Blackout Vs. AK ?

[jaytothekizzay]

So I'm thinking about a new upper for my AR. Gonna be for deer, and hogs at mid range...100 yards or so. I've killed deer with .223 AR, but I'm thinking a better hunting caliber for the platform might be a good investment. How do the 7.62x39 and the 300 Blackout rounds compare for a hunting round? Anybody have any opinions on pros and con's?

 

[Quentin2]

300BLK will feed better in a standard AR lower and uses standard magazines. However it's more expensive than 7.62x39 at this time. Either should be adequate for mid size game under 250 yards.

 

[Tomas]

the 300 will give you lots more flexibility of bullet choice. (110gr - 230gr + going subsonic if you want) If you hand load you can drive the cost down substantially (mainly by cutting your own brass down from 5.56 once fired - cost you about 60 bucks for a chamfer tool, saw and jig) ...but you have to hand load to do it.

Using standard AR mags is a plus for the 300 also.

If you just don't want to mess with all of the hand load stuff, stick with the 7.62x39 and buy the special mags to shoot it from the AR platform.

 

[bamaranger]

which

The x39mm round works fine for whitetails and I'd suspect hogs as well, within its effective sport range of 200 yds or so. Two of the biggest whitetails I've ever killed were with a bolt rifle so chambered, both were under 50 yds. Bamaboy and I have used it on other meat deer as well. The x39mm is often compared to the ol'30-30 and though a tad behind it in horsepower, it's a valid comparison. I believe you are on the right track moving up to a modest .30 cal as a hunting round, for medium game.

No experience with the .300 Blk, but it appears more of the same, almost. A moderate weight .30 cal slug near 2000 fps. I'd expect the results would be more of the same. Its virtue seems to be that you can run it through the AR, using AR mags, with a manual of arms that AR guys already grasp. I suppose too that it can be more readily suppresed on the AR platform if that's desired.

I've got a thing about running the "other guy's" cartridge through "our" rifle, but that's me. If I wanted to hunt the x39, I'd get a bolt sporter, or maybe a Mini, and if the money was there and I wanted a "tactical" rifle,maybe a Sig556R. For the AR platform, I would not mod it out to shoot the commie round.

 

[TMD]

300BLK will feed better in a standard AR lower and uses standard magazines. However it's more expensive than 7.62x39 at this time. Either should be adequate for mid size game under 250 yards.

X39 plinking may be cheaper but quality hunting ammo isn't.

 

[Mobuck]

OK. So, I have both calibers in the AR platform and absolutely ZERO delusions concerning the capabilities of both.
If you want a fairly accurate rifle that is economical to shoot, uses steel cased ammo so you don't have to worry about losing brass, and is suitable for medium game(deer) out to 150-200 yards(200 only if you have plenty of room to watch the deer die and/or are an expert tracker)--the 7.62x39 will do those things.
If you like to tinker, handload, are satisfied with a trajectory like a football pass (thrown by a cheerleader), and EVER have the urge for a suppressor-the 300AAC is your ticket.
The 300 is going to cost less overall since .223 mags and standard bolts are cheaper than x39 mags and bolts.
I bought a lot of 300 brass for under 10 cents per while x39 brass is harder to find and more costly.
If you're not a handloader, this is moot and the x39 is your only logical choice.
Regarding the cost of x39 hunting ammo, I've bought Hornady for 50-60 cents per and it's the best I've found.

 

[Sharkbite]

If you like to tinker, handload, are satisfied with a trajectory like a football pass (thrown by a cheerleader), and EVER have the urge for a suppressor-the 300AAC is your ticket.

300blk in supersonic loading is so close to X39 ballistics to not matter. Only in SUBsonic loads does trajectory change.

110-125 gn bullets at ~ 2100/2300fps is pretty easy

 

[TMD]

Actually the .300bo in a 16" barrel will easily reach 2500fps with 110gn bullets and 2300fps with 125's.

 

[dakota.potts]

For cheap shooting and blasting, X39. I plan to use my VZ 58 for hunting next season, but as far as I'm aware there are only two real choices for hunting ammo are Hornady SST and Russian soft points. If the barrel is .311, you won't find many bullets for reloading.

.300 Blackout is probably more versatile and is designed to feed from the AR platform (where a lot of X39 users report issues from some brands) but you will not find cheap plinking ammo for it like you will the Russian stuff.