300 WSM Long Range Load

[Long Time Long Ranger]

This morning I came up with the best long range load for my 300 WSM so far. Magpro powder has been giving me good results in other rifles so I tried it with the 300 WSM. 73 grains Magpro with the 208 grain Hornady Amax seated just touching the rifling gave 2886 fps with 8 fps spread. The group was 1.238" at 400 yards. I used a CCI 250 primer. The rifle is a Tikka T3 Light with the barrel floated and the factory trigger adjusted. With the extremely high BC of the Amax this is a super long range load for the 300 WSM. I have six Tikka T3 Lights and all three will hold under .4 MOA.

 

[D.ID]

Thanks for sharing. I use the the 190 vlds in my tikka at about the same velocity.. Are you using the rifle single shot, long action magazine or are you cramming it into the short mag magazine? I have bean thinking of using a long magnum magazine for a long time to shoot the heavier bullets as a repeater but have not got around to trying it. How long is your round at the lands with the 208s?

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

Great I will give it a try in mine.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

3.087" to the lands and that is where I seated them. I will seat some to feed through the magazine for quick, close shots. I use this rifle some backpacking and this is the best long range load I have found for it. 68 grains RE19 also shot excellent at about the same velocity. I have been shooting lighter bullets since I never used it long range. I just tested these to see what it would do as a long range rig with a .64 or so BC bullet. I was amazed and just pulled all my light bullets and going to these. Shooting the RE19 load against the Magpro load in the morning and going with the best of these two.

 

[brentc]

3.087" to the lands and that is where I seated them. I will seat some to feed through the magazine for quick, close shots. I use this rifle some backpacking and this is the best long range load I have found for it. 68 grains RE19 also shot excellent at about the same velocity. I have been shooting lighter bullets since I never used it long range. I just tested these to see what it would do as a long range rig with a .64 or so BC bullet. I was amazed and just pulled all my light bullets and going to these. Shooting the RE19 load against the Magpro load in the morning and going with the best of these two.

I have similar performance with the 210 vld. I quit using the lighter bullets in the 300 WSM for the same reason.

 

[rscott5028]

Sounds like a great load/rifle.

I'm pretty sure you have other serious ELR rifles, but am curious as to your thoughts/comparisons of 208 Amax vs 225 Hornady BTHP vs 230 Berger OTM?

Was the 208 simply convenient?

Or, do you feel that they 208 is just the right fit for the WSM within some yardage?

Or, do you expect you need a 300 WM, WBY, or RUM to take advantage of the heavier bullets? ...given mag length, distance, quarry?

thanks in advance!
richard

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

Shot five shot groups with both loads this morning at 500 yards. 73 grains magpro was 2936 fps average and 67 grains RE-19 was 2952 fps average. The magpro group was 1" better and 7 fps spread vs. the re19 at 13 fps spread. Going to try them one more time and make a decision as to which to go with. Either is very good out of a 24" Tikka barrel.

Richard, the 208 grain is all the recoil I can stand out of the 6 3/8 pound Tikka. I have always shot lighter bullets for less recoil and considering the relatively short range I used this rifle. No way I can go any heavier and get acceptable accuracy in a light rifle. The BC is running right around .652 with the 208 Amax and the heavier bullets just can't get going fast enough to catch up to the 208 within the effective hunting range of the rifle. I call it a half mile rifle but with this new load I could push that a little as well as it is shooting. It is just extremely difficult to shoot a light rifle well to 1000 yards while tolerating heavy recoil and all the other factors of holding a light rifle accurate at long range.

For hunting the big magnums like the RUM can push the heavies fast enough to increase the range a bit. I look at the best effective hunting range of the cartridge and choose a bullet that best matches that. Many people try to use a one mile bullet in a half mile rifle and are severely limiting themselves in hunting situations within the effective range of their weapon. With targets all that changes because all you got to do is put a hole in the target and not effectively kill an animal.

 

[rscott5028]

Great reporting and excellent feedback on your decision process.

I'm tryig to get to 2k with my 300WM Sendero just for kicks. (a little heavier than the Tikka and possibly a few more fps than WSM)

I'm working with the 225's and 230's. But, the 208 appears to be right there with them according to the ballistics. Improved precision due to less recoil might easily overcome a slight BC advantage.

thanks!!!
richard

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

Shooting at 2000 yards they are so close the bullet your rifle shoots the most accurate would be the best. In a 10 mph wind at 2000 yards I got 221 inches for the 230 and 244" for the 208. The most accurate bullet wins. Assuming both are equally accurate I like the 230 grain at extreme range 2000 yards. But like you say if you lose accuracy to the heavier recoil the little BC advantage is worthless. I think you just got to try both and see what happens. I have been very impressed with these new 208 amax AMP jackets. I am getting extreme accuracy in everything I have shot them in.

I have been shooting them quite a bit in the Mcmillan EOL Outdoorsman and getting exceptional results. That is actually what pursuaded me to try them in this and other rifles. A few years back when the 208 amax first came out we tried them on a caribou hunt and they performed excellent on caribou with baseball size exit holes. I don't think we kept a bullet in a caribou. All big hole exits. I have shot them off and on since but with the new AMP jackets I am using them quite a bit in several rifles and getting great accuracy. Last night I weighed out another box for todays shooting and the weights were very consistent which is a big plus.