Was scrolling through the EE and saw a 16" barrel and upper receiver for $165. For the money, unless someone knows otherwise that it's complete crap, I could see getting this just to shoot the piss out of it. Nothing special about it just plain jane el cheapo.

Receiver looks very rough

You can come very close to that price using a Midway AR-Stoner barrel and a blemished upper.  I didn't see the ad you referred to, though.

*edit* I looked at the wrong barrel on midway. so, not as close as I thought.

Nothing cheap about blackout.

Price some ammo and check to see if you can find any before you buy it.

Every time I go to buy 22LR there usually isn't any, but there is usually 300 Whisper or Blackout on the shelf (NOTE: one can shoot 300 Whisper in a 300BLK but not the other way around). But you are correct that if one does not have any 300BLK, one can not expect to just walk into Wal-mart and it be there to buy. Sometimes that also can't even be said for 223 or 7.62x39 though!

I have bought most of my 300BLK mail order, at gun shows, Cabela's, and Wal-mart.

Also MAS Defense has plenty of high quality barrels to choose from under $200 some as low as $139 for 16 inch. They also do a "Pick Four" where you choose your Upper, Hand Guard, Barrel, and hider/brake and send it to you already built.

Price for the pick four? Average of course, if I was wanting a beater paper puncher.

May want to check out PSA or ar15hardware.com. The latter usually has barrels for less than $150 shipped.

Forsyth County Pawn (or maybe it was Bulls Eye range in Cumming, I'm confused now) had some .300 blackout the other day when I was there.

Think it was 200 rounds for $169 or $189.  Too rich for my blood.

I was about to post this exact same thing. You'll spend multiples of the gun price on ammo if you actually shoot the damn thing, so if cost is your biggest concern it may not be the right caliber for you.

Or you will reload.

Still don't get to shoot the dang thing though

Cost isn't necessarily the concern as far as a build budget or ammo. In this particular case, just seemed you could slap together a very cheap .300blk and not put any hard use on your nicer rifle.

My 300BLK *is* my nicer rifle, haha.

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Yeah 300 Blackout is mostly about why you would want or need it (unless of course one just has money to burn).

For me, I wanted to add 30 cal to my AR Platform and everything but the barrel is the same, so no new mags, no new BCG, no new Lower, etc. I would rather hunt Boar or Deer if using an AR Platform with a 110 grain TTSX (or larger) then with a 62 grain HP. Also I feel better about Home Defense with a 30 round magazine of 220 grain 300BLK then 62 grains HPs (not that 30 .223s wouldn't get the job done for I usually hit what I aim at).

I also reload so practicing is not as expensive as buying cartridges off the shelf. And of course I don't shoot 300BLK as much as .223 but again the motions are all the same since its the exact same mag and lower so it is sort of like changing out a 223 Upper for a 22LR Upper to shoot cheaper. I bought all my home defense and hunting rounds at gun shows or online mostly. I was not in a hurry so I could wait until it was a good buy or there were sales or over-stocks because I have my reloads for plinking and practice. The added bonus for those that reload is if you shoot a bunch of 223, one can reload in 223 or cut the case down and reload in 300BLK.

..on your nicer .300blk sorry. If the $500 build will down a deer why carry a $1200 build into the woods, behind the seat of your truck, etc. And that's another bonus that assures I'll have a .300blk, I already have tons of mags and parts for it. Pretty sure my next none 5.56 AR will be a .458, .308, or. 5.45 with BLK coming second.

We have a lot in common. That said the deer I shot last fall was DRT with the 110gr TTSX and it made a hell of a exit hole

Shot two deer with mine. Both with hand loads using h110 and pink tips. One was DRT and the other moved right when I pulled the trigger. She was already dead she just didn't know. She was 75 yards or so and Tex ( dog) came to the rescue and tracked her on the dark.

Funny thing was. It took us longer to find TeX then it did for him to find her!!!

im sent

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Don't think anybody can go wrong with Barnes TTSX 110 hunting with 300 Blackout. All their bullets do a good job of dropping what one hits.