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New to reloading... starting with 300 wm

Maverick26

Maverick26

Private
Full Member
Minuteman
May 16, 2012
29
0
35
Arlington, Wa.
Hey guys, I have just finished reading all 5 of TresMon's sticky threads on getting started. I also ordered most all the tools he is using in those threads. I have a Lee single stage press kit on the way to the house also. I am in the very early stages of getting this long project going so let me bore you with a little back ground info on me. I was given a Win model 70 in 300wm from my grandpa, it dates around the 1969. The gun no longer holds a group so I am having a new barrel built for it. I already have a Manners stock and a Vortex PST 6-24 scope that I will be using on it. My plans for this gun are for it to be a fun steel shooter along with my hunting rifle. I know that it is "crazy" to run a 300wm with a shorter than 26" barrel but it will have a 22" one and 90% of its life will be suppressed.

Now on to the question, when I go to start buying loading supplies like powder what do you think would work best for the shorter than average barrel? I plan to shoot Winchester brass, 210 VLD/Hunting, Federal primer but the powder is kind of my hang up. I know lots of folks running H1000 but it is a slow burning powder meant for a long barrel, correct? What about H4831? RL22?

I guess I am looking for the best powder for this round, for this barrel length to try and achieve the highest possible MV I can.

I leave for Basic in a month so this project will go on hold again but it will give me something to think about while I am away.

Thanks guys.
 
Re: New to reloading... starting with 300 wm

Sounds to me like you did your homework, you kinda answered your own question. I know more about Hodgdon brand than other brands, and I'd suggest H4831 or H4831SC.
 
Re: New to reloading... starting with 300 wm

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RyanMcIntyre</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Sounds to me like you did your homework, you kinda answered your own question. I know more about Hodgdon brand than other brands, and I'd suggest H4831 or H4831SC. </div></div>

and for that barrel maybe R19
 
Re: New to reloading... starting with 300 wm

Thanks Ryan, I do not at all know what I am doing... i just read on here lots (probably more then I should) trying to pick up info that I need. This powder question came from me reading a H1000 keg and seeing that it said slow burning magnum powder. This got my thinking that with my short barrel the velocity problem would be even worse. Now if I moved to a slightly faster burner I might be able to use a little more of that large powder charge. I am really thinking one of the 4831 powders also. I like the idea of the SC and may give it a try.

George, is R19 something you load with? If so what is it that you load and what are your results. This is the first time I have heard of R19 as a suggestion so I am all ears. Thanks.
 
Re: New to reloading... starting with 300 wm

I always load 300WMs with RE22 with 180-190 grain bullets. What is your reasoning for the short barrel, handiness, lighter weight? RE19 is on the data for the 180 for the 300, it might work just fine.
 
Re: New to reloading... starting with 300 wm

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Maverick26</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks Ryan, I do not at all know what I am doing... i just read on here lots (probably more then I should) trying to pick up info that I need. This powder question came from me reading a H1000 keg and seeing that it said slow burning magnum powder. This got my thinking that with my short barrel the velocity problem would be even worse. Now if I moved to a slightly faster burner I might be able to use a little more of that large powder charge. I am really thinking one of the 4831 powders also. I like the idea of the SC and may give it a try.

George, is R19 something you load with? If so what is it that you load and what are your results. This is the first time I have heard of R19 as a suggestion so I am all ears. Thanks. </div></div>

I use R 19 for 26" barrel 300 WSM

like other have said when you shorten the barrel on that win mag the standard H-1000 / R-22 are not getting the complete burn - that in itself is no disaster but it does merit exploring the next step of faster powders
 
Re: New to reloading... starting with 300 wm

Sounds like R19 might be a good choice if it is pushing a 180g to over 3000fps out of a 24" tube thats good numbers. I would like to shoot the 210g VLD/hunting but I may step down to the 190g VLD/hunting in order to get close to 3000fps out of a 22" tube. I think I would rather have the .061 better BC and the .089" longer and the 20g heaver bullet flying down range then a faster one. I think I will start with the 210 and see what I get with the R19.

I wanted a shorter, lighter, more portable rifle for hunting and also the challange of shooting long range with a short tube.

Thanks guys for the help, keep it coming if you think of anything.
 
Re: New to reloading... starting with 300 wm

I have given up on belted magnum rifles sharing brass.
One rifle, one batch of brass, married for life.
I have given up on H4831SC, too slow.
I have given up on Re22, lots of power, but trajectory changes with temperature.
I have given up on VLD hunting bullets. Great ballistic coefficient, but have to put too many holes in the animals to stop them.
I am back on H4350 and Nosler Ballistic Tips.

I have only killed 18 animals in the last 5 years, so my experiences with bullets are just anecdotes, but they are consistent with some Lloyd Smale in MI who has killed over 100 animals with ballistic tips.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=682588&highlight=100
 
Re: New to reloading... starting with 300 wm

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Clark</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have given up on belted magnum rifles sharing brass.
One rifle, one batch of brass, married for life.
I have given up on H4831SC, too slow.
I have given up on Re22, lots of power, but trajectory changes with temperature.
I have given up on VLD hunting bullets. Great ballistic coefficient, but have to put too many holes in the animals to stop them.
I am back on H4350 and Nosler Ballistic Tips.

I have only killed 18 animals in the last 5 years, so my experiences with bullets are just anecdotes, but they are consistent with some Lloyd Smale in MI who has killed over 100 animals with ballistic tips.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=682588&highlight=100 </div></div>

Thanks for the info Clark, I was looking at H4350 today also and it says that its ment for a magnum shooting a lighter weight bullet. That might also be better for a shorter barrel.

The bullets I have considered loading are the 210 VLD/hunting, 200 Accubond, 208 Amax, 200 LRX, or the 200 TSX. I like all of these but I will need to choose one some day. The 208 Amax has the best BC out of all of these.
 
Re: New to reloading... starting with 300 wm

I have given up on TSX. Too much fouling and poor accuracy.
For that matter, I have given up on hunting in WA state.
I was doing great in the 1960s.
I was doing ok in the 1980s.
I did so poor in the 1990s and 2000's that I quit WA.
If you have access to private land, that's different.
Now I drive 1,000 miles from Seattle until I have to slow way down or I will run into game animals.
And don't forget to drive slowly on the way home, too.
And I have quit salt water fishing in WA too.
And I have quit driving the WA freeways during rush hours: maximum congestion from 4 a.m. until midnight Bellingham to Olympia.
 
Re: New to reloading... starting with 300 wm

You and I sound a lot alike. I work nights to get out of the traffic, I hardly hunt washington unless I get a speacial draw, I just got back from putting over 2200 miles on my truck for hunting, I dont fish either.

Do you drink beer?
grin.gif
 
Re: New to reloading... starting with 300 wm

Samuel Adams Boston Lager.
5146-S5uupL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

With the correct glasses with the rough bottom.
The next Sockeye fishery in Lk WA, I will have a stealth launch system [carry the canoe ] to get around 6 hour launch lines.
I pioneered this system years ago at Mukilteo, to get around the hoards at the launch when the Silvers run.
 
Re: New to reloading... starting with 300 wm

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Clark</div><div class="ubbcode-body">And I have quit salt water fishing in WA too.</div></div>

The way the Navy dumps jet fuel out in the ocean, I wouldn't even wade in Washington salt water, let alone fish or eat anything that came out of it. I have stories.
 
Re: New to reloading... starting with 300 wm

Hey guys, bringing this back up to the top again for some more questions I have. I have purchased now have 500 pieces of FC pull down brass meaning it is primed with unknown primers right now. I have sorted them by head stamps and came up with 2010s and 2009s. I also have 500 pieces of Hornady 208 Amax bullets and over 2000 CCI 250 primers.

Again, it is very hard to find any data out there for the 300 win mag with a 22" barrel. I have invested in 1# of H4831SC and 1# of H4350 to test the differant burn rates. I found some good starting point load data on both powders off of the Hodgdon site. I am really leaning towards 4831 as my load the more I read about 4350 being an extremely light for cal powder (150-168g bullets). I think even with the shorter barrel, the 208g bullet will need a somewhat slower powder to push it longer range. Also I want a temp stable powder as I tend to have a large temp swing when shooting all year.

I know that there are smarter and more salty minds on here then me so please shed some light and dont be shy about posting you "if it was mine I would do...". Thanks.

edit: This I found is kinda cool, zero load data but good info on barrel length and such.
http://www.tacticaloperations.com/SWATbarrel/
 
Re: New to reloading... starting with 300 wm

R22. 208 amax 71.5 to 72.4. Kissing lands. It'll shoot...
 
Re: New to reloading... starting with 300 wm

With a 24" barrel (11 twist) in my 300 WM with 210 VLD/Hunting I can shoot sub 0.2" groups at 100 yards and 2.25" groups at 600 yards. I run 70.5 gr of H4831sc. 71.5 gr worked great too but with A LOT OF PRESSURE. So as usual start low and work up. Start around the lands and work in 0.005" increments up and down and you'll find a sweetspot.
 
Re: New to reloading... starting with 300 wm

Thanks guys, Im eager to figure out what works. Rifle is in the shop now getting trued and rebarreled. Cant wait.
 
Re: New to reloading... starting with 300 wm

Get the collet sizing die from Inovative technologies ...well worth it and stulid easy to use...gets the case sized down all of the way to the belt and also serves as an excellent go/no go gage for cases
..IMHO...
 
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