Best 300 BLK Ammo For Hunting

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

I’m not an early adopter, especially with new calibers. It took me a few years to warm up to the 300 BLK cartridge after SAAMI blessed the round in 2011. The 300 BLK has been around for a lot longer. J.D. Jones with SSK Industries developed a wildcat round in the early 1990s that he called the 300 Whisper. Advanced Armament Corporation developed the round in 2010 with the idea to shoot .30-caliber bullets from an M4 platform while using 5.56/.223 BCGs and magazines.

I gravitate toward 110- and 125-grain bullets, mostly for the velocity and how I’ve seen them perform. Also included are some 115-grain bullet loads and 150-grain options, but in my opinion if you want to shoot soft-recoiling 150-grain bullets, dust off your granddad’s .30-30 lever action rifle.

They called it .300 AAC Blackout. The round was originally meant for military and defense situations. Loaded with 200-grain bullets it runs subsonic at 1,000 fps. Change the bullet weight to 110- to 150-grains and go supersonic with muzzle velocities closer to 2,300 fps and the round easily makes the jump to hunting applications. Part of my hesitation with the caliber was bullet and load options were few back then. Times have changed.

The 300 BLK Is A Medium Range Hunting Round

As it stands the 300 BLK is a great medium-range hunting cartridge. If you hunt wild pigs or whitetail deer, it is a great option. The round has been compared to the .30-30 Winchester and while they are both medium-range calibers, the 300 BLK performs more like a 7.62x39mm round of SKS and AK fame. It has low recoil, is accurate, and makes a nice hole.

300 BLK Hunting Ammo

Today there are a lot of different 300 BLK ammo from a variety of manufacturers, with different bullet types and weights. I went to ammunitiontogo.com since this website offers a lot of choices when it comes to 300 BLK hunting ammo with expanding bullets. The FMJ and open-tip match bullets are for training and are not included in this list. Nor is subsonic ammo. 

How 300 BLK Hunting Ammo Was Tested

I ran all the 300 BLK hunting ammo through a 16-inch barrel Ruger SR-556 Takedown with a Sightmark Wraith Mini Thermal optic. Testing 300 BLK hunting ammo through one gun provides a good idea of how the ammo will perform in that particular gun, but it also gives you a good idea of the consistency of the ammo. Most 300 BLK rifles have a 16-inch barrel especially if it is an AR platform. Most bolt actions have a similar barrel length, too.

I chronographed the rounds to gather muzzle velocity and I calculated muzzle energy. For accuracy, I fired 3-shot groups at 100 yards. All of this ammo is MOD (Minute of Deer) and MOP (Minute of Pig), and some are sub-MOA. I’ve used most of this ammo hunting over the years hunting pigs and deer.

Best Heavy Bullet: Winchester Power Point

Winchester’s Power Point uses a bullet specifically designed for use on deer. The bullet jacketed soft point (JSP) features a larger diameter polymer tip which speeds up expansion for better energy transfer. This is a good load under 100 yards since it can drop a deer like a sack of grain. After 100 yards the bullet drops like a stone.

Specs

• Bullet: 150 grain JSP
• Average Accuracy: 1.06 in
• Muzzle Velocity: 1,952 fps 
• Muzzle Energy: 1,269 ft-lb
• Cost: $1.30 per rnd

Best Traditional Bullet: Federal Power Shok 

Federal’s Power Shok brand uses a traditional jacketed soft point (JSP) that has been a proven game-getter for decades. It uses a lead core with a copper jacket that reliably expands. Consider this another go-to load if you want to shoot a heavy bullet.

Specs

• Bullet: 150 grain JSP
• Average Accuracy: 1.26 in
• Muzzle Velocity: 1,900 fps 
• Muzzle Energy: 1,203 ft-lb
• Cost: $1.30 per rnd

Most Accurate Copper Bullet: Hornady Custom 

Hornady’s CX (Copper alloy eXpanding) monolithic bullet. This is a lead-free bullet that has a great ballistic coefficient (BC), excellent expansion, and deep penetration. It uses a polymer heat shield tip and groove geometry is optimized for better aerodynamics. This was the most accurate ammo tested. I used this on a recent pig hunt and the bullet entire the left side, punctured the lungs, and left the right side about twice the original diameter. 

Specs

• Bullet: 110 grain CX
• Average Accuracy: 0.49 in
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,280 fps 
• Muzzle Energy: 1,270 ft-lb
• Cost: $1.89 per rnd

Best Inexpensive Hunting Round: Fiocchi Hyperformance 

I’m always amazed at how accurate and effective inexpensive hunting cartridges can be. The Fiocchi Hyperformance round is one of those amazing rounds that has a great cost-to-benefit ratio. Not only does it shoot sub-MOA it uses Hornady’s Super Shock Tip (SST) bullet which expands with devastating results on tissue. Some hunters gripe that the jacket and core separated, but who cares if the animal is down? At $1.20 a round it is darn cheap yet very effective.  

Specs

• Bullet: 125-grain SST
• Average Accuracy: 0.97 in
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,185 fps 
• Muzzle Energy: 1,325 ft-lb
• Cost: $1.20 per rnd

Best Long Range Round: Sierra GameChanger 

The GameChanger brand uses Sierra’s Tipped GameKing (TGK) bullet which has a significantly thicker jacket with a more aggressive taper and optimized shoulder angle for better aerodynamics resulting in a higher BC (ballistic coefficient). Translated the GameCharger bullet flies through the air easier and there is less drag on the bullet so with a 100-yard zero the bullet only drops about 2.8 inches at 150 yards. Not exactly long-range but we are talking about the 300 BLK, aren’t we? You can shoot dead on out to 150 yards without having to make elevation adjustments to hit that 8-inch kill zone in a deer or pig.

Specs

• Bullet: 125 grain TGK
• Average Accuracy: 1.04 in
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,114 fps 
• Muzzle Energy: 1,241 ft-lb
• Cost: $1.42 per rnd

Fastest Round: Gorilla Hunt 

Gorilla Hunt propels a Lehigh Controlled Chaos Pig Punisher all copper bullet at 2,309 Feet Per Second (fps) to deliver devastating terminal ballistics. The tip of the bullet is designed to break up upon penetration into multiple fragments which create multiple wound channels, while the base stays solid and continues to penetrate. This is a wicked bullet that is very effective on deer, pigs, and other medium size game. Downside this is expensive ammo, but in most cases, all you need is one shot.

Specs

• Bullet: 115 grain Lehigh Controlled Chaos
• Average Accuracy: 1.37 in
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,309 fps 
• Muzzle Energy: 1,362 ft-lb
• Cost: $1.94 per rnd

Most Energy And Accuracy: Nosler Ballistic Tip

Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets were introduced in 1984 and from the get-go earned a reputation as being accurate and creating havoc on tissue. The bullet is manufactured using an extrusion process for the copper jacket and then the lead core is added inside the jacket. The polymer tip was new at the time and is commonly used today by other ammunition manufacturers. Accuracy is sub-MOA in 300 BLK and every animal I’ve killed with it dropped quickly. Rounds are pricey, but again you may only need to use one bullet for a clean, quick kill.

Specs

• Bullet: 125 grain BT
• Average Accuracy: 0.71 in
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,249 fps 
• Muzzle Energy: 1,404 ft-lb
• Cost: $2.19 per rnd

Best Copper Expanding Round: Barnes VOR-TX

I’ve used Barnes VOR-TX ammo nearly from the get-go 300 BLK because the TAC-TX copper bullet doubles diameter upon expansion and nearly retains all its mass. Penetration is deep. Plus they work at close and far ranges. This is an exceptional bullet and on the downside you pay for that performance.

Specs

• Bullet: 110 grain TAC-TX
• Average Accuracy: 1.06 in
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,320 fps 
• Muzzle Energy: 1,315 ft-lb
• Cost: $2.14 per rnd

Conclusion on 300 BLK Ammo

This isn’t an all-inclusive test of 300 BLK hunting ammo but I tested quite a few types. I recommend any on this list for hunting, but like I said, I have types I gravitate to.