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Special Features of these Cartridges
- 300 Whisper
- This cartridge was originally designed to be fired in an AR-15,
through a silencer. The bullet must be handloaded to subsonic velocity (below 1,050 fps) to avoid breaking the
sound barrier, because a supersonic "crack" makes almost as much noise as a gunshot. At 1,050 fps you have
an extremely quiet round that packs an amazing punch, especially with the huge Sierra 220 grain HPBT bullet.
This cartridge has MOA accuracy out to almost 300 yards, and is about half as loud as your average BB gun.
This round functions flawlessly in an M16 or AR15 rifle. It was invented by J.D. Jones in Ohio. You can see several unique
weapons that he builds by linking to his web site from our "Links" page. I purchased a short barreled
custom AR-15 from him a few years ago (with a silencer) that he made. It's unbelievably quiet, accurate, powerful,
and a lot of fun to shoot.
- .223 Remington
- This cartridge was originally designed for the US military using a
55 grain full metal jacket bullet. The .223 Rem. (sometimes known as the 5.56 mm) is a pleasure to shoot because it has
very little recoil, and it is easy for almost anyone to shoot well. Another nice feature of this cartridge is that you can
carry a great deal of this ammo with you, because it weighs much less than .30 caliber ammo. I use a 69 grain
Sierra H.P. bullet in this cartridge because it delivers a better punch at 600 yards. It is also more accurate at longer range.
The original 55 grain bullet is a bit too light, and that makes it noticably more wind sensitive.
- .308 Winchester
- This cartridge is a favorite of mine because it is an inherently accurate round,
and has sufficient power for deer hunting. I use a 175 grain Sierra Hp Match bullet for long range target shooting. All of
my .308 rifles seem to shoot their best groups with this bullet at 2,620 fps. For deer hunting I use a 185 grain Berger hunting
bullet. Accuracy is great out to 800 yards with the .308 Winchester, but I would not attempt hunting shots beyond 400 yards
with this cartridge because the power drops off a little too much beyond that point.
- 300 Winchester Magnum
- This cartridge was designed in 1963, and it's still a very popular caliber today.
However, factory ammo is loaded with bullets that usually weigh at least 150 grains. This cartridge generates serious
recoil when fired in a lightweight hunting rifle, and it is a bit too much for some hunters. I discovered a very accurate 130 grain
hollow point, flat base bullet made by Speer. It delivers consistant MOA accuracy in my hunting rifles, and this bullet can be
driven to 3,420 fps. This particular round has a very flat trajectory, and the recoil is similar to shooting a .308 Winchester.
The only limiting factor is that this light bullet is a bit wind sensitive at long range. This particular bullet was originally
designed to be used on varmints. The very best expansion with this round, on deer-sized game, occurs beyond 300 yards.
However, if you hunt deer at long range, the 185 grain Berger hunting bullet is a much better choice.
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