300 Blackout Journey Page 10-Competition Electronics Digital Link

My obsession with the 300 Blackout continues and has lead to many fun hours on the range testing my reloads across the chronograph. The 300 Blackout is a great round for an avid reloader like myself, the versatility lends itself to easy reloading and can be used to reach it’s full potential. I have been on a mission to test the largest variety of bullets in my reloads and have also started to include factory ammunition in this testing as well. At some point I would like to evolve this testing into a form of cost effective penetration and bullet expansion test but ballistics gel is so expensive. If you have any good cost effective fun idea’s please share, let me know in the comments but I digress.

Before moving on to the next evolution of testing I have added the Digital Link Module to my Competition Electronics ProChornograph. I purchased it solely for the wireless capability to manage the chronograph from a distance.

What I didn’t expect was the additional data and format presentations of the data that it gives you through their mobile app called Digital Link. This app is free and can be downloaded for Iphone IOS and Android. Within the app it allows you to easily track and label your shots, for me this is the best feature because of the time savings. No more pen and paper on the range writing down the sequence of the shot groups. Just create your shot list within the app and fire away, of course taking careful aim not to destroy your equipment. If you are detailed enough to record your bullet weight within the app it will also provide you with power factor. This is something I have not previously included in my load data https://dayattherange.com/?page_id=3817 but this will change and I believe is a great data point to record. The Digital Link app will also verbally tell you the velocity of each shot as the chronograph records it, but on a busy range and if you double up on hearing protection like I do it may be a little difficult to hear. When on the range by myself with foam ear plugs in and ear muffs on I could clearly hear the velocity and didn’t need to see the chronograph or phone screens. You can disable this feature via the app if this feature is not useful for you.

To put the ProChrono and Digital Link Module to the test I decided to try a new powder I had never tried before. This becomes pretty easy when a friend just gives it to you because he had decided it was not best for his load/application. With a quick search of google you will find many loads to get you started with 300 Blackout reloading. But I quickly came to realize there was not much posted about Reloader 7 in the 300 Blackout for subsonic use compared to the likes of A1680 and some others. There are a few threads around but not many. This would immediately turn in to a challenge something I never shy away from. When doing research on the internet it is never safe not even with my site dayattherange.com to use the exact same load without verifying it with an appropriate reloading manual. My process is to verify between two different reloading manuals then typically start at the bottom and work my way up to the desired load. Even if you have the exact same make and model rifle the loads will perform different in your rifle. I have been doing this long enough to know that every rifle is different even if produced by the same manufacturer.

At the bench I decided I would mate Reloader 7 with the Hornady 208gr A-Max, SierraProHunter 220gr, Sierra 220gr Match King, and a 203gr Palmetto lead coated bullet with hopes of achieving consistent subsonic loads that produced good accuracy. I used my normal reloading process and checked every round in my Sheridan Case Gauge a tool that has proved to be invaluable on my reloading bench.

Here are some of the amazing export capabilities from Digital Link, a plethora of useful data.
Reloader7 Hornady 208gr A-Max:

Reloader7 SierraProHunter 220gr:

Reloader7 Sierra Match King 220gr

Reloader7 PalmettoBullets 203gr

The Hornady A-Max and Palmetto Lead Coated Bullets showed great potential for accuracy. I really would have preferred and expected for my extreme spread to be lower than what it was. My guess is that the cold is affecting the extreme spread of these rounds. Each of these test rounds had the Reloader 7 powder weighed on a Hornady Digital Scale and a RCBS Balance Beam Scale of which were calibrated with RCBS calibration weights prior to use.

More testing is surely needed adjusting the amount of powder and cartridge overall length and it is not accuracy that drives me, it is the low noise created of the round going off. If you watched the short youtube intro you may have noticed this powder seems to produce a lower sound than any other subsonic round I have produced and this was without suppressor. I noticed this on the very first round I sent down range. I also noted that Reloader 7 was much cleaner than A1680 at subsonic speeds.

Stay tuned for more testing.

 

Article Update 1/4/16

I was asked about the distance this unit was capable of. So I put a brand new Energizer battery in the unit and charged my IPhone to 100%. I then proceed to walk in a straight line away from the unit, I was 75 paces away when I lost connection direct line of sight. I took very long strides to get as close to yardage as possible and considering my height that was easy. I believe this unit is capable of covering 65 to 72 yards line of sight. The question was asked about placing the chronograph down range and gathering data at the target. I applaud those that trust themselves or are capable of such but I refuse to trust myself that much.