I currently own a Savage 12BVSS chambered in 308 WIN. I posted here in November 2013 about my disappointment with out of the box accuracy, however, that is not the subject here, so I’ll move on.

The recent introduction of the Ruger American Ranch rifle in 300 AAC Blackout, the offerings from Remington, and maybe Mossberg, have me thinking there may be a place for the 300 BLK cartridge in a bolt action rifle. So, I have started doing some reading about the round, although most of the discussion is centered on the AR platform, of course. What information I have found seems encouraging, with some reports of excellent accuracy.

As background, I am not a hard-core rifle shooter or reloader. I do not hunt, compete, or shoot long range. My rifle shooting is off the bench at 100 yards, 200 yards at most, and only at paper targets. I have no interest in buying a suppressor.

Compared to my 308 WIN, the 300 AAC Blackout is intriguing because of its smaller case and lower powder charge. I believe this translates to less muzzle blast and felt recoil. The 300 BLK looks like it would be easy to reload, and I like the larger .308 bullets for the available variety, ease of handling, and bigger holes. For me, the 308 WIN is overkill.

Conversion should be pretty straightforward, I believe, requiring only a barrel and small bolt head. I only single load, so the magazine parts are not a concern.

So my question for the forum is does converting to the 300 AAC Blackout make any sense, or is this just a dumb idea? My reading here has not found much in the way of discussion on the 300 Blackout cartridge, so I am interested in your comments and experience, if any. Thanks.