300 RUM 180gr Bullet

[baydog]

I've been asking a lot of questions and begging for load data for my 300rum that was new to me at the end of last hunting season. I didn't get to play with it much because FISHING season came a long but now it's back on for me and been burning a few rounds and thought I would share what I've found out so far what is working for my gun. First I want to thank everybody for your patients and help. I do agree that this pig does like to work and the harder i push the gun the more it likes it. And yes everyone was right about the gun liking bigger or heavier bullets. The heavier the bullet the better the gun seems to like it.
I started with 180gr nosler ballistic tip bullets and have shot the 200gr accubonds and the 200gr accubonds seem to shoot better and more consistent using the Retumbo powder but was not really satisfied with the groups from either of the 2 bullets so I am trying to tame each bullet because now that I've been turned on to the heavier grain Berger bullets thats what I hope to be shooting soon to get all I can get out of this hog and I call it my pig or hog because it's always hungry for more.
So here's what I got on paper so far that looks pretty good to me. I'm guessing that the Retumbo is going to shine for the heavier grain bullets because I haven't had much luck with it with the 180gr bullets. A lot of wide groups but I am going to give it a fair chance but again I'm guessing it's going to shine with the heavier grain bullets..I've Always used the old faithful for me IMR4350 in every gun I've got and. I had good luck with it and theses 180gr bullets ...Pretty sure thats gonna change when my testing starts with the heavier bullets but what I don't understand is my best 2 loads with 180gr bullets were 78 grains of 4350 and 83 grains of 4350 with a OAL of 3.620 Didn't have much choice as far length goes if I wanted them to fit in the magazine. The part I don't understand is how come the 78grains of powder shoots higher than the 83 grains of powder does at 200 yard?? Is it because with the 83 grains makes the bullet come out balls to the wall and looses forward momentum quicker than the slower but steady 78 grains? Either way you can see in the 2 pictures that I picked the best to loads out of the 4 different powder loads and shot them and at 210 yards 2 shots of each powder weight they are touching each other. I know for you guys out west that shoot 1000 yards plus that touching bullet holes at 200 yards ain't much but this east coast hillbilly is happy with it and ready to back up another 100 yard and see what happens. Then it's on to the heavier bullets to be all I can be with this pig. Thanks again for everyones help
Scotty

 

[baydog]

I've been asking a lot of questions and begging for load data for my 300rum that was new to me at the end of last hunting season. I didn't get to play with it much because FISHING season came a long but now it's back on for me and been burning a few rounds and thought I would share what I've found out so far what is working for my gun. First I want to thank everybody for your patients and help. I do agree that this pig does like to work and the harder i push the gun the more it likes it. And yes everyone was right about the gun liking bigger or heavier bullets. The heavier the bullet the better the gun seems to like it.
I started with 180gr nosler ballistic tip bullets and have shot the 200gr accubonds and the 200gr accubonds seem to shoot better and more consistent using the Retumbo powder but was not really satisfied with the groups from either of the 2 bullets so I am trying to tame each bullet because now that I've been turned on to the heavier grain Berger bullets thats what I hope to be shooting soon to get all I can get out of this hog and I call it my pig or hog because it's always hungry for more.
So here's what I got on paper so far that looks pretty good to me. I'm guessing that the Retumbo is going to shine for the heavier grain bullets because I haven't had much luck with it with the 180gr bullets. A lot of wide groups but I am going to give it a fair chance but again I'm guessing it's going to shine with the heavier grain bullets..I've Always used the old faithful for me IMR4350 in every gun I've got and. I had good luck with it and theses 180gr bullets ...Pretty sure thats gonna change when my testing starts with the heavier bullets but what I don't understand is my best 2 loads with 180gr bullets were 78 grains of 4350 and 83 grains of 4350 with a OAL of 3.620 Didn't have much choice as far length goes if I wanted them to fit in the magazine. The part I don't understand is how come the 78grains of powder shoots higher than the 83 grains of powder does at 200 yard?? Is it because with the 83 grains makes the bullet come out balls to the wall and looses forward momentum quicker than the slower but steady 78 grains? Either way you can see in the 2 pictures that I picked the best to loads out of the 4 different powder loads and shot them and at 210 yards 2 shots of each powder weight they are touching each other. I know for you guys out west that shoot 1000 yards plus that touching bullet holes at 200 yards ain't much but this east coast hillbilly is happy with it and ready to back up another 100 yard and see what happens. Then it's on to the heavier bullets to be all I can be with this pig. Thanks again for everyones help
Scotty

Uuuhhhh sorry didn't rotate the pictures...Maybe thats my problem...I shoot like I post pictures

 

[tim_w]

Short of some crazy things I have seen happen with compressed loads my guess would be some other variable in yours loads. Sizing, neck tension, primer etc.. or maybe chamber temp if they were shot on the same day if not air temp. Did you shoot the higher grain load possible in a cold barrel or day and the lower load thru a warm barrel or day?

 

[baydog]

Hi Tim..Yes the target with the 4 different powder test shots or the target with the most holes was shot on a day that was almost 60 degrees but the day I shot the 2 different powder load shots or the target with the least amount of holes was shot on a day with the temp. in the low 40's ..almost a 20 degree temperature change..The target with the most shots in it was all shot in the same day. I would shoot 2 shots and wait at least 15 minutes before shooting the next powder charge change. I need to shoot at least 3 diffrent powder loads with the retumbo powder and same bullet to give it a fare chance but I have done that when I first started shooting the gun. The retumbo was the first powder I shot through the gun and was not happy with the groups I was getting so started trying diffrent bullet depths and powder charges. Came up with a depth of 3.747 but then realized that if I wanted to shoot that OAL I would have a single shot because they would not fit in the magzine andcame up with 3.620 as a OAL..Isn't it a diffrent magazine I can buy to get more over all length? But then thats a whole other chapter to the story. I think the gun actually likes a little bullet jump. Anyway I started trying diffrent powder loads of the Retumbo and just wasn't happy with the results. I decided to try a diffrent type powder and 4350 is what else I had to try so thats how I ended up with the targets that you see. I'm sure I'm gonna get rocks chunked at me for saying this but the IMR4350 out shot the Retumbo as far as the 180gr bullets went. I'm pretty sure that will change when I step up to the heavier bullets. I'm expecting the Retumbo to do a lot better with the heavier the bullets get but I guess I'll find out and let ya'll know..Tim do you have a 300rum and what kind of powder does best in your gun?
Thanks
Scotty

 

[lloydsmale]

could be what your seeing is the slower load spends more time in the barrel while its recoiling upward. Its common in big bore handguns. Slower load will about allways hit higher with the same bullet. don't know if its causing your problem though.