300 AAC Blackout Reloading

[Flydog]

My first post!
Bought a box of 30cal 180g Rainier Leadsafe from Midway. Loaded them up and they will not feed reliably. Seem to always get hung up on the feed ramp of the AR. These are supposedly designed for the 300 Blackout, but I'm having trouble making them work. OAL 2.01".
Any sage advice?

[223to45]

Are you that is the correct, 2.01"??

Seems short

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[Flydog]

Actually the OAL is 2.1". Somedays my typing skills suffer!

[mic2377]

You may have adjust the OAL for feeding. Some bullet profiles just don't work all that great. I have to say, I honestly am not sure how that bullet works looking at it. I have always run jacketed bullets, in a multiple of weights from 110-220 grains, with no issues.

First step would be shortening the OAL? Most feeding issues results from the ogive being out too long. Also what velocity are you trying to achieve? This is probably not the best subsonic bullet.

[lonestardiver]

Could it be a magazine issue ? Being the heavier bullet, the ribs for a standard 5.56 magazine may force the round toward the center and between the feedramps. The ribs were meant to support the bullet in a 5.56 and help align the round with the feedramp.

[Flydog]

This particular bullet is supposedly designed for the 300 BLK. Says on the box: "Subsonic Loads Only".
My gunsmith says to use more "pointy" bullets to avoid feeding problems.

[Flydog]

I bought some mags that were for 300 BLK. Still the same problem. I'm concerned that if I make the cartridge shorter, the pressure may go way up even though I'm loading for subsonic velocity. Subsonic load data is really hard to find anywhere.

[Glacierwolf]

I am a reloading instructor.

I've only been loading the 300 Blackout for 5 years. I take excellent notes on every load I fire as I work up all the different bullets being offered just for the 300 Blackout. I have load data on 15 different projectiles - most are made by Lehigh, Sierra, and Barnes plus I cast my own bullets.

The only projectiles I have with an overall length of 2.100" or so are in the 110gr to 125gr area.

All my 180gr area projectiles are running 2.210" to 2.260" Looks to me like you need to go longer, not shorter. Cracking open my Hornady reloading manual I see nearly all the pointy projectiles are running 2.2xx" for length. Unfortunately Rainier is one of the very few projectile manufacturers who do not have their own published data.

My advice. Don't bother loading live ammo and playing Cinderella to see what fits and don't fit - just a waste of time taking them apart. Just take one or two pieces of full length sized brass and install one of those 180's at maximum COL 2.260" crimp it - and
see how it feeds. Then pop it back into the seating die and drop it .005 and try it again. You wont need to crimp it again. Once you get to where it feeds fine - you might as well keep going until it is too short to feed well...…. consider this part of your reloading 'good to know info". "Generally" - I say "Generally" because there are not aany bsolutes in firearms - there will always be an exception to a rule - generally the longer the bullet the less jump it takes to reach the lands and groves inside the barrel - and this less jump usually means more accurate the ammo is.

That said - you were unwise to begin reloading the 300 Blackout starting out with the cheapest projectile around. These would be great a bit later on in life once you were a bit more experienced. Go take a peek at most of the reloading manuals in the stores - most all gun shops that sell allot of reloading supplies will always have a manual handy for each brand of bullets they carry for customers to use. Notice how Sierra and Barnes will tell you what the COL should be. Not so with Rainier. (Nosler doesn't give COL - its because they want the hand loader to experiment and find the sweet spot. That what Nosler Customer Service told me!)

I have five Blackout owners where I work. We love the Sierra 220 and 240 Match kings for subsonic. I cast 230gr for subsonic and coat it in mica powder to prevent the tumble lube from sticking. One guy is casting, sizing, and powder coating them - then baking them in a toaster oven! They bullets come out very pretty, very shinny, - and not sticky like the Lee tumble ones I make. The powder coating acts like the lubricant and works great. My recommendation for subsonic is stick with the big @ss Sierra 220 and 240 grain Match Kings because reliable cycling will be your next issue once you fix this COL. They are not cheap. If you need to go cheap - look at casting your own - and consider that toast oven powder coating. You can buy the powder coat paint on ebay for cheap and in 12 or so colors.

Email me directly if you need help. Or have questions. If I don't have the answer one of the other 5 sure will.

[JerDerv]

^^^ great information, thanks for
Sharing!

[Ryno12]

You’re not alone. I bought these same projos from Midway awhile back and I immediately experienced the same issue. I tried several different lengths & loads to no avail. I’ve come to the conclusion that the tip of the bullet is just not conducive to reliable feeding in any of my 300BLK gas guns (BCM & Tavor). I’ve read some reviews where guys experienced the same troubles & some reviews where guys got them to work. Since the positive reviews don’t go into great detail as to the percent of reliability, type of firearm, and load data, I take it with a grain of salt.
I expect 100% feed reliability out of my loads & these simply couldn’t deliver. After several hours & numerous load variations with no success, these bullets no longer provided a cost savings to me. They’ve since been relegated to the junk pile or an occasional bolt gun plinking.