A comparison between 300 Blackout and 300 Win Mag can never be apples to apples. One was designed for shooting at close range; the other, for covering extremely long distances.
This article will help you decide if the 300 Winchester Magnum or 300 AAC Blackout is better for your situation.
Can I Shoot 300 Winchester Mag in a Rifle Chambered for 300 Blackout?
Heavens, no. You cannot fire a 300 Win Mag cartridge in a rifle chambered for 300 BLK. If you somehow (magically) managed to chamber a 300 Win Mag round in a 300 BLK rifle, you would only succeed at blowing the rifle to smithereens (and quite possibly your hands while you were at it).
Although the 300 Win Mag and 300 Blackout do have “300” in their names, they are vastly different from one another. Let’s examine why we’re comparing two genuinely incomparable cartridges.
Differences Between 300 Blackout and 300 Win Mag
If you compare the cartridges side by side, you’ll see that the 300 Win Mag is much longer. We’ll discuss the implications of this in greater detail below.
Another difference is their intended purpose. The 300 Blackout was designed for close-range combat scenarios, whereas the 300 Win Mag is intended for long-range big game hunting. These differences explain why each performs better in the situations discussed below.
With that in mind, let’s discuss cartridge specifications.
Cartridge Specs
Why do these two rounds share a “300” in their name? Because they each fire a .308” diameter bullet. They also have similar bullet weights (ranging from 110 grain to 220 grain for the 300 BLK and 110 grain to 250 grain for the 300 Win Mag) and neck diameters (0.334” for the 300 BLK and 0.339” for the 300 Win Mag). That’s pretty much where the similarities end.
The 300 Win Mag’s base diameter is 0.532” – whopping, compared to the 300 BLK’s 0.367”. The case length of the 300 Win Mag also dwarfs the 300 Blackout: 2.62” and 1.368”, respectively. Its case makes the 300 Winchester Magnum’s overall length substantially longer as well: 3.34”, as opposed to the 300 BLK at 2.26”.
The 300 BLK’s smaller case translates into a much lower case capacity: 26.5 grains H2O, which is just more than one-quarter as voluminous as the 300 Win Mag’s 93.8 grains H2O. The 300 Win Mag’s substantially higher chamber pressure and recoil energy are predictable outcomes of this disparity.
Recoil: 300 Win Mag vs. 300 Blackout
Several factors contribute to the amount of recoil a shooter experiences, including their stance, grip, and musculature. Fortunately, we can objectively measure recoil energy using only four variables: firearm weight, propellant charge weight, bullet weight, and muzzle velocity.
The 300 Win Mag has about 26 to 30 ft-lbs of recoil energy. This is on the higher end of recoil for rifle cartridges, but should be expected from a magnum. Be prepared for some serious shoulder thumping when you unleash a 300 WM.
The 300 AAC Blackout has a comparably paltry 6 ft-lbs of recoil energy, which isn’t too far off of the 5.56 NATO and 223 Remington. It’s barely noticeable, and substantially less than the .30 cal 308 Winchester as well.
For recoil-sensitive shooters (and those who enjoy keeping their shoulders socketed), the 300 Blackout is the better choice. We’re not saying the 300 Winchester Magnum’s recoil is totally unmanageable, but it does pack a heavyweight’s punch.
The 300 Blackout’s welterweight recoil easily takes this section.
Continue reading 300 Blackout vs. 300 Win Mag: Close-Range Cartridge vs. Long-Range Cartridge on Ammo.com
