300 RUM 180gr @ 3500 from a 26" barrel?!?!

[longgunshooter]

Re: 300 RUM 180gr @ 3500 from a 26\" barrel?!?!

yup, @ $20.00 for TWENTY i really have to rethink what the hell im doin' /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Takman]

Re: 300 RUM 180gr @ 3500 from a 26\" barrel?!?!

Kirby, What powder are you running with 180's?

 

[azsugarbear]

Re: 300 RUM 180gr @ 3500 from a 26\" barrel?!?!

Hello Kirby!

The receiver was accurized, lugs lapped, recut facing, etc. Everything but the Sako extractor. I even put a Kepplinger single-set trigger in her (I love it) along with a Vias brake. It sits in an A-5 McMillan stock with a Leupold VX III LRT 6.5-20X. The smithing was done by a local guy who seems to know what he is doing. I spared very little in terms of expense to make this a tack driver. In reading other postings on LRH, I noted that other RUM owners didn't seem to be having my problems, so I whimpered quietly until I found my one load.

I wish I had heard of you before letting this local smith have my project. You and I have emailed each other a couple of times about a second project for me. I was interested in your 257 AM, but due to potentially finicky relaoding, I ended up thinking the 277 AM may be the ticket for my next rifle. As I understand it, you guaranty sub MOA, while my smith has just thrown up his hands.

Back to the RUM: The only thing that surprised me was the amount of freebore he put in the chambering. I don't have a guage, but using some crude methods, I figure I have about 200+/1000 of freebore. I have to seat my bullets much farther out just to get within 100/1000 of the lands (which the TSX seem to like better).

I have thought about sending you the rifle to get your opinion, but I wasn't sure whether you would work on other rifles. Also, I know you are back-logged, and with hunting season coming up, I would like to have the gun available. Draw results are due in the next two weeks here, so if I don't get drawn for anything, you will probably be hearing from me. Thanks for your interest, I was most interested in your thoughts. I don't think I will fire any more rounds through her until you see it.

 

[Fiftydriver]

Re: 300 RUM 180gr @ 3500 from a 26\" barrel?!?!

Takman,

I Started with H-1000 then tried Rl-25 when it came out and then Retumbo when it came out. TO be honest, they all worked very well with the 180 class bullets.

Retumbo gets the most velocity in my experience but I will not way it is any more accurate or consistant then H-1000, just an extra 75 fps or so.

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[Fiftydriver]

Re: 300 RUM 180gr @ 3500 from a 26\" barrel?!?!

Sugarbear,

Did your local smith recut the receiver threads? He may not even have told you that either way. They should have been recut or the entire accurizing process and $$ was pretty much for not in my opinion.

I assume he used an aftermarket recoil lug, this big 300 really needs a good solid footprint so there is no flexing.

The throat length you discribe does not bother me as much as what the diameter of the throat may be. A long throat will generally not produce an extremely finicky rifle as long as it is cut to the proper diameter. A loose throat will cause all kinds of headaches.

It would take about 20 minutes to check if the receiver was trued properly by pulling the barrel and taking some depth measurements off the receiver face to the bolt face.

With a chambering like the 300 RUM, everything has to be square, everything. If they are not, the variation in groups will magnify with a large chambering compared to a smaller one. There are reasons its relatively easy to get a 308 WIn to shoot tight groups and why its harder to get a fine shooting BIG rifle. The machining has to be as perfect as you can get it.

Do not read this as me hammering your smith because I am not but there is something wrong with your rifle if you have that much into a custom rifle and can only find one load that is reasonably consistant.

With my rifles I shoulder fire test them at 100 yards to prove they are capable of at least 1/2 moa accuracy for three shot groups. After a proper barrel break in, they generally will top this by a fair margin.

A rifle built using the componants you list should not be difficult at all to get to play with the 1/2 moa range easily with a decent selection of bullets.

Good Shooting!!

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[Wild_Bill]

Re: 300 RUM 180gr @ 3500 from a 26\" barrel?!?!

Hi the Barnes bullets are made of Copper so to get a 180gr projectile you have to make it longer than a conventional projectile made of lead and a copper jacket. With the 12 twist and the 300 RUM you should be able to use up to 210gr projectiles including the new 210gr Sierra MAtchKings. I would look at the 200gr Accubonds they might give better performance with your barrel in respects to group size. also try some 200 or 210gr Sierra's they might work well for you. I have also found a lot of rifles hate the copper projectiles made by any manufacturer and be very fussy i personaly would look elsewhere.

Cheers Bill
Australia