Best bullet weight for 300rum

[jmden]

Yeh right, I'm finding it's all down to b.c.

It took me awhile on this site to realize the wisdom of the heavy for caliber bullets. I went through the 'speed' phase as well until I started looking at and understanding other numbers. With the 300RUM, I would start with the 200 AB as the light end of bullets for the chambering, then look at the 208 AMAX, 210 Berger and ultimately, the 240SMK. The 240SMK backed by around 103-104.5g of US869 will produce velocities at or just below 3000fps. With it's .711BC, it hold on to that energy quite well and has a good reputation (similar to the 300SMK) for killing well. I've put down two elk with in two years of using it, one at 450 and one at about 80yds. Having put 1000+ rounds down my 300RUM and knowing what I know now, I would've started with the 240SMK and never looked back. JMO. Good luck! Jon

Edit: I'm loading the 240 right on the lands. 869 is definitely temp sensitive, I only shoot my load (104g) at or below 40-50 deg. (When it's gotten up to 60 when I first started using it, the velocity and pressure started climbing, but I got some amazing groups with the 200AB (109.5g) I was using at that time, but velocities where 3250 or more and pressure was too high for much case life--no problems extracting case though.) When I 'm at the range I put the ammo in a cooler at about 35 deg to attempt to get a more realistic idea of pressures more in line with the temps I'll be in when hunting.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

I think JE hit on a good point with the 308. You have to look at the effective hunting range of your rifle considering not the best shot angle at times. This is the way I have it broken down. From 300 WSM and down I think a 150 barnes ttsx is the best choice because they just don't get enough velocity with the 200 for the real long range killing ability and your looking at a 500-600 yard gun anyway. The 200 just can't catch the 150 there. But say starting with the 300 win mag and above you can get that 200 rolling at 3000 fps and faster and then it becomes a big time long range killer. You have enough range that the 200 can outrun the 150. Several of my big guns are set up to shoot light bullets but it makes them 600-700 yard rifles instead of 1000 yard rifles. They shoot extremely flat out to 600 yards and allow me to use mil dots very effectively without touching my clicks. Beyond 600 or so yards drop is not your problem it is the wind. To go beyond this and shoot effectively it requires a heavy, high BC bullet because drop is very easy to calculate. Wind drift is the hardest thing and you need to eliminate as much of it as possible therefore the big bullets. Here are my 300 ultrmag loads I use in my three rifles set up to shoot different ranges. 208 A-Max at 3216 fps using 106 grains of H-870. This is a very good long range set up. 100.5 grains of IMR 7828 with the Barnes 150 TTSX gives me 3735 fps and is awesome on deer/caribou using mil dots out to 750 yards. With caribou rangefinders do not work on the tundra so this is a very good load when you have to mil dot the range.

 

[joel0407]

Thanks for the reply.

 

[Uncle Russ]

OK, I am one of those who still has not gotten past the "faster is better" phase. But then I am not really a truly long range shooter and in all likelihood will not be going beyond 700 yards at the absolute furthest--not dialing in distances, but rather using TDS and BR type Swaro reticles. Sooooo,

My question is this--does the "lighter and faster is better" philosophy apply (ignoring bullet performance and penetration for the moment and just looking at drop and windage) when you are willing to limit yourself with the .300 RUM to 6 or 7 hundred yards at the outside?

I don't have the tables in front of me right now, but it sure seems that way in my memory.

Russ

 

[jmden]

OK, I am one of those who still has not gotten past the "faster is better" phase. But then I am not really a truly long range shooter and in all likelihood will not be going beyond 700 yards at the absolute furthest--not dialing in distances, but rather using TDS and BR type Swaro reticles. Sooooo,

My question is this--does the "lighter and faster is better" philosophy apply (ignoring bullet performance and penetration for the moment and just looking at drop and windage) when you are willing to limit yourself with the .300 RUM to 6 or 7 hundred yards at the outside?

I don't have the tables in front of me right now, but it sure seems that way in my memory.

Russ

Virtually anything you put through out of the 300RUM will work fine at those ranges, but there's virtually no reason to shoot a 300RUM at those ranges unless you are trying to kill something big like an elk--something smaller like a 300 Winny or 300WSM would work fine--albeit with more wind drift. Certainly don't need that power for deer at those ranges. As has been said many times on this forum, pretty much anything less than a 200g bullet on the 300 RUM is not utilizing the power potential of that chambering, so there's no real need for it. Does a 200g or heavier bullet cost that much more than the light ones for reloading? Not enough to quibble about. Shoot the big ones and you'll be ready for that elk when the time comes. If you are shooting long distance, you'll eventually find that the heaviest for caliber bullets will usually perform the best for you as they have the highest BC and will buck the wind better. Good luck.

 

[Uncle Russ]

Thanks. I also have a .300 Winnie--ultra light by the same builder--and so far have only shot factory Federal Premium in it. Just getting into the mindset of going beyond 300 yards.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

Russ, Your 300 ultramag is one of the best rifles out there to shoot 150 grain bullets out to 700 yards. With a premium bullet it will kill anything within that range. In most hunting situations if you are hunting within that range they can be the best choice. At over 3700 fps they shoot lazer flat, the windage difference is minimal out to 700 yards, and recoil is minimal with the 150. Lesser cartridges just can't get the velocity up there for this to work. The wind and trajectory kill you. Here are the ballistics on the fast set up 300 ultramag I mentioned above at 3735 fps here in Wyoming. 4.2" high at 100 puts you 4.2" low at 500, 15.9 at 600 and 32.3 at 700 with 20 inches of wind drift with a 10 mph wind at 700. With a mil dot scope this thing is a lazer to shoot and takes as many variables as possible out for shooting out to 700 yards. If you go beyond 700 the long range load I gave earlier takes over as the best but it limits you at the close ranges with poor trajectory. I have found in hunting situations where you must get on the animal quick and make the shot a lazer flat rifle like this works best if you are staying within say 700 yards. That is why I have my rifles set up for both situations. 99% of my hunting and probably most everyone elses is done inside of 700 yards or should be anyway so you can see the advantage to this system. Light efficient rifles with lightweight scopes designed to be extremely efficient inside of 700 yards without fooling with click adjustments and trajectory cheat sheets. They are very simple. Just put the mil dot on and kill it.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

Having a big 30 cal and being able to hold dead on out to 400yrds on an antelope..... priceless.

Steve

 

[Uncle Russ]

Thanks, LTLR--your post here and a couple of others have shed a lot of light on this for me. I am excellent at ballistic theory but not so much at putting it into practice.

I will use LR shooting for two purposes--feral hogs here in Texas at 500 yards maximum (can't get a bigger open lane through the brush on my place) and in places like Colorado and your home state, if and only if I cannot stalk in closer. In the former instance, I will be shooting much farther than I have to (I could move the feeder in to 50 yards from the blind) and in the latter instance, I will be frank that, on the last hour of the last day of mule deer season, facing the loss of my 15 preference points in the high country of the People's Republic of Colorado, looking across the basin at a 300 non-typical, I will try any shot I have a reasonable hope of making.

I think I can state with confidence that I will NEVER attempt a shot longer than 700 yards because (1) I am just too damned old and (2) won't have an opportunity to devote the practice time and dollars to develop the ability and (3) 700 yards is the farthest my Leica 1200 range finder can reliably repeat.

In all probability, I will be carrying the "little" .300 Remmy most of the time at altitude anyway--comes in just under 7 pounds. Thanks again.

Russ

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

I understand about the big Mulie. I tried for 12 years to draw 21 in Colorado. Last year I shattered my left leg and the doctor said no way I would be walking in the 2008 hunting season. Two weeks later the tag came in the mail after 12 years and I couldn't hunt. I rode around the 2 tracks glassing for 3 days because I couldn't walk. At daylight on opening morning I got a gross 198 mulie down a long canyon from the old 2 track. Some nice guys from Granfd Junction got it out for me. I would loved to have hunted that unit hard though but I ain't complaining a bit.

 

[Uncle Russ]

A buddy of mine and I tried for 5 years to draw the Greys River down near Afton. We finally got there, and hiked in with about 90 pounds on our backs--unfortunately there were about a billion sheep in the valley--with--you guessed it--many vaqueros from the mountains of Mexico, and their excellent--but loud dogs. My buddy and I had no idea that the big bucks would leave the country--duhhhh. We scouted hard and hunted hard for a total of about 10 days--and drew a blank. Saw huge Elk on the ridge lines but as Monica Lewinsky would say: "close but no cigar."

When we first got into the valley, I asked one of the Vacqueros: "Ay muchos venedos grandes aqui?" To which he replied, "Oh, si, Senor. Muchos y muy muy grande!" Stupid me--he was not distinguishing between elk and deer.

I also have a friend living up in the farm country around Greybull. I went up there and saw the 5 single largest whitetail bucks I have ever seen in the wild--including South Texas. I got a shot at 160 class--biggest I ever had a shot at--hit it and followed the blood trail. Little did I know my "buddy" was on the radio with his brother, telling him where the deer had run off to. The brother then tracked it down and shot it without my knowledge.

What's a Mother to do?????

Russ

 

[BH Hunter]

It took me awhile on this site to realize the wisdom of the heavy for caliber bullets. I went through the 'speed' phase as well until I started looking at and understanding other numbers. With the 300RUM, I would start with the 200 AB as the light end of bullets for the chambering, then look at the 208 AMAX, 210 Berger and ultimately, the 240SMK. The 240SMK backed by around 103-104.5g of US869 will produce velocities at or just below 3000fps.

Ouch!! My shoulder huts just reading that. What scope do you use: dots or dial it in? I am loading a 168 TSX w/ R25 and getting about 3426 fps. The 240 must have a wicked kick.

 

[338 LEGEND]

Hey long time long ranger
Is it hard to poor that H-870 in that ultra mag? I love the stuff, but just about to running out of it. retumbo just dont cut it after useing 870. Do you have a big stash of it? Im down to 4 lbs. I would ask if you would sell some but i know the anser.

 

[jmden]

Hey long time long ranger
Is it hard to poor that H-870 in that ultra mag? I love the stuff, but just about to running out of it. retumbo just dont cut it after useing 870. Do you have a big stash of it? Im down to 4 lbs. I would ask if you would sell some but i know the anser.

338, You might look at Hodgdon US 869. Very slow ball powder and they list is as an extreme powder. It's the replacement for 870, if I recall correctly. Good luck.