Best 300 BLK Ammo for Hunting (2026): 8 Loads Tested

The best 300 BLK ammo for hunting turns a quiet, handy AR or bolt gun into a capable deer and hog rifle out to about 150 yards. The 300 AAC Blackout was built to push .30 caliber bullets from an M4 using the same bolt and magazines as a 5.56 rifle. Loaded with 110 to 150 grain expanding bullets, it runs supersonic and behaves a lot like a 7.62×39, with low recoil, good accuracy, and real terminal performance.

Our HUNT365 tester ran eight factory hunting loads through a single 16 inch Ruger SR-556 Takedown with a Sightmark Wraith Mini Thermal. He chronographed every load, calculated muzzle energy, and fired 3-shot groups at 100 yards. Every load was minute of deer and minute of pig, several were sub-MOA, and he has hunted with most of them. FMJ, open-tip match, and subsonic loads were left out because they are not hunting rounds.

This 2026 update keeps his test data intact, adds a buyer’s guide, and ranks the loads by use. Per-round costs are labeled at the time of testing in 2024, so check current prices before you buy.

Start with the buyer’s guide, then pick the load that fits your game and your range.

Buyer’s Guide: How To Choose The Best 300 BLK Ammo For Hunting In 2026

Choosing the best 300 BLK ammo for hunting comes down to bullet construction, velocity, and honest range limits. Here is what our tester looks for.

Know The Range

The 300 BLK is a medium-range hunting cartridge. Our tester compares it to the 7.62×39 more than the .30-30. With most supersonic hunting loads, a 100-yard zero keeps you inside an 8 inch kill zone out to about 150 yards. Past that, bullets drop fast and lose the velocity many designs need to expand. Keep your shots inside 150 yards and you will have a very effective deer and hog round.

Bullet Weight: 110 To 150 Grains

Lighter 110 to 125 grain bullets run faster, shoot flatter, and are our tester’s preference for most hunting. Heavier 150 grain soft points hit hard up close but drop like a stone past 100 yards. As he puts it, if you want to shoot soft-recoiling 150 grain bullets, you may as well dust off granddad’s .30-30. Subsonic loads with 200 grain and heavier bullets are great behind a suppressor, but most are not designed to expand reliably at 1,000 fps, so they were not tested here.

Copper Or Lead Core

Monolithic copper bullets like the Hornady CX, Barnes TAC-TX, and Lehigh Controlled Chaos retain weight and penetrate deeply, and they are legal in places that require lead-free ammo. Lead-core bullets like the Power Point, Power Shok, SST, Ballistic Tip, and GameChanger cost less and expand quickly. Some fragment more, which some hunters dislike, but our tester’s point is simple: if the animal is down, the bullet did its job.

Test In Your Rifle

Every rifle has its own preferences. Our tester shot everything from one 16 inch barrel, which is the most common 300 BLK length for ARs and bolt guns, so his numbers are a good baseline. Your rifle may shoot a different load best. Buy two or three boxes, shoot groups at 100 yards, and check your zero at 150 before you hunt.

Supersonic Vs Subsonic Mags

If you also shoot subsonic ammo, keep it in clearly marked magazines and separate it from your hunting loads. Bullet weights from 110 to 220 grains create very different points of impact, and our Ruger American II reviewer noted that some long subsonic loads will not even feed from a 5.56 magazine. Pick one hunting load and zero for it.

Best 300 BLK Ammo For Hunting Ranked: 2026 Product Roundup

Hornady Custom 110 gr CX: Most Accurate Copper Bullet (2026)

Hornady’s CX (Copper alloy eXpanding) monolithic bullet was the most accurate load in our test, averaging 0.49 inch groups at 100 yards. It is lead free, with a polymer heat shield tip, groove geometry tuned for aerodynamics, a good ballistic coefficient, excellent expansion, and deep penetration.

Read our full Sightmark Wraith Mini Thermal hunt with Hornady CX here.

Our tester used it on a pig hunt. The bullet entered the left side, punctured the lungs, and exited the right side about twice its original diameter. He used the same load with the Sightmark Wraith Mini Thermal on a dusk hog hunt, and it went straight through a sow’s lungs. It cost $1.89 per round at the time of review.

Key Specs

• Bullet: 110 grain CX (copper)
• Average Accuracy: 0.49 in
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,280 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 1,270 ft-lb
• Cost: $1.89 per round at time of review

Pros

• Sub-MOA accuracy in our test
• Lead free
• Deep penetration and wide expansion

Cons

• More expensive than lead-core loads

🛒 Check Current Price for Hornady Custom 110 gr CX on GunsAmerica

Nosler Ballistic Tip 125 gr: Most Energy And Accuracy (2026)

Nosler introduced the Ballistic Tip in 1984, and it quickly earned a reputation for accuracy and for wrecking tissue. The jacket is extruded copper with a lead core inserted, and the polymer tip that was new at the time is now copied across the industry.

In our test it was sub-MOA at 0.71 inch, and it produced the most muzzle energy of any load at 1,404 ft-lb. Our tester said every animal he has killed with it dropped quickly. It is pricey at $2.19 per round at the time of review, but as he points out, you may only need one.

Key Specs

• Bullet: 125 grain Ballistic Tip
• Average Accuracy: 0.71 in
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,249 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 1,404 ft-lb
• Cost: $2.19 per round at time of review

Pros

• Most energy in our test
• Sub-MOA
• Fast, dramatic expansion

Cons

• Most expensive load tested

🛒 Check Current Price for Nosler Ballistic Tip 300 BLK on GunsAmerica

Fiocchi Hyperformance 125 gr SST: Best Value Hunting Load (2026)

Our tester is always amazed at how accurate and effective inexpensive hunting ammo can be, and Fiocchi Hyperformance is his best example. It shot sub-MOA at 0.97 inch and uses Hornady’s SST (Super Shock Tip) bullet, which expands with devastating results on tissue.

Some hunters complain that the jacket and core can separate, but his answer is, who cares if the animal is down? At $1.20 per round at the time of review, it was the least expensive load in the test and still one of the most accurate.

Key Specs

• Bullet: 125 grain SST
• Average Accuracy: 0.97 in
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,185 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 1,325 ft-lb
• Cost: $1.20 per round at time of review

Pros

• Lowest cost in our test
• Sub-MOA
• Fast-expanding SST bullet

Cons

• Jacket and core can separate

🛒 Check Current Price for Fiocchi Hyperformance 300 BLK on GunsAmerica

Sierra GameChanger 125 gr TGK: Best Longer-Range Load (2026)

Sierra’s GameChanger uses the Tipped GameKing (TGK) bullet, which has a thicker jacket, a more aggressive taper, and an optimized shoulder angle for a higher ballistic coefficient. In plain terms, it flies through the air with less drag. With a 100-yard zero it dropped only about 2.8 inches at 150 yards in our tester’s numbers, so you can hold dead on for an 8 inch kill zone without adjusting elevation.

Read our full Sierra GameChanger bullet review here.

It averaged 1.04 inch groups, 2,114 fps, and 1,241 ft-lb, and cost $1.42 per round at the time of review. Our earlier HUNT365 look at the GameChanger bullet line found the same design delivered match-grade accuracy with GameKing terminal performance, and Sierra says it opens at any speed above 1,800 fps.

Key Specs

• Bullet: 125 grain Tipped GameKing
• Average Accuracy: 1.04 in
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,114 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 1,241 ft-lb
• Cost: $1.42 per round at time of review

Pros

• Flattest trajectory to 150 yards
• High BC bullet
• Reasonable price

Cons

• Slightly larger groups than the most accurate loads

🛒 Check Current Price for Sierra GameChanger 300 BLK on GunsAmerica

Barnes VOR-TX 110 gr TAC-TX: Best Copper Expanding Load (2026)

Our tester has used Barnes VOR-TX in 300 BLK almost from the start. The TAC-TX copper bullet doubles its diameter on expansion and retains nearly all of its mass, so penetration is deep, and it works at both close and longer ranges.

See why we also picked this load as the best .300 BLK defensive load in our Best Defensive Ammo (2026) guide.

It averaged 1.06 inch groups and was the fastest of the copper loads at 2,320 fps, with 1,315 ft-lb of energy. He called it an exceptional bullet, and the downside is that you pay for the performance: $2.14 per round at the time of review.

Key Specs

• Bullet: 110 grain TAC-TX (copper)
• Average Accuracy: 1.06 in
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,320 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 1,315 ft-lb
• Cost: $2.14 per round at time of review

Pros

• Near-total weight retention
• Deep penetration
• Lead free

Cons

• Expensive

🛒 Check Current Price for Barnes VOR-TX 300 BLK on GunsAmerica

Gorilla Hunt 115 gr Lehigh Controlled Chaos: Fastest Load (2026)

Gorilla Hunt loads a Lehigh Controlled Chaos Pig Punisher all-copper bullet, and it was the fastest load in our test at 2,309 fps with 1,362 ft-lb of energy. The nose is designed to break into multiple fragments that create several wound channels while the base stays intact and keeps penetrating.

Read our full Ruger American II review, where the author picked a 125 grain Lehigh Controlled Chaos load as his general hunting round in 300 BLK, here.

Our tester called it a wicked bullet that is very effective on deer, pigs, and other medium game. Accuracy averaged 1.37 inches, the widest in the test but still fine for hunting. The downside is cost, $1.94 per round at the time of review, but in most cases you only need one shot.

Key Specs

• Bullet: 115 grain Lehigh Controlled Chaos (copper)
• Average Accuracy: 1.37 in
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,309 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 1,362 ft-lb
• Cost: $1.94 per round at time of review

Pros

• Fastest in our test
• Multiple wound channels
• Lead free

Cons

• Widest groups in our test
• Expensive

🛒 Check Current Price for Gorilla Hunt 300 BLK on GunsAmerica

Winchester Power Point 150 gr: Best Heavy Bullet (2026)

Winchester’s Power Point is a jacketed soft point designed specifically for deer, with a large-diameter polymer tip that speeds up expansion for better energy transfer. Our tester said it can drop a deer like a sack of grain under 100 yards.

Past 100 yards, the 150 grain bullet drops like a stone, so treat it as a close-range brush and stand load. It averaged 1.06 inch groups, 1,952 fps, and 1,269 ft-lb, and cost $1.30 per round at the time of review.

Key Specs

• Bullet: 150 grain JSP
• Average Accuracy: 1.06 in
• Muzzle Velocity: 1,952 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 1,269 ft-lb
• Cost: $1.30 per round at time of review

Pros

• Hits hard inside 100 yards
• Affordable
• Designed for deer

Cons

• Steep drop past 100 yards

🛒 Check Current Price for Winchester Power Point 300 BLK on GunsAmerica

Federal Power Shok 150 gr: Best Traditional Soft Point (2026)

Federal Power Shok uses a traditional lead-core, copper-jacket soft point that has been a proven game getter for decades and expands reliably. Our tester calls it another go-to load if you want to shoot a heavy bullet.

It averaged 1.26 inch groups, 1,900 fps, and 1,203 ft-lb, and cost $1.30 per round at the time of review. Like the Power Point, it is best kept inside 100 yards, where its weight and simple construction work well on deer and hogs.

Key Specs

• Bullet: 150 grain JSP
• Average Accuracy: 1.26 in
• Muzzle Velocity: 1,900 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 1,203 ft-lb
• Cost: $1.30 per round at time of review

Pros

• Proven design
• Reliable expansion
• Affordable

Cons

• Slowest load tested
• Short effective range

🛒 Check Current Price for Federal Power Shok 300 BLK on GunsAmerica

Final Thoughts On The Best 300 BLK Ammo For Hunting Of 2026

Every load in this test is good enough to hunt with. If you want the single best 300 BLK ammo for hunting, our tester’s numbers point to the Hornady Custom 110 grain CX for accuracy and lead-free performance, the Nosler Ballistic Tip for energy, and Fiocchi Hyperformance for value. The Sierra GameChanger is the pick if you need to stretch to 150 yards, the Barnes VOR-TX is the premium copper option, and the Gorilla Hunt is the fastest. For close shots in the brush, the 150 grain Winchester Power Point and Federal Power Shok still hit hard.

Need a rifle to shoot them in? See our best 300 Blackout rifles guide and our Ruger American Ranch 300 BLK review. Find 300 BLK rifles and ammo on GunsAmerica.com. Hunt hard, shoot straight, and stay dangerous.