less available, and 6.5? pffft.

[SgtHooper]

Mags.

[SgtHooper]

You need to seriously consider the AK!!

[Redleg Duke]

The beauty of the .300 BLK is you can shoot it from an AR-15 lower, and with 5.56 mags.

To go with a .308 (7.62 NATO), you need an AR-10 lower.

I am building some .300 BLK rigs for my Wife, Son and myself. Next will be an AR-10 in .308 as I have a shitload of that ammo from my youth in harness.

[Zathras]

6.5 Creedmoore

[moovova]

Ruger has produced a Mini-14 in 300 Blackout for several years.

[IndispensableDestiny]

I built a .300 BLK upper to go with a lower I assembled at the same time. With 125 grain Nosler ballistic tip bullets, it is a fine short range deer killer. It is also very accurate.

I got tired cutting and forming 5.56/.223 brass to make .300, so I built a second upper in 5.56/.223. Now .300 brass is common, so I no longer need to cut. Still, having the skill and tools to cut is good.

.300 BLK is a fine round. But for SHTF, I'll take the longer effective range in 5.56 or .223.

[Charles Martel]

Ruger has produced a Mini-14 in 300 Blackout for several years.

Yes, the caliber is definitely becoming established beyond the AR-15 market. Ruger also offers the caliber in a bolt-action rifle with threaded muzzle - very interesting. Another new offering - the company that is building the StG-44 semi-auto replicas has caliber options of the original 8mm Kurz, 5.56 NATO and 300BLK.

[moovova]

I had to look that up. Looks like HMG is offering conversion kits too, to swap between all of the offered calibers. Not bad.

[Paal Gulli]

If the 300 Blk is an improvement over the 5.56, then the .30 RAR is an improvement over the 300 Blk.

The 300 Blk is anemic for a 30-cal and there are few bullets — if any — that make it suitable as a dedicated subsonic cartridge.

[Who is John Galt?]

Exactly. When I see questions like this, I usually think of my youngest nephew, who would often ask: "Which one is tougher, a shark or a lion?"

;^)

[MileHi]

...and the 375 H&H is a kick.

I see what you did there. LOL

Working on hand loads or same.

[crosdaddy]

When I was younger and much less experienced, I got .375 H&H scope eye.

[2111USMC]

You are correct.

Ammo availability is a big deal. .300 BLK just hasn’t taken off as a super popular round. Want something bigger go .308

[MileHi]

For same...

[TexasTransplant]

300?

Why do it when SKS and AK’s are abundant and cheap?

[Who is John Galt?]

Buying a 300 upper to use with a lower/bolt/mags you already own is probably cheaper than buying a second rifle/new mags/etc. The ammo is about the same price as brass-cased 7.62x39 (comparing apples to apples ;^), and it’s often easier to mount optics on an AR, than an SKS or AK...