Last updated September 2026 · By Nick Hall, tracks new hunting loads and AR-15 hunting cartridges for USA Gun Shop readers
Quick take: Remington is now shipping a Core-Lokt load in 300 HAMR, the AR-15 cartridge built to match .30-30 performance. It is a 130-grain soft point listed at $37.99 for a box of 20.
- What it is: Core-Lokt 300 HAMR, part number R21351, a 130-grain Core-Lokt Pointed Soft Point rated at 2,340 fps.
- Price: Remington lists it at $37.99 for a 20-round box, the price shown on its product page on September 27, 2026.
- Where: Remington says the load is “Now shipping to dealers nationwide,” and its own web store showed it as available.
- Why it matters: It puts the 300 HAMR into the Core-Lokt line, the bullet Remington introduced in 1939, which makes a niche AR-15 round easier to find at the counter.
Most new-cartridge stories stall in the same spot: the rifles exist, the ammo does not. Wilson Combat’s 300 HAM’R has been a SAAMI cartridge since 2020, and a green-and-yellow Remington box is the kind of thing that moves a round from specialist order to a normal hunting purchase. We pulled the ballistics straight from Remington so you don’t have to.
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Table of Contents
What Remington Is Shipping in Core-Lokt 300 HAMR
Remington put out the announcement from Lonoke, Arkansas on September 10, 2026. The load is part number R21351: a 130-grain Core-Lokt Pointed Soft Point at a listed 2,340 fps, in 20-count boxes.
Kris Carson, Remington’s Centerfire Product Director, framed the pitch this way: “The .300 HAMR has become highly popular with hunters because it provides .30-30 ballistics with a lot less recoil than a .308 from a standard, lightweight AR-15 modern sporting rifle.” That is the whole cartridge in one sentence.
The bullet is the Core-Lokt design Remington has sold since 1939, with a tapered copper jacket mechanically locked to a lead core. Remington still markets it as “The Deadliest Mushroom in the Woods,” and the product page says the load is “suitable for even the toughest hogs.”
Remington’s product page lists a ballistic coefficient of .248 and the usage as big game. Its velocity table runs 2,340 fps at the muzzle, 2,016 fps at 100 yards, 1,721 fps at 200 and 1,461 fps at 300. Energy goes from 1,580 ft-lb at the muzzle to 1,173 at 100 yards, 855 at 200 and 616 at 300.
What the 300 HAMR Actually Is
The cartridge belongs to Wilson Combat, which spells it 300 HAM’R. Remington drops the apostrophe. Same round.
Wilson’s own account is that it started life in testing as the .30-30AR, which tells you the goal. Wilson says the 300 HAM’R “can duplicate the proven ballistics of the legendary .30-30 Winchester from a comparable barrel length,” and that any AR-15 can be converted “with a simple barrel change and the use of 300 Blackout magazines.” It runs on a standard 5.56/.223 bolt.
In February 2020, SAAMI accepted it for standardization, with SIG Sauer sponsoring the induction. SAAMI set the maximum average pressure at 57,500 psi and listed reference loads of a 125-grain bullet at 2,450 fps and a 130-grain bullet at 2,425 fps, both from a 16-inch MSR-type barrel.
One detail to note: Remington’s 2,340 fps sits below that 2,425 fps SAAMI reference for a 130-grain bullet, and Remington’s page does not say what barrel length its figure comes from. Chronograph it in your own rifle before you trust a drop chart.
Where Core-Lokt 300 HAMR Fits Against .30-30 and 300 Blackout
The obvious comparison is the lever gun. If you hunt with one of the rifles in our .30-30 lever action rankings, the 300 HAMR is the same job done from an AR-15, with a detachable magazine and whatever optic you already run.
The other comparison is 300 Blackout, the round most AR hunters reach for first. Wilson claims the 300 HAM’R has “a solid 300FPS velocity and 400FP energy advantage over factory 300 Blackout at the muzzle.” That is Wilson’s marketing, but the direction of the gap is not in doubt, and our 300 Blackout vs 5.56 breakdown shows where Blackout itself tops out.
Remington’s own numbers draw the line on range. With 855 ft-lb left at 200 yards and 616 at 300, this is a woods, brush and hog-pen load rather than a long field-edge load. I would keep it inside 200 yards on deer and not feel shortchanged.
Who Should Buy a Box
If you already own a 300 HAMR upper, this is the load to keep in the truck. A familiar soft point at a listed $1.90 a round is not bargain ammo, but it is a bullet design with more than 80 years of deer seasons behind it.
If you are building an AR for hogs or deer, the 300 HAMR just got more practical. The cartridge was never the problem. Ammo on the counter was. Our best AR-15 for hunting guide covers the rifles worth building around it.
Old bullet. New case. Same mushroom.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Remington Core-Lokt 300 HAMR?
It is Remington part number R21351, a 300 HAMR load with a 130-grain Core-Lokt Pointed Soft Point bullet rated at 2,340 fps, sold in 20-round boxes.
How much does Core-Lokt 300 HAMR cost?
Remington lists it at $37.99 for a box of 20, which works out to about $1.90 a round. That was the price on Remington's product page on September 27, 2026.
What is the 300 HAMR cartridge?
The 300 HAM'R is a .30 caliber AR-15 cartridge developed by Wilson Combat to match .30-30 Winchester performance. SAAMI accepted it for standardization in 2020 with a maximum average pressure of 57,500 psi.
Can I shoot 300 HAMR in any AR-15?
Only with a 300 HAMR barrel. Wilson Combat says any AR-15 can be converted with a barrel change and 300 Blackout magazines, and the cartridge uses a standard 5.56/.223 bolt.
Is 300 HAMR better than 300 Blackout for hunting?
Wilson Combat, which developed the cartridge, claims a 300 fps velocity and 400 ft-lb energy advantage over factory 300 Blackout at the muzzle. For supersonic hunting loads out of an AR-15, that gap is the main reason to pick 300 HAMR.
What is the effective range of Core-Lokt 300 HAMR on deer?
Remington lists 855 ft-lb of energy at 200 yards and 616 ft-lb at 300 yards. That makes it a close to medium range load, and 200 yards is a sensible limit on deer.
Is Core-Lokt 300 HAMR good for hogs?
Remington markets it for big game and says it is suitable for even the toughest hogs. The Core-Lokt bullet uses a jacket locked to the lead core for weight retention and penetration.
Related Reading
- Remington Adds .45 Colt to the Core-Lokt Handgun Line
- Best AR-15 for Hunting: Coyotes to Elk
- Best Hog Hunting Rifles: AR-15s, Bolt Guns and Night Rigs
- Best 300 Blackout Rifles
- .360 Buckhammer vs .30-30: Which Lever Cartridge Wins?
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