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FOG HORN a Twobirds Flying Publication
28 November 2011 By: Sal Palma FOG HORN BLOG , Facebook Remington’s 300 AAC Blackout Ammunition.
Just exactly what is a 300 AAC Blackout? It’s
a caliber that had its beginnings as the 300‐
221, a wildcat cartridge popularized by J.D.
Jones of
SSK
Industries
as
the
300
Whisper®.
The cartridge is built on a 5.56x45 case
shortened and necked to accept a 30‐
caliber bullet. When loaded with a 200 to
250‐grain bullet the Whisper is subsonic;
producing muzzle velocities of 960 feet per
second from a 9” barrel to 1030 feet per
second from a 16” barrel. There’s also a
version loaded with a 125 grain projectile
that
achieves
supersonic
muzzle
velocities
of over 2200 feet per second in a 16 inch
barrel.
J.D. Jones pioneered the concept but
stopped short of obtaining SAAMI
certification and approval, so commercially
available loads were non‐existent; those
available, were based on a variety of cases
like the 300‐221, 300 Fireball and 300
Whisper.
Advanced Armament Corporation, and their
Director of Research and Development, Mr.
Robert Silvers, at the urging of an important
customer, saw an opportunity to
commercialize the 300‐221 concept, so the
300 AAC Blackout was created ‐ and it is
now a commercial success. In fact, a
number of ammunition manufacturers are
developing their own loads with product
already entering the market.
The question I’d like to answer with this review is – Why do you need one?
Unlike other calibers, the 300 AAC Blackout
leverages the ubiquitous AR15 platform so
you don’t need to have standalone weapon
systems to gain the benefits of a 30 caliber
round. Using the versatility of the AR15 you
can readily convert your existing 5.56 x 45
AR to a 300 AAC Blackout by simply
installing an upper receiver assembly
chambered in the 300 AAC Blackout. The
bolt and
bolt
carrier
group
remains
the
same.
If you’re re‐barreling an existing upper
receiver assembly you’ll want to use a high
quality barrel with a 1:8 twist so it will
stabilize the 200gr to 250gr bullets, this is
critically important if the weapon will be
used with a suppressor. A fast twist will
mitigate the risk of a baffle strike.
Another benefit to the 300 AAC Blackout is
magazine capacities are preserved.
Since
the
load
is
built
on
a
shortened
5.56
x
45 case, you can use the same magazines
you are currently using for your 5.56 caliber
platform.
All accessories and optics you currently own
for your 5.56 rifle are usable, without
modification, on any 300 AAC Blackout
upper.
Copyright 2011, Sal Palma, dba Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved.
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FOG HORN a Twobirds Flying Publication
Advanced Armament Corporation currently
manufactures two Blackout receivers; the
PDW, which
is
a 9”
configuration
‐the
one
I
recommend, and the 16” version.
Although NFA rules apply when dealing with
a rifle barrel of less than 16 inches, the
added cost of the tax stamp and
inconvenience of waiting for ATF approval
are well worth the benefit.
For starters, the shorter barrel will keep the
muzzle velocity at around 1000 feet per
second unsuppressed. When you add a
suppressor you will gain additional muzzle
velocity. This
phenomenon,
called
free
bore
boost, will add about 10 to 20 feet per
second to the unsuppressed muzzle
velocity. The 16” barrel unsuppressed will
generate a muzzle velocity of 1030 feet per
second, so when you add the suppressor
you could see muzzle velocities in the order
of 1050 feet per second. Under certain
environmental conditions you may
experience sonic crack at these higher
muzzle velocities. The shorter barrel
mitigates
the
risk.
The shorter barrel also compensates for the
7 to 8 inches in added length contributed by
the installed suppressor, so you have a
shorter system. This is an important
consideration for mounted operations or in
close quarters.
Everything on the AAC 300 Blackout
receiver is top of the line. The 9 inch barrel
(All NFA Rules Apply) features a 1:8 twist,
0.740 diameter at the muzzle, 5/8‐24
threads, 4150 CMV steel with pistol‐length
gas system,
M4
feed
‐ramps
and
a Black
nitride finish including chamber and bore.
AAC uses a Knight’s Armament free‐floating
URX to maintain accuracy while providing
for the mounting of accessories. The bolt
carrier group meets full‐auto specifications
(full auto operation requires a full‐auto
lower receiver). The bolt uses Carpenter
158 steel and the bolt carrier is internally
chrome lined. The gas‐key is heat‐treated
and properly
staked.
Lastly AAC includes the AAC‐51 tooth
Blackout flash suppressor with the
complete upper.
If you fall into the ranks of the “do‐it
yourself”, AAC also sells the barrel
assembly, which includes the gas block and
gas tube at a very reasonable price of $425
for the 9” configuration and the 16”
configuration.
All of the whiz‐bang stuff would be
meaningless if the
cartridge
itself
did
not
perform, so we decided to give it a try.
The test rifle used was zeroed at 50 yards.
We fired both 220 grain OTM subsonic, and
the full power 125 grain OTM from
Remington
Although some of the credit belongs to the
monkey behind the trigger, the inescapable
conclusion is that Remington’s ammunition
performed superbly. Regrettably, range
rules did not permit me to chronograph the
loads,
but
I
think
the
results
will
speak
for
them selves.
The best 3‐shot group of the day came in at
.360”
The next slide is representative of all the
groups shot during the range session.
Copyright 2011, Sal Palma, dba Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved.
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FOG HORN a Twobirds Flying Publication
Copyright 2011, Sal Palma, dba Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved.
The 300 AAC Blackout offers universal
benefits ‐ to the SOF community lethality
and stealth.
The
law
enforcement
agencies
can also take advantage of its many
applications – a subsonic round effective to
350 yards with the same muzzle energy as a
.45ACP at the muzzle, and a full powered
load that will deliver a 125‐grain projectile
with staggering accuracy out to 600 yards.
Hunters are now able to use their existing
AR rifles where regulations prohibit the use
of small calibers. The average group size for the day was just
a hair over .55 inches. Projecting the value
out to 300 yards it is reasonable to expect a
1.65” maximum
dispersion.
Benchrest
shooters may not get overly excited about
this level of performance but I’m ecstatic –
all this from commercial grade ammunition.
Since its introduction, about 70 companies
are now
producing
ammunition
and
Blackout related products and accessories.
A clear benefit of a larger market presence
is ammunition prices have dropped from
about $45 per box of twenty to just $12.99
for a box of Remington’s 115 grain UMC,
and that too is exciting.
The worst group of the day was a .66”
probably not an ammunition issue and
more so that the monkey was getting tired
and rushed. The benefits are there, the product is
available and I can’t give the 300 AAC
Blackout enough kudos.
‐SP
I’d like to note that I reported the group
sizes as the maximum dispersion value
without subtracting out the bullet diameter.
So, the story gets better.
The
300‐
221/Whisper
has
come
out
of
the
closets of the wildcatters and hand loaders
and its name is the 300 AAC Blackout.
Finally, with its open standards, this
exceptional load is free to explode in
popularity. Every indication is that it has,
and we’re just at the ramp of the curve.
Recommended