300 Blackout Mini 14

[Brotherbadger]

Agreed. The more manufacturers producing 300blk the better.

Yup. If enough manufacturers make them, hopefully the cost of ammo comes down. I'm a reloader, but it would be nice to be able to pick up a box anytime I want(without it costing a ton)

I personally don't be buying a mini 14, but it's a good sign for the future of the cartridge.

[NooYawkuh]

There's almost no reason for Ruger NOT to offer the Mini-14 in .300 BLK. It's gaining in popularity, the caliber is being offered in more loads by more ammo manufacturers and it's only a barrel change on the rifle. It will use the same bolt and magazines as the Mini-14.

I have a Mini-14 in stainless/synthetic but I've never been interested in the Mini-30 because I'm not interested in the cartridge. I can't have the Tactical in NY because of the muzzle device but if they offer the .300 BLK in the Ranch I'll consider it.

Although, I wonder how or if it will impact Mini-30 sales. Might be interesting.

[tobnpr]

Not sure why Ruger would do this, as it seems to me to compete directly with the Mini-30.

Ballistics for supersonic loads are, for most intents and purposes, akin to the 7.62 x 39.

You can shoot the 7.62 x 39 FAR cheaper than the blk, even when handloaded.

Had they issued this model threaded for a suppressor, might make more sense.

Otherwise, I'm really confused as to the "why" behind this when there's the Mini-30.

[COSteve]

[1.] Not sure why Ruger would do this, as it seems to me to compete directly with the Mini-30.

[2.] Ballistics for supersonic loads are, for most intents and purposes, akin to the 7.62 x 39.

[3.] You can shoot the 7.62 x 39 FAR cheaper than the blk, even when handloaded.

[4.] Had they issued this model threaded for a suppressor, might make more sense.

[5.] Otherwise, I'm really confused as to the "why" behind this when there's the Mini-30.

In answer to the above:

1. Why not produce a rifle in a popular caliber, especially if all it takes is a different barrel, different sized gas bushing, and tweeks to already produced magazines?

2. So what if the ballistics are near identical? The spec for a 150grn 30-06 round is 2,820fps and guess what the spec is for a 150grn .308 round is? 2,820fps! That's not to say that they can't or aren't produced in different velocities and bullet weights, they do, but the fact is the .308 is in many ways just a shorter OAL 30-06 for many applications.

3. While cheap Russki junk ammo is plentiful now, decent accuracy, reloadable ammo is expensive. In addition, it's very expensive to reload 7.62x39 ammo as the bullet size is odd because, 1) reloadable brass (Boxer primed vs the steel cased Berden primed) is expensive and uncommon and, 2) it's based on the old British 303 round so the bullet diameter is .312" vs .308 for the much more common 30 cal bullets. Adding 300BO to one's stable if one already reloads other 30 cal calibers is simple, especially because the parent brass case is the common and plentiful .223/5.56.

4. It does make sense. Check out Ruger's website, their Tactical Rifle, model 5864 comes with a threaded on flash suppressor.

5. You confusion likely results in your lack of knowledge of marketing. If there is a demand, you want to fill it. Right now the cost of introducing the Mini-14 in 300 BO is very low and the demand for this caliber is very high. This is a no brainer.

[skizzums]

.300BLK mini? I love it. great Idea. peple that don't have a .300 blackout always assume it's the same or worse than x39, so what's the point. the point is....for me, RELOADING!!! forming my own brass from practcally free .223.Casting free bullets from 125-240grains. and all the great bullet selections on .308. I have had several x39 gun, they are cool and I understand people affections for them, but I sold them all, cheap ammo is only fun for so long when it's inaccurate. it's a boring round, expensive to reload for and a pain to get brass, very little god bullet selection. the 300BLK ha to be the most versatile cartridge I reload for, I can't think of anything else that handle such a wide spectrum of bullets weight/velocities. good job on mini.....a picture would be nice though

[T. O'Heir]

$1019.00 MSRP for a 16.5" barrel in a rifle with proven poor accuracy.
"...a rifle in a popular caliber..." So popular Remington only loads it seasonally. If you opt for a .300 BO, buy as much brass as you can and dies too.

[agtman]

The 300 BLK, ballistically, is virtually identical to the 30-30, which is, of course, God's first rifle cartridge for the American farm or ranch, ... or even your rural "truck gun."

Here, instead of a traditional platform, like a lever action or bolt stick, Ruger took the .300 BLK and chambered it in the non-AR semi-auto platform of the Mini-30.

Don't have a problem with that, and it might prove to be more accurate than the 7.62x39 Mini, if user reports on that rifle are to be believed.

Anyway, the real virtue of the .300 BLK is its performance out of short-barrelled ARs - typical sub-12" SBRs - and the cartridge, almost from its very inception, was intended to be shot suppressed.

SBRs and cans both require BATFE tax-stamps. So the intended set-up for the .300 BLK limits itself to users in permissive jurisdictions with the time and the funds to pursue the paperwork to get both stamps.

[rickyrick]

If the cartridge were called .30 POODLE we wouldn't be having this conversation

If 30/30 was called .300 Outlaw or .30TAC


What about 7.62SOCOM

[skizzums]

it had a big pretty big following when it was called the "whisper", so I don't see your point

people like to have different caliber AR's, they are fun. I am almost finished with my 9mm AR which is ballistically superior to NOTHING, but I am going to love it just the same or more than a .223

[rickyrick]

Some things have a bigger following because of the name.

Nothing wrong with owning it, or many other calibers. Just saying, marketing and names have a significant influence.

Why else would they call bullets talon.

I've heard people say they don't like lowers because of the design of the roll mark.

Many people wouldn't buy the .300 Blackout if it had a benign name.

It would still have people that want it for it's niche.

Change the high point 9mm carbine to the .357Cobra and watch it's popularity grow

[reynolds357]

Skizzums, the whisper had almost no popularity. It was for the most part relegated to break action pistols. Almost no autoloaders or bolt actions were built in it.

[bamaranger]

I think someday the availability of cheap, x39 ammo will come to an end. But the utility of a .30 cal ctg of moderate performance cannot be denied. Add the near limitless supply of brass from .223, and the myriad of .30 cal slugs available in true .308 dia barrels, and the .300 BlackO starts to make sense.

[smee78]

You guys know this thread was started back in 2012 right?

[rickyrick]

It has a new development

[COSteve]

The 300 BLK, ballistically, is virtually identical to the 30-30, which is, of course, God's first rifle cartridge for the American farm or ranch, ... or even your rural "truck gun."

I don't know what reloading book you're looking in but NEVER, NEVER rely upon it for anything because that statement is simply not true.

Compare Nosler's 300 AAC Blackout Load Data for 125grn and 140grn bullets HERE with Hodgdon's 30-30 Load Data for 130grn and 140grn bullets HERE and you'll note that the 30-30 is hundreds of fps faster than the 300 AAC Blackout. It's true that the 30-30 RN suffers down range performance falloff, but with a pointy bullet like the 300 AAC Blackout out of, say a Savage 99, the 30-30 is head and shoulders better than the 300 AAC Blackout.

In fact, ballistically speaking, the 357mag loaded with anything from 90grn to 180grn bullets have higher velocity numbers out of a rifle barrel than does the 300 AAC Blackout. The 300 AAC Blackout exists simply because it's a better subsonic, suppressed round out of a short barreled AR, all it requires is a barrel change on your AR, and handloaders can make it from 5.56 brass and common sized (but uncommon weights) .308 bullets.