I have read alot of the post on here about the 208 A Max 300 WM loads and just want to see what you guys have found to work good in your gun.I have been thinking about some H1000 and wanted to see if that is a good starting point or go to another powder.What manuals also have you found the 208 load data.I looked in the hornady manual and it didnt list H1000 as a powder.So any input is appreciated.
- Thread starter andy52887
- Start date
Re: 208 A Max 300 WM favorite powder
Start at 76 and go up.
Start at 76 and go up.
Re: 208 A Max 300 WM favorite powder
76gr H1000 with a CCI250 works well for me.
76gr H1000 with a CCI250 works well for me.
Re: 208 A Max 300 WM favorite powder
Can't hardly beat H1000 with the 200 to 220 gr bullets. 78 grs of H1000 with 210 JLK. Should be pretty close to what would work with the 208 AMAX
Can't hardly beat H1000 with the 200 to 220 gr bullets. 78 grs of H1000 with 210 JLK. Should be pretty close to what would work with the 208 AMAX
Re: 208 A Max 300 WM favorite powder
H1000 is an excellent powder and what I use. I use 78.3grns of H1000 but don't start there. Work up for safety.
Some manuals still don't list bullets and powders. What I used to do, and still do, is just average the 200grn and 220grn bullet weight powder charges. It gives you a good starting place.
Example with the 208 AMAX, Hodgdon's Reloading Data Center on their site lists the 200grn 300WM H1000 load as 74grns minimum charge and 79 grns max. They list the 220grn bullet at 73grns minimum load to 78grns maximum. Using that for a bullet weight between them then 73.5grns min and 78.5grns max is a good charge range to work with.
H1000 is an excellent powder and what I use. I use 78.3grns of H1000 but don't start there. Work up for safety.
Some manuals still don't list bullets and powders. What I used to do, and still do, is just average the 200grn and 220grn bullet weight powder charges. It gives you a good starting place.
Example with the 208 AMAX, Hodgdon's Reloading Data Center on their site lists the 200grn 300WM H1000 load as 74grns minimum charge and 79 grns max. They list the 220grn bullet at 73grns minimum load to 78grns maximum. Using that for a bullet weight between them then 73.5grns min and 78.5grns max is a good charge range to work with.
Re: 208 A Max 300 WM favorite powder
Thanks for all the info.I figured that is what most did since there is't much data out there for the 208.I have one more question and it may be a stupid but I have about 300 federal 215m primers but I see alot of guys using cci 250 magnum primers is this just a preference?
Thanks for all the info.I figured that is what most did since there is't much data out there for the 208.I have one more question and it may be a stupid but I have about 300 federal 215m primers but I see alot of guys using cci 250 magnum primers is this just a preference?
Re: 208 A Max 300 WM favorite powder
Yeah, everyone's rifle is different... I wasn't able to work up to over about 76gr but, it really depends on how far out you seat the bullets and how close you get to the lands.
I use H1000 also.
Mine are just barely kissing the lands.... I'm hapyy at 73.5gr but, I could go up and find the next higher accuracy node at around 75 gr or so.
At 76gr, my rounds were getting to the point where I was throwing brass away after 3-4 firings because I was wallowing out primer pockets and primers wouldn't stay in anymore.
You can load that hot if you wish but, I found that I didn't want to push that hard.
As it is, I don't throw brass away anymore and, I'm loading mine over 10x each without issue.
So, it's up to you how hot you want to load and, keep in mind that your pressure will vary wildy based on if you get really close to the lands. I could have probably loaded over max jumping the bullet .040 but, since I was so close, it's very different.
I'd start with the bullets touching the lands at 73gr and go up from there.
I'm using the cci250s.. the 215s are HOT primers and are best touching off powder charges in excess of 100gr... ( I use either those or rem 9 1/2m primers to touch off the 130+gr of powder in the 375CT )
It's generally thought that the cooler primer that is reliable is the best one... that way the case capacity can be used for powder... the hotter the primer, the higher the pressure and with a cooler primer, you may be able to gain more velocity by adding powder rather than have the primer increase the pressure for you.
I'm not saying that the guys pushing out to 76-78gr are wrong or doing anything wrong... those loads may work beautifully in their rifle.
Between my comfort level and seating depth, I'm where I'm at with my load and know I should probably push it out to around the 75gr accuracy node. Just take all the info you have here and find your own comfort zone.
I saw a guy with a lot more money than sense the other day at the range... I wasn't paying too much attention to him till he started hammering on his bolt.... He was shooting a 338LM in a TRG rifle.
I said, you may have some pressure there... he said, "you think so?". I said, "well, you're hammering on your bolt there.".... I'm getting a blank stare from him.... I said, "can I see that brass?" He said, "sure".... It was so hot that he was using a wooden block to open the bolt... the stamp on the back of the brass was almost flattened off the case... I picked up my gear and let him finish destroying his equipment by himself...
Yeah, everyone's rifle is different... I wasn't able to work up to over about 76gr but, it really depends on how far out you seat the bullets and how close you get to the lands.
I use H1000 also.
Mine are just barely kissing the lands.... I'm hapyy at 73.5gr but, I could go up and find the next higher accuracy node at around 75 gr or so.
At 76gr, my rounds were getting to the point where I was throwing brass away after 3-4 firings because I was wallowing out primer pockets and primers wouldn't stay in anymore.
You can load that hot if you wish but, I found that I didn't want to push that hard.
As it is, I don't throw brass away anymore and, I'm loading mine over 10x each without issue.
So, it's up to you how hot you want to load and, keep in mind that your pressure will vary wildy based on if you get really close to the lands. I could have probably loaded over max jumping the bullet .040 but, since I was so close, it's very different.
I'd start with the bullets touching the lands at 73gr and go up from there.
I'm using the cci250s.. the 215s are HOT primers and are best touching off powder charges in excess of 100gr... ( I use either those or rem 9 1/2m primers to touch off the 130+gr of powder in the 375CT )
It's generally thought that the cooler primer that is reliable is the best one... that way the case capacity can be used for powder... the hotter the primer, the higher the pressure and with a cooler primer, you may be able to gain more velocity by adding powder rather than have the primer increase the pressure for you.
I'm not saying that the guys pushing out to 76-78gr are wrong or doing anything wrong... those loads may work beautifully in their rifle.
Between my comfort level and seating depth, I'm where I'm at with my load and know I should probably push it out to around the 75gr accuracy node. Just take all the info you have here and find your own comfort zone.
I saw a guy with a lot more money than sense the other day at the range... I wasn't paying too much attention to him till he started hammering on his bolt.... He was shooting a 338LM in a TRG rifle.
I said, you may have some pressure there... he said, "you think so?". I said, "well, you're hammering on your bolt there.".... I'm getting a blank stare from him.... I said, "can I see that brass?" He said, "sure".... It was so hot that he was using a wooden block to open the bolt... the stamp on the back of the brass was almost flattened off the case... I picked up my gear and let him finish destroying his equipment by himself...
Re: 208 A Max 300 WM favorite powder
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rob01</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I use Fed 215/215M primers. Work just fine with my load. I seat the bullets .020" off the lands. Try both and see what works best for you. </div></div>
I'd bet that if I were at .020 off the lands, I'd be at a hotter load myself... I'm about to change my barrel... I may experiment with a higher load on the new barrel.
Even at the accuracy node I'm at, I should find the next higher one.
When I first got the rifle, I went up to 76gr at the lands with the 220s and, that was starting to show mild signs of pressure but, even without that major signs of pressure, I was wallowing out primer pockets after a few loads.
I backed way down on the charge, went to the 208s then found a good shooting node at 73.5 and stopped there when I probably should have found the 75gr node.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rob01</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I use Fed 215/215M primers. Work just fine with my load. I seat the bullets .020" off the lands. Try both and see what works best for you. </div></div>
I'd bet that if I were at .020 off the lands, I'd be at a hotter load myself... I'm about to change my barrel... I may experiment with a higher load on the new barrel.
Even at the accuracy node I'm at, I should find the next higher one.
When I first got the rifle, I went up to 76gr at the lands with the 220s and, that was starting to show mild signs of pressure but, even without that major signs of pressure, I was wallowing out primer pockets after a few loads.
I backed way down on the charge, went to the 208s then found a good shooting node at 73.5 and stopped there when I probably should have found the 75gr node.
