Many hunters use the 300 Blackout for hunting deer, hogs, and other big game with good results. Here are a few great brands of 300 Blackout hunting ammo that will probably serve you well afield.
Released in 2009, the 300 AAC Blackout cartridge provides a big improvement over the 223 Remington cartridge with the added benefit of still fitting in an AR-15 platform. Not surprisingly, the cartridge is now fairly popular and many companies like Barnes, Black Hills, Federal Premium, Fort Scott Munitions, Hornady, Nosler, Sig Sauer, and Winchester produce several different variants of 300 Blackout hunting ammo for deer, feral hogs, coyotes, and other game animals.
Originally designed by Advanced Armament Corporation for use in the M4 carbine, the cartridge functions really well in AR-15 style rifles, most often uses bullet weights in the 110-220 grain range, and is capable of pushing a .308″ 110-grain bullet at nearly 2,400 feet per second.
The 300 Blackout is a larger caliber and more powerful cartridge than the .223 Remington, but also has less recoil than bigger bore alternatives like the 450 Bushmaster. The 300 Blackout is also pretty versatile and works well in long as well as short barrels, suppressed and unsuppressed, and in bolt-guns as well as semi-automatic rifles for tactical, law enforcement, self defense, varmint hunting, and big game hunting applications.
Not surprisingly, the new round quickly made the jump over into the civilian market
The 300 Blackout is a good choice for deer hunting, especially compared to the 223 Remington or 5.56 NATO. While it will potentially work on bigger game, I highly recommend sticking to varmints, predators, hogs, and deer with the cartridge though.
Additionally, the cartridge isn’t a great performer on big game at longer ranges. Keep your shots on big game inside 200 yards for best performance.
While 300 Blackout ammo is fairly common, most of that stuff is full metal jacket (FMJ) ammo from companies like Aguila, Fiocchi, Sellier & Bellot, and Wolf. Likewise, while they are very accurate and are certainly capable of killing big game animals, I don’t recommend hunting while using ammo lines like the Sig Sauer Elite Performance Match or Federal American Eagle.
The same goes for FMJ, open tip match (OTM), and boat tailed hollow point (BTHP) style bullet types in general.
Fortunately, there are definitely several excellent choices for factory 300 Blackout hunting ammo from other manufacturers.
So, regardless of whether you’re using a bolt action Ruger American Ranch, a Mossberg MVP, a variant of the AR-15, or one of the many other 300 Blackout rifles in production, there is pretty much guaranteed to be something for everyone on the list below of the best 300 Blackout ammunition for hunting.
In today’s post, I’m going to show you the best 300 Blackout hunting ammo for deer, feral hogs, predators, varmints, and other big game. I’ll also go over the pros and cons of each individual load.
Note: some of the links below are affiliate links. This means I will earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you make a purchase of rifle, handgun, rimfire, or shotgun ammunition through those links. This helps support the blog and allows me to continue to create free content that’s useful to hunters like yourself. Thanks for your support.
Barnes VOR-TX
Do you love Barnes bullets? Well, you’re in luck because Barnes produces some great 300 Blackout hunting ammo as part of their VOR-TX line. Featuring their solid copper Tactical Tipped Expansion Flat Base (TAC-TX FB) bullet, this ammunition is designed for rapid expansion, high weight retention, and deep penetration.
Barnes produces a loading for the 300 Blackout using a 110gr Barnes TAC-TX bullet that is a fantastic option for those looking for great 300 Blackout ammo for deer and hog hunting at shorter ranges.
In fact, I’d say the 110 grain TAC-TX load from Barnes is the best choice of 300 Blackout hunting ammo for deer, hogs, and other similar sized game. Barnes also makes a 120gr TAC-TX load for the 300 Blackout that I don’t like quite as much as the 110gr load, but is still good for those who want heavier bullets.
While there are some other good 300 Blackout hunting ammo options, I don’t think you can do any better than this Barnes ammunition if you want something that’s hard hitting at close range on all manner of game.
For those reasons, I think this Barnes 300 Blackout ammo is the best option for those who want to hunt the widest possible range of game with this cartridge because those TAC-TX bullets are so darn effective.
In addition to being one of the most versatile loads for the cartridge, this ammunition is also 100% copper, which makes it an excellent choice of 300 Blackout hunting ammunition for use in states like California that that don’t permit the use of lead bullets.
- Bullet Type: TAC-TX FB
- Bullet Weight: 110 grains or 120 grains
- Ballistic Coefficient (G1): .300 (110gr) or .400 (120gr)
- Muzzle Velocity: 2,350 feet per second (1,349 foot-pounds of muzzle energy) or 2,100 feet per second (1,349 foot-pounds of muzzle energy)
GET 110gr BARNES 300 BLACKOUT AMMO HERE
GET 120gr BARNES 300 BLACKOUT AMMO HERE
Also Available at: Cabela’s, Lucky Gunner, Natchez Shooter Supplies, Optics Planet, & Palmetto State Armory
Hornady Sub-X
The 300 Blackout is a very popular cartridge among those who run suppressed rifles (especially in the AR-15 platform). Understandably, many hunters want to use 300 Blackout subsonic hunting ammo to maximize the effectiveness of their suppressed rifle. This is especially true in certain situations (like feral hog control) where the hunter is trying to shoot multiple animals out of a group.
Unfortunately, there are some very real downsides to using subsonic 300 Blackout ammo in a hunting situation. In particular, subsonic ammo has a very arching trajectory and it’s hard to find .30 caliber bullets that will reliably expand at those slower subsonic velocities (under about 1,100fps depending on temperature and altitude).
This makes it both more difficult to hit the animal and the bullets cause less damage to the animal when they do hit when compared to supersonic loads. Not surprisingly, many older subsonic 300 Blackout loads have a poor reputation among hunters.
However, Hornady’s new Subsonic line of rifle ammunition aims to solve those issues with subsonic loads.
While it is available in factory loads for other rifle and handgun cartridges as well, 300 Blackout subsonic hunting ammo is one of the flagship products in the Hornady Subsonic product line.
Designed specifically for both accuracy and performance below the speed of sound, Hornady 300 Blackout subsonic ammunition uses their new 190gr Sub-X bullet. This heavy for caliber bullet has a deep hollow point cavity with a polymer Flex Tip and long grooves in its jacket to help it expand reliably at low velocities.
This ammunition also uses special powders optimized for subsonic use that also minimize the flash signature of the round.
With an advertised muzzle velocity of 1,050fps, this ammunition is extremely quiet (especially suppressed). However, even though it starts of pretty slow, heavy bullets like this 190gr Sub-X that also have a relatively high BC retain energy and velocity pretty well.
Since it’s designed specifically to expand at subsonic impact velocities, this is incredibly effective 300 Blackout subsonic hunting ammunition on game like deer and feral hogs at short range and with good shot placement.
And yes, it will function very well in a semi-automatic 300 Blackout rifle as well as in a bolt-action rifle. It also works well in rifles with a short barrel.
This ammunition still has a pretty arching trajectory, but it shoots flat enough for use at shorter range. For instance, this ammo will hit no more than 3.5″ high at shorter range and will hit about 3.5″ low around 120 yards with a 100 yard zero.
So, a good marksman should have an effective range of 100-120 yards with this ammunition.
With all that in mind, I think this is the best 300 Blackout subsonic hunting ammo currently available. When used in conjunction with a good AR-15, a suppressor, and maybe even a thermal scope, the hogs won’t know what hit them until too late.
- Bullet Type: Hornady Sub-X
- Bullet Weight: 190 grains
- Ballistic Coefficient (G1): .437
- Muzzle Velocity: 1,050 feet per second (465 foot-pounds of energy)
GET HORNADY SUBSONIC 300 BLACKOUT AMMO HERE
Also Available at: Cabela’s, Lucky Gunner, & Palmetto State Armory
Winchester Deer Season XP
Winchester’s Deer Season XP line of ammunition also contains some of the best 300 Blackout ammo for deer hunting. The Extreme Point bullet this rifle ammo uses is similar to Winchester’s Power Point bullet, but the Extreme Point has a large diameter polymer tip that’s specifically designed to open up rapidly produce a gigantic wound channel along with massive impact trauma.
This often results in a very short tracking job and a very easy to follow blood trail. Even so, it’s designed specifically to compete with popular whitetail deer hunting ammo like the Federal Power-Shok, Hornady American Whitetail, Remington Core-Lokt, and Winchester Super-X in terms of accuracy and reliability.
The Winchester Deer Season XP line is also competitively priced and has one of the lowest costs per round out of all the 300 Blackout ammunition on this list.
So, not only is this some very reasonably priced 300 Blackout hunting ammo, but it also has a very good reputation for producing a giant wound channel and minimizing the distance deer run after being hit. In fact, this Winchester ammo is one of my top recommended brands of 300 Blackout ammo for whitetail deer hunting (behind the Barnes VOR-TX). The same goes for blacktail and mule deer hunting.
- Bullet Type: Extreme Point
- Bullet Weight: 150 grains
- Ballistic Coefficient (G1): .392
- Muzzle Velocity: 1,900 feet per second (1,202 foot-pounds of kinetic energy)
GET WINCHESTER DEER SEASON XP 300 BLACKOUT AMMO HERE
Also Available at: Cabela’s, Lucky Gunner, Natchez Shooter Supplies, & Optics Planet
Federal Fusion MSR
It’s not new or fancy, but Federal Fusion ammunition with a 150gr bullet is also really good 300 Blackout ammo for deer hunting.
Fusion bullets have a bonded lead core to help with weight retention. Combined with a skived tip to help initiate expansion, Federal Fusion 300 Blackout ammunition delivers a good balance of controlled expansion, high weight retention, and deep penetration.
This particular load is from Federal’s Fusion MSR line, which is specifically designed to reliably function in Modern Sporting Rifles, to include those with a shorter barrel (it will work in bolt-action rifles in addition to semi-automatic rifles). For this reason, I think Fusion 300 Blackout ammo is another good choice for deer or feral hog hunting, especially in a modern sporting rifle.
- Bullet Type: Fusion Soft Point
- Bullet Weight: 150 grains
- Ballistic Coefficient (G1): .330
- Muzzle Velocity: 1,900 feet per second (1,202 foot-pounds of energy)
GET FEDERAL FUSION 300 BLACKOUT AMMO HERE
Also Available at: Cabela’s and Palmetto State Armory
Nosler Ballistic Tip
Nosler also produces 300 Blackout hunting ammo as part of their Ballistic Tip line. This ammunition is loaded with 125 grain Ballistic Tip bullets, which are known for their accuracy and for their devastating terminal performance on thin-skinned game.
With that in mind, this is excellent ammunition for hunting just about any species of game you’d reasonably pursue with the 300 Blackout cartridge. Specifically, this is a good choice of 300 Blackout ammo for deer and feral hog hunting.
- Bullet Type: Ballistic Tip
- Bullet Weight: 125 grains
- Ballistic Coefficient (G1): .366
- Muzzle Velocity: 2,250 feet per second (1,404 foot-pounds of kinetic energy)
GET NOSLER BALLISTIC TIP 300 BLACKOUT AMMO HERE
Also Available at: Lucky Gunner, MidwayUSA, Palmetto State Armory
Nosler Varmageddon
Nosler also produces 300 Blackout ammo as part of their Varmageddon line. Similar in concept to the Hornady V-Max bullet, the Nosler Varmageddon is designed for extremely rapid expansion for massive energy transfer on smaller animals.
Though not quite as fast as that Hornady Black load using the 110gr V-Max bullet, the Nosler Varmageddon is known for excellent accuracy and lots of rifles shoot it really well. This is a great alternative to the Hornady ammo that should also produce devastating terminal effects on prairie dogs, groundhogs, foxes, coyotes, etc.
Once again, I don’t recommend using it on deer-sized game, but this is an outstanding varmint or predator hunting round.
- Bullet Type: Varmageddon
- Bullet Weight: 110 grains
- Ballistic Coefficient (G1): .293
- Muzzle Velocity: 2,250 feet per second (1,182 foot-pounds of kinetic energy)
GET NOSLER VARMAGEDDON 300 BLACKOUT AMMO HERE
Also Available at: Cabela’s, Lucky Gunner, and Optics Planet
Hornady Black
Modern sporting rifles are extremely popular hunters and shooters in the United States. For this reason, many of the big ammunition companies produce special ammunition optimized for performance in those “black” guns. Unfortunately, some of those rifles are picky about the ammo they function best with.
Well, Hornady Black ammo is designed to deliver superior performance in rifles like the AR-15 family of rifles and carbines. Hornady designed this ammunition to reliably function in a wide variety of semi-automatic rifles (including direct impingement, inertia, & gas piston).
Since the 300 AAC Blackout was originally designed for the M-16/M-4 rifle, it only makes sense that Hornady offers this cartridge with brass cases in their Black line of ammo as well.
Don’t worry, this stuff will also work great in bolt action rifles with different barrel lengths, with or without a muzzle brake, and with or without a suppressor.
Loaded with a 110 grain V-Max bullet with a plastic tip, this ammunition is an ideal choice for those who want to use their 300 Blackout for varmint hunting, especially if the hunter wants to use an AR platform or other semi-auto 300 Blackout rifle. Those V-Max bullets are great on really small, thin-skinned game and this is my #1 recommended 300 AAC Blackout ammo for varmint or predator hunting using a semi-automatic rifle.
It will also potentially work on game like deer or hogs. Normally I’d say this bullet is just too fragile for reliable performance on big game. However, the lower velocity of the 300 Blackout results in less explosive expansion and better penetration. So, you can probably use Hornady Black 300 Blackout ammo for hunting deer without issues.
All things considered, this is great ammo on predators and varmints like groundhogs, prairie dogs, coyotes, foxes, and bobcats. You can’t go wrong with Hornady Black 300 Blackout ammo for coyote hunting, especially with a modern sporting rifle.
- Bullet Type: V-Max
- Bullet Weight: 110 grains
- Ballistic Coefficient (G1): .290
- Muzzle Velocity: 2,375 feet per second (1,377 foot-pounds of energy)
GET HORNADY BLACK 300 BLACKOUT AMMO HERE
Also Available at: Lucky Gunner, Natchez Shooter Supplies, Optics Planet, and Palmetto State Armory
NEXT: BEST 6.5 CREEDMOOR AMMO FOR HUNTING ELK, DEER, & OTHER BIG GAME
NEXT: 101 BEST GIFTS FOR HUNTERS
Enjoy this article about the best 300 Blackout hunting ammo? Please share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.
Make sure you follow The Big Game Hunting Blog on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
John McAdams is a proficient blogger, experienced shooter, and long time hunter who has pursued big game in 8 different countries on 3 separate continents. John graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and is a veteran of combat tours with the US Army in Iraq & Afghanistan. In addition to founding and writing for The Big Game Hunting Blog, John has written for outdoor publications like Bear Hunting Magazine, The Texas State Rifle Association newsletter, Texas Wildlife Magazine, & Wide Open Spaces. Learn more about John here, read some of John’s most popular articles, and be sure to subscribe to his show: the Big Game Hunting Podcast.
Great article. Thanks for the links!
Why is it that the Hornady Black V-max bullet and the Bosler Varmaggedon rounds are listed as not being good for deer, however the Barnes Vor-TX round is considered the best deer round when they all are the same grain and have very similar stats for energy at muzzle and velocity. Would love an explanation on what makes Barnes round better for bigger game.
The Barnes VOR-TX uses a much tougher bullet than the V-Max and Varmageddon rounds which will penetrate better and is much better suited for use on game like deer instead of varmints.
The Barnes is all copper and holds its weight retention when hitting bone etc. It expands but doesn’t fragment as much, if any. Those others expand and fragment more which generally result in not passing through the animal. They don’t penetrate as much and you can get splashing. Depends on what animal you’re hunting. Thin skinned go with the Hornady or Nosler. Thicker like deer and hogs, go with Barnes.