30-30 vs 300Blackout

[Hannibal]

So looking at ballistics and down range energy I'm confused.

A 30-30 is looked down upon often as not having much power and good only for short range but it's far superior to a 300Blackout.

Why? Apart from compatibility with an AR platform or subsonic loads with a suppressor I see no redeeming qualities in a 300Blackout.

I'd like to hear what is better about the 300Blackout because I sure don't see it.

[hades]

300blk fits in an AR and 30 30 doesn't.


Plus i think there's ALOT of guys who feel the age of a cartridge makes it obsolete, and "Fuddy". Basically back to it not being an AR so they can be Johnny Tacticool with it.

[bluejay75]

So looking at ballistics and down range energy I'm confused.

A 30-30 is looked down upon often as not having much power and good only for short range but it's far superior to a 300Blackout.

Why? Apart from compatibility with an AR platform or subsonic loads with a suppressor I see no redeeming qualities in a 300Blackout.

I'd like to hear what is better about the 300Blackout because I sure don't see it.

I’m sure everything on the American Continent has fallen to a 30-30. Hard comparison to make with 300 BO.

[TD1886]

A better comparison would be comparing the BO to the 7.62x39 and my pick would be the 7.62x39.

[dverna]

The .300 BO is about two things. Hype and it fits in an AR.

I see bolt guns in .300 BO and wonder what people are thinking. But hype sells.

[imashooter2]

Not everyone hunts or cares what performance on game might be. Some just want their AR to go bang and function semi auto with the low cost of pistol powders and cast bullets and without the headaches of trying to do that with a .223. The Blackout shines at cheap and easy.

[Hannibal]

The .300 BO is about two things. Hype and it fits in an AR.

I see bolt guns in .300 BO and wonder what people are thinking. But hype sells.

Well, I have one. I had a Zastava 'Mini-Mauser' that had a barrel chambered in 5.56/.223 that had a bad barrel. I decided to chamber and fit a barrel in 300AAC strictly to punch holes in paper with. No recoil, low charge weight and a platform to experiment with cast. So that is my personal motivation.

The thing I find absurd is that so many consider a 30-30 impotent yet put a 300AAC on a pedestal.

Doesn't make sense to me/no consistency.

[D.Bullets]

A better comparison would be comparing the BO to the 7.62x39 and my pick would be the 7.62x39.

Agree; Thats throwing the 300 Blk Out under the bus trying to compete with a 30-30. Not a fair performance comparison. You could make the jump up and throw the 30-30 under the bus by comparing it to a 308. The 308 can have AR platform. Jump again 300 Win Mag. Now you have coverage. All good choices for what they are. 1st choice to plink is 300 Blk Out then 30-30 and just keep going up. Even though the Blk Out is the smallest, it would be a bad day to be in its path.

[Fitz]

I love my 30-30 's and I love my 300 black-outs both have their place and either will kill game and punch holes in paper extremely well , I have room for both .

[white cloud]

I have a 300 Blackout. It is extremely accurate and can fire spitzer bullets so at some point the 300 BO will have more energy than a 30-30 lever gun. ARs are typically very easy to work on and accessorize as desired. At deer hunting ranges, the 30-30 is considerably more powerful. I take my 300 BO deer hunting but I feel the need to shoot only premium bullets like the GMX when doing so. Honestly, if you don't want to deer hunt with an AR15, I just don't see a reason to pick the 300 Blackout.

[TD1886]

The .300 BO is about two things. Hype and it fits in an AR.

I see bolt guns in .300 BO and wonder what people are thinking. But hype sells.

It's about what the first cartridge, it's brother, the 300 Whisper was about and that's subsonic for a silencer.

[Finster101]

It's about what the first cartridge, it's brother, the 300 Whisper was about and that's subsonic for a silencer.

A .300 Blackout with subs and a suppressor is just plain fun, whether punching paper or taking out a hog or two.

[P Flados]

The BO can be useful in an AR and is one of the better 30s in a 10" TC contender (on par with the 30 Herrett).

For a small 30 in a bolt gun, performance and be good enough and the rimless case makes it easy to stack in a magazine.

The 30-30 in guns that will shoot it gives a tad more velocity. The 30-30 in the right gun can be more than a tad better.

[Mk42gunner]

I remember looking at one of the Lyman reloading manuals and I came to the conclusion that the .300 Blackout was the modern equivalent of the .32-40, i.e. not quite a .30-30, but would still kill a deer if needed.

I'm not really into AR's, so I probably won't get one; and I have other almost no recoil rifles that I can shoot.

Now if I come upon a screaming good deal, I might be persuaded.

Robert

[farmbif]

if people you know look down upon 30-30 as not having much power they are probably just used to a 30-06 or 300 win mag. if your shots are accurate the 30-30 is a deadly effective deer gun out to 150 yards all day long.and since the invention of lever evolution LVR powder velocity increase a couple hundred fps over what it had been for many decades.
unfortunately these days there are a whole lot more people that study carts and graphs about shooting than actually work up loads and go outside and shoot something with it, armchair quarterbacks. I see the stuff on forums all the time.

[dverna]

Not everyone hunts or cares what performance on game might be. Some just want their AR to go bang and function semi auto with the low cost of pistol powders and cast bullets and without the headaches of trying to do that with a .223. The Blackout shines at cheap and easy.

I doubt 3% of .300 BO shooters reload, and maybe 1/2% cast. The vast number of AR shooters who want their guns to go bang at low cost are buying FMJ .223’s for $10/box. Last time I bought .223 brass it was $75/1000. Can you buy cheap .300 BO brass or do you still need to use .223 cases and make it?

[Hannibal]

I doubt 3% of .300 BO shooters reload, and maybe 1/2% cast. The vast number of AR shooters who want their guns to go bang at low cost are buying FMJ .223’s for $10/box. Last time I bought .223 brass it was $75/1000. Can you buy cheap .300 BO brass or do you still need to use .223 cases and make it?

I had to buy Winchester white box FMJs for brass. Couldn't find any elsewhere. It was a new barrel and could use a few jacketed bullets down it anyway. LC headstamp. Overruns or culls, not sure which.

60 brass will last me a long time with a subsonic cast load anyway.

[imashooter2]

I doubt 3% of .300 BO shooters reload, and maybe 1/2% cast. The vast number of AR shooters who want their guns to go bang at low cost are buying FMJ .223’s for $10/box. Last time I bought .223 brass it was $75/1000. Can you buy cheap .300 BO brass or do you still need to use .223 cases and make it?

I see brass over on ARFCOM at about the same price as .223. I make mine. It was part of the appeal.
We can quibble over the numbers, but the principle remains. It is a very easy and economical cast bullet cartridge for the AR loving reloader to shoot.

[koger]

I am a die hard 30/30 fan, but also use 2 .300BO's. I have taken deer out to 175 gr with the 300bo and subsonic 220 gr Sierras, every deer dropped in its tracks, nothing more than a couple of kicks. The loudest sound with a suppressor on was the WHACK of the bullet impacting. With a 125gr spitzer or HP J word, the 300BO makes a low recoiling varmint rig for kids with no recoil from a bolt action or AR. I was very very late getting into a .300BO, but have seen a pile of deer killed with them, both subsonic, and 125g SPs supersonic, and one thing I have learned, is that they seem to dump all the energy from a supersonic or subsonic on the target of choice. I think 200 yds is the limit on any deer with either load in the .300. This is a good gun to get women or kids into hunting with , bolt action or AR. Both of mine will shoot under MOA with every factory load I have tried and most of my handloads. I have shot a lot of cast Accurate mold boollits that ar 190 gr, flat nose with a GC, and they will keep all bullets touching at 100 yds. I still prefer a good lever action all around, but also think there is a place for the .300 Bo. And dont forget, it things go south and SHTF, any good accurate suppressed rifle will be a big asset.

[BNE]

I have and like both. I actually have never compared the two to each other. They are different and I like the differences.

My 30-30 is a beautiful lever action. Barely used and not a scratch on it. I can make squirrel rounds or deer rounds for it. Stupidly cheap to shoot if you reload and cast.

I got the 300BO as my first venture into ARs. I wanted to be able to cast for it and go subsonic and still have enough gas left to work the bolt. Have not gone suppressed yet, but I will. Subs made with my casts are cheap and have been easy to get to work. Compatibility with 556 gun parts / magazines is a plus also.

Both guns are fun to shoot.

I don't always like it when people get into arguments about which gun is better. It seems like some people are not happy unless they can tear down someone else's choice in guns. There is a lot more to each gun than how its ballistics compare to "Similar" ballistics. If it raining out and I need to carry a gun, I'm not going to carry a pretty wood gun. An AR is much easier to take apart and dry out after it gets soaked. in short, the two guns are VERY different and one was not meant to replace or out do the other. To me this is like comparing a Reminton 870 to a Browning Citorri. The ballistics are similar, but they are very different guns meant for different purposes and events.

BNE