rifle powder in 300BLK??

[Dallas4rceMarine]

wanting to start reloading my 300BLK with 220SMK for a good subsonic load. I have the 8" Noveske barrel and my factory loads are less than 800fps in the short barrel. I started looking online to see what others were posting and of course I did go to the Hodgdon reloading data center too even though some on here dont agree with it. Any way I saw on there a load using H4198 rifle powder. I thought 300BLK was pistol powder only so I am looking to see if anyone has tried this.
this is the data per the Hodgdon site:

220gr SMK 11.5gr H4198 2.260" C.O.L. 1068fps 25,600 CUP

220gr SMK 9.9gr H110 2.260" C.O.L. 1050fps 29,700 CUP

 

[ksthomas]

Dallas,

There's no difference whatsoever between "rifle" and "pistol" powders. That's merely a distinction we use to keep them loosely sorted as to their application. The real variable here is burn rate. What constitutes a very slow burning pistol powder will also usually double as a very fast burning rifle powder. The small capacity BlkOut case is one of those rounds that falls soewhere in between. The 4198 would probably be a bit on the slow side, but I'm sure it will have its uses here. Don't sweat it. If you've got good data from a reputable source like Hodgdon, you're good to go.

 

[Creature]

With a 9" AAC barrel and 220gr SMK I use 10.4grs of AA1680 to get around @1000fps, maybe a little less.

I use H110 for supersonic loads.

 

[Dallas4rceMarine]

thanks for the info, I new pistol powder had a faster burn rate since its meant for short barrels but i was unaware of there not being any major pressure differences. Good to know the only classification change is due to burn rates. I look forward to finding a good load workup that gets that 220 coming out of the 8" around 1000-1050.
thanks for the help!

 

[Creature]

I'd try 10.6grs of aa1680 if i was you

 

[Yasherka]

I have a 16" barrel on my Howa, and am using 8.9 gains of Vihtavouri N110 with a Hornady 225gr and getting about 1030 fps.

 

[Retooferab]

8.6 grains of N110 is my go to load in my 10.5" barreled 300. I use rem 7.5 primers loaded to 2.10 oal. Here is a 100 yard group.

 

[Pfiddy]

8.6 grains of N110 is my go to load in my 10.5" barreled 300. I use rem 7.5 primers loaded to 2.10 oal. Here is a 100 yard group.

What weight projectile are you using with this combo? Thanks

 

[Retooferab]

220 smk. 8.0 with 208 Amax gives about the same results. I haven't played with oal much to see if I can tighten it up. I don't change the die setting from the smk to the Amax and the oal on the Amax is about 2.17

I try to get my sub sonic loads right on 1000 fps for best accuracy.

 

[jkonzal]

I load 10.5gr of aa1680 under 220gr Sierra RN. Play with your load, as even 1 10th of a grain will make a lot of difference in group size with this kind of load.

 

[Retooferab]

For best accuracy shooting sub sonics try to get to 1000 fps then pay with seating depths. Any faster and accuracy is affected. Much slower and could get stability issues.

 

[Dallas4rceMarine]

thats a pretty good group for a subsonic load. good to know about the velocity over 1,000 I figured if 1,000 was good then 1,050 would be better.. haha reloading new guy mistake I guess. and as of now I still have 1,000 rnds of loaded subsonic with the 220smk so i can either take them apart and try to make them go faster than the 800fps im getting or just wait till they're all fired and start from scratch. as for powders I only have H110, H4198, and Varget. had planned to use the H110 for my 9mm, 40cal, and 300BLK. good to know that there are so many other combinations that are working.

 

[Retooferab]

If you have a sbr with the gas port in the pistol position you don't have to use 1680 powder un less your gas port is small. It take more 1680 to get the speed around a 1000fps that makes is louder. N110 or ill gun will take less powder a should be a lot quieter.

 

[Cornholeo]

My 8" Noveske with 175g SMK 11g AA1680 at 2.2 COAL are good to go. I have not tried other powders for supersonic because of powder availability, or lack thereof.

 

[rjacobs]

My go to subsonic load is 208g AMAX, 10.7g of A1680, 2.120 COAL, with whatever small rifle primer I have.

There are guys on 300blktalk using H110, LilGun and a couple other powders for subs. A1680 has worked thus far for me(although retooferab says) is a bit loud through the port. I need to try some other powders to get it quieted down a little.

 

[Creature]

My go to subsonic load is 208g AMAX, 10.7g of A1680, 2.120 COAL, with whatever small rifle primer I have.

There are guys on 300blktalk using H110, LilGun and a couple other powders for subs. A1680 has worked thus far for me(although retooferab says) is a bit loud through the port. I need to try some other powders to get it quieted down a little.

What length barrel are you using? I have some 208gr Amaxs I have yet to load up and am searching for data.

I also have a McGowen barreled Savage in .300BLK and it shoots 240gr SMKs with AA#9 pretty good. Right under MOA. FWIW to those with a bolt. 240s are too long for ARs IIRC.

 

[rjacobs]

What length barrel are you using? I have some 208gr Amaxs I have yet to load up and am searching for data.

I also have a McGowen barreled Savage in .300BLK and it shoots 240gr SMKs with AA#9 pretty good. Right under MOA. FWIW to those with a bolt. 240s are too long for ARs IIRC.

9" 7 twist AAC.

2.120 OAL measured from the tip. In a bolt gun you could go WAY longer.

These were all shot with flip up BUIS since my optic hadnt shown up yet, but I was just function/speed checking anyway. 10.7 seemed good. 10.9 was also a good load in my gun. I started at 11 and worked down .1g at a time. I need to re-work with my optic and suppressor to see just how slow I can go and still get complete function.

I could, in theory, shoot 240g from my gun if I modified a p-mag to be able to load longer. Only problem with them is cost and that you are only buying 50 for what you can buy 100 208 AMAX or 225g MATCH.

So far in subsonics I have shot 220g SMK, 208g AMAX and 225g Hornady Match. The 220g SMK was a good bullet but just way to damn expensive. Both Hornady's are about 10-15c a piece cheaper than the SMK for bullets that work equally(or in the case of the AMAX) BETTER than the SMK load. We messed with the 245g Missouri Bullet Company cast bullets, but we could never get them to feed right, I think because the flat tip is wider than the feed ramps in the AR platform. They also were VERY inconsistent speed wise. Loaded all the same we were seeing some down at 900 and some up over 1100. That coupled with the crap feeding we abandoned them. Now, in a bolt gun with a 7 twist barrel, I would probably go back and try them.

Another thing for those loading 300blk is crimping. It seems to help with accuracy. I believe(and its been discussed over on 300blktalk a bunch) it is due to the VERY small case mouth contact on the bullet compared to a lot of other cases. I put a medium to firm crimp on my rounds(all my rounds get the same, I dont adjust my LEE FCD at all). Annealing is another subject some guys over there discuss. I dont do it, but I also dont necessarily care about case longevity since I have an excess supply of .223 I can turn into 300blk. Some guys say they get better accuracy by annealing because it gives more consistent case tension. I dont know.

 

[rjacobs]

I wouldnt use 1680 in a bolt gun. To loud due to to much gas. We use it in the AR to keep it functioning.

I would use H110, Lil Gun or even something else. I am not to much up on the 300blk bolt gun stuff.

 

[Creature]

9" 7 twist AAC.

2.120 OAL measured from the tip. In a bolt gun you could go WAY longer.

These were all shot with flip up BUIS since my optic hadnt shown up yet, but I was just function/speed checking anyway. 10.7 seemed good. 10.9 was also a good load in my gun. I started at 11 and worked down .1g at a time. I need to re-work with my optic and suppressor to see just how slow I can go and still get complete function.


I could, in theory, shoot 240g from my gun if I modified a p-mag to be able to load longer. Only problem with them is cost and that you are only buying 50 for what you can buy 100 208 AMAX or 225g MATCH.

So far in subsonics I have shot 220g SMK, 208g AMAX and 225g Hornady Match. The 220g SMK was a good bullet but just way to damn expensive. Both Hornady's are about 10-15c a piece cheaper than the SMK for bullets that work equally(or in the case of the AMAX) BETTER than the SMK load. We messed with the 245g Missouri Bullet Company cast bullets, but we could never get them to feed right, I think because the flat tip is wider than the feed ramps in the AR platform. They also were VERY inconsistent speed wise. Loaded all the same we were seeing some down at 900 and some up over 1100. That coupled with the crap feeding we abandoned them. Now, in a bolt gun with a 7 twist barrel, I would probably go back and try them.

Another thing for those loading 300blk is crimping. It seems to help with accuracy. I believe(and its been discussed over on 300blktalk a bunch) it is due to the VERY small case mouth contact on the bullet compared to a lot of other cases. I put a medium to firm crimp on my rounds(all my rounds get the same, I dont adjust my LEE FCD at all). Annealing is another subject some guys over there discuss. I dont do it, but I also dont necessarily care about case longevity since I have an excess supply of .223 I can turn into 300blk. Some guys say they get better accuracy by annealing because it gives more consistent case tension. I dont know.

Great, that's the same upper I have only with a 1-8 twist barrel. I just picked up a Lee crimp die too. Thanks for the info.