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Powder for 300 WIN MAG 5R and 190-200 SMK...RL-22?

nmmi9100

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jan 27, 2010
556
94
New Mexico
Sierra Manual seems to suggest best accuracy with 190 and 200 SMKs is RL-22. Couple buddies are putting together a powder order and one guy with a 5R 300 WM wants some powder for the new 5R 300 with 190-200 SMKs. I've not shot RL-22 before and I was wondering if it is pretty temperature stable...i.e. you can hunt with the stuff at various temperatures and not have major velocity shifts. I've been using Varget for sometime in my 308 5R but I don't yet have a load for my buddy's 5R 300 Win Mag.

If you do have a suggestion for a 300 WIN MAG suitable powder that is temperature stable, your suggestion would be appreciated.

-David
Edgewood, NM
 
Re: Powder for 300 WIN MAG 5R and 190-200 SMK...RL-22?

I use both RL22 and H1000 with decent results from both with 190 SMKs.
 
Re: Powder for 300 WIN MAG 5R and 190-200 SMK...RL-22?

In my 300 win. RL-22 works great with 180's. My go to load is w/H-1000 and 210 Bergers. My rifle shoots 200-210 gr bullets better and it shoots them better w/H-1000. I have not noticed any great amount of sensitivity to temp from H-1000.
 
Re: Powder for 300 WIN MAG 5R and 190-200 SMK...RL-22?

I'm quoting loads from the 49th Edition of Lyman's Handloading Manual:

Best accuracy for the 190 HPBT is shown as the max load of 80.0 grains of RX25. They list the specs as 2992 fps and 63,000 psi. I wouldn't want to go much hotter myself. And they do list it as the MAXIMUM load for that combination in their test rifle.

The best load shown for 200 grain HPBT is the max again of 78.0 grains of RX25. The specs for this load is 2938 fps and 62,900 psi. Again it too is a compressed load and is listed as the MAXIMUM for their rifle.

For a 200 grain flat base A-frame bullet, they show the most accurate load as 72.0 grains of H-4831SC. The listed specs are 2824 fps and 63,300 fps. It too is a compressed load and is shown as the MAXIMUM load with this combination.

Again, these loads are straight from the Lyman's Handbook. You should start a couple of grains low and work up the correct load for your own rifle slowly and carefully.

Good luck.
 
Re: Powder for 300 WIN MAG 5R and 190-200 SMK...RL-22?

200SMK's over RL22 shoot the best groups out of my rifle. I can't duplicate it with H1000, although it shoots acceptably.

208 Amax's seem to shoot the same over either powder.

I prefer H1000. It's FAR cleaner than RL22, purported to be easier on barrels and it does seem to be more consistent over temperature.

John
 
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Re: Powder for 300 WIN MAG 5R and 190-200 SMK...RL-22?

H-1000 always worked the best for me in a 300 Mag with 200 grain bullets or heavier. RL25 also shows some promise, and a tad better than RL22 velocity wise.

Bob
 
Re: Powder for 300 WIN MAG 5R and 190-200 SMK...RL-22?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BobinNC</div><div class="ubbcode-body">H-1000 always worked the best for me in a 300 Mag with 200 grain bullets or heavier. RL25 also shows some promise, and a tad better than RL22 velocity wise.

Bob </div></div>

That's interesting Bob. I really wanted to like RL25. It seemed like it gave a more spread-out recoil pulse without the KWAAP! of RL22. I just couldn't seem to get enough of the darned stuff in the case to match RL22 velocities. I do have a shorter barrel, however and the slow burning powder may need that extra length to catch up.

John
 
Re: Powder for 300 WIN MAG 5R and 190-200 SMK...RL-22?

John,

I got a bit better velocity (compared to H1000 & RL-22) in a 26" barreled Win Mod 70 w/RL25, but it was a heavily compressed load. In my son's LH Sako, H-1000 (23 3/4") H-1000 worked "best".

I ditched the RL-25 just to "standardize", and use H-1000 only and Fed 215 Primers, in Federal brass. I load 76 grains of H-1000 under a 220 Grain Nosler Partition, for 2726 Avg FPS in the Sako (2781 FPS in the Model 70). Not much of a long range load, but it does make an impression on critters under 300 yds....

Bob
 
Re: Powder for 300 WIN MAG 5R and 190-200 SMK...RL-22?

Never used SMK's but my 200gn Accubonds liked the H4831 better than the H1000 or RL22 from an accuracy standpoint. 70.9 grains turned it into a .231 moa rifle. .5 was the best I could get with the others. My point is velocity is great but there is no substitute for accuracy. No telling what that 300 will like best.
 
Re: Powder for 300 WIN MAG 5R and 190-200 SMK...RL-22?

The Reloader series, Re22 and Re25 are double based powders, giving them more energy, but more sensitive to temp swings. The Hodgdon H1000 and H4831 are from their Extreme series of temp stable powders, which are all single based. I would use H4831 for the lighter bullets and H1000 for the heavier.
 
Re: Powder for 300 WIN MAG 5R and 190-200 SMK...RL-22?

I have a 5R in a 300wm.and it likes h1000 with a 208/210gn bullet with 76gn of h1000.and I put the bullet just in the lands.the load gives me a .500 group at 100 5 shoots.
 
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Re: Powder for 300 WIN MAG 5R and 190-200 SMK...RL-22?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Lt. Arclight</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I used 72.0 grains RL22 Lapua brass,Fed215M and 190 SMK.</div></div>

You have any Lapua brass that you would like to get rid of Arclight?
 
Re: Powder for 300 WIN MAG - temp stable

Soooo.... is the consensus that H1000 and H4831sc are the most temp stable powders for 300 win mag??

as this past hunting season I found out just how much temp effects RL22 and where I hunt the temp during the season ranges from +10C to -30C. I learnt that this difference @ -30C was more than enough for me to miss a shot that in +4C would have hit no problem.

Now I'm looking for the right powder for next hunting season

is there any better "stable" powders I should try out? Or is Hodgdon the only one.