BAFFLED

 OK, I am not new to reloading, but new to reloading 300 BO. Everything that I have read states that Radway Green is unusable, unless the necks are turned.

 Out of curiosity, I decided to make a dummy round using a RORG case and Sierra 150gr. FMJ projectile. I kept everything within spec's.

 To my surprise, it chambers and ejects as easy as my factory ammo. Smooth as butter.

 Can anyone please explain this to a novice?

Thanks

Thanks for the info.

I haven't graduated to annealing yet, so un-annealed. I used Hornady full length dies.

Thanks dryflash3.

Anyone have load data on 165gr. Hornady BTSP? I originally had some for reloading 300 Win. Mag., but getting ready to play with 300 BO now.

ETA:
I have LC brass, H110, CCI 400 and Win. WSR primers on hand to work with.
Super's only since I don't own a can.
8.5" 1-7 twist bbl.

Thanks in advance

CCI 400’s are SHITTY THIN PRIMERS

Run 5.56 pressures with CCI 400’s and see what happens.

See:
http://www.jamescalhoon.com/primers_and_pressure.php

That article when it first came out is responsible for my decision to standardize on CCI 41 and CCI 34 primers for all my rifle loadings.  

It is one less variable to contend with and I never had a negative experience doing load development.  

I load for accuracy, not power and stay within published guidelines.

Well, I guess I'll have to take my chances with "SHITTY THIN PRIMERS" since I am sitting on 2,000 CCI 400'S and 900 WSR's that I've had squirreled away from when they were less than $2.00/100.

That is the consensus with pretty much every thing that I've read so far.

I'm mainly loading for short range, less than 100 yards for my 8.5"  Jeep pistol. For one of those "just in case/oh
shit" moments.

Thanks again dryflash.

You go right ahead and do that.

Reduce your 5.56-pressure loads by TWO FULL GRAINS (not two-tenths of a grain), and you'll probably be OK, but your bullets will be slower than the platform otherwise would allow.

I've shot a lot of shitty thin primers. Lots of pierced primers, torched firing pins, torched boltfaces, blanked primers, and inverted firing-pin indentations.

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@dryflash3

I have a titanium firing pin in my parts bin. I figure that will be less free-floating weight being slammed home.

Your opinion?

What is your opinion on the maximum safe pressure to run CCI 400 primers in 300BLK?

Is anybody using 200+ grain bullets for suppressed subs that are cheaper than Berrys? I'm assuming they would be cast. Or maybe casting their own?

I did .  Local guy slippery bullets.  They will ship.  I hate cast bullets.  Having to flair the case mouth and then crimp so they fit the chamber seem like too much work for the cost savings.

I did .  Local guy slippery bullets.  They will ship.  I hate cast bullets.  Having to flair the case mouth and then crimp so they fit the chamber seem like too much work for the cost savings.  I use 147 M80 bullets for subsonic plinking now and wont go back.

@chucku

Out of curiosity, have you been successful in making subsonic M80 loads that function an AR or are you doing this in a bolt gun?  If it is the former, what powder and primer (and filler?) combination are you using to pull this off and out of what barrel length?  I've read of a lot of people trying and failing to come up with a functional M80 subsonic load for an AR, but I have admittedly not gotten through this whole thread yet.  I've developed solid subsonic loads for my 190 SubX and 190 SMK w/ A1680 and N120, but haven't tried 147s yet.  If you'd prefer to discuss via IM, feel free to shoot me a message.  Thanks.

I had good luck getting subsonic velocity with 147 and 150 grain bullets and 13.3 grains CFR-BLK powder. No filler used. This load cycles my 8.5" Palmetto upper just fine with standard carbine buffer, and standard carbine buffer spring. Good accuracy. 987 fps over my chronograph.

The only good reason why some people don't like this load is because it isn't as quiet as some other loads.

In general, you will get the most quiet load by using fast powders and heavy bullets, as the smaller charge of powder is more exhausted before the bullet leaves the barrel. You can go lower in velocity, and get more quiet, by dropping powder charge. But the gun might not cycle, and very importantly, the risk of baffle-strikes increases as velocity drops.

I'm very happy with the subsonic 147/150 bullet at roughly 1000 fps. Its not super quiet. But its pretty darn quiet. Which is completely adequate for my purposes. I'm not interested in a quiet contest. I can drop velocity of 200 Laupua bullets to about 750 FPS in my suppressed bolt-gun .308, and the sound of the hammer-fall, and the slap of the bullet hitting cardboard, is louder than the report of the gun. I still have concerns though that the bullet is going to fail to stabilize in the barrel, and destroy the suppressor on its way out. Because that's eventually what happens to the winner of the "quiet contest." That contest always ends with the sound of crying.

After you get the sub-sonic thing out of your system, and you simply shoot your suppressor, with loads that are "full-power" for the bullet you happen to be firing, you will be pleased with 16.0 grains H-110 and the 147/150. It cracks out of a suppressor. Vicinity of 1600 fps. But, by comparison to how it sounds WITHOUT A SUPPRESSOR, its a powder puff. Very effective load at some distance too. Not that goofy raibow-trajectory that you get when you are dealing with subsonics.

A subsonic bullet drops about 4 inches at 50 yards - then about 14 inches at 100 yards - and then about 4 feet at 200 yards. And group-size goes completely stupid too.
Hitting an animate target that won't hold still at any distance beyond 50 yards with subsonics is a total crap-shoot.
There is a reason why serious target shooting with .22 LR quits at 50 yards.

Looks like this is the Slippery Bullets site: https://slipperybullets.com/product/30cal-240gr-fp-ht/

18 cents

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I'm inclined to agree with cast not being worth it. Unless there is something special about 240-grain bullets for your application, and if you can get full copper-jacketed bullets for the same price (or very close to it), not much incentive to go with a coated lead bullet. And always the risk that the "plated" bullet is still going to goob-up your gas system with lead.
147/150 FMJ's on Ammoseek
See https://ammoseek.com/reloading/bullets/.308-diameter/147grains
and
https://ammoseek.com/reloading/bullets/.308-diameter/150grains?ikw=fmj

I cannot vouch for slippery bullets, but coated lead is not known to foul up gas systems.

In fact, I have over 3000 rounds through my 458 socom of powder coated lead bullets ONLY.

Zero issues.

Coated is better than plain cast.

https://www.ar15.com/forums/ar-15/Cast_bullets_and_lead_buildup_inside_carrier_/118-621752/

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And the quality of application of coatings is a big deal. For savings of 2cents per round, I hesitate. Especially since I’m pushing them through a suppressor.

https://forums.brianenos.com/topic/240182-poly-coated-bullets-leading-up-silencer/

Pretty much what WEG said.  Cfe black is really gassy so it functions in an AR.  I do have adjustable gas blocks on my DI guns though.  Im out of CFE blk now and wont get more as its loud.  Ill work up something else.  Shouldnt be a problem cycling with the adjustable block and can.

If you have the ability to turn your gas completely off, that will reduce a lot of noise. Can be challenging to get the bolt open as the gun gets dirty. The oversized charging handle on the Kali-Key solves the issue of size of charging handle, and also provides (exclusively) single-shot capability if you don’t have ability to completely shut off gas at the gas block.

I have a Kali-Key. Can’t say it sees much use. I have a suppressed .308 bolt gun that does a way better job of keeping quiet than my 300BLK AR. And the operation of the bolt is more comfortable than slapping the Kali-Key charging handle. Upside of the Kali-Key is you can use it on multiple guns. Sometimes you just want to take one shot without littering brass.

Another primer question...

I have some 5.56 that I reloaded years ago. I'm looking to break them down and reuse the brass for 300BO. The question is, is it safe to cut and resize the brass with live primers still in them? I know the decapping pin needs to be removed before doing so.

I'd just shoot them then start over. Taking apart loaded cartridges is wasted time.

I am trying to avoid removing them, then resetting them since it's quite a bit.

1. I don't want to waste the primers.

2. Want to find a safe way to convert the .223/5.56 brass to 300BO without removing the primers.

Thanks dryflash3, I was waiting for you to chime in. Everything you told me verified what I was planning on doing. I don't use spray lube, so I should be good on that part.

I bought 10,000 “reclaimed” .30 carbineprimers from GIBrass.com

A lot of them were slightly convex “pimpled” on the impact-face. The pimples seemed to iron-out when they were re-seated. I’ve fired about 7,000 of them at this point. Maybe 5 duds. Must be fairly safe to de-cap. Or maybe very sporty in the workshop where the “reclaiming” is done.

I guess I can see forming 300BLK in the workshop as a learning experience and entertainment. Alternatively, primed 300BLK is available and reasonably-priced. https://www.armorally.com/shop/primed-300-blackout-brass/ I especially like that it is formed from Lake City 5.56 cases, and has crimped primers. Helpful when you are running a full case of H-110. Also indicative that there is probably little risk in forming and annealing with a primer in place. The stuff I got does not indicate caliber. Just the typical “LC” and NATO cross and two-digit date.

Worked like a charm.

I want to try the Lapua 200 you are referencing. These things are more scarce than hair on a frog. FFS

GBB

https://www.selwayarmory.com/lapua-bullets-30-caliber-308-diameter-200-gr-full-metal-jacket-subsonic-box-of-50.html

Thank you! Ordered their last box.

Thems real good bullets for shooting slow.

I can run them 800 fps in a bolt gun, and they are so quiet you gotta be sure you hear them smack something, or you won’t believe the bullet really left the barrel. Just “clack” (muffled sound of primer and striker fall) and no smoke or recoil.

Nothing .308 is super accurate that slow. Usually a good bit of up/down in the groups. But definitely minute of deer vitals.

Last two deer I killed was with a Crosman and .177 steel BB about 900 fps. Lung shot both. One went 10 feet. Other went about 10 yards. Stupid city deer.

At 800 fps, that Lapua probably drops an additional 5 inches at 50 yards compared to any supersonic ammo. So aim one bunny-rabbit high if you have to take a 50-yard shot. 200 grain bullet is a lot heavier than a BB. Should go through-and-through. Don’t expect any blood trail. Just shoot ‘em through the lungs, and don’t spook ‘em by chasing or moving around. They probably will act like you flat out missed. Both the BB-deer were completely indifferent to having just been shot in the lung. I heard the “splat” of the BB on both.  Just kept meandering and eating my wife’s expensive bushes. Soon as the lung collapses, they just fall over like they gone to sleep.

I think I was using Trail Boss powder for the 800 fps loads in the .308 bolt gun. Those bullets work great in 300BLK too. Big difference in twist-rate between the .308 and the 300BLK. The bullets didn’t seem to care. Long bearing surface.

800 fps is usually too slow to cycle the 300BLK in an AR. They cycle my Palmetto 300BLK upper very well at 1000 fps with several powders, except Trail Boss. I experimented with 1680, 4198, 4227, and CFE/BLK.

Good evening gents and ladies!

I am looking for any advice that you might have on reloading for the SIG MCX Rattler. The amount of information available on this thread is quite overwhelming - and nearly impossible to search for keywords. I am wanting to work up some subsonic loads using 200-208gr bullets out of this 5.5" barrel with a suppressor. The bullets I have are all Hornady and Lapua. No plated stuff. I have worked up some recipes with H110 and N110 and like the N110 much better. Clean, no gas to speak of and amazingly quiet. I also have a supply of Accurate 1680 and CFE Black - both of which I have heard are gassy.

I am not looking for ultra low velocity - but rather something between 1000-1050 fps. My goal is a solid, reliable HD cartridge which reliably cycles. While I prefer the N110, I am open to any of the powders I have in my cabinet. Any advice will be very appreciate.

GBB

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am new to the suppressor world. I loaded up some 208gr Hornady 30 cal BTHPs to measure through my chrono tomorrow. I am working up from base load which cycled fine in my Rattler with the can on. No issues with accuracy, but I believe it is lower velocity than the 1050 FPS I am striving for. I started with the N110 (9.7gr) recipe which shot fine indoors and added 3gr more powder in two successive heavier powder loads. The 9.7gr recipe cut clean round holes. If I am increasing velocity, do I need to worry about key-holing or would that usually happen when lowering velocity? I'd be pretty upset if I damaged my Sandman S can!

Thanks in advance for your input!

GBB

I think bullets with a short bearing surface at low velocity are more likely to leave the muzzle at an unstable orientation than heavier bullets.

You will know by group size and shape of hole on target.

Shoot a group without your can first to make sure they are stabilized. Round holes, put it on. Keyholes, don't.

I've seen a lot of people post about N110 for subsonic 300 blackout.  I've never used it.  For those that have used it and H110, I have a couple of questions.  

First is whether it gives you more or less gas than H110.  The reason for the question is related to reliable cycling of the action.  If your rifle is marginal with H110, will it be better or worse with N110, assuming you load it to the same MV with the same bullet?

The second is related to it's bulk.  Does it fill the case more or less than H110 to get an equivalent MV with the same bullet?  The reason I ask is more to do with MV extreme spread than any other reason.  I usually find that seating the bullet closer to the powder, if not sitting on it, gives me lower velocity spreads.  Will the velocity spread get better or worse with N110?