Best Powder For The .300 Blackout: Reloading Ammo And Why It Is An Awesome Decision

The .300 Blackout was designed for both power and accuracy during close combat, and has since become a popular AR-15 platform style weapon for a wide range of gun enthusiasts. The familiar AR-15 style rifle provides versatile use, and handles a wide range of various caliber ammunition. It also provides a pistol style shooting experience without having to worry about tax laws pertaining to SBRs. 

The only real catch to the 300 Blackout option is the cost of ammunition. Hunting and home defense uses doesn’t exactly determine the use of having a huge amount of ammo on hand, but if you shoot competitively or enjoy a long day on the range, this can add up quickly. 

Luckily reloading your own ammo is an option, and can save you quite a bit of money in the long run. Take a look at our guide that helps explain why you may want to learn this skill (if you don’t already know it), what you need to be successful, and the best powder for the .300 Blackout you should consider. 

Comparison Table of The 5 Best Powders For 300 Blackout

Reasons to Learn Ammo Reloading

Although not incredibly difficult, before embarking on this as a new talent you definitely want to invest in a quality reloading manual, preferably one that includes the .300 Blackout. Manuals are constantly updating to be sure to double check what’s included. It is also suggested to have somebody adapt at the skill to provide some hands-on instruction since it can be a dangerous task when done without knowledge or confidence. 

With that out of the way, there are awesome reasons why reloading a .300 Blackout may want to be on your list of things to do. First and foremost is the money you can save in reference to ammunition. When shooting competitively or just plinking, the cost of any ammunition can add up quickly, and a .300 BLK round is quite pricey overall compared to a .223 or 5.56. Knowing how to reload your own can save you close to two-thirds the overall cost of walking into a store and buying a box. 

Reloading also provides you with a better, more dependable shot. Remanufactured ammunition from a store is often questionable in quality, and knowing how to do it yourself provides you with exactly what you need.

Suppressor Compatibility

A good suppressor helps muffle the sound of your round and makes it much easier on your hearing. It also helps tighten your clusters and shooting accuracy. Reloads can be customized for the perfect ammo to suppressor experience.

Customizing Loads For Accuracy

Even if you aren’t using a suppressor, one of the reasons the .300 BLK has grown in popularity is how versatile it is. It allows for both subsonic and supersonic rounds, and is a great way to hunt mid-sized to large game species one day, and shoot competitively the next. Loading provides the ability to customize these experiences as well.

Ammunition Shortage Solutions

Ever walk into a store to load up on your favorite caliber rounds, only to see an empty shelf? With gun law debates continually ongoing, ammunition can become scarce from time to time as it is brought up in bulk. Reloading Your own helps solve this problematic issue.

What You Might Need For Reloading

The basics of a bullet are pretty simple. There are only four parts to a standard bullet cartridge: the bullet, powder, casing, and primer. You can purchase these all, as well as reuse spent.

Casings for further savings. Other products you will need to make this a successful venture include:

A Brass Tumbler

Clean and polish spend casings.

Reloading Press

3 types of reloading presses exist: a single stage, turret press, and progressive press. Do your homework to decide which is best for you.

Resizing Die

Cases that have been fired will also have expanded. You need to resize them for loading.

Deburring And Chamfering Tool

If you have to cut your case at all for sizing purposes, you will need to make sure your metal ends have been deburred and smoothed out.

Hand Primer

You will need to reprime your case by adding a new primer. This is easily done with the right tool.

Powder Drop

Measuring the correct amount of powder, and adding it to the case can be messy, but not with the correct tool.

Powder, Defined

Not all gunpowder is the same, and it’s important to understand the differences. The two main types, single-based and double-based, may not be that difficult to discern between when used, but there are a few main points to understand. 

The gunpowder we use today is a smokeless powder invented and perfected in the late 18oo’s. Black powder, its predecessor, although potent and dependable, is highly corrosive and eats away at metal when left in contact with it. The smokeless option is coated in graphite and various chemicals to allow flow, wear resistance to control burn, and also help suppress muzzle flash. 

The size and shape of powder granules helps control burn characteristics. The three common sizes include flake, ball, and extruded, and all provide variances in velocity and pressure.

First off, double based powders burn hotter and dirtier overall, but also may provide maximum velocity in a shorter barrel. But you need to take into account burn rate before making a final decision, as well as case capabilities. Large casings generally mean you want a single based powder to help accelerate the bullet down the longer barrel, and produce maximum velocity with minimal pressure. 

Therefore, there is no ‘best’ option without taking many details into account, including your own personal preference. The weapon you are shooting, the weather changes, the size of the granules used, etc… are all a part of the overall effect. The more comfortable you get with the terminology and feel of various reloads will help you determine which is best for you.

Grain Weight Defined

It also is important to understand what grain weight means, and how it affects your shooting experience. Abbreviated as “gr”, 1 ounce is equal to 437.5 grains (or one pound equals 7,000 grains). The grain weight provided for a bullet is explaining how many grains are included in the casing, and can impact the velocity of your bullet. Without going into too much detail, the higher the weight, the lower velocity you may have (but more penetration as well, depending on a few other details). This may make a difference between how you prepare your rounds for a day of plinking, a day of competition, or a day of hunting.

.300 Blackout Powder Considerations

Although a 300 Blackout can be fired as both a subsonic and supersonic load, it was originally designed for subsonic use and often performs better when used in this manner. However, you can have great success when loading for both. 

On that note, be sure to choose the correct powder for your rounds to maximize the velocity and accuracy of each shot. Issues with the .300 cartridge often surround the bullet to powder ratio. Their casings have relatively little volume available, with a maximum capacity of 20 – 21 grains of powder. Many factory made .300 BLK bullets weigh between 180 and 220-grains, but the aerodynamics of a .300 BLK round allows for some variations in your powder options without sacrificing quality of the shot despite their overall perceived heaviness. For example, a powder rated for a high capacity volume casing may also work very well with the lower volume capacity of the .300 BLK round due to how well it moves down the barrel.

Top 5 Powders For The 300 Blackout Reviews

Now that you have decided reloading ammunition is what you want to do, you need to decide which powder is best for this caliber ammunition. Since you have a bit of work to do understanding everything we’ve just reviewed, and going through your manual in detail, we’ve done some research to provide some of the best powder options for the .300 BLK load. 

Finding the best powder (or at least the one you prefer) for a 300 Blackout is quite the challenge. The wide range of options you have makes this a bit of a nightmare altogether if you want to try them all, and even then you may never settle on a favorite. Even researching for this made my own head spin. However, the following choices have been tried and reviewed by those well versed in the complications the variances in reloading present. These are their top choices, and for good reason. 

Accurate 1680 Powder is most likely the most ideal power for a huge range of high performance weapons. Take advantage of it for low capacity rifles cases, as well as large capacity handgun cases, making it a choice for all your reloading needs. It performs wonderfully well with tight clusters and low recoil, and is considered one of the best for consistency on the market for the .300 BLK. 

Who This Is For

If you regularly reload various rounds, this is an optimal choice. The brand creates a decent selection of powders for all your needs, but the 1680 is considered the most consistent for various options.

Why You Want It:

• Huge range of high capacity handgun cases and low capacity rifle cases are supported.
• Incredible accuracy for the .300 BLK.
• Fires clean.

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Many of the Vihtavouri rifle powders can be used for a 300 BLK, but the N120 is considered a well-balanced option for intermediate cartridges that have small volume but a powerful punch. Irt operates best at a higher pressure than the N110 for greater accuracy. The N110 is also a decent choice with less pressure if you have the capabilities to dial it down.

Who This Is For

When you want accuracy and a well-balanced charge, this is a great choice for power and can be used with adjustable pressure options.

Why You Want It:

• Accurate shooting.
• Provides good high pressure rounds.
• Well-balanced brand name allowing you to use other options for the perfect fit.

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Few powders are designed specifically for the 300 Blackout, but the Hodgdon Powder Co. delivers with the CFE BLK rifle powder made for a wide range of AR style reloads. Perfect for subsonic reduced loads, it is a perfect choice for a wide range of smaller capacity cartridges to provide accuracy and power.As a fine powder it meters better than other competitors and leaves no copper residue.

Who This Is For

When you don’t want to put any thought into the best powder, or are overwhelmed by the various choices you can take advantage of, this is a quality choice worth considering.

Why You Want It:

• Low recoil
• High accuracy
• No copper residue

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Hodgdon Powder Co once again provides a great choice for your .300 BLK rounds. The H110 Powder is a standard in many factory produced ammunition, especially for low capacity rifle rounds. This option provides a wide range of capabilities since it falls in the faster half of the burn rate spectrum for awesome pressure and accuracy. It meters well for easy loading and provides accuracy and power.

Who This Is For

A H110 powder is a great choice for a low capacity casing and provides a powerful force for the length of a rifle and excellent accuracy. This is a good choice to try out.

Why You Want It:

• Great gas volume for reliable cycling.
• Helps create tight clusters.
• Excellent velocity.

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Praised for its ability to pack a punch and drive a powerful round, the IMR Powder 4227 is a great charge for hunting loads. Considered close to a military load in terms of accuracy and pressure, this choice is easy to load due to its fine grain, and is backed by a brand that has been in business for over 100 years. Considered the best for a magnum pistol, it has amazing uses for low velocity casings as well and can fire your .300 BLK round with incredible precision and strength.

Who This Is For

This is considered an excellent choice for hunting as it is accurate and powerful for a true kill shot.

Why You Want It:

• Truly accurate and powerful for hunting.
• Versatile for both pistol and rifle rounds.
• Long standing brand name and excellent customer service.

Conclusion

Although all this information may seem a bit daunting, especially if you are new to it, the one thing to remember is that you want a good manual to start so you know EXACTLY how to load your round with the powder you choose (even if this isn’t your first rodeo with loading). A .300 BLK round has A LOT of options due to its aerodynamic shape that counteracts the overall heaviness of the bullet. It has amazing velocity and accuracy with the correct charge, and your powder can help create the shooting experience of your dreams- you just have to figure out what works best for you.

The smaller volume of the casing allows you to use many powders created for pistols as well, making it a truly versatile choice overall. However, sifting through the many powders you could use would take forever, which is why we provided a great selection of tried and true powders that are popular with those who could probably write the manual on .300 BLK loads.

Hopefully this has provided some basics to understanding the loading process and powder in general, and allowed you to start planning your own customized experience.