300 HAM'R AR-15 Rifles - Wilson Combat

Competition, Defense, Military & Law Enforcement, Hunting

The 300 HAM'R® was developed with one thing in mind: OPTIMAL TERMINAL PERFORMANCE. It offers near .308 Winchester effectiveness on game animals with amazing accuracy and low recoil in the lightweight and compact AR-15 platform. Terminal performance testing on over 2000 Texas feral hogs and various game animals as large as 800 pounds has proven it to kill much more effectively than the 6.5mm Grendel, 6.8mm SPC, 7.62×39 or 300 Blackout.

Due to optimizing bullet weight to barrel twist, accuracy has proven to be outstanding. Sub-one-inch groups are the norm, with multiple bullet choices for varying applications such as hunting, target shooting, and tactical use. Undoubtedly, the 300 HAM'R will be compared to the popular 300 Blackout or 7.62×39 and as the comparison charts below indicate, the ballistics of the 300 HAM'R far exceeds the 300 Blackout and 7.62×39 in both velocity and energy when utilizing 95-150gr bullets.

The 300 HAM'R is SAAMI approved! You can view the press release here. Cartridge and chamber drawings are also available.

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History

"I guess you could say the project originally started way back in 2005 when JD Jones sent me one of his 300 Whisper uppers and a set of dies. This cartridge seemed like a good idea to me. In order for it to fire heavy subsonic bullets, a short case with minimal powder capacity was required. Being an avid hunter, my primary interest was terminal performance, and the 300 Whisper just didn't get the job done for me. So, at that point, I moved on to the 6.8 SPC and did a lot of work with it and killed a LOT of hogs and deer.

I've always been a bigger bullet is better bullet guy and a .277" diameter bullet just wasn't exactly what I wanted. Then, in 2008, Remington came out with the .30 Rem AR, and I started getting the terminal performance on the game that I was after. However, that caliber has its share of issues, such as a proprietary upper receiver, bolt carrier group, and magazine. Then you add on the fact that shortly after Remington brought this caliber to market, they quit supporting it. I never did understand this.

Along came the 300 Blackout that Robert Silvers sent me early on for testing. I didn't see any terminal performance improvement over the 6.8SPC with 110-125gr bullets, and it didn't shoot nearly as flat. I briefly tried shooting hogs with heavy subsonic bullets, but the rainbow trajectory and poor bullet performance on game animals turned me off quickly.

This brings us up to the 7.62×40 originally the brainchild of Kurt Buchert. Kurt's cartridge, which Wilson Combat brought to market as the 7.62x40WT, is a well-balanced cartridge that met Kurt's requirement for it to accept virtually every .30 caliber bullet in the 110-135gr weight range. However, to achieve this with the long-pointed bullets, the case length had to be limited to 1.565" (40mm). Don't get me wrong, I really like the 7.62×40 and have done a lot of successful hunting with it. But I always wanted more, to at least equal the legendary and time-proven .30-30 Winchester in terminal performance.

So, I came up with this quest to create a .30 caliber cartridge that could be fired from an AR-15 platform utilizing the original 5.56 bolt, and I was going to call it the .30-30AR. Obviously, the logical place to start was with Kurt's 7.62×40. As I mentioned above, the problem was a lack of powder capacity, so the first thing I did was to lengthen the throat by .060" to allow the bullets to be seated out longer. This didn't gain anything with the long, nose-pointed bullets already seated out to maximum magazine length. It allowed me to seat bullets designed for the .30-30 out an additional .060", giving me an additional grain of powder and reducing pressure due to the larger case volume. The result is that I gained about 50 fps with the Speer 130gr HC, which proved to be a very terminally effective projectile.

Now, I have a problem: we can't just start chambering the 7.62x40WT with a different chamber! Also, in my opinion, the two main factors that prevented the 7.62x40WT from being more successful in the marketplace were the name and the other bad timing. When Wilson Combat releases a new and similar cartridge at basically the same time as the SAAMI-approved 300 Blackout with Remington Arms behind it, let's face it, who's going to win? Therefore, a minor facelift of the 7.62x40WT wasn't going to meet my goals for this project, even if I could get close to the .30-30 in performance. So here I am back to powder capacity, or the lack of and the first step is to determine which bullets the cartridge must be compatible with and decide if this selection is adequate to meet all of the goals for the intended use of the cartridge (hunting, target and tactical).

Once I answered yes, measurements were made to determine how long the case could be and still work with the bullets I had selected. This was .040" longer than the 7.62×40 or .260" longer than the 300 Blackout. At this point, I called Pacific Tool and Gage and worked with Dave Kiff to finalize a chamber reamer. The reamer arrived in early January 2018, and my testing began.

It was immediately apparent that there was potential and that we could probably gain 100 fps over the 7.62×40 and a lot more over the 300 Blackout. My good friend Terrill Hoffman and I shot thousands of rounds testing loads and barrel twist rates since I also wanted this cartridge to be optimized for accuracy.

Then one day I was corresponding with Ron Reiber of Hodgdon Powder Company and he strongly suggested that we try their new CFEBLK powder. To make this long story shorter, this ended up being a game changer and the final piece to the puzzle. It gave us improved accuracy and more velocity with less pressure, allowing me to exceed my original velocity goals. Once I decided on a 1-15 twist rate for the barrels and we were good on ballistic performance and accuracy, all that was left was to decide on a name and test real-world terminal performance.

During the early testing, we called it the .30-30AR. That was the name on the original chamber reamer print and what we engraved on early test barrels. My buddy Terrill said something to the effect of "Only us old guys know and care much about the old thuty-thuty". So we came up with a bunch of potential names, and someone at the shop said, “We just came out with the 458 HAM'R, and we have a trademark on HAM'R, so let's call it the 300 HAM'R"! Now 13 years later, THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of rounds downrange, several scrap barrels, one upper blown up, and thousands of dead Texas feral hogs, we have the 300 HAM'R that not only meets all of my original goals but EXCEEDS them!"

– Bill Wilson
Ballistic Comparison
The 300 HAM'R can duplicate the proven ballistics of the legendary .30-30 Winchester from a comparable barrel length. However, it does this with much more efficiency, taking only 25-28 grains of powder compared to the 34-38 grains the .30-30 requires. No other caliber that can be fired in an AR-15 platform rifle utilizing a 5.56/.223 bolt can come close to this ballistic performance!

300 HAM'R Ballistics Comparison

The chart above shows the large advantage the 300 HAM'R has over the 300 BLACKOUT or 7.62×39 at common hunting ranges. The 300 HAM'R has 18% more retained velocity, 40% more energy, and a 56% flatter trajectory than the 300 BLACKOUT at 200 yards!
300 HAM'R
- 16.25" Barrel
- Sierra 110gr HP 2600FPS MV, 1651FP ME
- Sierra 125gr SBT 2520FPS MV, 1763FP ME
- Sierra 135gr HP Varminter 2400FPS MV, 1727FP ME
- Hornady 150gr SST 2290FPS MV, 1747FP ME
300 Blackout
- 16.25" Barrel
- Hornady Black 110gr V-MAX 2395FPS MV, 1401FP ME
- Hornady 125gr HP American Gunner 2175FPS MV, 1313FP ME
- Hornady 135gr FTX 2055FPS MV, 1266FP ME
- Federal 150gr Fusion 1900FPS MV, 1202FP ME
The 300 HAM'R has a solid 300FPS velocity and 400FP energy advantage over factory 300 Blackout at the muzzle.
300 HAM'R
- 16.25" Barrel
- Sierra 125gr SBT 2520FPS MV, 1763FP ME
- Hornady 150gr SST 2290FPS MV, 1747FP ME
7.62x39
- 16.25" Barrel
- Remington 125gr Cor-Lokt 2365FPS MV, 1552FP ME
- Winchester 150gr Razorback XT 2056FPS MV, 1408FP ME
Other Facts:
- The 300 HAM'R has 18% more retained velocity, 40% more energy, and a 56% flatter trajectory than the 300 BLACKOUT at 200 yards!
- Enhanced reliability due to the longer gas systems, 16.25" is mid-gas and the 18"/20" are intermediate gas system.
- Any AR15 platform rifle can be converted to 300 HAM'R with a simple barrel change and the use of 300 Blackout magazines.
- The 300 HAM'R 1-13 or 1-15 twist match grade barrels are optimized for accuracy with 95gr to 150gr bullets from 8" to 20" barrel lengths.
- Factory Starline and SIG produced 300 HAM'R cases are available, but cases can be made from common and available 5.56/.223 cases.
- The 300 HAM'R has a 300 FPS velocity and 400 FP energy advantage over the 300 BLACKOUT at the muzzle.
- 300 HAM'R rifle and pistol barrels are available in 8", 11.3", 14.7", 16.25", 18" and 20" lengths with different profiles.
Applications For The 300 HAM'R
Tactical/Home Protection: The 300 HAM'Rs performance in the hunting fields proves the cartridge's increased terminal performance over its 5.56, 6.5, or 6.8 rivals and makes it an optimal choice for home defense. Its terminal performance and magazine capacity make it a smart choice for tactical use or protecting your family.

300 HAM'R compared to a 5.56mm/.223:
- .308cal vs .224cal bullet diameter
- 95-150gr vs 45-77gr bullet weight
- Same magazine capacity
300 HAM'R compared to a 6.8mm SPC:
- 308cal vs .277cal bullet diameter
- 95gr-150gr vs 85-120gr bullet weight
- 20rds vs 15rds/30rds vs 25rds or 17% more ammunition capacity
Hunting: Think of the 300 HAM'R as a 300 Blackout on steroids; in the hunting field, the HAM'R will substantially outperform the BLACKOUT or 7.62×39 in all relevant areas: velocity, energy, trajectory, and terminal performance. The light recoiling 300 HAM'R is an ideal choice for young hunters or anyone sensitive to heavy recoil.

Target/Range: With its stellar accuracy and low recoil, the 300 HAM'R is a natural for the range. During our extensive testing groups as small as .2" were recorded and sub .75" 100 yard groups were very common
Ammunition
All of our 300 HAM'R ammunition velocities are listed from an 18″ barrel. The velocity rises and falls at an average of approximately 25-35 ft per second per inch.

Which loads should be used for best accuracy for range and use target shooting?

All of the following have proven to be very accurate: Speer 125gr TNT, Sierra 125gr SBT, Hornady 125gr FMJ, and 135gr Hornady FTX. However, the Sierra 125gr SBT in our testing shot well in all barrels, and we consider it the best all-around load for accuracy.

Which loads are recommended for the best terminal performance for hunting?
- For big hogs, black bears, mule deer, or any tougher game: Speer 130gr HAM'R HOT-COR, Speer 135gr HAM'R Bonded, Hornady 135gr FTX, or any of the 150gr loads
- For whitetail deer or soft-skinned game: Lehigh 110gr CC, Sierra 125gr PH, Speer 130gr HAM'R HOT-COR, Sierra 135gr HP-V or Hornady 135gr FTX
- For varmint/predator hunting: Lehigh 95gr CC, Hornady 110gr SP, Speer 110gr SP, Lehigh 110gr CC, Speer 125gr TNT or Sierra 125gr SBT PH
Which loads are recommended for home/ranch defense?
- Hornady 110gr SP, Lehigh 110gr CC, Sierra 125gr SBT PH, Speer 125gr TNT, Speer 130gr HAM'R HOT-COR, Sierra 135gr HP-V or Hornady 135gr FTX
Ammunition Applications:
- 95gr Lehigh CC (highest velocity for the cartridge, explosive terminal performance)
- 110gr Lehigh CC #05-308-110-CUSP (our sister company Lehigh Defense designed this bullet specifically for the 300 HAM'R to provide extreme accuracy and deadly terminal performance)
- 110gr Hornady SP (good all around 110gr bullet)
- 110gr Speer SP (tougher than the Hornady due to HOT CORE construction)
- 110gr Hornady V-MAX (accurate and explosive varmint or low penetration choice)
- 125gr Sierra SPT PH (extremely accurate, great all-around bullet)
- 125gr Hornady FMJ #30196 (range and target)
- 125gr Speer TNT (good range and varmint bullet)
- 130gr HAM'R HOT-COR (solid accuracy and proven terminal performance)
- 135gr HAM'R BONDED (great all-around bullet)
- 135gr Hornady FTX (great all-around bullet and possibly the best choice for whitetail deer)
- Sierra 135gr HP-V (very accurate in most barrels and extreme terminal performance)
- 150gr Hornady SST #30303 (for the largest game the cartridge is suitable for)
- 150gr Speer BTSP #2022 (great all-around bullet with a high BC)
- 150gr HAM'R BONDED (for the largest game the cartridge is suitable for)
SHOP NOW for available 300 HAM'R ammunition
Reloading 300 HAM'R Ammunition
Wilson Combat load data (last updated 6/29/2023)

Accurate/Western load data for A1680 (last updated 9/2018)

Recommended bullet choices that are suitable for the 300 HAM'R:
- 95gr Lehigh CC (highest velocity for the cartridge, explosive terminal performance)
- 110gr Lehigh CC #05-308-110-CUSP (our sister company Lehigh Defense designed this bullet specifically for the 300 HAM'R to provide extreme accuracy and deadly terminal performance)
- 110gr Hornady SP (good all around 110gr bullet)
- 110gr Speer SP (tougher than the Hornady due to HOT CORE construction)
- 110gr Hornady V-MAX (accurate and explosive varmint or low penetration choice)
- 125gr Sierra SPT PH (extremely accurate, great all-around bullet)
- 125gr Hornady FMJ #30196 (range and target)
- 125gr Speer TNT (good range and varmint bullet)
- 130gr HAM'R HOT-COR (solid accuracy and proven terminal performance)
- 135gr HAM'R BONDED (great all-around bullet)
- 135gr Hornady FTX (great all-around bullet and possibly the best choice for whitetail deer)
- Sierra 135gr HP-V (very accurate in most barrels and extreme terminal performance)
- 150gr Hornady SST #30303 (for the largest game the cartridge is suitable for)
- 150gr Speer BTSP #2022 (great all-around bullet with a high BC)
- 150gr HAM'R BONDED (for the largest game the cartridge is suitable for)
Reloading supplies are available direct from Wilson Combat!
- Lee reloading dies
- RCBS reloading dies
- Wilson Combat headspace/bullet seating gage
- WC 300 HAM'R head stamped cases (SIG and Starline)
- Bullets
300 HAM'R Reloading Components

What primers are recommended for 300 HAM'R?

We recommend CCI450, Federal GM205MAR or CCI41.

What is the recommended case trim length?

Cutting spent .223 casings – Trim to 1.595".

What powders are suitable for use with 300 HAM'R?

For maximum velocity and best accuracy, Hodgdon CFE-BLK is recommended. Good performing loads can also be produced with Accurate 1680, IMR 4227, Vihtavuori N120, or Shooters World BLACKOUT. Shooters World SOCOM is suitable for 95gr and some 110gr loads.
Barrel Twist and Magazine Information

1-13 twist: Recommended for 150gr loads and for use in extremely cold conditions.

1-15 twist: Shoots all bullet weights from 95gr to 150gr well; however, at extremely cold temperatures of below zero, some longer 150gr bullets may become unstable. It is optimal for 95gr-135gr bullets.

What magazines are recommended for 300 HAM'R?

Any magazine designed for the 300 BLACKOUT from the following manufacturers: Lancer, D&H, MagPul, or Wilson Combat
Reviews and Testimonials
Reviews
Testimonials
"I have been hunting Whitetail Deer for 54 years. I have used most calibers available throughout those years. Without a doubt, the 300 HAM'R is the best caliber I have ever used on Whitetail Deer in north central Arkansas. Since getting my Wilson 300 HAM'R, I have shot it 4 times at deer and watched all 4 hit the ground. This buck was taken at 230 yards. It entered his left shoulder and exited his right shoulder, and went less than 20 yards. Very impressive caliber, and the 130gr HAM'R HOT-CORE load seems ideal for Whitetail deer and hogs."
- Lynn K, DDS
Arkansas
Video: Introducing the 300 HAM'R
Video: Wilson Combat Ballistic Test for the 300 HAM'R
Video: Ballistic Gel Test for the .300 HAM'R
Additional 300 HAM'R Videos

Super Accurate Hog Hammer! Wilson Combat 300 HAM'R

An Interview With Bill - 300 HAM'R

Larry Vickers tests the Wilson Combat 300 HAM'R

Wilson Combat's 300 HAM'R Available Ammunition

Wilson Combat 300 HAM'R Conversion

The Bill Ranch Rifle - 300 HAM'R

Rifle Review - Wilson Combat 300 HAM'R

Mike Seeklander tests the .300 HAM'R

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You can learn more about the Wilson Combat AR-15 rifle models available in 300 HAM'R by clicking on each model category below, or jump straight into the catalog of available in-stock rifles chambered in 300 HAM'R available to select from below!