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300 BLK vs .308 Win: Maker-Page Loads and SAAMI Specs Side by Side

By Cole Harlan, EditorUpdated Nov 5, 2026How we verifyEditorial standards

This page puts 300 BLK and .308 Win side by side using only our own ammo guides, 300 BLK ammo (40 loads) and .308 Win ammo (86 loads), plus the cartridge specs SAAMI publishes in ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4, its centerfire rifle standard. The guides copy bullet weights, velocities, energies and test barrels from maker product pages (checked Nov. 4, 2026). We don’t rate or rank cartridges, and we don’t subtract one maker’s velocity from another’s, because their test barrels differ.

How to read this page: every number is copied from a maker page or from SAAMI, and a test barrel length sits next to every velocity (or says the maker lists none). A dash (—) means the maker has no load in our tables for that cartridge. Fire only the cartridge your rifle’s maker says it is chambered for.

SAAMI specs side by side

These are the figures in ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4 (approved Feb. 10, 2025), as already recorded in the SAAMI sections of our 300 BLK and .308 Win guides. Pressures are as SAAMI lists them.

Measure	300 BLK	.308 Win
SAAMI name	300 AAC BLACKOUT [300 BLK]	308 WINCHESTER [308 WIN]
Drawing issued / revised	01/17/2011 / 05/20/2022	05/29/1979 / 06/03/2022 (test barrel drawing issued 05/20/1980, revised 07/12/2023)
Maximum average pressure (transducer)	55,000 psi	62,000 psi
Crusher pressure	Not established	52,000 CUP
Cartridge overall length	1.780 in min to 2.260 in max	2.490 in to 2.810 in
Case length	1.368 in (−.020)	Not copied in our guide
Bullet diameter	.309 in (−.003)	Not copied in our guide
Bore / groove diameter	.300 in / .308 in	.300 in / .308 in
Twist and grooves	1 in 8 in, right-hand (marked optional), 5 grooves	12.00 in right-hand twist, 4 grooves (as recorded for the test barrel in our guide)
SAAMI reference velocity	Not copied in our guide	Not copied (our guide did not copy SAAMI’s velocity column)
SAAMI velocity test barrel	16.000 in (an exception to the 24 in standard)	24.000 in, 12.00 in right-hand twist, 4 grooves

SAAMI measures pressure two ways for some cartridges, by transducer and by crusher; compare psi with psi and CUP with CUP, not across. SAAMI lists a crusher pressure for .308 Win and none for 300 BLK. The two cartridges also use different SAAMI test barrel lengths (16 in and 24 in), so their velocity figures are not on the same footing.

Load ranges by maker and test barrel

Each line groups one maker’s loads that share a test barrel, so a velocity is only ever shown with the barrel it was measured in. Ranges are bullet weight and muzzle velocity as the maker page prints them. Do not read across makers: their barrels and bullets differ. For how barrel length moves velocity, see our barrel length vs velocity data.

Maker	300 BLK loads in our table	.308 Win loads in our table
Federal	test barrel not listed: 6 loads, 120 to 220 gr, 1,000 to 2,100 fps	test barrel not listed: 26 loads, 130 to 205 gr, 1,000 to 3,050 fps
Remington	test barrel not listed: 5 loads, 120 to 220 gr, 940 to 2,215 fps	test barrel not listed: 16 loads, 150 to 205 gr, 1,050 to 2,840 fps
Hornady	16 in test barrel: 8 loads, 110 to 208 gr, 1,020 to 2,375 fps 24 in (as listed by Hornady) test barrel: 1 load, 208 gr, 1,025 fps 8 in test barrel: 1 load, 178 gr, 1,650 fps	13 in test barrel: 1 load, 178 gr, 2,260 fps 24 in test barrel: 21 loads, 125 to 180 gr, 2,600 to 3,000 fps
Nosler	16 in test barrel: 1 load, 110 gr, 2,200 fps 24 in test barrel: 2 loads, 220 gr, 1,020 fps	24 in test barrel: 12 loads, 110 to 175 gr, 2,600 to 3,150 fps test barrel not listed: 3 loads, 168 to 175 gr, 2,600 to 2,750 fps
Berger	—	26 in test barrel: 7 loads, 155.5 to 200.2 gr, 2,532 to 3,000 fps
SIG Sauer	16.0 ± 1/16 in test barrel: 3 loads, 125 to 220 gr, 1,000 to 2,200 fps 6.75 ± 1/16 in test barrel: 1 load, 120 gr, 1,897 fps 9.0 ± 1/16 in test barrel: 2 loads, 110 to 194 gr, 1,000 to 2,100 fps test barrel not listed: 1 load, 125 gr, 2,200 fps	—
Barnes	test barrel not listed: 6 loads, 110 to 220 gr, 1,060 to 2,350 fps	—
Sellier & Bellot	16 in test barrel: 2 loads, 124 to 147 gr, 2,077 to 2,165 fps 16¼ in test barrel: 1 load, 200 gr, 1,060 fps	—

Same maker, same line, both cartridges

Where one maker sells the same product line in both cartridges, the loads are listed side by side exactly as the maker pages print them. We match lines by the maker’s own product-line name in our guide tables. Compare only within a row, and check the test barrel in each cell.

Maker line	300 BLK	.308 Win
Federal Power-Shok Copper	120 gr Copper HP (Power-Shok Copper), 2,100 fps, 1,175 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item 300BLK120LFA	150 gr Copper HP, 2,820 fps, 2,648 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item 308150LFA
Federal Power-Shok	150 gr Soft Point (Power-Shok), 1,900 fps, 1,202 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item 300BLKB	150 gr Jacketed Soft Point, 2,820 fps, 2,648 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item 308A 180 gr Jacketed Soft Point, 2,570 fps, 2,640 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item 308B
Remington Core-Lokt Copper	120 gr Copper HP (Core-Lokt Copper), 2,100 fps, 1,175 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item R27857	150 gr Copper HP, 2,820 fps, 2,648 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item R27854
Hornady Custom	135 gr FTX (Custom), 2,085 fps, 1,303 ft-lb, 16 in test barrel, item 80881 110 gr CX (Custom), 2,285 fps, 1,275 ft-lb, 16 in test barrel, item 808794	150 gr SST, 2,820 fps, 2,649 ft-lb, 24 in test barrel, item 8093
Nosler Varmageddon	110 gr FB Tipped Varmageddon, 2,200 fps, 1,182 ft-lb, 16 in test barrel, item 40127	110 gr FB Tipped, 3,150 fps, 2,423 ft-lb, 24 in test barrel, item 40272
Federal Subsonic	190 gr Fusion Tipped (Federal Subsonic), 1,000 fps, 422 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item F300BMSR3	190 gr Fusion Tipped, 1,000 fps, 422 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item F308TF3SUB 205 gr Target Hollow Point, 1,000 fps, 455 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item 308SUB1
Remington Subsonic	220 gr Open Tip Flat Base (Remington Subsonic), 940 fps, 432 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item 28430	205 gr Hollow Point, 1,050 fps, 502 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item 27746
Remington UMC	220 gr OTFB (UMC), 940 fps, 432 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item 21422 150 gr FMJ (UMC), 1,905 fps, 1,209 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item 26854	150 gr Full Metal Jacket, 2,820 fps, 2,648 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item 23715 150 gr Full Metal Jacket, 2,820 fps, 2,648 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item R23971
Hornady BLACK	208 gr ELD Match (Hornady BLACK), 1,020 fps, 480 ft-lb, 16 in test barrel, item 80891 110 gr V-MAX (Hornady BLACK), 2,375 fps, 1,378 ft-lb, 16 in test barrel, item 80873 110 gr NTX (Hornady BLACK), 2,070 fps, 1,047 ft-lb, 16 in test barrel, item 80862	155 gr ELD Match, 2,850 fps, 2,795 ft-lb, 24 in test barrel, item 80927 168 gr ELD Match, 2,700 fps, 2,719 ft-lb, 24 in test barrel, item 80971
Nosler Ballistic Tip Hunting	220 gr Ballistic Tip Round Nose (subsonic), 1,020 fps, 508 ft-lb, 24 in test barrel, item 61050	125 gr Ballistic Tip, 3,100 fps, 2,667 ft-lb, 24 in test barrel, item 40061 150 gr Ballistic Tip, 2,800 fps, 2,611 ft-lb, 24 in test barrel, item 61028 165 gr Ballistic Tip, 2,800 fps, 2,871 ft-lb, 24 in test barrel, item 40063
Federal American Eagle	150 gr FMJ Boat-Tail (American Eagle), 1,900 fps, 1,202 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item AE300BLK1	150 gr Full Metal Jacket Boat-Tail, 2,820 fps, 2,648 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item AE308D
Remington Premier Match	125 gr MatchKing OTM (Premier Match), 2,215 fps, 1,362 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item 21503	168 gr MatchKing Open Tip Match, 2,680 fps, 2,679 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item 21485 175 gr MatchKing Open Tip Match, 2,610 fps, 2,647 ft-lb, test barrel not listed, item 21486
Hornady SBR Suppressed Supersonic	178 gr ELD Match (SBR Suppressed Supersonic), 1,650 fps, 1,076 ft-lb, 8 in test barrel, item 81013	178 gr ELD Match, 2,260 fps, 2,018 ft-lb, 13 in test barrel, item 81053
Hornady American Gunner	125 gr HP (American Gunner), 2,175 fps, 1,313 ft-lb, 16 in test barrel, item 80897	155 gr BTHP, 2,700 fps, 2,509 ft-lb, 24 in test barrel, item 80967

What the sources say when you choose

These are points taken from the figures above, each with the page it rests on. They are not recommendations or scores.

If pressure rating is your question: SAAMI lists a maximum average pressure of 55,000 psi by transducer for 300 BLK and 62,000 psi for .308 Win. It lists 52,000 CUP by crusher for .308 Win and has not established crusher pressures for 300 BLK. Source: ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4.
If bullet weight is your question: the 300 BLK loads in our table run from 110 gr (Hornady Custom 808794) to 220 gr (Federal American Eagle Suppressor AE300BLKSUP2). The .308 Win loads run from 110 gr (Nosler Varmageddon 40272) to 205 gr (Federal Subsonic 308SUB1). Sources: those maker pages.
If you want to see the printed velocities: the slowest and fastest 300 BLK muzzle velocities in our table are 940 fps, test barrel not listed (Remington Subsonic 28430) and 2,375 fps, 16 in test barrel (Hornady BLACK 80873). For .308 Win they are 1,000 fps, test barrel not listed (Federal Subsonic F308TF3SUB) and 3,150 fps, 24 in test barrel (Nosler Varmageddon 40272). These come from different barrels and bullets, so we show them side by side without a difference. Sources: those maker pages.
If you are comparing against a box or a chronograph: SAAMI’s velocity and pressure test barrel is 16.000 in for 300 BLK, an exception to its 24 in rifle standard, and 24.000 in for .308 Win. Many maker pages list a different barrel or none, as the tables above show. A shorter barrel than the one a maker lists will likely give lower velocities than the box; see our barrel length vs velocity data, including the 300 Blackout and .308 Win pages. Source: ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4 and the maker pages linked above.
If chamber fit is your question: SAAMI publishes a separate cartridge drawing for each. Our guides record a cartridge overall length of 1.780 in min to 2.260 in max for 300 BLK and 2.490 in to 2.810 in for .308 Win, and a 300 BLK case length of 1.368 in (−.020); the .308 Win case length is not copied in our guide. Check the cartridge named in your rifle’s manual or marked on its barrel. Source: ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4.

Not yet verified

Winchester: our .308 Win guide records that all 18 of its Winchester .308 Win pages say “no ballistics data available at this time,” and our 300 BLK guide records the same for four Winchester 300 BLK pages and a 404 on a fifth, so no Winchester load is in either table. SIG Sauer, Barnes and Sellier & Bellot loads are in the 300 BLK table only; the .308 Win guide did not check them.
A dash in the range table means the maker has no load in that guide’s table, not that the maker sells none.
Our .308 Win guide did not copy SAAMI’s case length, bullet diameter or reference velocities, so no pair is shown for those rows.
Prices, recoil, accuracy and hands-on results are not in our data, so this page says nothing about them.

See the full tables in our 300 BLK ammo and .308 Win ammo, the barrel length vs velocity data, 6.5 Creedmoor vs .308, .308 Win vs .30-06, 300 Blackout vs 5.56, .270 Win vs .308 Win, the new ammo of 2026, all ammo releases and all comparisons.

Frequently asked questions

What is the SAAMI maximum pressure for 300 BLK and .308 Win?

SAAMI lists 55,000 psi (transducer) for 300 BLK and 62,000 psi (transducer) plus 52,000 CUP (crusher) for .308 Win, in ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4.

Do 300 BLK and .308 Win use the same test barrel length?

No. SAAMI lists a 16.000 in velocity and pressure test barrel for 300 BLK and a 24.000 in test barrel for .308 Win, per our guides. Maker pages often list a different barrel or none.

Which is better, 300 BLK or .308 Win?

We don't rate or rank cartridges. This page copies maker-page figures and SAAMI specs side by side, and it does not cover price, recoil or hands-on results.

Where do these numbers come from?

From our own ammo guides (300 BLK ammo and .308 Win ammo), which copy maker product pages, and from ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4.

SAAMI specs side by side

Load ranges by maker and test barrel

Same maker, same line, both cartridges

What the sources say when you choose

Not yet verified

Related guides

Frequently asked questions

Sources

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