By John Farnam
Ft Collins, CO –-(Ammoland.com)-Â I talked today with a friend who works in nuclear security at a major installation.
He is proposing to his superiors converting all existing ARs, currently chambered in 5.56×45 (223), to 7.62×35 (300 Blk) caliber.
It will involve swapping barrels only. Existing magazines will all work, as will existing bolts and bolt-carriers. The entire project can be accomplished quickly, and at modest cost, when compared with buying new rifles.
Selling points are significantly increased range and penetration. They’ll be using a new, 112gr copper/tungsten bullet, designed to easily penetrate car doors, car glass, cinder block, and most body armor, even that which is currently “rifle-rated!”
Penetration is efficacious, out to 300m!
Naturally, there is some institutional push-back from those up the food-chain who need additional convincing, but advantages over conventional 223 ammunition are so significant that I predict this “trend” (if that is the right word) will prove unstoppable!
This is all what the 6.8mmSPC was supposed to do, and probably would have! But, for whatever reasons, the 6.8mm never gained traction. The 6.8 currently has a small following in the civilian shooting community, but major institutional buyers, like the Pentagon and other big, federal consumers, never displayed much more than casual interest.
And, the 7.62×51 (308) still has a substantial following within the active services, and many secretly long for the return of the M14 in general-issue. However, that is not in the cards! The 308 will not make a major ” comeback,” absent an epochal philosophical shift at the highest levels. Right now, that is extremely unlikely!
By contrast, the 7.62×35 is rapidly “catching-on!”
Currently, I don’t have a rifle chambered for it, but I will soon!
/John
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I have taken 2 whitetails with the 300 BLK, each at 200 yds broadside shots. One was taken with Barnes 110 gr TAC bullets, the other with 130 gr. barnes loaded in Remington Hog Hammers. Each time the bullet passed through and each deer recovered less than 100 yds from where shot. The 300BLK is no giant killer, but a whitetail is no giant.
The blackout is a great subsonic round, but in full power it is just as mediocre as 7.62×39. The 5.56 is waaay more effective at one shot instant kills with 55gr on deer than the ho-hum ak round will ever be. Far more accurate too. I have killed conservitively 40 some deer with. 223/5.56 over the years and all have gone down on the spot. No running to punmp meat with adrenilan, just instant kills.
Love my blackout/ whisper for subsonic shots with 220gr. tho!
I shoot an AR 7.62×39. I can have inexpensive fun at the range at .22 cents a round and I can harvest deer with soft points at .30 cents a round.
That’s my reason for not having built a 300AAC upper.
Bullshit. this crap is still not better than the 7.62×51 or the 7.62×39. its just another hip “Ar15 trend”, just like the 6.8 was.
I converted to it over a year ago. I handload it and have a SBR chambered in it.
I’ve shot .300BLK both super sonic and subsonic loads, it is accurate to very effective distances especially in defensive carbine type rifles (400m) and can be very effective SBR’d. The round has a lot of potential and can be cost effective using already available components with minor modification to produce loads. My accuracy our of a 18″ SS Wilson Combat barreled AR was about 3/4″ at 108 yards with Horandy 110gr. Shots were taken prone off a Grip-Pod systems forward grip bi-pod and with an inexpensive 7x scope.
300BLK performs