I Totally Gave In

[gandog56]

I have resisted getting an AR15 for years figuring that my Saiga .223 with it's AK type action was good enough. But somebody did offer me a complete AR with like 6 magazines, ammo, and case for a pistol I no longer wanted so I did the trade.

As a signal of my total submission I also ordered an upper in .300 Blackout.

Supposed to be delivered tomorrow. When the reloading dies arrive I do not know right now, Anybody got any good recipes for .300 Blackout with maybe 150 grain bullets using H414, BL-C(2), or H4895?

[Mbaker78]

Those powders will be much too slow for 300aac. You'll be looking for more of a magnum pistol powder (H110, Win296, IMR4227, lil'gun, etc.)

My preferred load is low 14gr range of lil'gun under a hornady 150fmj

[gandog56]

I went to a gun show today and about the only powder I could find for them was H4198. I see a load using 180 grain bullets for it, and I think I even have a few. But as long as I was there, I picked up two boxes of Hornady 110 grain V-Max flat base cartridges. So now I will even have some empty cases that actually say .300 . And how hard is it to convert 5.56 cases?

[packnrat]

i am not sure but i believe all you need is a case cutter (see harbor freight for a "toy" cut off wheel). to cut down some 5.56 cases and then resize in the proper dies.
you need to check online for the correct placement for the cut. then trim to speck.

[gandog56]

Dang, 30.06 to 8mm is so much easier!

[WarEagleEd]

I bought the Harbor Freight 2" Mini Chop Saw (http://www.harborfreight.com/2-in-mini-bench-top-cut-off-saw-62136.html) to cut down my cases. I chop them off just below the shoulder. I then form them in my sizing die and trim them to spec in a case trimmer. I recently purchase a case cutting jig from Reloadamizer on 300BlkTalk.com to speed the cutting down process. Also, I'm fooling around with the annealing process to get more life out of my converted cases.

Also, 300BlkTalk.com has a list of good & bad brass (http://www.300blktalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=141&t=88599) for converting. Some brass has thicker walls than others and will require neck turning. I think LC 5.56 is all good. Fiocchi (GFL headstamp) .223 is good (its on the list, but I can independently verify the case neck thickness for this brass as I measured it at two places on a very small sample of brass using a Mitutoyo 115-313 ball micrometer). Nosler .223 brass is too thick and needs neck-turning to get it down to the appropriate thickness so that it will chamber.

[Happyguy]

Now you need an upper in 6.5 Grendel and 50 Beowulf. David

[Mbaker78]

I use a harbor freight mini chop saw also, but I use a squirrel daddy jig which is most likely the same as the reloadamizer. I'll chop down a few hundred and run them through the wet tumbler without pins to remove any burrs before I size and final trim.

I mainly use LC, WCC, FC (military and commercial), and hornady brass as that's what I get most often. I've had a few S&B slip in there and they are too thick to chamber, so they just get tossed.

You can also buy converted brass if you don't want to fuss with it. Sage's reloading supply (Facebook or website) has pretty good prices, from what I've seen.

[Mbaker78]

I really like my Grendel, and my blackout should be complete by the end of next month. Right now I'm at the mercy of the ATF so it's just a pistol.

[gandog56]

I was thinking I am always picking up free Lake City 5.56 brass from my range, this may be a good thing for it. But I am kind of lazy, is their no kind of trim die or something out there that would work?

[Happyguy]

How many do you want to do? Send me up to 500 and I will convert them for you. I use the chop saw and Squirrel Daddy kit and I have a Dillon trimmer that sizes and trims. Let me know. We have traded starting with the old ABT Board so I would be happy to do it for you. David

[Mbaker78]

I would love to have a Dillon RT1200/1500, but I doubt I'd ever be able to justify the cost of one...

[Happyguy]

I had to up grade to a 1500 as I finally broke the shaft on the 1200 after many, many, many years. I started with a RL 300 and when the kids were home and shooting I was running a 1050, 2 650s and a 550. Now that the kids are gone I just run 2 550s and find that they do all I need anymore.

[Mbaker78]

Lol, I have a Lee challenger single stage and a pro1000 progressive, I can't afford Dillon presses.

[gandog56]

I finally graduated to a Lee 4 hole turret auto-indexing press as a second press and thought I did good......:rolleyes:

[gandog56]

Took the AR to the range today. After warming up with about 50 rounds of .223, I pulled off the 5.56 upper and put on the .300 AAC Blackout upper. Only had forty rounds to fool with it and the only sights was a variable scope I had laying around. Fortunately I hit the paper first shot and it wasn't too far off. About 10 rounds put me dead nutz on at 50 yards. Moved it out to 100 yards but I didn't hit paper, was shooting high. I ran out of ammo before I got it totally zeroed in. Seems like a fun round, but the darned thing slam fired on me about 4 times in that 40 rounds. (all four times let loose two shots) Not sure what to do to fix it.

[Mbaker78]

Sounds like either really soft primers or there is something binding the firing pin in its channel

[gandog56]

Factory Hornady ammo. I hope to God them primers weren't too soft!
I said I warmed up the gun by firing off about 50 rounds of .223. Unless them messed it up I don't have a clue.

[SafetyJoe]

I use the harbor freight mini chop saw and the squirrel daddy kit from ebay too. I do the final trimming on the new hornady case prep center, but I used to use the lyman ezee trimmer on a cordless drill. I don't shoot many jacketed bullets because I cast my own lead projectiles that I powder coat using the simple shake n bake method the fortunecookie45lc youtube channel shows. For 300 BLK I like the 130 grain lyman 311410 mold because it doesn't use a gas check and it can also be used for my bolt action CZ 527 rifle that's in 7.62x39. The main powder I've been using for my lead bullets in 223 rem, 300 BLK, 7.62x39 and 357 magnum is IMR 4227. The lil'gun powder gets around 100 fps more velocity, but the IMR 4227 is easier to find and you wont run into any problems with over charging the cases because most published data is around 100% case capacity anyway. With cast lead bullets and free shooting range brass that I convert along with 2 cent S&B primers from cabelas the total cost per shot works out to slightly under 9 cents including taxes, but once I factor in electricity used it's probably 10 cents per shot. Not bad considering I'm getting over 1000 foot pounds kinetic energy and around 300 yards supersonic range for only 10 cents.

6.3977 cents for powder
2.1259 for primer
0.38 cents for lead

235

236

[packnrat]

Took the AR to the range today. After warming up with about 50 rounds of .223, I pulled off the 5.56 upper and put on the .300 AAC Blackout upper. Only had forty rounds to fool with it and the only sights was a variable scope I had laying around. Fortunately I hit the paper first shot and it wasn't too far off. About 10 rounds put me dead nutz on at 50 yards. Moved it out to 100 yards but I didn't hit paper, was shooting high. I ran out of ammo before I got it totally zeroed in. Seems like a fun round, but the darned thing slam fired on me about 4 times in that 40 rounds. (all four times let loose two shots) Not sure what to do to fix it.

use primers #41, they are a bit thicker on the cup so a firing pin needs to hit hard to set it off.

just one of many sources

https://reloadingunlimited.com/product/cci-no-41-small-military-rifle-primers/


.

[gandog56]

First I need to see if it's really a problem. I only had 40 cartridges and like I said, I had fired off a bunch of cheap Zinc cased .223 first. We'll see what she does next time when I fire the .300 AAC first. And I will definitely shoot off the rest of that dirty nasty zinc crap.

[gandog56]

I really am going head hog on this. I just sent Happyguy about 100 5.56 cases he offered to convert to .300 AAC Blackout for me. (And for free! What a guy!) Then I was cruising the Harbor Freight ads today and clipped out coupons for a 3" high speed cutoff tool, a pack of metal cutting disks for it, a free digital multimeter, and 25% off my highest ticket item. The tool was marked at $27.99, coupon had it marked down to $13.99. So now I guess I will not have to bug Happyguy and waste his precious time for idiots like me. (And thank you yet again dude!) So I guess I can start converting them myself. If only I could figure out how to make some kind of jig where I could just cut them out at the right length without having to measure and mark them. (I have the general mechanical aptitude of a rotten orange)

[Mbaker78]

I like the harbor freight mini chop saw, $30 without coupons. And a cutting jig from Amazon, around $15-$20.

I cut them about 1/16" long so I have room to wiggle and make mistakes without trashing brass.

[gandog56]

I like the harbor freight mini chop saw, $30 without coupons. And a cutting jig from Amazon, around $15-$20.

I cut them about 1/16" long so I have room to wiggle and make mistakes without trashing brass.
What cutting jig? Sounds like exactly what I need. You have a web address?

[Happyguy]

Also look on EBay for 300 Blackout and it will pull up the jig by Squirrel Daddy and several other makers.

[Mbaker78]

https://www.amazon.com/Deluxe-300-Blackout-Case-Trimming/dp/B00H27XAAG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467717317&sr=8-1&keywords=300aac+cutting+jig

[gandog56]

https://www.amazon.com/Deluxe-300-Blackout-Case-Trimming/dp/B00H27XAAG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467717317&sr=8-1&keywords=300aac+cutting+jig

Aw thanks dude. I have it on order!

[Happyguy]

The one I have has a longer trough and the cut necks fall into a container and the cut brass is pushed into another container as you put a new case in.

[gandog56]

Well ain't that the way it always goes? I go and buy a .300 AAC upper for what I considered a good deal. Today I get an email from AIM with complete 16" Radical Firearms .300 AAC upper for almost $70 LESS than I paid. Why does the crap always go on sale AFTER I buy it?

[gandog56]

Oh well, mine cost more, but I did in in four payments so it didn't hit my wallet as hard at one time. Now, if I could only find a deal on bulk 110 grain bullets.

[Mbaker78]

I still haven't tried the 110gr RN I got from you a while back. Haven't had the 300 out for a while

[gandog56]

Aw come on, it's too fun not to play with!;)

[Mbaker78]

I've been hoping my tax stamp will come in soon, but it's looking like probably another month at the current rate. Don't get me wrong, it's somewhat fun as a pistol, but it'd be a lot more fun as an SBR ;)

[lilshaunsdad]

Dillon 650 with a blackout trim die and trimmer is the way to go. Converts 223 into blackouts in one pull. I did the harbor freight saw, squirrel daddy jig, trim, way for awhile then went all in and bought the die and trimmer. Much easier on you if you're doing a large amount. I've only run 110 and 125 grain projectiles and I love using winchester w296
(Hodgdon h110 same thing).

[gandog56]

Dillon 650 with a blackout trim die and trimmer is the way to go. Converts 223 into blackouts in one pull. I did the harbor freight saw, squirrel daddy jig, trim, Yada yards Yada way for awhile then went all in and bought the die and trimmer. Much easier on you if you're doing a large amount. I've only run 110 and 125 grain projectiles and I love using winchester w296
(Hodgdon h110 same thing).

Much easier, but how much more expensive? Some of us peons don't have Dillon presses.:(

[Mbaker78]

Dillon 650 - $550
RT 1500 - $150
300aac trim die - $35

That's more than I probably have in both of my presses, all of my dies, and the harbor freight saw and jig... I can handle a little time and some blisters, thank you very much ;)

[gandog56]

Dillon 650 - $550
RT 1500 - $150
300aac trim die - $35

That's more than I probably have in both of my presses, all of my dies, and the harbor freight saw and jig... I can handle a little time and some blisters, thank you very much ;)

OIh, I may have that much money in ALL my reloading stuff. But it's all been adding up over about 40 years, not all in one lump sum.

[Mbaker78]

Exactly... I'm debating getting rid of my super swage in favor of the CH4D swage and priming tool, given the low volume of cases I do anymore...

[lilshaunsdad]

Guess yall didn't catch the part where I said large amount?

[lilshaunsdad]

Dillon 650 - $550
RT 1500 - $150
300aac trim die - $35

That's more than I probably have in both of my presses, all of my dies, and the harbor freight saw and jig... I can handle a little time and some blisters, thank you very much ;)

Dillon 650 with casefeeder $780
RT 1500 trimmer. $330
Blackout trim die $175

[Mbaker78]

Lol, I was roughly estimating. I like em cheap, that's why my presses are both Lee ;)

[gandog56]

Come to think of it....so are my.

[Happyguy]

With the 147/150 try 16.2 grains of Lil Gun for about 1900 fps.

[Mbaker78]

With the 147/150 try 16.2 grains of Lil Gun for about 1900 fps.

That is smoking... I load mine with right around 14gr lilgun. It cycles flawlessly in my pistol, and they're just for plinking, so I didn't see a need to push them any faster.

[Happyguy]

I feel the need for speed!!!!!

[Happyguy]

Mat, what is your COL? I am loading at 2.200.

[Mbaker78]

2.100" I believe, I seat to the cannelure, and I trim my brass on the short side of SAAMI spec. I'll have to check when I'm at the bench later.

I know most books call for longer, but I'm getting good enough accuracy and they look a lot more normal seated that short, pressure looks good and I'm pulling about 1765fps

[Mbaker78]

Finally tried those 110gr RN I got from you. They fed like a vegan in a steakhouse... Which is to say they didn't. I could probably load them a bit longer and see if that fixes it, I don't have much use for the remaining 90, so why not I guess...

[gandog56]

I still have 100 left. I keep trying to find somebody that loads like 30 carbine, maybe they would be good for that.

[WarEagleEd]

110 grain RN what, FMJ? .308 I assume.

[Mbaker78]

110 grain RN what, FMJ? .308 I assume.

Yeah, for 30 carbine.

[Happyguy]

I used the 110 short jacket and they worked out pretty well but I had them already and I don't think I will buy any more for the 300.

[Mbaker78]

I had a box of the 110 SJ and they fed fine in blackout, but the lead was pretty mangled by the time it made it into the chamber, and they didn't pull so well once seated... left a nice copper cup in the case while the lead came right out.

Still haven't gotten around to expirementing with those 110RN bullets yet.

[Happyguy]

That is true about the copper cup if you have to try and pull them.