I think I found my load

[RAF]

Finally made it back to the range today to try out some more test bullets for my 300WSM. Was a little breezy but not bad. Switched powders to IMR 4831. Well the best target was at the max from my manual, 67.8 grains. What was interesting was the velocities I got on my crony. 2996, 2997, 2996 and 2973. Manual says I should expect slightly higher but that doesn't surprise me the the actual are slightly slower. Oh, by the way. The other day I bragging on another forum how I hadn't been kissed by a scope for 35 years claiming I'm smarter now. Well, must be slipping into senility 'cause I got it :cry: . Just a little peck mind you but enough to made a little blood. Actually I didn't notice the blood till I got home and looked into the mirror while washing up. I just didn't have a good grip on the rifle for that shot. Another lesson learned
Anyway here's a picture of the target.

 

[big6x6]

Well that's starting to look a little better! The .300WSM is still a newish round and I can promise you that the reloading data is conservative as it always is for new rounds. I did a little more looking around at reloading data and started thinking that I have the latest Speer Bullets reloading manual but it doesn't have .300WSM data in it. Usually when this is the case, Speer will have supplimental data on their website and well there it was! They go up to 70.5gr if IMR-4831 which is sounded more like it. If you aren't have any pressure signs I'd certainly go up in that charge weight. Probably get better accuracy too. I mean you bought a .300WSM and not a 30-60! ANYWAY..here's the link to the data:

Speer .300 WSM data

 

[RAF]

Thanks for that. Their velocities are more like what I got with factory. What's interesting is their starting load is pretty close to max load in my manual. I changed my varmint scope and put the permanent one one. Oh well, I'll just try a little harder.
I shot all my brass once now and have to resize it. I plan to neck size only so that should help a little with accuracy.

 

[choc-dog]

300 WSM

RAF,

How far off the lands are you seating those bullets?? I am sure there is more accuracy hidden in your Tikka. That group looks like my pro hunter 25-06.

The 4831 powders burn rate generally works very well in the WSM's.
Living in the cold climate that you do Hodgdon's H-4831SC burns a little slower and much easier powder to get in the case as well as not sensative to temperture variation as other powders.

Some rifle barrels harmonics will not accept one powder and then you
switch to a different burn rate and then you find the magic...MOA.

Also are you getting all of the copper out of the barrel when cleaning??

 

[RAF]

I tried to seat the bullets so they were .010 of the lands. After I played with them for some time and got the length I wanted I found out they would'nt fit in the magazine. Tikka has a short mag. I ended up seating the bullets so the just fit in the mag. They're a lot shorter than I would have wanted but had no choice.

 

[RAF]

Chuck, I took up your advise and made some more test bullets to the max of 70.5. Hope to get out soon to give them a try. Isn't it curious that one manual puts the max powder load and 67.8 and the next at 70.5 :?: .
On another note I can see how accidents can happen. While reloading today I was about 3/4 done when I took a closer look at my scale. :shock: . I misread it and was putting 5 grain more powder in each case that I wanted. Had to pull the bullets and start over :x . It's a good thing that I hadn't crimped them.

 

[big6x6]

The 4831 powders burn rate generally works very well in the WSM's.
Living in the cold climate that you do Hodgdon's H-4831SC burns a little slower and much easier powder to get in the case as well as not sensative to temperture variation as other powders.

You know I think this may be overblown a little. On my last mule deer/elk hunt I used my .300 Win Mag/180gr Sierra ProHunter/AA-3100 and my .300 Weatherby/180gr Hornady/IMR-4831. Of course neither powder was a Hodgdon product at the time and certainly neither was advertised as an "extreme" powder. The hunt took place the second week in October on the Montana side of Yellowstone Park. Well the last shots I fired thru my rifles was the last week in September and of course it was hot as all get out here in Alabama. Well I was worried how my handloads would perform at the colder temperatures and the 7000-8000ft elevation change. To make a long story short a Chorny made its way to Livingston, MT! The .300 Weatherby was 40 odd fps slower and the .300 Win 50 something fps slower at the higher altitude/low 20 temps, certainly nothing to get excited about. Of course there are infinite combos of cartridges/bullets/powders/primers out there and some combos are less temp sensitive than others I suppose. I'm sure other combos may have shown a greater velocity change but THOSE two loads seemed to be fine. I didn't get an elk that year but the mule deer buck couldn't tell the difference! 8)

 

[choc-dog]

powder sensativity

Chuck,

Thanks for sharing your cold weather "Chrony" results. I agree, your velocity loss of 50 FPS with a 60+ degree temperature spread is a non-issue. I was mentally thinking of Reloader 22 as I wrote that previous post and Reloader 22 which is a very popular powder for the WSM's is also
very temperature sensative in some of the data I have read. Velocity
swings of up to 150 FPS have occurred with some lots of Reloader 22.

In real world unless you are shooting past 600 yards the velocity swings won't matter. We shooters tend to get to "anal" about consistant results
such as velocity.

Greg

 

[RAF]

I'd like to say a big thanks to Chuck for his suggestions on loads and Speer manual. This evening conditions were favourable for shooting so headed to the range to try the test bullets. I worked up slowly paying particular attention to sign of excess pressure. There weren't any. The higher I went the tighter my groups got. At the max, 70.5 grains I shot a 3/4 inch group. Velocities were close to factory, averaging 3150 FPS.
I have a picture of my target. The circled 3 shots I my group. The shot 2" left is mine too, but I knew I pulled it as soon as I shot. The other 4 holes are another shooter who wanted to try his 7mm Rem mag over my Crony and because it was busy we didn't have time to change the target. He shot 2 different groups with 2 different bullets and as you can see it makes a difference. Anyway, here's the picture.

 

[big6x6]

That's starting to look a LOT better RAF! I know my .300 Winchester Mags shoot best very close to max powder charge. I'd hunt with that load!

 

[RAF]

Yup and I don't think I'll have to change my zero either