.300BLK Out upper for WA. big game hunting license this year?

[Brutus57]

Haven't been able to hunt for over 20 years in WA but got an offer I probably shouldn't refuse to hunt in E. WA. .... WA big game license: Deer, bear, cougar.. I have considered a .300 BLK upper and this would give me a good excuse to dive in... I do have a good bolt rifle but am thoroughly intrigued with hunting with my carbine lower and also having .300 blk for another lower that might turn up down the road.

So, do I stick with the traditional long rifle or do I try something new? I might even get a chance to elk hunt later so the traditional hunting rifle would be used for that.

What say you great white hunters with all the experience? Any .300 Blk hunting gurus?

Thanks Much!
Brutus Out

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[Twodogs]

I'm going to try for a deer with my ruger bolt action 300blk with 200 gr makers bullet and a deadair sandman can on it.

 

[edslhead]

I would think its a little light for elk

 

[Brutus57]

I would think its a little light for elk

I wouldn't use it .300BLK for elk, that would be an.30-06 hunt.

Brutus Out

 

[Member 34319]

Picked up a 300blk Handi rifle.

Tiny little bugger is going to try and get me a forked buck this year.

I'll be shooting Barnes 110 grains.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

Picked up a 300blk Handi rifle.

Tiny little bugger is going to try and get me a forked buck this year.

I'll be shooting Barnes 110 grains.

that tac-x stuff? thats a nasty round. please let us know how it does!!

 

[Member 34319]

that tac-x stuff? thats a nasty round. please let us know how it does!!

That's the stuff.

So far on paper I'm impressed.

I only have a red dot on the gun, hoping to take something within 150 yards, and on paper at 50 yards it grouped at an inch with the dot. About 4" group on a plate at 100 yards. I put 8 rounds on the plate, 8" circle. All went, "TING", so I feel confident I can hit a heart or lung at 100 with it.

 

[Joe13]

E wa and you might not have the distance for a good shot.

I'd use it on dear in W. WA cuz the shots are shorter.

If you have a bolt gun with a scope I'd go old school but that's just me.

 

[AMProducts]

I don't think this is a great idea, 6.5 grendel, 6-MPC, 6x45, or .25-45 would be a much better choice. Also, .223 is legal for cougar. In the case of either deer or bear, you're going to want a solid-expanding bullet like the Barnes X.

From my experience making things dead, the .223 will very much kill most critters in north america, however bullet selection really comes into play on how quickly and cleanly it does it. The big thing in E-wash, and a lot of places is distance. the .300BLK while probably more ideal, simply doesn't have the long rage hitting power to make the shots. For bear, if you can make the adjustment for range, .458 socom wouldn't be a bad start.

In nearly all cases, when I see a clean fast kill, the consistent features of the bullet are good penetration and good expansion. If it lacks either of those, it needs high energies. I've used .308 bullets close range and had the bullet literally explode, the animal was dead before it hit the ground, but it ruined a lot of meat. For most of my hunting use I've switched over entirely to the barnes X line or bullets like it.

My suggestion, take your carbine for lion, and take another larger rifle for the distance shots, even a .300WM wouldn't be a bad choice, as in open country, you're going to be making much longer shots than you might anticipate.

 

[Koda]

I wouldn't take a brush gun to hunt in open country. If this is your first hunt in 20 years don't limit yourself when you already have a perfect all around 30-06 does it all rifle.

 

[salmonriverjohn]

The .300 BO is going to leave you seriously lacking in anything over 150 lbs or over 150 yards, of which both are going to be more likely rather than the exception over east.
Just saying.

 

[Koda]

out of curiosity I looked up a couple rounds 300blk ballistics.... a 30-30 has way more energy.


I think if I wanted to hunt big game with the AR platform I would chose a different caliber.

 

[salmonriverjohn]

This is just my humble opinion but there have been a lot of folks jumping on the .300 BO band wagon due to its use as a short range sub sonic silenced weapon used by the military.
It's design was intended to NOT use the .763x39 as it's base to avoid an over all design change.

As a cartridge given it's designed purpose, it serves it's use, but even at its hottest it's still a milk toast cartridge when it comes to big game.

 

[wired]

Ive got a thousand or so rounds of the Nosler Varmageddon 110 grain. Out of a 16 inch bolt gun its moving around 2400 FPS through my chrono. If I was a deer in the way under 200 yards I'd be nervous. Ive seen what that stuff does to a soft target when it blows up and its pretty impressive.

 

[salmonriverjohn]

That's my point, the OP is heading into an area where the potential to far exceed 200 yards is more than possible and he would be better served with a rifle that has the potential if needed.

I'd use the .762x39 also, if the conditions were right. But I also wouldn't be shooting over 150 yards.
Heck, golden bear alone offers .762 in a 123 gr. @2460 and RBCD even has 112's @ 3100 FPS, but to each their own.
As I stated in my earlier post, this is just my humble opinion.
That said, we all owe it to the animals we hunt to dispatch them as quickly and humanely as possible.

I might also add that a bolt gun such as your shooting is the way to go with the .300 BO @wired.

 

[Joe13]

I still don't personally get the desire to hunt with an AR for big game.

I'll take a bolt or level gun over that any day, if nothing else then for easy of cleaning.

Not AR bashing but I wouldn't want to haul it around in the brush and I would have to have an appropriate caliber for 500+ yards shots in E. WA.

Gonna be a smack my head moment to see a trophy deer just out of your 200 yard range...

 

[AMProducts]

I still don't personally get the desire to hunt with an AR for big game.

I'll take a bolt or level gun over that any day, if nothing else then for easy of cleaning.

Not AR bashing but I wouldn't want to haul it around in the brush and I would have to have an appropriate caliber for 500+ yards shots in E. WA.

Gonna be a smack my head moment to see a trophy deer just out of your 200 yard range...

I do wild hog control with an AR in .223, Barnes TSX more than gets the job done. Two reasons I do AR/223: It destroys less meat, lets me fire multiple shots quickly (hogs start to move fast when the second shot is fired) and you almost always encounter hogs in groups. And finally, hogs are very mobile, you need to cover a lot of country to get on them, they usually stick in the low areas and hollows, if you want a good shot, you'll take the high country, which is rougher. Since hunting success is pretty much in direct correlation to how much ground you cover, go with the lighter rifle.

The only exception to this is night hunting, which is always close (<20 yards) good to have multiple shots.

I honestly wish the game regs would allow centerfire .22 to be legal on more game, even if it mandated copper expanding bullets. .223 easily reaches 300 yards with enough energy to take <250lb game. I wouldn't use it for bear or elk, but deer fit easily in this box especially because they're a thin-skinned game.

 

[Koda]

would love to own a 6.5 Grendel myself, would make a great hunting AR.

 

[Joe13]

I do wild hog control with an AR in .223, Barnes TSX more than gets the job done. Two reasons I do AR/223: It destroys less meat, lets me fire multiple shots quickly (hogs start to move fast when the second shot is fired) and you almost always encounter hogs in groups. And finally, hogs are very mobile, you need to cover a lot of country to get on them, they usually stick in the low areas and hollows, if you want a good shot, you'll take the high country, which is rougher. Since hunting success is pretty much in direct correlation to how much ground you cover, go with the lighter rifle.

The only exception to this is night hunting, which is always close (<20 yards) good to have multiple shots.

I honestly wish the game regs would allow centerfire .22 to be legal on more game, even if it mandated copper expanding bullets. .223 easily reaches 300 yards with enough energy to take <250lb game. I wouldn't use it for bear or elk, but deer fit easily in this box especially because they're a thin-skinned game.

I can see that and know people in TX that do it that way.

I think it's perfectly fine for yotes and pigs but I don't really consider either of those as big game animals that your shooting at over 200 yards.


My moms dad would drive around their property in Arizona and take deer with a .22lr through the ear for meat.


I was just saying for larger game with possible shots in the 200-600+ yards that a .300BO IMO isn't going to cut it.

 

[Koda]

the AR would make a great hunting platform but until they bring the price point down on the very few builds offered with a round that even comes close to big game hunting it will never be as popular as a traditional bolt rifle.