I hate press releases that make me think, and this one from Daniel Defense has me thinking about changing out my primary home defense caliber from .223 Remington to 300BLK to take advantage of their new 220-grain sub-sonic defensive load which introduces their “First Choice” ammo brand.

Daniel Defense, engineer and manufacturer of the world’s finest firearms and accessories, has released the first caliber of high-quality ammunition it will offer under its First Choice™ brand: 300 AAC Blackout. The company also has plans to expand its offerings to include the popular 5.56mm and 7.62mm calibers.

The new Daniel Defense 300BLK (7.62x35mm) Subsonic Ammunition is designed for target shooting and/or home defense. It is manufactured using the highest-quality components available, including durable brass cases and precision 220-grain Lapua-Scenar-L OTM bullets, the first choice for serious target-shooting competition.

“We’re passionate about the launch of our 300BLK ammo,” said Cindy Daniel, Vice President of Marketing. “It represents a whole new era for our brand—one where we can now ensure that the ammo that goes into our firearms is as high quality as the firearms.

To ensure the highest levels of quality, each and every First Choice round stamped with a “DD” must undergo and pass a thorough inspection to ensure critical dimensions that affect accuracy are met before it leaves the Daniel Defense factory. The Daniels have a long-standing philosophy on seconds and blemished product, “If it’s not perfect, it doesn’t Daniel Defense 300BLK Subsonic Ammunition retails for $50.00 for a box of 30 rounds.

It is currently for sale only directly from Daniel Defense online at www.danieldefense.com. Free shipping is included on any ammunition purchase of a case, which contains four boxes of ammo, or more.

One of the reasons the 300 Blackout was created for special operations use was so that a heavy, subsonic bullet in a silenced M4-style carbine could provide a lot more punch than silenced 9mm submachine guns then used for close-quarters fighting.

Even unsuppressed, the subsonic load is a lot more pleasant to shoot indoors than regular ammo, as you don’t have the supersonic crack of the bullet along with the concussive blast of the shot.

If I eventually get around to getting a suppressor (or just go all-in, and get the Daniel Defense ISR coming out in July), then I’ll have a very accurate, 30-round self-defense weapon that packs a lot more punch than my handguns without the deafening noise at indoor ranges or in home defense situations.

I’ll be picking up some up for review soon.