Before You Buy a Case of Either, Hear From 17,000+ of Our Customers
Comparing the 300 Blackout to the .308 Winchester is a little unfair to both of them — and that’s exactly why so many people get this purchase wrong.
Having been in the ammo game for over 15 years here at Target Sports USA, we’ve watched shooters buy a .308 when what they actually wanted was a whisper-quiet 8-inch AR pistol, and buy a 300 Blackout expecting it to ring steel at 800 yards. Both walked away annoyed at a cartridge that was doing its job perfectly. Our customers have left more than 17,000 verified reviews across these two calibers, and their words tell you precisely which round belongs in your safe.
Here’s the thing other people bury: these two cartridges launch the same .308” diameter bullet on completely different missions. One was built to replace the .30-06 in a machine gun. The other was built to be movie-quiet out of a 9-inch barrel. Most “300 BLK vs 308” articles spend 1,000 words on case dimensions and one throwaway sentence on suppression — which is like reviewing a submarine and skipping the part where it goes underwater.
Who this guide is for:
- AR-15 owners eyeing a 300 Blackout upper (or their first suppressor)
- Hunters deciding between a hog-thumping truck gun and a do-everything deer rifle
- Home-defense buyers who keep hearing “300 Blackout SBR” and want the honest case for it
- Anyone who wants review-backed load recommendations — including the subsonic ones nobody else covers properly
What’s in the guide:
- A true side-by-side using named, purchasable loads with factory specs — supersonic AND subsonic
- Aggregate ratings from our verified review database — 12,500+ reviews on .308 ammo and nearly 5,000 on 300 Blackout
- The topics every top-ranking article skips or undercooks: the subsonic/supersonic split, suppressor reality, barrel-length math, and honest negatives
- The safety warnings that actually matter (one of these cartridges can chamber where it absolutely should not)
- Real questions customers asked our ammo desk — including the great Wolf 300 Blackout stock-watch saga of the ammo shortage
BONUS: Every load featured links to its live product page where you can read all of its reviews and customer Q&As yourself. We’re not asking you to take our word for anything.
First Things First: 300 Blackout vs 308 in Brief
The .308 Winchester is the more powerful, longer-ranged cartridge by a landslide — roughly double the muzzle energy and legitimate 800-yard reach. The 300 Blackout wins everything the .308 wasn’t built for: short barrels, AR-15 compatibility, ultra-quiet suppressed shooting with subsonic ammo, and gentle recoil. Inside 150 yards suppressed, the Blackout is unmatched. Past 300 yards, it’s not a contest — buy the .308. They share a bullet diameter and nothing else; pick by mission, not by headstamp.
Join AMMO+ to save even more on every load in this article | Notice: Ratings and review counts are from our verified customer review database at the time of writing and will only grow from here.
300 Blackout vs 308: Two Spec Sheets, One Table
| Spec | 300 AAC Blackout | .308 Winchester |
|---|---|---|
| Introduced | 2011 (SAAMI; developed by Advanced Armament Corp.) | 1952 (Winchester) |
| Parent Case | .223 Rem / .221 Fireball lineage | .300 Savage lineage (military T65 program) |
| Bullet Diameter | .308” | .308” |
| Case Length | 1.368” | 2.015” |
| Overall Length | 2.26” | 2.81” |
| Max Pressure (SAAMI) | 55,000 psi | 62,000 psi |
| Common Bullet Weights | 110–150 gr supersonic; 190–220 gr subsonic | 147–180 grains |
| Typical Muzzle Velocity (factory) | 1,900–2,375 fps super; ~1,000–1,060 fps sub | 2,600–2,820 fps |
| Typical Muzzle Energy (factory) | ~1,200–1,400 ft lbs super; ~460–500 ft lbs sub | ~2,500–2,650 ft lbs |
| Platform | AR-15 (barrel swap only — same bolt, same mags) | AR-10 / bolt guns (full-size action) |
| Ideal Barrel Length | 8–10” (full powder burn ~9”) | 18–24” |
| Suppressed Performance | Its entire reason for existing | Quieter blast, still loud |
| Felt Recoil (typical carbine) | Commonly cited ~5–7 ft lbs super, less for subs | Commonly cited ~17–20 ft lbs |
| Practical Strong Suit | SBRs, suppressors, home defense, hogs inside 200 | Energy, range, hunting versatility, price floor |
And no — they are absolutely not interchangeable. Different cases, different chambers, different rifles. More on the safety side of that in The Safety Section, because there’s a related mix-up (involving your 5.56 AR) that’s genuinely dangerous.
What Is the 300 Blackout? (And Why It Exists at All)
The 300 AAC Blackout was developed by Advanced Armament Corporation and standardized by SAAMI in 2011, evolving from the wildcat .300 Whisper. The design brief was pure special-operations wishlist: give the M4 platform .30-caliber punch from short barrels, run reliably with a suppressor, feed from standard AR-15 magazines with a standard bolt, and — the headline feature — switch between supersonic and subsonic ammunition with nothing but a magazine change.
That brief explains everything weird and wonderful about this cartridge. The case is short so a long .30-cal bullet still fits in an AR-15 mag. The powder charge is small and fast-burning so it finishes its work in about 9 inches of barrel — which is why a 300 BLK AR pistol gives up so little to a 16” carbine, and why our review section is wall-to-wall 8.5” and 10.5” builds. And the heavy 190–220 grain subsonic loads exist so that, with a suppressor, the loudest thing at the range is the bolt cycling.
The trade-off is physics: small case, modest velocity. Supersonic 300 BLK is ballistically a near-twin of the 7.62×39 — a fine 200-yard cartridge, an honest 300-or-so-yard cartridge, and past that it’s dropping like a field goal attempt.
Browse all in-stock 300 AAC Blackout ammo here.
What Is the .308 Winchester? (And Why It’s Still the Yardstick)
The .308 Winchester arrived in 1952, born from the military’s T65 program (built on a .300 Savage-derived case) to deliver .30-06 performance from a shorter cartridge that ran better in autoloaders. The military version became 7.62x51mm NATO; the civilian .308 went on to become the most popular short-action big-game cartridge in America.
Seventy-plus years later, the resume speaks for itself: deer, elk, hogs, and black bear in the freezer; sniper and designated-marksman service on every continent; a thousand-yard target pedigree; and the deepest factory load selection of any centerfire rifle round we sell — 241 different .308 products have earned reviews from our customers, nearly double the Blackout’s count.
A typical 150-grain .308 leaves the muzzle at 2,820 fps with 2,648 ft lbs — roughly double the energy of a supersonic 300 Blackout, and five times a subsonic load. There is no version of “which hits harder” that the .308 loses. The only questions are whether you need that power, and what you’re willing to pay for it in rifle size, blast, recoil, and per-round cost.
Browse all in-stock .308 Winchester ammo here.
Subsonic vs Supersonic: The Split Personality That Defines the 300 Blackout
This is the section most comparison articles undercook, and it’s the entire point of the 300 Blackout. One cartridge, two completely different personalities:
| Supersonic 300 BLK | Subsonic 300 BLK | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical Bullet | 110–150 gr | 190–220 gr |
| Muzzle Velocity | ~1,900–2,375 fps | ~1,000–1,060 fps |
| Muzzle Energy | ~1,200–1,400 ft lbs | ~460–500 ft lbs |
| Sound Signature Suppressed | Quieter blast, still a sonic crack | No crack — genuinely “movie quiet” |
| Practical Range | ~200–300 yards | ~100–200 yards |
| Mission | Hunting, defense, general range | Suppressed shooting, low-signature everything |
The magic is the magazine change. Same rifle, same bolt, same trigger press: load supersonics and you have a 7.62×39-class carbine; load 220-grain subsonics behind a suppressor and you have something quieter than most airguns. No .308 can do this trick. Subsonic .308 ammo exists — we stock Federal Subsonic 308 Win 205 Grain — but the .308’s huge case was never designed for whisper loads, and semi-auto .308s frequently won’t cycle them. The Blackout was engineered from day one to run subs reliably; for the .308 it’s a party trick.
One honest caveat our customers repeat constantly: subsonic energy is pistol-class. A 220-grain subsonic carries about 488 ft lbs at the muzzle — that’s .45 ACP territory, not rifle territory. Wonderful for steel, training, and suppressed plinking; marginal for game (more on that in the hunting section).
Want the deeper physics — why the sound barrier matters, what transonic instability does to accuracy? We wrote a whole guide: Subsonic vs Supersonic Ammo.
300 Blackout vs 308 Ballistics: Real Loads, Real Numbers
Every load in this table is purchasable today, with its factory specs and live customer rating next to it. Note the 300 BLK rows are split supersonic/subsonic — treating them as one cartridge is how people end up confused.
| Load | Caliber | Grain | Muzzle Velocity | Muzzle Energy | Verified Reviews | Avg Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornady BLACK 110gr V-MAX – 80873 | 300 BLK (super) | 110 | 2,375 fps | 1,377 ft lbs | 107 | 4.86 / 5 |
| Magtech First Defense 123gr FMJ – 300BLKB | 300 BLK (super) | 123 | 2,230 fps | 1,352 ft lbs | 385 | 4.69 / 5 |
| Wolf Polyformance 145gr FMJ Steel Case – 300BLKFMJ1 | 300 BLK (super) | 145 | 1,985 fps | ~1,269 ft lbs | 365 | 4.49 / 5 |
| Federal American Eagle 150gr FMJ-BT – AE300BLK1 | 300 BLK (super) | 150 | 1,900 fps | 1,202 ft lbs | 241 | 4.80 / 5 |
| Hornady Subsonic 190gr Sub-X – 80877 | 300 BLK (sub) | 190 | 1,050 fps | 465 ft lbs | 104 | 4.65 / 5 |
| Sellier & Bellot 200gr FMJ Subsonic – SB300BLKSUBA | 300 BLK (sub) | 200 | 1,060 fps | 499 ft lbs | 243 | 4.60 / 5 |
| Magtech 200gr Subsonic FMJ – 300BLKSUBA | 300 BLK (sub) | 200 | 1,017 fps | 459 ft lbs | 216 | 4.72 / 5 |
| Federal American Eagle 220gr OTM Subsonic – AE300BLKSUP2 | 300 BLK (sub) | 220 | 1,000 fps | 488 ft lbs | 238 | 4.75 / 5 |
| Federal Gold Medal 168gr Sierra MatchKing – GM308M | .308 Win | 168 | 2,650 fps | 2,619 ft lbs | 1,708 | 4.91 / 5 |
| Federal Gold Medal 175gr Sierra MatchKing – GM308M2 | .308 Win | 175 | 2,600 fps | 2,627 ft lbs | 852 | 4.87 / 5 |
| Federal Power-Shok 150gr SP – 308A | .308 Win | 150 | 2,820 fps | 2,648 ft lbs | 151 | 4.78 / 5 |
| Hornady American Whitetail 150gr InterLock – 8090 | .308 Win | 150 | 2,820 fps | 2,649 ft lbs | 118 | 4.77 / 5 |
| PMC Bronze 147gr FMJ-BT – 308B | .308 Win | 147 | 2,780 fps | 2,522 ft lbs | 946 | 4.73 / 5 |
Note: Velocity and energy figures are manufacturer specs. The .308 figures generally come from 24” test barrels while 300 BLK figures typically come from 16” barrels — and here the barrel-length math favors the Blackout: it loses only modest velocity moving to an 8–10” barrel (full powder burn happens around 9”), while a .308 in a 16” carbine commonly gives up 200–300 fps from its book numbers. The Wolf 145gr energy is computed from its listed velocity (~) since the manufacturer doesn’t publish one.
The story the table is telling
- The energy gap isn’t a gap, it’s a canyon. The mildest .308 here carries about 2,520 ft lbs; the hottest supersonic Blackout about 1,377. The .308 nearly doubles the Blackout at the muzzle and the spread widens downrange — published factory comparisons of the same 150gr FMJ bullet in both cartridges show the .308 still carrying ~1,586 ft lbs at 300 yards, more than the Blackout had at the muzzle.
- Trajectory tells the same story. Same published 150gr comparison: about 8” of drop at 300 yards for the .308 versus 19.3” for the Blackout. Past 300, the Blackout needs holdover measured in feet.
- Subsonic flips the comparison entirely. A 220gr subsonic leaves at 1,000 fps and is still doing roughly 920 fps at 300 yards — it barely slows down, but it also barely arrived with energy. These loads are about sound, not slaying.
- Accuracy is better than you’ve heard on both sides. Our customers report touching-groups at 50 yards with Hornady V-MAX in 8.5” AR pistols, and 1/2-MOA with Federal Gold Medal in .308 bolt guns. The Blackout’s accuracy problem is range, not precision.
Why Every Article Gives You a Different Effective Range
Research this comparison and you’ll find the supersonic 300 Blackout’s effective range quoted as 200 yards, 300 yards, 400 yards, and 500 yards — sometimes in articles ranking right next to each other. (We checked. One top-five result says 500; another says 300–400 with accuracy “falling off considerably”; a third says it “remains a nice round up to 200 yards.”) They also disagree on the .308’s parentage — one calls it a shortened .30-06, another lists .300 Savage as the parent case — and even on its case capacity.
Nobody’s lying. They’re answering different questions. “Effective range” against a steel torso at supersonic velocities is one number; against a deer’s vitals with enough retained energy for a clean kill is a much shorter one; with a 220gr subsonic rainbow it’s shorter still. And the .308 family-tree confusion exists because the T65 development program really did start with the .300 Savage case while chasing .30-06 performance — both stories are half right.
Our honest, spec-safe summary: supersonic 300 BLK is a confident 200-yard cartridge and a capable 300-yard one in practiced hands; subsonics are 100–200 yard tools; and the .308 does real work at 600–1,000 yards. Anyone quoting one tidy number without context is selling simplicity, not accuracy.
What 17,000+ Verified Buyers Taught Us About These Two .30 Cals
Here’s the part no other article ranking for this comparison can show you — aggregate stats from our verified customer review database (approved reviews only) across every 300 Blackout and .308 Winchester product we carry:
| 300 AAC Blackout | .308 Winchester | |
|---|---|---|
| Verified customer reviews | 4,958 | 12,505 |
| Products reviewed | 122 | 241 |
| Average performance rating | 4.68 / 5 | 4.70 / 5 |
| Five-star performance ratings | 3,900 (79%) | 10,036 (80%) |
Honest takeaways from the data:
1. Satisfaction is a statistical tie. 4.68 vs 4.70 across 17,463 reviews. Both crowds are getting exactly what they paid for — which tells you the “which is better” question is really a “which mission is yours” question.
2. The Blackout’s split personality shows up in the sales data. Of our ten most-reviewed 300 BLK products, four are 190–220 grain subsonic loads. Nobody buys subsonic .308 in volume; nearly half the Blackout market runs subs. That’s not a niche — that’s the cartridge’s identity.
3. The .308 catalog is twice as deep. 241 reviewed products vs 122 — more brands, more bullet weights, more price tiers, more hunting options. Availability remains the .308’s structural advantage.
4. Read the review language and the missions jump out. Blackout reviewers talk suppressors, SBR builds, AR pistols, buffer weights, and “staying sub.” Our .308 reviewers talk MOA, deer, hogs, M1As, and 800-yard hits. Same bullet diameter; different hobbies entirely.
The Best 300 Blackout Ammo (Straight From Our Review Data)
Each pick includes specs, the live review count and average performance rating, and real customer feedback quoted word-for-word — typos and all. Click any product name to view it on Target Sports USA. Supersonics first, then the quiet stuff.
Hornady BLACK 300 AAC Blackout 110 Grain V-MAX – 80873 – Best All-Around 300 Blackout (Supersonic)
| Manufacturer | Hornady |
| Caliber | 300 AAC Blackout |
| Bullet Type | 110gr V-MAX Polymer Tip |
| Muzzle Velocity | 2,375 fps |
| Muzzle Energy | 1,377 ft lbs |
| Casing | Brass (Boxer primed, reloadable) |
| Grain | 110 |
| Verified Reviews | 107 |
| Avg Performance Rating | 4.86 / 5 |
Our highest-rated 300 Blackout load — fast (for a Blackout), explosive on target, and shockingly accurate out of stubby barrels. Also available as a 200-round ammo can – 80876 that carries another 159 reviews at 4.85/5:
“This ammo is top-notch stuff ! Using this in my AR 300 Blackout pistol with a ballistic advantage performance barrel I’m getting groups at 50 yards that are touching shooting from the bench !!! Will definitely be ordering more !” – Jerry C. Z.
” Bought these for a 8.5inch AR pistol in 300AAC. They were surprisingly accurate and all rounds fired and cycled perfectly. I shot some milk jugs filled with water and they absolutely exploded. Flat shooting quality ammo. ”
— Mark F., verified buyer
One honest reloader’s note on the can version:
“Target Sports offers fast free shipping on bulk orders. Reloading is tough. Cases are very difficult to seat primers. I won’t be purchasing these any more.” – SMSgt Rod B. (3 stars)
If you reload, noted. If you don’t, this is the supersonic Blackout to beat.
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Magtech First Defense 300 AAC Blackout 123 Grain FMJ – 300BLKB – Most-Reviewed 300 Blackout Range Load
| Manufacturer | Magtech |
| Caliber | 300 AAC Blackout |
| Bullet Type | 123gr Full Metal Jacket |
| Muzzle Velocity | 2,230 fps |
| Muzzle Energy | 1,352 ft lbs |
| Casing | Brass (Boxer primed, reloadable) |
| Grain | 123 |
| Verified Reviews | 385 |
| Avg Performance Rating | 4.69 / 5 |
Our most-reviewed 300 Blackout product, period — the 123-grain weight deliberately mirrors 7.62×39 ballistics, and it’s become the default brass-cased range load for AR pistol owners:
“I put 120 rds of this through my 10.5″ 300 pistol with a scratch built Anderson lower and a sanders armory upper with no fails. Ammo is very clean at a great price (cheapest I could find for range use) and ran flawlessly, will definitely order again.”
— Jason C., verified buyer
“Good bulk supersonic .300 ammo. Runs great, brass appears to be of high quality. Accuracy is good, and it responds well to suppressed as well as non-suppressed. Will be getting more once I finish the current boxes.”
— Kenneth H., verified buyer
“Not bad for the price. It doesn’t seem to be super accurate at 100 yards but that could be my gun also. The price per round is well worth it though. Great for plinking ammo. Target Sports USA offers good ammo at cheap prices and free shipping!” – Timothy N. (4 stars)
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Federal American Eagle 300 AAC Blackout 150 Grain FMJ-BT – AE300BLK1 – Best Brass-Cased Bulk Buy
| Manufacturer | Federal |
| Caliber | 300 AAC Blackout |
| Bullet Type | 150gr FMJ Boat Tail |
| Muzzle Velocity | 1,900 fps |
| Muzzle Energy | 1,202 ft lbs |
| Casing | Brass (Boxer primed, reloadable) |
| Grain | 150 |
| Verified Reviews | 241 |
| Avg Performance Rating | 4.80 / 5 |
The highest-rated FMJ on the Blackout side — Federal quality at volume pricing, and the 150gr weight is the closest direct mirror to a .308 ball round (compare its 1,900 fps to the PMC Bronze’s 2,780 and you’ll feel the case-capacity difference in one glance):
“Good quality ammo at a fair price. This is my second order of 1000 rounds and have not had any feed, jamming,or hangfire rounds ever with this ammo. This ammo is also very accurate.”
— Blake T., verified buyer
“Good stuff. Very accurate out of my 8.5″ pistol. Be prepared to put a heavy swage on the primer pockets of these cases if you plan to reload them.”
— John V., verified buyer
“Will buy more of this .300 AAC BO ammo made by Federal American Eagle. Dependable and accurate ammunition at a good price. Thanks TSUSA.”
— Jeff C., verified buyer
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Wolf Polyformance 300 Blackout 145 Grain FMJ Steel Case – 300BLKFMJ1 – Best Budget Blackout
| Manufacturer | Wolf Ammunition |
| Caliber | 300 AAC Blackout |
| Bullet Type | 145gr Full Metal Jacket |
| Muzzle Velocity | 1,985 fps |
| Muzzle Energy | ~1,269 ft lbs (computed) |
| Casing | Steel (Polyformance coated) |
| Grain | 145 |
| Verified Reviews | 365 |
| Avg Performance Rating | 4.49 / 5 |
The Blackout’s biggest weakness is cheap practice ammo — steel-cased Wolf is the fix, and 365 reviewers have weighed in. The 4.49 average is the lowest of our featured Blackout loads, so here’s the full picture:
“It’s steel, but it functions great. I’ve run through several hundred rounds with my PSA 300 BLK pistol build. So far no malfunctions whatsoever. ”
— Michael G., verified buyer
“Great ammo for the range, a bit rough on the mags and kind of tacky because of the poly. But shoots well cycles great, not the most accurate stuff but perfect for plinking”
— Michael S., verified buyer
“Okay ammo. Steel case is fine, however these have steel cores which is not on label or warnings. It cannot be used at indoor ranges. I get FMJ but that usually is not indicative of steel cores. ” – Mike P. (3 stars)
That last one matters: the bullet is magnetic-attracted, and many indoor ranges will turn it away. Outdoor plinkers, carry on. (This product also generated the single most entertaining stock-watch saga in our FAQ desk history — see below.)
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Federal American Eagle 300 AAC Blackout 220 Grain OTM Subsonic – AE300BLKSUP2 – Best 300 Blackout Subsonic
| Manufacturer | Federal |
| Caliber | 300 AAC Blackout |
| Bullet Type | 220gr Open Tip Match (subsonic) |
| Muzzle Velocity | 1,000 fps |
| Muzzle Energy | 488 ft lbs |
| Casing | Brass (Boxer primed, reloadable) |
| Grain | 220 |
| Verified Reviews | 238 |
| Avg Performance Rating | 4.75 / 5 |
The standard-bearer of the quiet life — the classic 220gr OTM profile the cartridge was designed around:
“These preform exceptionally well in my MCX. Extremely quiet suppressed. Very hard hitting at 50 yards. If you’re going to run these, be sure to use magazines designed specifically for 300 blackout, they do bind up in 5.56 pmags. ”
— Kevin T., verified buyer
“Great all around performance in a variety of 300 Blackout barrels (a can on both). A bit on the expensive side but the quality is certainly there. OTM options are more reliable and less dirty than FMJ super & subs. A coin flip in my book.”
— Bryan P., verified buyer
And the honest one:
“Very dirty ammo, Doesn’t feed well, constant failures. After cleaning and polishing the ammo it feeds perfectly and no longer fails to feed. ” – Tyler T. (1 star)
Subsonic + suppressor + short gas system is a finicky combination in any brand — buffer weights, springs, and magazines all matter. Our reviewers say it constantly, and it’s the most honest sentence in this article: tune your gun for subs, then enjoy the silence.
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Magtech 300 AAC Blackout 200 Grain Subsonic FMJ – 300BLKSUBA & Sellier & Bellot 200 Grain FMJ Subsonic – SB300BLKSUBA – The Volume Subsonics
| Spec | Magtech 300BLKSUBA | S&B SB300BLKSUBA |
|---|---|---|
| Grain / Bullet | 200gr FMJ Subsonic | 200gr FMJ Subsonic |
| Muzzle Velocity | 1,017 fps | 1,060 fps |
| Muzzle Energy | 459 ft lbs | 499 ft lbs |
| Verified Reviews | 216 | 243 |
| Avg Performance Rating | 4.72 / 5 | 4.60 / 5 |
The two loads our high-volume suppressed crowd feeds their SBRs by the thousand:
“Turn your rifle into essentially a pistol caliber carbine with this load. Great for suppressed use but I use it for when the lady comes to the range with me. Very low recoil/blast compared to full power ammo. Cycles good to in my PSA 8.5” pistol length upper. ” – Eric T. (Magtech)
“I can 100% guarantee that these are slower than Sonic the Hedgehog. Initially had issues cycling but that was due to buffer spring & weight. Accurate. I’d buy these again.” – Rodrigo D. (Magtech)
“I think at this point I’ve got a couple thousand rounds of S&B 200 Grain through several SBRs. Other than it being a little dirty, no issues with this ammo. Not the most accurate but good enough and I’ve not had any go supersonic…YMMV” – Tom M. (S&B)
“I tried this out on a Sig Rattler with a Sig 762 Titanium QD can. Performed perfectly. No feeding issues and very accurate. Performed better than the higher end or at least more expensive ammo. Will definitely be stocking up.” – John C. (S&B)
Two honest field notes, because subsonics deserve straight talk:
“Way more blowback gas from this compared to other subsonic when I ran it suppressed. After only 5 or 6 rounds, my eyes were watering and burning. Switched back to my other ammo and the issue was gone. I’ll stay away from this ammo for shooting suppressed.” – karl w. (Magtech, 3 stars)
“It’s okay for the price. Running suppressed through an 11.3” barrel. It sometimes fails to stabilize resulting in keyholes. No noticeable baffle strikes yet when it keyholes.” – Brandon B. (S&B, 3 stars)
Gas-to-the-face and twist-rate sensitivity are the two universal subsonic gremlins. A 1:7 or 1:8 twist barrel stabilizes 200–220gr subs far better than slower twists — check yours before you buy a case.
Hornady Subsonic 300 AAC Blackout 190 Grain Sub-X – 80877 – Best Subsonic for Hunting
| Manufacturer | Hornady |
| Caliber | 300 AAC Blackout |
| Bullet Type | 190gr Sub-X (subsonic expanding FTX) |
| Muzzle Velocity | 1,050 fps |
| Muzzle Energy | 465 ft lbs |
| Casing | Brass (Boxer primed, reloadable) |
| Grain | 190 |
| Verified Reviews | 104 |
| Avg Performance Rating | 4.65 / 5 |
The hardest engineering problem in this whole article: a bullet that expands at 1,000 fps. The Sub-X is the credible attempt, and our customers have actually killed things with it:
“It put down a deer last year at 75 yards though my suppressed gun. I was excited to recover the round to see how the expansion performed but I quickly found out it had gone completely through the deer. But the deer didn’t run so it must have done it’s job.”
— Skyler D., verified buyer
“Out of a sample of 8 brands of subsonic 300 BLK these were the most accurate out of my daniel 300P. They were not the quietest with the Sandman K, but most accurate and seemed to hit a little harder on steel than the rest. ”
— Anthony T., verified buyer
“Super quiet and very accurate. Functions flawless so far in my AR and Sig MCX. Sob MOA out of my Remington 700. Great price for this ammo from TSUSA”
— Benjamin R., verified buyer
And the one to read twice before deer season:
“Some loads did not fire – missed deer because of it. Issues with expansion and A few feed issues as well.” – Gregory R. (3 stars)
Our straight answer: subsonic hunting is a sub-100-yard, perfect-shot-placement discipline. If the hunt matters more than the hush, load supersonic expanding bullets and accept the crack.
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The Best .308 Winchester Ammo (Straight From Our Review Data)
Federal Gold Medal 308 Win 168 Grain Sierra MatchKing – GM308M – Our Highest-Rated Rifle Load, Period
| Manufacturer | Federal |
| Caliber | 308 Winchester |
| Bullet Type | 168gr Sierra MatchKing HPBT |
| Muzzle Velocity | 2,650 fps |
| Muzzle Energy | 2,619 ft lbs |
| Casing | Brass (Boxer primed, reloadable) |
| Grain | 168 |
| Verified Reviews | 1,708 |
| Avg Performance Rating | 4.91 / 5 |
1,708 reviews, 4.91 average — no product in our rifle catalog beats it. This is what the .308 brings to the table that the Blackout structurally cannot: match-grade precision and full rifle energy in one box:
“The go to standard in accuracy for years and it still rings true. One of the most accurate .308 rounds available in every rifle I’ve tried it in. MOA to a bit over in my M1A Scout Squad after I unitized the gas system and no, not all day long… hahaha. ” – Gregory D. L.
“I shoot these rounds from a 2004 Tikka T3 Tactical and an AR-10 gas gun that I built and let me tell you that these pills are very consistent. I pull 1/2 MOA from Tikka 1/11 20” and 3/4 MOA from 1/10 24” Lilja gas gun. What else could you ask for?”
— Rickey V., verified buyer
And because no load survives 1,708 reviews unscathed:
“stopped using it a year ago. Bought a case and halfway through my accuracy went to hell. I pull 20 bullets and weighed the powder: 1.4 grains difference high to low, unacceptable, I’m done with anything Federal! ” – Michael S. (1 star)
One unhappy handloader against 1,707 other data points — that’s exactly why we publish counts, not cherry-picks.
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Federal Gold Medal 308 Win 175 Grain Sierra MatchKing – GM308M2 – The Long-Range .308
| Manufacturer | Federal |
| Caliber | 308 Winchester |
| Bullet Type | 175gr Sierra MatchKing HPBT |
| Muzzle Velocity | 2,600 fps |
| Muzzle Energy | 2,627 ft lbs |
| Casing | Brass (Boxer primed, reloadable) |
| Grain | 175 |
| Verified Reviews | 852 |
| Avg Performance Rating | 4.87 / 5 |
If you want the single clearest illustration of why these cartridges aren’t rivals, it’s this load’s review section — full of 800-yard hits, while the Blackout crowd celebrates touching groups at 50:
“I was making consistent hits at 800 yards with my 16” POF Revolution DI. At 100 yards it runs about .6-.8 MOA out of that rifle. The price is significantly cheaper than Black Hills 175 Gr match ammo, which I intent to try to compare the results. ”
— Michael C., verified buyer
“In my Ruger Precision rifle, this is the best factory ammo. Smallest 3 shot group so far was .300 so less than 1/3 MOA ! Its pricey but if you want Sub MOA performance, this ammo will do it. My rifle liked the 175 gr best , the 168 Gr did slightly over 1 MOA. ”
— Sam N., verified buyer
“Great quality ammo I took this to South Africa hunting Antelope species. From 110 to 475 yards it performed well. Smaller Mountain Rebuck, Bushbuck, Impala to Nyala. One well placed shot on each put them down quickly. Accurate and deadly. ”
— Robert D., verified buyer
Check Prices on TARGET SPORTS USA
Federal Power-Shok 308 Win 150 Grain SP – 308A & Hornady American Whitetail 150 Grain – 8090 – The Freezer-Fillers
| Spec | Power-Shok 308A | American Whitetail 8090 |
|---|---|---|
| Grain / Bullet | 150gr Soft Point | 150gr InterLock SP |
| Muzzle Velocity | 2,820 fps | 2,820 fps |
| Muzzle Energy | 2,648 ft lbs | 2,649 ft lbs |
| Verified Reviews | 151 | 118 |
| Avg Performance Rating | 4.78 / 5 | 4.77 / 5 |
This is the .308 doing what it’s done since Eisenhower was in office — and the use-case contrast with the Blackout’s hog-and-hush reviews couldn’t be sharper:
“works great in my browning blr for deer hunting. took a deer in n.carolina at about 80yds, one shot kill. will do 1 1/2 inch 5 shot groups at the range, all day. also took a wild pig in vt. one shot, one dead pig!!! ” – joseph e.
“Shoots great out of my rem 700 action. Very confident on where it shoots from point of aim with my setup. Took out many hogs, deer and coyotes this year! ”
— John C., verified buyer
” this is a great hunting round for medium to large game . it is also a accurate round . it has filled my freezer more times than I can count . ”
— James O., verified buyer
“So far, the most accurate, by far in my Savage Axis .308, though a little pricy. Nevertheless, a good tradeoff. ” – Henry T. (American Whitetail)
PMC Bronze 308 Win 147 Grain FMJ-BT – 308B – Best .308 Training Ammo
| Manufacturer | PMC |
| Caliber | 308 Winchester |
| Bullet Type | 147gr FMJ Boat Tail |
| Muzzle Velocity | 2,780 fps |
| Muzzle Energy | 2,522 ft lbs |
| Casing | Brass (Boxer primed, reloadable) |
| Grain | 147 |
| Verified Reviews | 946 |
| Avg Performance Rating | 4.73 / 5 |
Brass-cased .308 trigger time at a price the boutique stuff can’t argue with — 946 reviewers deep:
“Clean shooting, consistent performance and quality. I use this exclusively when shooting heavy metal division in 3 gun matches. Best value for your money that I’ve found. Best price you can find is right here.”
— William D., verified buyer
“Shoots and cycles really well out of a PTR91 with iron sights. Groups on a good day were about 1-1.5 inches. Groups on a bad day (too much caffeine) were about 2-3 inches. I wish PMC was cheaper!”
— Meng V., verified buyer
“Reliable ammo. No feeding or cycling issues. Good price. Does not group well. Could not get 5 round groups under 3 MOA. To check gun / scope ran better ammo through and was sub-MOA. Good ammo for training and trigger time.” – Michael M. (4 stars)
That last review is the eternal truth of ball ammo, printed verbatim because that’s how we do things: train with this, hunt and compete with the good stuff.
The Safety Section: Read This Before You Own Both
We promised straight talk, so here it is — the two safety facts every 300 Blackout and .308 owner needs tattooed somewhere mental:
1. 300 Blackout and .308 Winchester are NOT interchangeable. Ever. Same bullet diameter, completely different cartridges, cases, chambers, and rifles. A .308 will not chamber in a Blackout gun and a Blackout has no business near a .308 chamber. If a listing or a range buddy blurs the two, walk away. (How real is the confusion? A customer once asked our FAQ desk, verbatim, “Why is .308 showing up under .300 blackout” — a category glitch we fixed fast, because precision matters with this stuff.)
2. The genuinely dangerous mix-up is 300 Blackout in a 5.56/.223 rifle. Because the Blackout is built on a shortened .223-pattern case and feeds from the same magazines, a 300 BLK round can physically chamber in a 5.56 chamber — seating a .30-caliber bullet against a .22-caliber bore. Pull the trigger and the likely result is a catastrophic failure that destroys the rifle and can seriously injure the shooter. This is the most important sentence in this article: if you own uppers in both 5.56 and 300 BLK, keep the ammo physically separated, mark your magazines, and check the chamber stamp every single time. Dedicated, clearly-marked 300 BLK magazines (our reviewer Kevin T. noted his 220s “do bind up in 5.56 pmags” — a feature, honestly) are cheap insurance.
While we’re at it, the milder cousin of this warning: .308 Winchester and 7.62×51 NATO are near-twins with slightly different chamber and pressure specs. Modern commercial rifles overwhelmingly handle both, but if you’re running vintage or military-surplus hardware, verify with the manufacturer first.
Which One Should You Build For? (Home Defense, Hogs, Long Range, Suppressed)
Home defense: 300 Blackout, and it isn’t close
A short-barreled 300 BLK carbine or AR pistol is compact in hallways, controllable for fast follow-ups, and — suppressed with subsonics — won’t permanently ring every ear in the house. The .308 brings more power than the job needs, with muzzle blast and overpenetration concerns to match. Choose expanding supersonic loads (like the 110gr V-MAX) for defense duty; save the FMJs for practice.
Suppressed shooting: 300 Blackout — this is the whole franchise
Subsonic 220s through a can is the quietest centerfire rifle experience money can legally buy. A suppressed .308 is a more pleasant .308 — less blast, less recoil — but it still announces itself. If “quiet” is anywhere on your priority list, the Blackout is your cartridge and the subsonic loads above are your shopping list.
Hogs and deer inside 200 yards: Blackout works — with supersonic expanding bullets
Thermal-equipped hog hunters adopted the 300 BLK for good reason: handy guns, low recoil for fast follow-ups on moving sounders, and plenty of authority inside 200. For deer, keep shots honest and bullets expanding. Subsonics are a specialty hunting tool at best — sub-100-yard energy is pistol-class, and our own reviewer missed a deer to a failure-to-fire. When in doubt, go supersonic or go .308.
Deer, elk, and anything past 300 yards: .308 Winchester, full stop
Double the energy at the muzzle, more than the Blackout’s muzzle energy still on tap at 300 yards, and a bullet selection that covers everything from varmints to elk. This is also the one-rifle answer: a .308 can do 90% of what most American shooters will ever ask of a centerfire rifle.
Long-range target work: .308 — the Blackout doesn’t enter this conversation
Gold Medal Match at 800 yards is a Tuesday. A supersonic Blackout at 500 is a physics experiment with a 50-plus-inch drop. Different sports.
The real answer for AR-15 owners: it’s not either/or
Here’s the plot twist the “vs” framing hides: if you already own a 5.56 AR-15, a 300 Blackout upper costs less than any new rifle and uses your existing bolt and magazines. The .308 demands a whole new platform (AR-10 or bolt gun). Plenty of our customers own both — the Blackout for the timber line and the night hogs, the .308 for the bean field. Just re-read the safety section before you do.
Cost, Recoil, and Availability: The Real-World Math
Recoil — the Blackout barely says hello
Commonly cited recoil-energy figures for supersonic 300 BLK in a typical carbine run about 5–7 ft lbs — versus roughly 17–20 ft lbs for a .308 rifle — and subsonics push closer to pistol-caliber-carbine softness (our reviewer Eric T. literally called his subsonic-fed Blackout “essentially a pistol caliber carbine”). That’s the difference between a rifle anyone in the family can run all afternoon and one that’s earned its recoil pad. New shooters, smaller-framed shooters, and anyone managing a shoulder injury will feel this difference on round one.
Cost & availability — the .308’s structural moat
Our catalog tells the story in one stat: 241 reviewed .308 products versus 122 for the Blackout. The .308’s floor is lower (high-volume FMJ like PMC Bronze, plus steel-cased options), its ceiling is higher (match loads in every flavor), and it’s on every shelf in America. The Blackout’s budget end leans on steel-cased Wolf, and its subsonics carry a per-round premium — those 220-grain bullets contain a lot of lead. Veterans of the great ammo shortage remember 300 BLK vanishing fastest; our Wolf 300 Blackout FAQ thread from that era reads like a hostage negotiation (see below). Compare live pricing yourself: 300 AAC Blackout ammo | .308 Winchester ammo — and remember bulk case purchases ship free.
The hidden costs — both directions
Blackout math: the upper is cheap, but the suppressor that unlocks the cartridge’s whole personality involves a tax stamp and a wait. .308 math: the rifle is bigger, the ammo bill per range day is heavier, and your shoulder subsidizes every box. Budget for the system, not the cartridge.
The Questions Customers Actually Ask Us
We answer customer questions on product pages every day — 11,000+ and counting. Real exchanges (lightly trimmed) that map straight onto this comparison:
Q: “Hi, is there a sub sonic version of this [Wolf 145gr 300 Blackout]?” A: There is no subsonic version of this 145 Grain 300 BO ammunition from Wolf — and the fact that this is the single most common question type on our Blackout pages tells you everything about how people actually use this cartridge. Always check the velocity spec: subsonic means under ~1,100 fps.
Q: “Are these subsonic?” A: As we told William about one specialty load: “this ammunition has an FPS of less that 1,100 so it is technically subsonic.” That ~1,100 fps line (the speed of sound, give or take conditions) is THE number in Blackout-land — above it you get a crack no suppressor can erase; below it you get the quiet.
Q: “Is this ammo suppressor safe?” A: A surprisingly common question — and a revealing one. Suppressors handle supersonic ammo just fine mechanically; what they can’t do is silence the sonic crack. When shooters ask “suppressor safe,” they usually mean “suppressor quiet” — and for that you want purpose-built subsonics, plus your suppressor maker’s guidance on bullet types.
Q: “Whats the tested barrel length for the stated muzzle velocity?” A: A sharp question that deserves a straight answer everywhere: published velocities depend heavily on test barrel length — typically 16” for 300 BLK and 24” for .308. Your 8.5” Blackout pistol or 16” .308 carbine will run slower than the box says (the Blackout loses far less, by design).
Q: “Why is .308 showing up under .300 blackout” A: A customer caught a category glitch; we fixed it. Same bullet diameter, very different cartridges — even databases get confused, which is why your ammo shelf shouldn’t.
Q: The Great Wolf 300 Blackout Stock Watch. During the shortage, the Wolf 145gr page became a 24-hour vigil: “Obligatory ‘will it be in stock today’? Also, you should sell F5 keys bc I’m going to wear mine out refreshing this page.” (Our desk’s reply to “what time will this be available?”: “tik..tok…tik.tok”.) We quote it for a reason — when supply tightens, niche calibers tighten first. If you go Blackout, buy deep when it’s in stock.
300 Blackout vs 308 FAQ: Everything Else You Need to Know
No. They share the same .308” bullet diameter and nothing else. The 300 Blackout is a compact cartridge built on a shortened .223-pattern case for AR-15s, short barrels, and suppressors; the .308 Winchester is a full-power rifle cartridge with about double the muzzle energy. They are not interchangeable in any firearm.
No — never. Despite the shared bullet diameter, the cases and chambers are completely different. A .308 cartridge won’t fit a Blackout chamber, and a 300 Blackout should never be placed near a .308 rifle. The dangerous cross-over is actually 300 BLK in a 5.56 chamber — see the next question.
Because the 300 BLK uses .223/5.56-pattern case dimensions and magazines, a Blackout round can chamber in a 5.56 barrel — putting a .30-caliber bullet behind a .22-caliber bore. Firing it typically destroys the rifle and can injure the shooter. If you own both calibers, separate the ammo, dedicate and mark your magazines, and check every chamber stamp.
For deer and hogs inside 200 yards — especially from a compact, suppressed rifle — the 300 Blackout with supersonic expanding bullets works well. For everything else (longer shots, bigger game, one-rifle versatility), the .308 is decisively better, with roughly double the energy and a far deeper hunting-bullet selection. Subsonic Blackout loads are a sub-100-yard specialty tool, not a primary hunting plan.
Supersonic 300 Blackout is a confident 200-yard cartridge and a capable ~300-yard one; subsonic loads are practical to 100–200 yards. The .308 Winchester is effective on game to 400–500 yards in skilled hands and rings targets at 800–1,000. Published “effective range” claims vary widely because they measure different things — steel, game, supersonic flight — so match the number to your mission.
The 300 Blackout, by a wide margin — commonly cited figures run about 5–7 ft lbs for supersonic loads in a typical carbine versus roughly 17–20 ft lbs for a .308, with subsonic Blackout softer still. It’s the most beginner-friendly centerfire .30 cal there is.
The 300 Blackout — suppression is the reason it exists. With 190–220 grain subsonic ammo and a suppressor there’s no sonic crack at all, just the action cycling. A suppressed .308 is meaningfully more pleasant than an unsuppressed one, but its supersonic bullets always crack. If quiet is the goal, it’s the Blackout.
Both — that’s the cartridge’s superpower, switched with a magazine change. Supersonic (110–150gr) for hunting, defense, and energy on target; subsonic (190–220gr) for suppressed shooting where sound matters most. Tune your buffer/gas setup for subs, use a 1:7–1:8 twist barrel, and read our full subsonic vs supersonic guide for the physics.
The .308, generally — its market is older, deeper, and floor prices on bulk FMJ run lower (we stock nearly twice as many reviewed .308 products). Budget 300 BLK leans on steel-cased loads, and subsonics carry a heavy-bullet premium. Compare live pricing: 300 AAC Blackout | .308 Winchester.
Closing the Case
Seventeen thousand reviews, and the verdict is a 4.68-to-4.70 photo finish — because our customers aren’t really rating the same product. They’re rating two different missions that happen to share a bullet. The 300 Blackout is the specialist: short, light, AR-15-native, family-friendly on recoil, and — with subsonics and a can — quieter than anything else with a .30-caliber hole in the barrel. The .308 Winchester is the institution: double the energy, four times the practical range, deeper shelves, and seventy years of filled freezers behind it.
Our honest recommendation after 15+ years of selling both: decide your distance and your decibels. Inside 200 yards and quiet — Blackout. Past 300 yards or biggest-game versatility — .308. Already own an AR-15? The right answer might genuinely be both: one upper, one rifle, and a strict rule about which magazines live where.
Shop the calibers: 300 AAC Blackout Ammo | .308 Winchester Ammo | Bulk Ammo – Free Shipping
Jon-Paul (JP) is a seasoned firearms industry professional with over a decade of experience spanning firearms, sport shooting merchandising, and customer service. Passionate about all things 2A, he brings a wealth of hands-on knowledge to the world of firearms and ammunition.
When he’s not working, you’ll likely find JP at the range, diving into the latest ballistics trends, or engaging with the shooting community on forums like AR15.com
Feel free to connect with him to collaborate or chat about anything ammo-related.
