200 FPS with 40gr more powder?
I asked this on another forum as well so if you read it twice I can not be held liable.
I was cleaning the gun room this morning (actually got it done before I started to ponder) and I began thinking about my next build. I really like the 30 caliber stuff for no real reason. Sitting on the loading bench I had a bunch of different cases that I have loaded for in the past or still load for now. There is a question coming so bear with me. I lined them all up as follows....
6br - .223 - .22-250 - .30-30 - .308 - .300 WSM - .30-06 - .300 RUM - .50 BMG, Never loaded the BMG but I have brass here for it?
Then the questions in my brain started. I wonder how much better the .300 RUM is than the .300 WSM. My recently cleaned loading bench is now becoming a little more cluttered again as the reloading manuals come out.
To look at the 2 cases I would never think of them as being neck and neck, no pun intended. The .300WSM looks to be nothing more than a .308 that missed a couple of Jenny Craig appointments. Looking at some load data from a couple of bullet manufactures I see the .300 RUM does push the heavier 220gr bullets about 200 FPS faster but at the cost of almost 40gr more powder. Once you get down to the lighter 168-190gr bullets the FPS margin of victory for the .300 RUM starts to shrink to about 150 FPS over the .300 WSM and still with 20-25gr more powder.
And the question is..... Is there something magical that happens in that 150-200 FPS advantage over the .300 WSM that makes it a superior cartridge for long range bench shooting? When I shot my RUM at the range I always enjoyed the conversations that were started as I opened up the huge manly ammo box and pulled out one of those shiny monster RUM rounds when the guy sitting next to you is shooting his .220 swift. However, getting 75 or so rounds loaded from a single pound of powder to push 210gr VLD's was even slightly more painful than the recoil felt from all that powder and said bullet going down range.
Re: 200 FPS with 40gr more powder?
interesting observation.
Maybe the wssm is just a lot more efficient with the powder it is using.
Re: 200 FPS with 40gr more powder?
I agree with the line of thought, BUT...
If you continue to follow it then you get into the 300 WSM is only about 200 fps faster than the 30-06 which is only about 200 fps faster than the... and we all end up shooting 30-30's
It's just a matter of where on the scale your intended range and toughness of the game you are shooting falls.
Re: 200 FPS with 40gr more powder?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric in NC
I agree with the line of thought, BUT...
If you continue to follow it then you get into the 300 WSM is only about 200 fps faster than the 30-06 which is only about 200 fps faster than the... and we all end up shooting 30-30's
It's just a matter of where on the scale your intended range and toughness of the game you are shooting falls.
No game, just target. As it turns out. that 200fps with a 300gr bullet gets you 60 inches less drop at 1000 yds.
You wouldn't ever get me to part with my old Pre 64 Winchester .30-30 no matter what the FPS were. ;D
Re: 200 FPS with 40gr more powder?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Samdweezel05
No game, just target. As it turns out. that 200fps with a 300gr bullet gets you 60 inches less drop at 1000 yds.
Bullet drop is completely predictable and easy to compensate for at a known distance; however, at unknown distances, the flatter shooting round is more forgiving.
Much more important than the bullet drop is wind drift because it is much less predictable and given the same bullet, the faster MV will have less wind drift.
