What are some good bolt-gun options for hunters who don’t want to deal with a lot of recoil? We reported on 22-250 rifles using loads suitable for deer hunting in the November 2019 issue of Gun Tests and noted the need for proper bullet construction and plenty of speed. Now we turn to a little cartridge that will fit in a standard AR-15 magazine, can roughly equal the energy of a 7.62×39 or a 30-30 Win. round, and has been designed to work well at supersonic or subsonic velocities. We are talking about the 300 Blackout — a cartridge scoffed at by some, but which we find both interesting and useful. Toward that end, we tested three of the current crop of bolt-action rifles chambered in 300 Blackout.

Our test samples were examples of relatively short-barreled bolt-action rifles with threaded muzzles, for those readers who might want to attach a suppressor and shoot subsonic 300 Blackout loads. They were the Ruger American Ranch Rifle 26968, $529; the Savage Axis II 18819, $385; and the just-introduced CVA Cascade SB CR3914R bolt action, $621.

As usual for this team, all testing was done at American Shooting Centers in West Houston. For accuracy comparisons, we fired multiple five-shot groups at 100 yards from a well-sandbagged position. We fired using a 13-pound bag called The Bear, plus a rear bag. Both did a great job of staying where they was supposed to on the bench while supporting the rifle. We learned that The Bear’s sides grip your firearm well and we were not having to reset our long guns every few shots. Available at RecoilGear.us, The Bear sells for $185, and we also used their Medium/Flat rear bag with the non-slip option, $35. The products are made with 1000-denier water-resistant Cordura fabric, put together with UV-resistant non-wicking thread, and every internal seam is at least double stitched, with some being triple stitched. Because of materials and construction methods, the bags are very unlikely to take on water and turn into something resembling a brick, a problem we have seen with other bags. All velocities were measured using a LabRadar device, and we fired three factory loads, two of which were supersonic and the third was subsonic. Those were Magtech 123-grain FMJs, Frontier 125-grain FMJs, and Precision One’s 200-grain Nosler hollow points. Using all this gear to record objective data, we then rendered our buy/don’t buy recommendations based on how the products performed in head-to-head testing.

Gun Tests Grade: B+ (OUR PICK)

$621

The CVA brand is part of BPI (Black Powder, Inc.), which is well known for its muzzleloading rifles. BPI also owns Bergara, which is renowned for the quality of that brand’s rifle barrels. The company recently decided to introduce a new series of rifles for the more cost-conscious among us and did so in the Cascade line, using technology from the other members of their family. We first mentioned the Cascade model in the July 2021 edition of Gun Tests, when we reviewed a CVA rifle chambered in 350 Legend. We obtained a later-production sample chambered in 300 Blackout for this test. There was a notable difference in the newer rifle.

The standard Cascade line uses a 22- to 24-inch barrel. That is a great length for many hunting rifles, but it is simply longer than is needed for a smaller-cased cartridge. Once, while building a 300 AAC AR-15 pistol, we read that a 300 AAC can get full burn on the powder charge in an 8-inch barrel. In subsequent tests, we have found that we get a bit more velocity from 300 AAC firearms sporting longer-than-8-inch barrels, but not tons of speed. CVA decided to use a 16-inch barrel on this 300 Blackout instead of a longer tube, thus the “SB” in its name, for “Short Barrel.”

The stock is the same soft-touch style commonly found on Bergara rifles. This creates a slightly tacky feel to the hand and is very different from most synthetic stocks. The stock starts with two sling swivel studs on the fore end and ends in a Crushzone recoil pad. Both fore end and wrist are fairly slim with raised checkering, and there is a slight palm swell in the wrist. In keeping with our goal of perhaps using these for nocturnal hog hunting, the stock in colored in a Veil Tac Black camo pattern, consisting of medium-gray, charcoal-gray and black tones. The overall effect of the stock and the graphite colored Cerakote on the working parts produce a firearm that looks like it would be very difficult to see on a night hunt.

The action is a fascinating mixture of proven designs. The bottom of the action is based on the ubiquitous Remington 700 pattern. We were thrilled to find that the Cascade in 350 Legend we reviewed a year ago had a trigger that reminded us in of a Remington 40X trigger. Alas, we fear that lawyers have intervened, and the current-model trigger reminds us more of Remington’s X Mark Pro, which we do not like as much. Still, the Cascade had an outstanding trigger pull, requiring only 2.2 pounds of effort to release. Standard deviation for the trigger pull over 10 tries was only 2.2 ounces. The trigger feels good and works well, but it is not in the same league as the 40X trigger of long ago.

The upper part of that same receiver matches a Savage Model footprint which, we are told, is much easier to manufacture. Once again, CVA smartly uses a proven design with lots of aftermarket accessories. The current model of our Cascade SB ships with a two-piece Picatinny rail attached. Shooters can also buy 20-minute-of-angle rails at CVA.bpishopping.com.

As with the Ruger, the bolt is a three-lug full-diameter-body design. This one ran smoothly in the race way. Bolt lift is only 70 degrees, leaving the bolt handle well clear of optics. The bolt head contains a plunger-style ejector and a sliding-plate extractor. Removal is accomplished via a lever on the left rear of the receiver. Depress the forward portion, and the bolt slides out easily to the rear. The rifle’s safety is a thumb-activated two-position rocker switch located on the right side of the receiver just behind the bolt handle.

The bottom metal isn’t metal, with both the floorplate/trigger guard assembly and the magazine being polymer affairs. Magazine release is accomplished by pressing a latch on the front of the mag to the rear. The latch was properly recessed, as was the magazine, presenting a smooth surface for hand carry.

The barrel on our 300 Blackout was 16.5 inches long with a 1:8-inch twist. Cascade has offers a minute-of-angle guarantee with this rifle, but we didn’t quite get there. Take out the Magtech ammo, which none of the three rifles shot well, and we only missed their mark by about 0.3 inches. Excellent results from a few reloads tell us the problem may well be ammo selection. Of course, finding the right ammo is part of the journey required by most new rifles. The muzzle is threaded 5⁄8×24 tpi, and a knurled thread protector comes on the rifle. The barrel is free-floating and should stay that way, even with pressure exerted. The fore end is well reinforced and requires some effort to make it touch the barrel.

The CVA Cascade was the most accurate of the three rifles in this test, with the Frontier 125-grain FMJs averaging 1.16 inches for multiple five-shot groups. We knocked down the grade just a bit because we didn’t get down to that magical MOA guarantee. We have a suppressor still in purgatory (waiting for the tax stamp to arrive), but it is held for our use at American Shooting Centers. We can legally use it at that range only, and did so. With no noise generated by the cycling of the action and little blast from a subsonic load, the bolt-action 300 Blackout is a very quiet cartridge and should be a hog-hunters dream.

Our Team Said: The CVA Cascade handles well and shot the best of the three rifles tested. Its ability to accept Remington 700-pattern aftermarket triggers and stocks is a big plus. It’s Our Pick.

300 Blackout Range Data

Value Guide: Short-Action Bolt Rifles