FOG HORN
July 2020 Twobirds Flying Publications
SIG SAUER’S ELITE PERFORMANCE 300 BLK
Copyright 2020, Towbirds Flying Publications. All Rights Reserved.
SIG SAUER’S ELITE PERFORMANCE 300 BLK
SIG SAUER’S ELITE PERFORMANCE 300 BLK By: Sal Palma
2020
I don’t want to maintain libraries and computerized data bases or have a nervous breakdown when DuPont changes the formula of the powder you’ve been using. What I look for is an off the shelf offering that feeds and goes bang consistently while holding 1 MOA or better and SIG SAUER’s 300 BLK met that criterion in both its Match Grade and Full Metal Jacket variants. SIG SAUER has done an amazing job of what I’ll describe as “tailored” ammunition. For example, they’ve developed bullet geometries for the subsonic 300 BLK that maximize terminal ballistics for the heavy slow moving round. They also developed a 300 BLK for SBRs and pistol ARs that use a faster burning powder to maintain usable velocities. Their standard 300 BLK is optimized for a 16” to 18” barrel.
Just before America embarked on the COVID-19 journey, the folks at SIG SAUER were kind enough to send me a sample of their new Elite Performance 300 BLK, Match grade and FMJ. And, here it is June of 2020 and I’m finally getting some range time with facemask. I want to establish from the beginning that I’m not part of the reloading occult. You know who you are? You’re like SAAB drivers. I do not live to develop secret loads with extreme spreads of 12 fps and standard deviations of 5 fps at 72.7 °F., fired from barrels hand rolled by Aztec maidens.
For this review, I used two test platforms, a Ruger American Ranch bolt action rifle and a 300 BLK AR both with 16” barrels. The Ruger American Ranch rifle is a 1:7” R twist while the AR had a 1:8” R twist. Range rules do not allow the use of tripod mounted chronometers so I used a MagnetoSpeed Sporter, which does not provide the level of precision of my tripod mounted unit, but it’s close enough. I fired 10 round groups of Match Grade and FMJ ammunition, through both platforms, with excellent results Series 2020-06-30_10_31_27 Shots: 10 Notes SIG SAUER 300 BLK Match Grade Min Avg ES
2285 2307 53
Max S-D
2338 20.3
Copyright 2020, Towbirds Flying Publications. All Rights Reserved.
SIG SAUER’S ELITE PERFORMANCE 300 BLK
FIGURE I 10 ROUNDS SIG SAUER E LITE PERFORMANCE M ATCH GRADE 300 BLK
The Match Grade 300 BLK 10 round group came in at a hair below 1” Next up was the SIG SAUER FMJ 300 BLK.
2020
conclusion about the ammunition, but why the dissimilarity. The only significant difference between the two platforms was the barrel twist. The AR has a 1:8” while the Ruger has a 1:7” I consulted with the 300 AAC intelligentsia and there was unanimous consent that the 1:8” twist is preferred even with the heavy 220 gr subsonic loads. However, it’s almost certain that the stringing is not a barrel twist issue. I simply had a couple of rounds out of 10 that were hotter than the average. So, how do these two offerings differ? Other than a slight variance in bullet geometry, there is no quantifiable difference between the Match Grade and FMJ ammunition; SIG loads both to 2,200 fps from their test barrels.
Figure II 10 Rounds SIG SAUER Elite Performance FMJ 300 BLK
Here I experienced some stringing as fired from the Ruger bolt gun. It chronographed at Avg. = 2277, ES=96 fps, SD= 40.3 fps Interestingly, at my first range session, the same ammunition when fired from the 300 BLK AR produced the following 5 shot group, but I wouldn’t jump to any
Both bullets are 125 gr; however if you look at the bullet tips you’ll see that the Match Grade, on the right, has a narrower tip than the FMJ variant. I did not pull the bullets to see if there were other relevant differences. I also looked at overall length and weight with the following results.
Copyright 2020, Twobirds Flying Publications, All Rights Reserved
SIG SAUER’S ELITE PERFORMANCE 300 BLK
2020
Figure IV SIG SAUER Elite Performance FMJ 300 BLK
Both Match and FMJ rounds measured 2.21 inches in overall length. I didn’t expect to see any variances between the two.
The FMJ variant was just a hair heavier by 0.01 ounces, which is more than likely insignificant or scale tolerances. In closing, with their 300 BLK line, SIG is playing in a field crowded with competition several of which are producing boutique loads, but SIG is the only supplier that tailors their ammunition to the intended use. On visual inspection, the Company’s Match and FMJ 300 Blk reflect superior quality; I’ll describe it as pristine with spotless brass, primer seating and bullets, all perfect. If you’re looking for a 300 BLK load with competition potential, the 300 BLK Match Grade is your best bet. If you want to ding steel at the range, you won’t find better fodder for your AR platform than SIG’s FMJ 300 BLK. -SP
Figure III SIG SAUER Elite Performance Match Grade 300 BLK weight
Copyright 2020, Twobirds Flying Publications, All Rights Reserved