help needed 300 Win Mag

[minst7877]

I am getting ready to start loading for several rifles. Any suggestions for loads for these would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks DC


The first is a Browning A Bolt in 300 win mag. Looking for 300 yards out of this gun at MOA or less. Want to stick with
165 /168 gr bullets.

The second is a Browning BLR in 308 win. Looking for MOA @100 yards with 165/168 gr bullets.

The third is a Remington 700 BDL in 25-06. Looking for a 300 yard MOA using 100 / 120 gr bullets.

[mountainam]

I just worked up a load for a friend's .300 Win. Mag. Alaska rifle a few months back. If you've never reloaded for a belted mag before you may not realize that fresh brass are too short at the shoulder and need to be shot with some junk bullets to make them fit the chamber and then neck size only with a neck size die or set your full length die to not set back the shoulder. I couldn't get the rifle to shoot under 1" on fresh brass but I got the holes to touch at 100 yds and 3/4" @ 2ooyds using Win 780 Supreme at 74-78grs and a CCI250 primer and Win/Nosler CT 168 BT's. It clocked at 3080fps. It tells me you know your stuff by the bullet weights that you picked. My buddy wanted me to load him 180gr bullets because he said everyone uses them. A .30 cal is designed to use a 168 the most effiently and the ammo I loaded for him bore that out.
As for the .308 win, H335 always gave me the best accuracy with the highest velocities and lowest pressures. The 25/06 is tough to get to 3000fps unless you choose your powders carefully. Hodgdon's new Hybrid 100V will get you to 3100 using a Win/Nosler CT 115 BT's. You can find these loads on www.hodgdon.com site. Good Loading!

[billc]

While you didn't say what you wanted to use the round for I'll assume deer, elk, black bear -- lower 48 critters.

I find that 180 gr bullets shoot better in the 300 Win Mag and the 180s beat the 150s velocity wise after about 250 yds, but I don't have any personal experience about the 165s in that cartridge. I load 68 grains IMR 4530 and a Sierria 180 gr SBT for ~2850 fps. This load shoots <1 MOA at 200 yds in 4 rifles - mine and my hunting partners (a Styer 96, a Rem 700, a Browning, and I think the 4th is a Ruger but could be a Winchester).

For the 308 Win I think the 165s are perfect. I load 41.1 grains of IMR 4895 and a Sierra SBT for 2500 fps. This load was in an old magazine article I cut out in the late 70' and was the Military Nat'l Match load if the 168 SMK was used. This load has shot 100 yd nickle size groups out of 8 or 10 rifles that I've used or seen used.

Sorry that I don't have any experience/opinion on the 25-06

What ever you use I'm sure you can find what you are looking for fairly easily with these two fine cartridges. Good luck and good shooting!

Bill

[cfvickers]

168 grain Berger VLD and 79 grains of RL22 3.36 inches COAL, tried and true in 2 A-bolts both shoot 3/4 inch groups or better consistently. That VLD looks funny loaded that short but the rifles have a short magazine and you can't make them much longer, if any. I would also recommend you try 71 grains of Hybrid 100 V. I have had great luck with this load in my model 700 LSS.

[rjhans53]

can't say on the other 2 but my 308's like RL 15 sitting under a 165.

[craigf]

My 308 likes a 168 grain bullet, 46 grains of 4064, Federal Match Primers (it does make a difference in my gun), and Winchester Brass. I seat the bullets .001 off the lands. This is the maximum load for my gun, and most books, so I would start off much lower and work your way up looking for pressure signs.

[orion]

In the .300 I had good luck with Rel 22, and IMR 4350.
IMR 4350 is pretty temp. insensitive, don't remember on the Rel 22. Can't remember the weights. I did not have good luck with H1000 and found that the speeds advertised are not real unless you have an arbor press to compress the powder (scary).

In the .308, I have had good luck with Varget can't remember the weight. A lot of target shooters like Varget also or they did a few years back. Each year it seems the target guys are on to something new.

At one time all the Wimbledon Cup guys shot .300 mags loaded with IMR 4350 and it was all the rage.

Check your manuals or on-line load data is easy enough to get just type in .300 loads or .308 loads and lots of stuff will come up. Never trust any one posting verify elsewhere and use your head, you will be fine.

Both of those calibers are pretty darn forgiving. Usually it is the shooter or the gun/scope that is the problem not the bullets and/or powder, in my experience.

[minst7877]

Thanks for the input this is what I'm looking for. The 308 is my brush gun for short range hunting in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Right now that is just whitetail but hope to draw a bear license some day. The 300win Mag is also for whitetail but is my shoot-em across the field gun. Have some places that you just can't get to them any other way. The 25-06 is my varmit gun up to and including deer. I have a very effective load already developed for 75gr bullets that literally disintegrates woodchucks. Need something heavier for deer.

DC

[spaniel]

Jul 8, 2010 15:08:21 GMT -5 mountainam said:

I just worked up a load for a friend's .300 Win. Mag. Alaska rifle a few months back. If you've never reloaded for a belted mag before you may not realize that fresh brass are too short at the shoulder and need to be shot with some junk bullets to make them fit the chamber and then neck size only with a neck size die or set your full length die to not set back the shoulder. I couldn't get the rifle to shoot under 1" on fresh brass but I got the holes to touch at 100 yds and 3/4" @ 2ooyds using Win 780 Supreme at 74-78grs and a CCI250 primer and Win/Nosler CT 168 BT's. It clocked at 3080fps. It tells me you know your stuff by the bullet weights that you picked. My buddy wanted me to load him 180gr bullets because he said everyone uses them. A .30 cal is designed to use a 168 the most effiently and the ammo I loaded for him bore that out.

You are correct on the once-fired brass, this changes you from headspacing off the belt to headspacing off the shoulder. Just keep the ammo separated for that rifle only.

Regarding bullet weight, I disagree on the whole efficiency of a 30-bore thing. A .308 Winchester may shoot most efficiently with a 150-168gr bullet, but a WinMag has that increased powder volume for a reason. If you want to shoot long range, you WILL get better ballistics and performance with the heavy bullets. This is why you see long range shooters using the heaviest bullet selections for their bore side.

I shoot 200gr bullets for the 300 WinMag. I get just shy of 3000 fps, and past 400 yards they shoot flatter than any 168s with a heck of a lot less wind drift.

[minst7877]

The 165/168 class bullets are the bullet of choice for a couple of reasons.

1. my gun shoots 165 grain factory loads in to a 2" group @ 300 yards.
2. The recoil difference from the 165 to the 200 class is large and after having surgery on my neck the recoil that I can handle has diminished a lot. This must be a lower recoil load so that I can continue to use the gun. It already has a Sims recoil pad that helps tremendously.
3. I have a self imposed limit of 300 yards for the 300 Win Mag for harvesting game. And it's even less with other guns. Not much diff in ballistics at that point.
DC

[spaniel]

Jul 18, 2010 23:47:08 GMT -5 minst7877 said:

The 165/168 class bullets are the bullet of choice for a couple of reasons.

1. my gun shoots 165 grain factory loads in to a 2" group @ 300 yards.
2. The recoil difference from the 165 to the 200 class is large and after having surgery on my neck the recoil that I can handle has diminished a lot. This must be a lower recoil load so that I can continue to use the gun. It already has a Sims recoil pad that helps tremendously.
3. I have a self imposed limit of 300 yards for the 300 Win Mag for harvesting game. And it's even less with other guns. Not much diff in ballistics at that point.
DC

Not trying to convince you to move up, only question the notion that 168s are "most efficient" in the 300WM class. You will not notice a difference on game or drift inside 300 yards (except perhaps greater meat damage). Heck, for deer that close if recoil is a big issue you could shoot 150s or 125s! Just pick a tough enough one that won't blow up. I've used 110gr V-max out of a 300WM for coyotes where I wanted a very frangible bullet that would not continue traveling

Certainly not efficient, but efficiency is not always the goal.

[minst7877]

They may not be the most efficient but there is a very good selection of bullets in that category and my rifle does seem to shoot that weight very well. The 150's that I have shot do not group nearly as well out of my gun. If I could get a load to hold the accuracy that I want would I use them you bet Alot of it is what I can withstand in recoil now. Will the 165's kill a deer you bet will it be a softer shooting bullet with my loads you bet. Will I have to work a little harder and longer to find the right recipe maybe but it will be worth it. Varmits will be shot with the 25-06 which is much milder to shoot so do not need or want a varmit load for the 300 WM

DC

[whelenman]

Jul 6, 2010 21:31:18 GMT -5 minst7877 said:

I am getting ready to start loading for several rifles. Any suggestions for loads for these would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks DC


The first is a Browning A Bolt in 300 win mag. Looking for 300 yards out of this gun at MOA or less. Want to stick with
165 /168 gr bullets.

(My favorite load in the 300 Win Mag is 76.0gr. RL22 under a 180 Nosler Ballistic Tip with WLRM Primers and Winchester Cases loaded slightly off lands) 3005 fps in a 24" barrel

The second is a Browning BLR in 308 win. Looking for MOA @100 yards with 165/168 gr bullets.

(My current hunting load in a 308Win is a 165 HornadySST over 44.5grs. RL15 with WLR primers and Remington cases)

The third is a Remington 700 BDL in 25-06. Looking for a 300 yard MOA using 100 / 120 gr bullets.

(My current hunting load in a 25/06 is a 100gr. Nosler Ballistic tip over 56grs. of IMR4831 in Winchester Brass and Fed 215M primer)
3445fps. out of a 26 inch barrel
Note: These are all loads I have worked up to and you should do the same in your rifle. The 25/06 load shoots flat as a lazer. I've dropped a few deer with the load and you don't need to think about holdover unless you get pretty far out. The 300 Winchester load I've tried with both Accubonds and Ballistic Tips and I preferred the Ballistic Tip performance on game. The 308 Winchester load I've not tried on game but accuracy is there and performance should be fine.

[smokepole50]

I load up 120gr Sierra Game King BTHP for my dads 25-06 using a book load of IMR4831. It is a accurate load and more then enough for a whitetail going along at 3100 fps.

For you 300 Win Mag, I am not sure how this load will do but I just worked up a load for my cousins 300 WSM Tikka. It shoots holes touching at 100 yards and runs at 3280 fps. It is a Horn. 150gr SST being pushed by 69.0 gr of H414 and Rem. 9 1/2M primers.

Smokepole50

[themadfisherman]

Has anyone ever worked up a load for the .300 Win Mag, using a 100 grain Lapua bullet, or any other 100 grain bullet?
My 300's shoot great with the usual 150 - 200 grain bullets, but I'd like to see if I can come up with a load that is considered "legal" to hunt chucks here in NJ, and you can use larger than .25 calibers, BUT bullets cannot exceed 100 grains? I know, this is off, but it would be fun to play with, safely...

[tcmech]

I know you were interested specifically in the 165/8gr bullets in the 300, but I wanted to throw out there that I have found 150 gr bullets loaded with imr 4064 have a very mild recoil with a minimum load of 61 gr. Out of my BAR it shoots decent, out of my Howa 1500 it barely manages to get a 4" group at 100 yards. You might want to try it and see how it shoots for you. I have not ran it across a chrono yet but I doubt if it is doing the 3000fps advertised on the IMR website.

[artjr338wm]

Helped my friend work up several loads for his 300wm in a Ruger M77. His rifle strongly prefered RL19 over all other powders.

He was having a rather disapointing day accuracy wise at the range and asked me to shoot his rifle to check his scope. Was the first time I shot his rifle in over 2 years. That group, a 200 yard 3-shot group sits fraimed in my basement over my relading bench, you can cover 99%+ of it with a dime.

[billc]

Dimes at 200 --- very NICE!!