Bullet weight for 300 BLK hunting

Jacob Berry

New Member
Sorry if I'm beating a dead horse, I can't find what I'm looking for. I want to build a 300 BLK AR rifle for deer and hog hunting. I would be using supersonic factory ammo. Most of the supersonic factory hunting ammo I see is 110gr-125gr with a few 150gr-165gr. Shots where I live are typically under 100yds. Im use to shooting a 308 with 165gr BTSPs so the lighter weight bullets make me hesitate. How do the 110-125gr bullets perform on deer size game vs the 150-165gr. Give decent shot placement, how well do they penetrate on a shoulder shot? Do they exit on broadside shots? What are blood trails like?
 
If shooting 300, if the shot is under 100 yards and it is in the vitals, regardless of anything else, that deer is dead, end of story. Use whatever bullets you shoot accurately and stop overthinking it.
 
I personally would use with 110gr Barnes, but 110-125 seem to be the norm depending on bullet. The Barnes 110gr has been a great one from all the reviews I have read. Birdgunner and his kids have used one to take down quite a few deer, using the 110gr Barnes.
 
Jacob, there are many factors in addition to bullet weight that will affect penetration, blood trails, etc. Bullet construction is a huge factor for example; there is a big difference between a copper solid and soft lead bullet. Barrel length affects velocity and that too can be significant.

Although 300 BO has become a really popular offering, the majority of factory ammunition is target ammo. Hunting ammunition is available but somewhat limited in my opinion. If you were planning to hand-load, your options would be endless.

Back to your original question considering bullet weight. I hand loaded .243 rounds for my wife's rifle several years ago. It's almost impossible to find .243 bullets over 100 grains. I settled on 85 grain Barnes triple shock and 95 grain Nosler partitions. She killed a few wild hogs with each and they performed well. I would not be concerned about putting a well placed 125 grain bullet into a deer under 100 yards.....as long as it was a quality hunting bullet. I'm a big fan of bonded or copper (Barnes), especially for lighter offerings.
 
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Shot this doe at about 50 yards with Remington hog hammers 135 grn. Broadside shot passed through. Blood trail was typical of what I see with my ar10 using 165 federal fusions. I have shot many hogs with this rifle but 90 percent are head shots so not much trailing involved.
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110 grain Barnes or 125 grain Hornady flex tips

There are a couple of older threads on the blackout in the guns and reloading section
 
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