First Look: Wilson Combat 300 HAM'R

Following on the heels of the company's big-bore 458 HAM'R AR cartridge, Wilson Combat added yet another new cartridge design to the market, this time aiming squarely at the popular 300 Blackout round. The all-new Wilson Combat 300 HAM'R is designed to equal or exceed the 300 Blackout round in every dimension, bringing enhanced capabilities to the AR-15 aficionado.

Designed and tested by Bill Wilson himself, the 300 HAM'R produces almost the same level of effectiveness as the famous .308 Win., all out of an AR-15-sized platform. Evaluations from more than 200 feral hogs hunted in Texas with the new round showed that the HAM'R cartridge performed more effectively on game than the 6.5 Grendel, 6.8 SPC, 7.62x39 mm or the 300 Blackout.

A direct comparison between the 300 HAM'R and the 300 Blackout shows that the Wilson-designed cartridge retains 18 percent more velocity, 40 percent more energy and a 56 percent flatter trajectory at 200 yards. At the muzzle, the cartridge produces 300 fps more velocity and 400 foot-pounds more energy than 300 Blackout. The 300 HAM'R also works in all 300 Blackout-compatible magazines and can be used in any standard AR-15 with a simple barrel change.

Other benefits of the 300 HAM'R include, in particular, an optimization of bullet weight to barrel twist rate. With a 1:15-inch rate of twist, a barrel firing 300 HAM'R bullets weighing between 110 to 135 grains will produce sub-MOA groups, and bullet options are available up to 150 grains in weight. An enhancement in reliability is also seen in guns chambered for the new cartridge, particularly thanks to the longer gas system used, measuring 16.25 inches for a mid-length and 18 to 20 inches for an intermediate-length system.

For those who want to experiment with the 300 HAM'R in their own rifles, Starline Brass is offering factory-produced cases, and loaded rounds, barrels, components and other accessories are also available from Wilson Combat. Compatible cartridges can also be produced from commonly available .223 Rem./5.56 NATO brass.

Wilson Combat also offers a number of its rifles in the new chambering, such as the Ultralight Ranger, Ranger, Tactical Hunter, Ultralight Hunter, Bill Wilson Ranch Rifle. Suggested retail pricing on these guns starts at $2,600.