Ruger American 300BO,... use?

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Alan in GA

Single-Sixer
Joined
Apr 7, 2008
Messages
327
Bought a RAR in 300BO from a friend a while back, and I have yet to take it to the range.
Question: what do you enjoy using your 300BO for the most? Sub or super sonic loads?
I had intended to buy a lowered cost suppressor for it and deer & coyote hunt with it. Suppressor prices never came down and I'm wondering what 300BO owners are enjoying most with these rifles.
Previous owner of this rifle has some seriously small groups made with this rifle!
Thanks for any input.
 
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Messages
10,081
Location
missouri
Let me preface these comments by saying I own two 16" 300 carbines and two 10.5" pistol uppers. The initial impetus of having these came from the novelty of sub-sonic 300 ammo and a suppressor. This was followed by MO's "alternative methods" deer season which makes the AR pistol upper a valid hunting tool.
Now for my personal review of the useful purposes of the bolt action 300: It provides silly grin fun when using sub-sonics and a muffler. The added "holy cow" feature is that in the right lighting conditions you can actually see the bullet arc toward and hit the target.
As for the utility for a hunting tool, well it's unimpressive at best with most available ammo. The only sub-sonic ammo we found that gives decent performance is GORILLA (at $2 a pop) when the ranges are kept below 100-125 yards. All the other sub-sonic ammo failed miserably on test media and/or deer sized game. I used FIOCCHI 125 grain SST supersonic ammo last year and the boys killed two deer a 125 & 150 yards with one shot each--satisfactory results. Grand daughter killed 2 deer at 50 & 80 yards using the GORILLA subsonic ammo--satisfactory results.
Suppressing the .300 is similar to most other calibers although the conservative powder capacity makes things a bit easier. Sub-sonic ammo and a good suppressor is definately ear safe even with a 10.5" barrel. Super sonic results in the typical down range sonic bullet signature although this is moderated by the modest muzzle velocity.
It's a fun gun to shoot within it's range capabilties but comes in well below the archaic 30/30 for most hunting uses.
 

Kanook

Buckeye
Joined
Aug 7, 2009
Messages
1,123
Location
FL
The wife and I have been using handloaded 208 subs for hogs at night at my brother-inlaws house. We do headshots so no expansion is needed.

I use supers for deer with no problem mainly because I haven't loaded any expanding subs yet.

Look at the Liberty Mystic X for a silencer. That's what the wife and I use for the .300 BO and for our 77/357 mags.
 

Alan in GA

Single-Sixer
Joined
Apr 7, 2008
Messages
327
Thank you guys! I was ready to let this rifle go untested but as I handled it my curiosity fired up again. I may just bite the bullet and get a suppressor to see what the fun is all about, or at least get it to the range as is and shoot it. I've had good success on deer with 123 gr supersonic bullets out of a 7.62x39 and figured I would with the 300BO too.
Other plans were 'airport deer' with super sonic ammo but also a suppressor to help noise control at the muzzle. Subsonic ammo for coyotes also a plan. Using a suppressed 22 Mag now and just dealing with the sonic crack. I have subsonic 22 Mag ammo but want more velocity/power of the full power 22 mag ammo for quicker coyote kills.
 
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Messages
10,081
Location
missouri
" Subsonic ammo for coyotes also a plan."
I can't imagine that will go well based on the results we had with subsonic 300 ammo. Everything except the GORILLA just punched holes through deer allowing untrailable runoffs.
 

Alan in GA

Single-Sixer
Joined
Apr 7, 2008
Messages
327
Well that's not good. I want to anchor coyotes with 'quiet' rounds. Might just have to settle with suppressed muzzle blast and suffer a sonic crack, better than nothing I guess.(?)
I'm wanting to kill coyotes and not alarm people in nearby houses. I live at the very back of a subdivision with a large woods bordering my back yard.
I do have a 17 Ackley Hornet I could suppress.....I've been told super sonic 17 bullets have a 'different' sonic crack that is less alarming than larger caliber bullets noise wise.
Oh well,.... getting off topic I guess.
 

Kanook

Buckeye
Joined
Aug 7, 2009
Messages
1,123
Location
FL
Go over to 300blktalk.com and take a look around.

There is a ton of info over there on what will and won't work. I scoured over there for a couple years before I bought my first 300blk. Some of the members are beta tester of ammo it seems like before it hits the market.

If you reload there is a ton of options out there for the 300.
 
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Messages
10,081
Location
missouri
"I've been told super sonic 17 bullets have a 'different' sonic crack that is less alarming than larger caliber bullets noise wise."

I've fired hundreds of 17 HMR rounds from my suppressed RAR. The muzzle blast is easily handled by even the smaller commercial mufflers to be hearing safe and unnoticeable from 100 yards away. The sonic bullet signature is much less than the typical 22lr high velocity due to the streamlined shape of the 17 bullet. The only time the bullet crack is noticeable is when shooting toward a treeline or buildings that reflect the sound.
I was hired to remove a large number of muskrats that were damaging the berms retaining water in a wetland. I shot every evening and sometimes relatives of the landowners came out as spectators. One evening, a couple of the younger guys came by and stopped about 150 yards from my shooting position. Later, they commented that the only time they heard my shots was when I fired directly across the water toward the treeline 400 yards away. It was hot and humid and they could see a "puff" from the muzzle, the bullet strike, and a split second later a slight pop.
I would recommend the use of the 17 over the 300 for coyote removal. The 17 will be far less likely to ricochet, will be fairly quiet, and will do much better at anchoring the yoties.
 
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