SBR barrel length for hunting

realtree hunter

realtree hunter

New member
New to the whole idea of an sbr, I have a question. What length barrel would be necessary if I wanted to carry it deer and pig hunting? I would want my bullets traveling subsonic and would be using a can. Being new to the sbr world its making for a hard decision. Are super-sonics sub-sonic from an sbr? What length barrel don I need to shoot regular subsonic ammo without losing to much speed? What would be my max range? The weapon would be an ar chambered in 300 BLK. Any and all info appreciated.
 
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300BLK isn't as dependent on barrel length with subsonic ammos. Super Sonic ammo doesn't automatically become subsonic with a short barrel.

Max range is a pretty broad statement. Your setup, skill, and bullet choice will matter quite a bit. Keep it within a few hundred yards and you should be fine, just like 30-30.

I would go with a 7-11.5" barrel if you have a stamp for the lower and can. You might benefit from looking at ballistic charts of subsonic loads as well.
 
been looking through some charts and the nine inch barrel is pretty impressive. Am I required to have my stamp before I buy the barrel, or can I build the upper at a friends house and leave it there till my stamp comes back? (in other words keeping it away from any registered rifle lowers.)
 
My 300 upper is a Noveske 10.5" barrel with a pistol length gas tube and I run an AAC 7.62SD can on it. My sub handloads are real close to 1020fps with 210gr SMK's. I was hitting a 4"steel plate at 300 yards the other evening with an Eotech XPS2-2(about 50% of the time). My hold over seemed to be really close to the calculated 35 moa. I was holding at a spot that looked to be about 12" above the plate from the bottom of the reticle.

If you think you want to shoot anything with subs any further than 100-150 yds, you may want to rethink it. I don't think you'll get much, if any, bullet development out of a 200+grain bullet at those velocities. I shot a small white tail this year with mine and 125gr Noslers at about 80 yards, I don't think I'd want to go any further than 100yds with that bullet.

YMMV
 
Actually, a 150 yd shot on a deer or pig is way farther than I thought possible with subs, I was expecting to have to keep it at or under 75. Were you running the noslers subsonic?
 
I only run 210 and 220gr subs. Everything else is super, 110's, 125, and 150's. I don't know if you could get the lighter bullets to cycle reliably and stay sub-sonic. I'm guessing not.
 
Not to rain on your parade but in NC you can not hunt with a suppressor or a SBR or both together. I've been through every avenue possible to get it approved but you can not. It is not "lawful" and due to this not only would you violate NC wildlife laws but by using a NFA weapon doing so, you would violate those NFA laws as well.

You can have an upper with any barrel length you want. They are not firearms. The lower is the only item you have to register. If you want to play with loads while waiting on your stamp, (6-8 months) buy yourself a stripped lower as a pistol and don't put a buttstock on it! I would not pin the upper onto the lower you are registering for any means, murphy is a pain. I had several uppers built ready to go for when my first stamp came back, all sitting in the same safe but not pinned together so the day it came in the mail I was ready.
 
I can tell you this, any bullet, out of a SBR, weither subsonic or not with a can is not going to be as quiet as most people think. My 16" blkout with a can is not as loud as my 8" with a can.
 
Originally Posted By: svt tacticalNot to rain on your parade but in NC you can not hunt with a suppressor or a SBR or both together. I've been through every avenue possible to get it approved but you can not. It is not "lawful" and due to this not only would you violate NC wildlife laws but by using a NFA weapon doing so, you would violate those NFA laws as well.

You can have an upper with any barrel length you want. They are not firearms. The lower is the only item you have to register. If you want to play with loads while waiting on your stamp, (6-8 months) buy yourself a stripped lower as a pistol and don't put a buttstock on it! I would not pin the upper onto the lower you are registering for any means, murphy is a pain. I had several uppers built ready to go for when my first stamp came back, all sitting in the same safe but not pinned together so the day it came in the mail I was ready.

Huh, and here I thought West Virginia would be a "Free" state. I'm glad I live out here, the only regs we have are weight limit (16lbs) and no full auto.

Although the subs I shoot are not hollyweird quiet, they are still very quiet, especially compared to a supersonic round.
 
Your not raining on my parade, I don't have a place to hunt in NC! The only place I have to hunt is in the SC lowcountry. My understanding is that they are both legal down there separate and together, course I cant understand why anyone would want an sbr that wasn't suppressed my 16" RRA 5.56 is way to loud.

I have seen where the bill to allow suppressed hunting in NC has passed the NC senate, and will hopefully make it through.

As far as for hunting with an sbr, where does it say that you cant? I don't recall a barrel length restriction or a caliber restriction that would apply, not that I've looked while thinking of an sbr.

As far as the stripped lower as a pistol, (something else that I haven't looked into) are they registered as pistol before you buy them? or can I just buy any stripped lower?
 
The problem is every time you go out of your home state with your sbr you have to get permission from ATF. You can take a suppressor without notifying ATF but not an sbr.
 
I think I read on here that you can get ATF approval 1 year at a time by stating on the form that you will be traveling to and from another state on weekends. Is that the way it works?

You don't need permission to transport a can to another state? I had a class 111 tell me I would have to.
 
Originally Posted By: realtree hunter[/quote] Huh, and here I thought West Virginia would be a "Free" state.

How did West "by God" Virginia get into this? [/quote]

Good question. Reading comprehension problems I guess.
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Originally Posted By: realtree hunter
I have seen where the bill to allow suppressed hunting in NC has passed the NC senate, and will hopefully make it through.


I did as well, fingers crossed.

Originally Posted By: realtree hunter

As far as for hunting with an sbr, where does it say that you cant? I don't recall a barrel length restriction or a caliber restriction that would apply, not that I've looked while thinking of an sbr.

You are correct they do not prohibit SBR's only, but again, why without a suppressor. My mistake.


Originally Posted By: realtree hunter
As far as the stripped lower as a pistol, (something else that I haven't looked into) are they registered as pistol before you buy them? or can I just buy any stripped lower?
Most of the time you can have your dealer register it as a pistol if it comes as a multi stamped lower, 99% of the time they are not classified at manufacturing until they are registered the first time at the dealers (at least that was my coversation with the local ATF guy here in Wilmington NC said) I would confirm first though.
 
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