just picked up a savage law enforcement 300 win mag. Hard to find anything but factory hunting bullets or bullets that are 70$ a box. some experience / actual load data would be great.
thanks
just picked up a savage law enforcement 300 win mag. Hard to find anything but factory hunting bullets or bullets that are 70$ a box. some experience / actual load data would be great.
thanks
What are you trying to do with it? I would consider loading anything from 175gr SMK's up to 230gr Berger VLDs in a 300WM. I would look at the 208gr Hornady AMAX, and H1000 would probably be my first choice in powder if you can find any. For hunting I would probably look to a 180gr class bullet maybe Nosler Ballistic tip or similar.
I don't shoot a 300WM, but I have a few friends that do and I have read up on them a bit. Just haven't been bit by the Magnum bug yet.
I have a 111 hunter in 300 win mag. I've found that the cheapest way to shoot it is with Federal's budget Hydra shok at wally world which I've found for as low as 19.99 a box. A hunter buddy likes winchester's box ammo--but I buy factory stuff to harvest brass from. Reloading 300 win mag is expensive in general since it eats up lots of powder.
I keep my bullet sizes in the same range as what I reload for 308; so I generally do 175/180 grs. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending how you look at it) I've found the 300 win mag to be so powerful that with an efficient bullet it's basically impossible to get meaningful data when testing at 100 yds--I've shot every propellant load weight from lowest to highest and they all landed in a group less than 2". I've started some development with Nosler ballistic tip 180's (which I think could possibly frange and "jello-tize" tissue at closer ranges/higher velocities) and the barnes lrx 175--a very promising bullet since it flies well and has a higher tensile strength so I think will hang together better. Powders I've used are RL 22 and IMR 4831. I've found that chambering a 300 win mag load in my hunter is a little tighter in tolerances and depending upon the bullet it may or may not be possible to get really close to the lands without having bolt closing issues. I crimp mine--but that's just me. I always remind myself that 70+ grs of powder is a whole lot of boom.
I haven't hunted with my 300wm yet--but a friend of mine who has tells me deer generally go down like they were hit by a Mac truck--he did a front quartering shot on a buck and said it did a back flip.
If you are not hunting large game, and just want to get some trigger time the 150gr and 168gr work well, the Barnes 130gr TTSX are by far my favorite, mine is a 12 twist although they worked very well when I had a 10 twist, remember at 80+ grains of powder a load you only get 85 or so completed cartridges, enjoy
Dean
190 Sierra Matching with H4831, H1000 or RL22.
This is a very proven bullet for snipers and target shooters who use the 300wm. Fairly reasonable on price and not as finicky to load as a Berger. And those are probably the 3 most common powders for the 300wm, at least one of them should shoot well.
-Leo
This guy said everything you need to know about what you are trying to do!Quote:
Originally Posted by Londerko