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Best Grain for 300 Blackout: Target Shooting to Self-Defense and Everything in Between

By Wes Littlefield

Last Updated: Mar 17, 2026

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The best grain for 300 Blackout bullets depends on your goals and the shooting applications you're pursuing. For instance, a 110 grain bullet is a good choice for many hunting and self-defense situations — the Hornady Black 110gr V-MAX is a top performer in this weight class — but a poor one for suppressed shooting, whereas a 200 grain bullet is a much better option for suppressed shooting. Continue on to learn what the best bullet weights are for various scenarios when you're firing 300 AAC BLK.

What's the Best 300 Blackout Grain?

The 147 grain bullet is the best for 300 Blackout. It's abundant, inexpensive, and offers shooters balanced ballistic performance.

Best 300 Blackout Grain by Use Case

The best 300 Blackout bullet weight depends on the application. Below you'll find common 300 BLK shooting scenarios and the best bullet weights for each based on our ammo experts' research.

It's important to remember that a bullet's weight is just one of several factors that contribute to its effectiveness in any given situation.

Best Grain for Target Shooting and Practice

147 grain 300 AAC Blackout bullets are the best for target practice because they're inexpensive, abundant, and have reasonable recoil. However, if you're training for self-defense or practicing for a competition, then I recommend using the same bullet weight as you would for those applications. That way, you can get comparable results. I'm a strong proponent of practicing like you play, meaning you should fire the same ammo at the range that you would during a competition or home defense situation.

Best Grain for Home Defense

200 grain 300 BLK bullets are best for home defense. They're subsonic, meaning they generate less reduced recoil and report, and are also less likely to overpenetrate than supersonic bullets.

Many shooters overlook how loud a supersonic round is when fired indoors. Although a subsonic round is also loud, its report won't be as piercing as a supersonic round's. A subsonic round's lighter recoil also helps the average shooter get more bullets on target faster, which is critical during a self-defense situation. A subsonic bullet won't necessarily eliminate the risk of overpenetration, but it will reduce the risk to your family and neighbors all the same.

Best Grain for Hunting

130 grain 300 AAC BLK bullets are the best for hunting. They exhibit a higher muzzle velocity, deeper penetration, and good expansion on deer-sized game. Stepping up to a 150 grain bullet isn't a bad idea if you're using a 300 Blackout hunting rifle to hunt larger deer.

Best Grain for Suppressed Shooting

220 grain 300 Blackout bullets are the best for suppressed shooting. They're subsonic, and therefore don't produce a piercing crack on ignition, which a suppressor is unable to muffle. Subsonic 190 and 200 grain bullets are also popular among suppressor enthusiasts for the same reason.

300 Blackout ammo comes loaded with bullet weights, each with its own unique ballistic performance. The table below shows how common 300 BLK bullet weights perform.

Grain Muzzle Velocity Best Use Case Typical Price
110 2,375 fps Hunting $1.50/round
115 2,290 fps Hunting $1.75/round
120 2,100 fps Hunting $1.75/round
125 2,185 fps Hunting/Home Defense $1/round
135 2,085 fps Hunting/Home Defense $1.50/round
147 2,077 fps All $0.75/round
150 1,900 fps Hunting $0.90/round
200 1,060 fps Suppressed/Home Defense $0.95/round
220 1,020 fps Suppressed/Home Defense $1.50/round
Velocity (fps) Energy (ft-lbs) Elevation (in)
Manufacturer Product No. Bullet Barrel Length (in) G1 BC 0yds 50yds 100yds 150yds 200yds 250yds 300yds 0yds 50yds 100yds 150yds 200yds 250yds 300yds 0yds 50yds 100yds 150yds 200yds 250yds 300yds
Hornady 80873 110gr V-MAX 16 0.290 2375 2232 2094 1961 1834 1712 1597 1378 1217 1071 939 821 716 623 -1.5 0.1 0.0 -2.1 -6.5 -13.4 -23.4
Sierra A2116-33 115gr JHP 16 0.267 2290 2138 1992 1852 1720 1594 1478 1339 1167 1013 876 755 649 558 -1.5 0.2 0.0 -2.4 -7.3 -15.2 -26.5
Remington R27857 120gr SCHP 16 0.251 2100 1946 1800 1662 1533 1414 1307 1175 1009 864 736 627 533 455 -1.5 0.4 0.0 -3.1 -9.3 -19.3 -33.6
Winchester USA300BLK 125gr Open Tip 16 0.267 2185 2037 1895 1760 1633 1513 1403 1325 1152 997 860 740 636 546 -1.5 0.3 0.0 -2.7 -8.6 -17.1 -29.7
Hornady 80881 135gr FTX 16 0.274 2085 1944 1810 1683 1563 1452 1349 1303 1134 983 849 733 632 546 -1.5 0.4 0.0 -3.1 -9.2 -18.9 -32.7
Sellier & Bellot SB300BLKB 147gr FMJ 16 0.407 2077 1982 1890 1801 1715 1632 1553 1408 1282 1166 1059 960 869 787 -1.5 0.4 0.0 -2.8 -8.3 -16.7 -28.4
Federal Premium 300BLKB 150gr SP 16 0.330 1900 1790 1684 1584 1490 1401 1320 1203 1067 945 836 739 654 580 -1.5 0.6 0.0 -3.7 -10.8 -21.9 -37.4
Winchester USA300BLKX 200gr Open Tip 16 0.269 1060 1015 977 944 915 888 864 499 457 424 396 372 351 331 -1.5 3.5 0.0 -12.5 -34.9 -67.6 -111.3
Nosler 61058 220gr Ballistic Tip 16 0.693 1020 1004 989 975 962 950 938 508 493 478 465 452 441 430 -1.5 3.6 0.0 -12.4 -34.0 -65.0 -105.6

Parting Shots: Which 300 Blackout Grain Should You Choose?

The perfect 300 Blackout bullet weight for every situation doesn't exist, or else that's all manufacturers would sell. However, 147 grain bullets are the best place to start for many use cases because they're inexpensive, light recoiling, and abundant.

Wes Littlefield
Written by
Wes Littlefield

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