300 WinMag

cclark

New member
I am a fairly new reloader and I am currently working up a load for a 300 WinMag using a 180 grain scirroco. I have a good load right now using reloader 22. It isn't super fast but it is accurate. Using 71.3 grains, I get 2860 fps, and consistent 3/4 to 1" groups. Next I am going to play with H4350. I bought a pound of H1000 and then I noticed there is no data in the swift book for this bullet powder combo. How do I safely try this powder? Do I even try it? Not related to the above question, I found on a website today, I believe reloader.com, where they used 82 or 83 grains of reloader 22/180 grain bullet for a max load. The Swift book is no where near that for a max load with that powder. Anyone have any thoughts on that? The main reason for this experiment with the different powders is to gain knowledge, and I have had really consistent results with Varget in my 22-250.

Thanks

Chris
 
The 300 Winchester Magnum can be very accurate.

When I was an Army sniper, one of my rifles was in 300 Win Mag., I was shooting a 190 grain Sierra Match King at around 3,100 fps and getting groups as little as 0.40 inches (5-shots) at 200 meters from a low prone position.

You will have a good time with your 300WinMag and I wish you the best of luck.

Karl in Phoenix
 
How do you know you are getting 2860? If you are and getting groups like that, who cares???
Keep in mind most publised balistics are way off of real life.
Carl
 
Quote:
The 300 Winchester Magnum can be very accurate.

When I was an Army sniper, one of my rifles was in 300 Win Mag., I was shooting a 190 grain Sierra Match King at around 3,100 fps and getting groups as little as 0.40 inches (5-shots) at 200 meters from a low prone position.

You will have a good time with your 300WinMag and I wish you the best of luck.

Karl in Phoenix



The military M-190A round has a muzzle velocity of 2950fps.


.
 
In the 300WM, I use only IMR-4350. I Eezox my barrels and Fastex my bullets. Using 73.4 gr behind a 180 Sierra game king is clockin 3200fps. With naked bullets, I use 71.4 grs at 3130fps. These are all 26in Browning SS A-bolts. Groups are under 3/4 off sand bags.
Good luck. Dave
 
I know the velocity because we chronographed it. The reason for the trying the other powders is just to gather data and gain more personal reloading knowledge (mine is limited!) Thanks Chris
 
I was told if you find data for a 180 gr. slug of one brand, you should not use another brand of 180 gr. slug. The slugs are shaped different (more or less surface touching the barrel) and this could cause unwanted pressures. I have done it anyway and just started low on the charts and worked my way up looking for pressure signs.
 
I have been reloading for a few years now and have found that when you are just starting out you should stick to the books. If the powder isn't listed in the books and you can't find any published data from the bullet maker or powder maker you probably shouldn't experiement with it. you will be amazed what can cause high pressures. Too little powder, too much powder, too slow of powder too fast of powder etc. As for loads on websites, don't trust them. some people are just crazy. Just find an accurate load and stick with it. When you load hot you don't really gain much as far as velocity. Maybe a 100 fps or so. No animal hit with a 300 win mag is going to know the difference.
good luck
 
while I use RL22 for my 300WM, H1000 is also an excellent choice.I disagree with the it's not listed so don't use it theory but go buy burn rates and ect. I care more about accuracy than velocity so why waste componants if your doing that well, especially if your getting consistant results. Email Hodgen or Swift and you may find what your looking for.
 
The data you are looking for is in the hodgdon manual
It lists a 180 gr with a max charge of 83.0 gr for h1000 @ 3121 fps
Of course you want to start out below that max charge
I use that load in my 300 and its robust to say the least
 
Catshooter: This rifle was AMU-built on a single-shot Mauser action, had a 28 inch heavy bull barrel, and had a Unertl 15 power externally adjustable telescope. I do not recall what the weight of the rifle was, but it was heavier than the M40 A1 that I shot when at the Quantico Scout/Sniper Instructor School in 1979.

Watching the trajectory of the bullet trace for 1,000 yard shots was like a laser, compared with the M118 we were shooting in the M40A1 rifles at the same range.

I was told that the 190 grain SMK had 1,550 fps velocity as it crossed the 1,000 yard pits. I can attest to the loud supersonic "snap" as the bullet passed me when pulling targets.

That was a great rifle.

Karl in Phoenix
 
Quote:
74gr RL22, 180gr pill, 215M primer, win brass. Works like a charm in several that I have loaded for.



yepr's that thar is the same load I use my brass varies but the above is my gold standard load so to speak for my 300 win mag

It's has worked for 12yrs now and has taken 2 bull elk and 8 cows, 6 buck deer and one coyote
 
CCLARK: I just checked Aliant's home page where they list 77 gns as a max load. You can go there yourself and download this pdf file:

http://glarp.atk.com/2008/2008_Catalogs/AlliantPowderCatalog.pdf

I also looked up the 300 win mag for 180 gn bullets in four different manuals. Nosler's Relaoder guide #4 is the lowest at 75.5gn Hornandy's 5th edition list 76. gn. Sierra's 50th aniversary edition list 76.1 gn. Lastly Lyman's 49th edition and Hodgdon's 26th edition both list 77.0 gns. I wouldn't go over 77 gns as my main load for this no matter what that other web site says. I would start loading at 71 gns and work up to 77 gns letting my rifle tell me which load works and is save. No way would I pay attention to the 82gns of R22 at reloader.com. Also, I have no idea of what are doing.

As far as the H1000, My main resource would be Hodgdon's site:

http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

At this site they list a max load of 81.0 gns for a max load. Sierra's book list 80.6 gns, and Hodgdon's 26th edition list 83gns. The other manuals didn't list H1000. Why the difference in Hodgdon's website's info and their book's info. I would say two possiblilties. First possiblity is the lawyers have gotten involved in internal ballistic research. Second possiblitly is my loading book is a little old and maybe H1000 is a little hotter today so they had to lower it. If I wasn't seeing any pressure issues with the loads at 81 gn and as I approached 81gns my groups were getting smaller, I would probably go past 81 gns to see if the trend continued, but I would never go past 83 gns. If I found any load that was past 80 gns but less than 83.1gns that was very accurate, I would take five cases and reload these same five cases four times each. If these cases could take three reloadings without internal case seperation, and four reloadings without blowing the primer pockets out or any other signs of pressure, I would say the load is save in that gun and that gun only. The reason I'm saying three reloadings without internal case seperation is I've seen Federal brass start to seperate on the third reload. BTW: a good resource for internal ballistics is at hornandy.

http://www.hornady.com/ballistics/internal.php

They discuss internal pressure problems and have a small but good picture of internal case seperation. You check for case seperation by taking a paper clip. Straighen the paper clip out and sharpen one end like a sharp screw drive edge. 3/16" from the sharpened end put a 90 degree bend on the end of the paper clip. Stick the paper clip down the brass until it hits the web. Then push the sharpened end against the inside wall of the brass and drag it outwards. Check the case at three points 120 degrees apart. You will fill the hollowed out portion with the paper clip. Seperatin always starts very close to the web just like in Hornandy's picture. Welcome to reloaing. I've been doing it for decades and am constantly learning new stuff. The memebers of this site have been a great resource for me.
 
Aznative, isn't there an issue that the data for the H1000 is for a different bullet than what I am using? Thanks everyone for all the feedback! Chris
 
83.0 gr listed in Hodgdon manual#25 p.299f
velocity of 3121fps and 53,500 cup and there are others with higher pressure as always work up to it
 
The link that Linefinder provides discusses exactly the issue of how different bullet construction affect pressure. As far as the 180 grain scirroco goes, you probably won't find any load data for that bullet if it isn't the the swift book. The single most important factor is the weight of the bullet. In hornandy's and Sierra's book, they both list the same charge tables for all bullets within a given weight range. Of course the bullet maker is aware of how each bullet is made and the possible variations in pressure. There are a lot of uncertainties in reloading. Barrel demensions vary a few 1/1000". Chamber demensions vary slightly. A gun starts out with a short throat but the throat wears out after shooting a few thousand rounds. This why you work up you loads looking for signs of pressure. Sometimes the signs don't show up until you have loaded the same cases several times.

Something I would do is look at the Max charge for R22 for your bullet in the swift manual. Then look at the Max charge listed in another Manuel. I gave you several already above with 77 being the max and 76.5 being a reasonable average. Now take the information about reloader 22 for your bullet out of the swift manual. If swift says the max load is 77.5 for your bullet that will tell you the swift bullet might generate less pressure(less friction) and can use more powder because Swift's max charge is 1 gn above the other manuals average. Likewise, if the swift manual says your bullet max charge is 75 gns of R22, that is a good sign that your bullet generates more pressure (has more friction).

These are not hard and fast rules that I live by. These are just the things that I look for when I cannot find a bullet powder combo listed. I always work up my charges about 1 percent at at time. For 223 I jump .3 gns at a time because powder scales are only accurate */- .1 gn. .2gn isn't enough of a change. For 308, I jump .4 gns.
Once you've been doing this for a while, you will run across pressure signs. I've seen loads out here work good in the winter and blow primer pockets out in the summer.
 
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