220 SMK in 300WSM anyone

[lineman69]

Im wondering if anyone out there has tried the 220 smk in the 300wsm? I know alot of people are shooting the 210.Ive been given some 220 grainers and would like to try with RE17 but not to sure if they would stabilize or how much powder to use.Any input would be appreciated.

Thanx

 

[MontanaRifleman]

The 210 Bergers and 208 AMax have as good or better a BC than the 220 SMK. I would sell the 220's and get one of the others which will give you better velocity and range. I would even recommend something in the 180-200 gr range for the 300 WSM.

If you really wan to use the 220's, *My max load* for *my rifle* (SAKO Finnlight 300 WSM) with RL17 and Berger 210's is 67.5 gr. The 220's would almost certainly be less, by how much I dont know. I would start at 55 and work up.

Hope that helps,

Mark

 

[ehryk]

I just got a load developed with the 220 SMK using RL25. It is very warm, with presure trace showing me at 64800 PSI. Win cases, 73.0 gr RL 25, Fed GMM 215M primer. Velocity is 2800 FPS and it is seated to 2.237 at the ogive (ROUGHLY 2.815 to 2.820 COAL). Rifle is a Remington 700 VSS Stainless with a factory 24" tube. Presuretrace showed a minor secondary presure hump when the bullet exits but nothing bad.

Again, this is safe in MY rifle. Do NOT just jump into it with yours! I spent a long time working this load but at least you have a start point.

 

[Haagen Dazs]

I'm wondering what mag feeding is like with those long bullets out of a WSM case. I am hoping to use 180gn 7mm bullets in a 7 WSM someday. Anyone able to comment of that? Would the longer bullets make mag feeding easier or harder?

 

[ehryk]

they are seated deeply enough that there is no problem with mag feeding at all. In my rifle (factory mag), I can seat out to just over 2.825" and still not hang up. These are definatly seated deeeeeeep.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

I use the 220 smk in my 300 win with 7828 under it at 2750-2800 fps depending on brass. The smk is stubbier and has a lower bc than some bullets, but that is an asset in shorter mag rifles like my browning 300 win. You will be seating to short if you want to clear the mag with the other bullets. I shot a sub .2" 3 shot group at 100 yards a while back with the 220 sierra.

 

[ehryk]

I had a little time today to try a group at 300 meters with these. I shot 2 and realized I forgot to set for range... friggan noooobs lol so I walked back and just sent the next 3. Obviously, I changed something in my hold because of the groups being so far apart. I will try 10 shots tomorrow time permitting. Rifle is a Remington 700 SPS stainless, Vortec 4-16x and a harris bipod. It should be good enough for elk, eh?

 

[diderr]

210's work great for me, but I think I'm going to try the new Berger 215's next go around. I've shot 225 hpbt Hornady's with decent accuracy.

 

[AZShooter]

Talk about a timely thread! A friend just gave me his 300 WSM asking for a LR bullet load. I have several boxes of 230 gr target hybrids so I seated a 230 hybrid target in the case to fit a 2.860" magazine. Talk about burying a bullet in the case! It fits and feeds from magazine just fine. If this package can get 2600 fps we'll be happy.

Will start out trying RL-17, and H4350 .

Hodgdon's load data site had H1000 listed with max at 72.5 compressed with 220 Sierra. There is no way the 230 hybrid will fit with even 70 grs of that powder.

 

[ehryk]

Well, I went out to shoot today and did terrable lol first 3 shots was zeroing the scope and that went ok. Fired a shot, corrected, fired a second, corrected and fired a 3rd and made a small correction. On the 3rd shot though, I didnt seat the rifle well and really clobbered myself lol ow. I shot 3 rounds and it didnt go where I was expecting. No corrections made and fired another 3, way away from the last group. Fired a 3ed 3 round group and that was also inches away from my 2nd. So I packed it up and left. I have a sweet bruise on my coller bone now. Let me tell ya, these rounds are no fun in a sporter weight Remington 700 from the prone. This has just accelerated my plans for a Sendero profile barrel with break and an AI stock. These 220s just need it, especially from the prone.

Pretty embarrasing shooting lol I let the ouch factor get the best of me there lol At least I can laugh about it I suppose.

Still, you can see that each was making definate groups and all pretty consistant sub MOA. Now if *I* can get my stuff together, it would actually look good. Ugh

 

[diderr]

Talk about a timely thread! A friend just gave me his 300 WSM asking for a LR bullet load. I have several boxes of 230 gr target hybrids so I seated a 230 hybrid target in the case to fit a 2.860" magazine. Talk about burying a bullet in the case! It fits and feeds from magazine just fine. If this package can get 2600 fps we'll be happy.

Will start out trying RL-17, and H4350 .

Hodgdon's load data site had H1000 listed with max at 72.5 compressed with 220 Sierra. There is no way the 230 hybrid will fit with even 70 grs of that powder.

I hate to tell you this but accuracy and being able to use your magazine does not work well with heavy vld's. I've experienced this with my 300wm and the vlds. It's one or the other. The jump to the lands is too far to produce an accurate load. Bergers like to touch the lands. My 300wsm is on a 700la and I can seat the bullet as far out as I want to and use the mag. Let us know though. You might have different results than I had.

 

[AZShooter]

I agree that VLDs are often seating depth sensitive BUT the 230 gr 30 cal bullet is a hybrid. I have tried several hybrids in a variety of rifles and believe the claims from Berger that they will respond to a variety of seating depths.


My first hybrid was the 105 6mm target hybrid. After reading they can be jumped I decided to turn a SA Rem 700 into a repeater. OAL was set up to fit and feed from a wyatt's mag box. The jump is .065". This heavy barreled 6mm-284 shoots tiny clusters at 200 yds and continues to shoot very well at 500 M, the longest place at our range.

I went on to try the 168 target hybrid in my 300 RUM. I seated to fit and feed from the wyatt's mag box in this old push feed model 70 and tried three powder charges of RL-22 which worked well with the 168 SMK. I shot three 3 shot groups at 200 yds with each powder charge. One load had all three touching. Not bad for no tweaking of the load.

Other hybrids that are working well :

.338 300 gr OTM which is into the rifling with a long throated 338 RCM with ample mag box space. 168 Classic hunter hybrid (just came out) in a 284 win using max mag length of an old SA Ruger M77 tang safety, jump .025".

I will be trying both the 230 target hybrid (just have to see what happens) and the more practical 168 target hybrid in the 300 WSM . FYI the jump is approx .140". I have my doubts with this much jump but just have to find out.

At this point only the .338 250 gr hybrid didn't shoot well. Berger sent me some to test. I tried the bullet in two different 338 RCMs with group size in the 1 1/2 MOA range. I ran low on test bullets and did minimal load tweaking. Can't say if they would eventually shoot. Can say the load didn't come together easily.

I will report back when I have tested my friend's 300 WSM and these two hybrids.

 

[AZShooter]

Lineman69 and others,

Went out with 230 gr Berger hybrids this morning. Just got everything setup and a thunderstorm came off the Santa Catalina Mts. The chono didn't work but it didn't stop me from trying the loads.

Used RL-17 starting from 55 and going up to 58 gr in one grain increments.

Shot three of each load just to get a feel for the rifle's potential. All rounds were fired in a steady mild rain. 58 grs was the best group measuring .692 center to center at 100 yds. I will load up some more and use the A-bolt's BOSS to tighten the group. Yes that's right it is a 23" synthetic Browning A-bolt with Boss that weighs around 7 1/4 lbs! I'll report the velocity of this load sometime in the next week.

I can add another hybrid to the list of others that shoot with random seating depths. FYI the jump was approx. .140"