

The 300 Blackout vs 5.56: Why You Should Choose the 300 Blackout

There often no winners and losers in a gun debate as to each their own when it comes to the art of the pew. That being said, what fun is a gun community without a little debate. Ever since the .300 Blackout hit the scene it has been winning over fans of the 5.56. The truth is that 300 Blackout will never fully replace all of the functions of the 5.56, particularly when it comes long range shooting.

.300 Blackout vs 5.56mm/.223

(Thank you Pew Pew Tactical)

However, the equally painful truth for lovers of the 5.56 is that it cannot match the unique capabilities of the 300 Blackout. It’s very much a debate as to why you love Scotch, but I love Bourbon, but we all love whiskey so let’s be on the same team. As for this writer, let’s break down why you should choose the 300 Blackout.

Swift, Silent and Deadly

That’s everything you want in a gun is it not? The 300 Blackout was designed to meet every one of those characteristics. In fact, you can even grab it in pistol format. The 300 Blackout gives you the ability to shoot a much larger bullet similar to what is shot out of the AK-47 straight out of your basic AR compatible platform. You will need a new upper receiver, unless you’ve always wanted to see a major weapons malfunction up close, but you can use your standard AR lower as well as your standard AR mags.

The silent part is a big factor as to why you should choose the 300 Blackout over the 5.56. The 300 Blackout is perfectly designed to switch from supersonic to subsonic ammunition with the simple change of a magazine. This type of versatility is key when one might be facing an unknown threat as the bad guys typically don’t like to tell you what they are going to do. If the threat should approach from a distance then you simply throw on the supersonic ammo. Should you find yourself in a close quarters fight where the pew pew pew is doing a little damage on your ears then just throw on the subsonic mag. It really is that easy.

Versatility is Deadly


It’s lethality derives from knowing how best to use the bullet in a combat scenario. A 300 Blackout is great for defense and hunting due to its penetration power. Not only will it punch through a Bambi’s father and mother at a couple hundred yards out for a tasty dinner, but it will punch through barriers in a fight leaving the bad guy few places to hide. Keep in mind, this does mean that if you plan to get into a firefight in your small apartment with thin walls then this might not be the best choice for you. However, it does mean that if what you are shooting at doesn’t make a wise choice for cover he’s as good as gone.

In fact, let a bad guy stand behind another bad guy and you might just get one of those rare one bullet double kills you see in video games. But again, we go back to versatility. If for some reason you find the 300 Blackout not the right tool for the particular job at hand then just swap it out. Because it was designed to work with the standard AR lower you can simply just throw on the 5.56 upper when it’s time. Then, when the 300 Blackout is called into the game just swap it back. For the gun enthusiast, the 300 Blackout is a powerful tool and there is no reason not to have it in your belt. You can find some detailed ballistic information on both in this comparison article. So 300 Blackout versus 5.56? We say 300 Blackout, but then again why not both because there is nothing wrong with scotch or bourbon (unless the Scotch is heavy on the Peet.)

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