Choice of bullet for Winnie

[Daneren]

Hi SH,

I got a giftcard for christmas, and have decided to spend it on bullets for my new Tikka in .300wm.

But i simply can't decide. Help me out here...


I'm standing between these bullets:

Sierra - 190 gr. MatchKing

Lapua - 185 gr. Scenar

Hornady - 208 gr. A-Max

Berger - ??? gr. VLD Target



What would be your choice of lead?




Merry Christmas by the way...

 

[Broz]

If you want to breath new long range life into that 300 win load up some 215 Berger Hybrids. They are really something and killing machines. My 300 win just went 21 and 0 for first round big game kills. Elk, deer and antelope. That includes 3 antelope past 1000. Longest was at 1285.

They are super hard to find, but it will be worth it when you do. They should be making a run of them soon. Give em a call and see.

Jeff

 

[jrob300]

Are you going to single feed or mag feed? The magazine on a Tikka T3 is WAY short.

 

[Daneren]

I were hoping for both.

 

[jrob300]

If you mag feed, your jump to the lands will be really long and you won't have much room for powder as the heavy bullets are really long. If you single feed, you'll be able to get out to the lands and run more powder, thus giving higher velocity.

John

 

[Daneren]

I'll have to play with that, when i get all components home.

I guess i could live with single feeding on the range. Or is there maybe a chassis or other way, i could use a sufficiently long magazine?

 

[diverdon]

I guess I picked Sierra - 190 gr. MatchKing because I laid in a good supply at a nice price before the panic, but I really do not have any information that they are better or even as good as the Bergers.

 

[jrob300]

Or is there maybe a chassis or other way, i could use a sufficiently long magazine?

I have corresponded with everyone who makes DBM's and chassis for the T3... they all tell me that it's a limitation of the T3 action itself and it cannot be made to work with a longer magazine.

John

 

[Daneren]

I have corresponded with everyone who makes DBM's and chassis for the T3... they all tell me that it's a limitation of the T3 action itself and it cannot be made to work with a longer magazine.

John

Is it possible to re-barrel or modify the factory barrel, in such a way, that i get the lands closer to the bolthead. Thus minimizing the required COAL?

 

[jrob300]

Is it possible to re-barrel or modify the factory barrel, in such a way, that i get the lands closer to the bolthead. Thus minimizing the required COAL?

Sure, you can re-barrel and use a reamer with a shorter throat... but you'll still be throttling the cartridge shoving those long bullets back in the case.

So... the real question is: "What do you want to do with this rifle?". If it's hunt deer and elk, get some 200 Accubonds, load em to mag length and go slay some animals. If it's (as the post is in the ELR section) shoot 1500-2000 yds, then load them long and single feed them. IIIRC, my loads with 208's were about 3.65" .020 of the lands. I loaded some 230 Bergers so the top of the boattail was at the shoulder/neck junction and it was well over 3.8" long (but needs a special reamer to get to that COAL). But TOF to 2K is so long, I can jack the empty brass and have another in the chamber as the first round impacts... other than possibly breaking cheekweld it's not as bad as one might think.

For an intermediate Precision Match? You're going to need another solution. I built a .260 on a T3 action and used AICS .308 mags. The thing was a hammer to 1500 yds, cheaper to feed, longer barrel life and less recoil.

It all comes down to what you want to accomplish.

John

 

[Daneren]

Sure, you can re-barrel and use a reamer with a shorter throat... but you'll still be throttling the cartridge shoving those long bullets back in the case.

So... the real question is: "What do you want to do with this rifle?". If it's hunt deer and elk, get some 200 Accubonds, load em to mag length and go slay some animals. If it's (as the post is in the ELR section) shoot 1500-2000 yds, then load them long and single feed them. IIIRC, my loads with 208's were about 3.65" .020 of the lands. I loaded some 230 Bergers so the top of the boattail was at the shoulder/neck junction and it was well over 3.8" long (but needs a special reamer to get to that COAL). But TOF to 2K is so long, I can jack the empty brass and have another in the chamber as the first round impacts... other than possibly breaking cheekweld it's not as bad as one might think.

For an intermediate Precision Match? You're going to need another solution. I built a .260 on a T3 action and used AICS .308 mags. The thing was a hammer to 1500 yds, cheaper to feed, longer barrel life and less recoil.

It all comes down to what you want to accomplish.

John

That reply made me think...

You're absolutely right. Come to think of it. I never really use the magazine on my .308, except when hunting, or when i head to the shooting cinema. And this rifle is for range use "only" (I might bring it to my annual pighunt in Sweden).

So i will load them long, for range use, and single feed. The hunting rounds will be loaded as long as the magazine allows.


Thank you, for your words of advice. And also a thanks, to the people who voted.

I have ordered a box of Berger VLD TGT 185 gr. As these are the polls winner. I might try some heavier ones also.


More tips, tricks and good advice, are much appreciated.

 

[sandwarrior]

This might be another pile on. But, while I love shooting Bergers, don't discount Hornady's new 'heavy' lineup. Specifically, the 230 gr. BTHP.

 

[Aimsmall55]

I'm running the 230 OTM out of a 30" Broughton 5c at 2900. It's loaded to AICS mag length and shoots bug holes. Whacked a doe at 656 yards the other day. DRT. Is good to about 1820 yards.

 

[Ibelieve1776]

Its tough to beat the Berger 230 Target Match Hybrids. If you can find them that is. The OAL is too long for most mags so you'd have to use the old sing shot method. I had CDI precision fit my gun with a 338 CIP bottom metal so I can run AI 338 mags because AI 300 WM mags are still too short for the OAL. But again Ballistics wise they are the best I've seen and I have been looking for a lathe turned solid with equal or better ballistics but I haven't seen one yet.

 

[Ibelieve1776]

This might be another pile on. But, while I love shooting Bergers, don't discount Hornady's new 'heavy' lineup. Specifically, the 230 gr. BTHP.

I just went to Hornadys site and I dont see their 230's. Where did you see them?

 

[sandwarrior]

I just went to Hornadys site and I dont see their 230's. Where did you see them?

Sorry about that. It is the Hornady 225 gr. HPBT. They are suspended right now. The Bergers are 230's.

 

[Ibelieve1776]

Sorry about that. It is the Hornady 225 gr. HPBT. They are suspended right now. The Bergers are 230's.

No worries I just thought they had something new.