Expecting too much from my rifle??

[hugheserj]

Hi all,

First time poster here. I've been handloading for quite a few years now and recently bought a Sako 85 finnlight 300wm for hunting red deer and tahr here in New Zealand out to 750m.

I've been working on loads for a while and after not having much luck with 180gr accubonds I've moved to 175gr Federal Edge projectiles in Norma brass with AR2217 powder which I think is equivalent to H1000 in the USA.

Right now I have 0.5MOA or less shooting at 2930 fps but once I increase powder/velocity group size grows quite quickly.

I was hoping to get tight groups at 3100+fps.
Should I be satisfied with what I'm getting or keep searching for something better??

 

[MagnumManiac]

I wouldn't stop there, other powder may work far superior for you.
I run AR2225 (RETUMBO), RE25 & Supreme 780 in my 300WM with bullets in 200-230gr weights.
Not all powders that work well in most rifles work in all rifles equally as well, so experimentation is key.

Cheers.

 

[FEENIX]

I wouldn't stop there, other powder may work far superior for you.
I run AR2225 (RETUMBO), RE25 & Supreme 780 in my 300WM with bullets in 200-230gr weights.
Not all powders that work well in most rifles work in all rifles equally as well, so experimentation is key.

Cheers.

Agreed! All of my 3 .300WM seems to hold tighter groups with heavier than 180s. H4831SC has been my go to powder for them.

 

[KyCarl]

My 300 WM has a 10 twist and it seems to like the 190-210 Gr bullets.
It shoots the heavier stuff OK but not as well.

 

[BallisticsGuy]

The difference between 29xxfps and 3100fps isn't enough to say grace over. Why not save the barrel life and go with the softer load?

 

[jjmp]

No your not!!! Welcome to the Forum ! Magnums are like Race Horses they love to run!!!

 

[Rick Richard]

You can play around, but you have to "listen" to what the rifle tells you it likes. I have been real lucky with 215 Hybrids and H1000 as a bunch of other folks have. Good luck on your quest.

 

[RevJim]

I liked to use 76gr of R22/Fed 215M primer, Winchester cases and the older 180 Barnes XBT. Right at 3100fps from 24" barrel. The newer TTSX ( or something similar) will do the same. Having said that, most 300WM/180 loads, while listed as 2950fps, rarely do. So, a "solid" 2950fps isn't bad, but 3100 is achievable with the right powder.

I am "tainted" as I used to shoot the old Federal Premium High Energy 180 Partition 30-06 loads at 2970fps! No way was I going to settle for that in my 300! ha. Good luck to you pard!

 

[crkckr]

Every rifle is unique as what bullet, powder & primer it likes. Your job is to find out what it likes. Off hand, I would think that your rifle will probably do better with bullets closer to 200 gr. considering the ranges you want to shoot at, but that's pure guess work on my part (ok, there's a bit of experience in the mix, too, but it's with a different and unique rifle). All you can do is experiment to find what your particular rifle likes. And if it will only shoot the reduced loads, that may be what you're stuck with. Accuracy always comes first but if you're like most of us, that magic load of sub moa and max velocity will be something you simply must continue to search for! It comes down to just how much experimenting you're willing to do (or how much you can afford to do!). Good luck in your quest!
Cheers,
crkckr

 

[Aussie Hunter Steve]

Hi all,

First time poster here. I've been handloading for quite a few years now and recently bought a Sako 85 finnlight 300wm for hunting red deer and tahr here in New Zealand out to 750m.

I've been working on loads for a while and after not having much luck with 180gr accubonds I've moved to 175gr Federal Edge projectiles in Norma brass with AR2217 powder which I think is equivalent to H1000 in the USA.

Right now I have 0.5MOA or less shooting at 2930 fps but once I increase powder/velocity group size grows quite quickly.

I was hoping to get tight groups at 3100+fps.
Should I be satisfied with what I'm getting or keep searching for something better??

The finnlite barrel is too short to expect 3100 FPS, and consistent .5 MOA groups with any load is pretty good for that rifle.
AR2213sc will easily get 3000 FPS from a 180gr bullet in a 24" barrel, you'll just have to see how it groups for your outfit.
If you start trying bullets upward of 210gr, give AR2225 a go, I've had excellent results with the 212 Eldx.

 

[aushunter1]

Hi all,

First time poster here. I've been handloading for quite a few years now and recently bought a Sako 85 finnlight 300wm for hunting red deer and tahr here in New Zealand out to 750m.

I've been working on loads for a while and after not having much luck with 180gr accubonds I've moved to 175gr Federal Edge projectiles in Norma brass with AR2217 powder which I think is equivalent to H1000 in the USA.

Right now I have 0.5MOA or less shooting at 2930 fps but once I increase powder/velocity group size grows quite quickly.

I was hoping to get tight groups at 3100+fps.
Should I be satisfied with what I'm getting or keep searching for something better??

Short answer is yes, imo stop what your doing & just get out there & shoot.

 

[Golovkin]

I would be happy with that load, I bet the recoil isn't bad at all, how much does the gun and kit weigh?

 

[sable tireur]

If you want to be satisfied with that 2,900 velocity, get yourself a .30-06 because that's what you've created. There's no sense in having a performance cartridge if you don't let it perform. Also bear in mind that the OP has a 1:11" twist rate in his rifle barrel and is limited to 24.3" of barrel length.

Your AR2217 (our H-1000) is a terrific powder for the .300 Win Mag. because it's a cool burning powder yet will yield high velocities from varied weight ranges of the .30 cal. bullets. This can make for a very flexible cartridge with the variety of combinations it can run efficiently.

I haven't run any of the Federal bullets and really don't intend to. I do shoot hundreds of Berger 175 Hunter VLDs in a variety of rifles, most with 1:10" twist rates though. Not only will this combination (AR2217) work well in your 1:11" twist but it will outperform quite a few of the heavier 200 gr. + bullets. There is plenty of remaining energy at the 750 meter range.

What you need to remember is that there is another node above the one at 2,900+ and that the first part of your load increase may very well show an expanded group. As it approaches 3,100 though the group will once again shrink. Note that the heavier bullets, 212 and 215, are in the area of 'marginally' stability and are not reaching the highest BC that those bullets are capable of producing.

This is where a bunch of the fun comes from when working up loads!

 

[YZ-80]

[QUOTE
What you need to remember is that there is another node above the one at 2,900+ and that the first part of your load increase may very well show an expanded group. As it approaches 3,100 though the group will once again shrink. Note that the heavier bullets, 212 and 215, are in the area of 'marginally' stability and are not reaching the highest BC that those bullets are capable of producing.[/QUOTE]

This is a good thing to remember. I can relate, because it happens to me all the time and more often than not, I settle for that lower node because I'm limited to 350-400 yards and I figure why consume powder and be harder on my equipment than I have to be? If I was the OP, I'd be happy with the .5 MOA outa that cannon and call it a day but I'm not shooting at those ranges and I'm sure there are benefits to determining how hard you can push things.