Mauser m18 300wm, anyone handloading?

[TriggerTime426]

I bought a mauser m18 in 300wm 24.5 in barrel last year and have been trying to find a good long range hand load for it, I tried some hornady 208elds with some luck but nothing I was super impressed with. I checked free bore and as long as I can load them in the mag I'm .2 from the lands, I called mauser and they said they make all their rifles with long jumps to the lands and he recommended accubond 200 gn. So I tried them and I think Im close to a pretty good load somewhere between 74-75 gns of h1000 roughly .7 moa 5 shot group. Havent taken this load out to distance yet but seemed to like right around 2890 fps. I've got some 185gn berger vld classics made for guns with long free bore or people shooting factory ammo that I have to try out yet. I did have luck with some speer 180gn soft tip Spitzer boat tails with 66.5 gn of h4350 but the groups seem to open up past 3-400 yards. Does anyone else have a m18 300wm they r handloading for that has any info they'd like to share.

 

[MattBulic]

Hey did you end up finding a good load? I'm using 150gr with 61.2gr of AR2208 on my m18 in 300WM. Its shooting 4 through the same hole at 100 yds. But wouldn't mind going heavier projectile for deer etc.

 

[TriggerTime426]

It shoots 185 bergers pretty good considering,
.75 to 1moa I think with the 11 twist they just really don't like heavy stuff. Mabey your on to something with the 150 stuff may try some 160 or 170 range bullets.

 

[MattBulic]

It shoots 185 bergers pretty good considering,
.75 to 1moa I think with the 11 twist they just really don't like heavy stuff. Mabey your on to something with the 150 stuff may try some 160 or 170 range bullets.

Yeah man I tried them all and spend a long time at the range with different projectiles AND powder amounts. With the 150gr soft point boat-tails i can hit a 1L water bottle at 650 yards away. Great accuracy.

 

[TriggerTime426]

Ya I'm kinda disappointed I reallylike the action not a huge fan of the stock or the polymer trigger, I had bought it to shoot the 200 grain class stuff but should have thought harder on the 11 twist

 

[TriggerTime426]

Might shoot a berger 168 pretty decent, plus really fast

 

[whirlwindjml]

So I tried them and I think Im close to a pretty good load somewhere between 74-75 gns of h1000 roughly .7 moa 5 shot group

The Mauser is really a budget gun. I read reviews and research and the Mauser seems to be a winner for the price. If you are getting .7 at 5 shots I'd say that's a win. It may even group better at distance.

 

[TriggerTime426]

Ya i tried a few more of them and I could never get it to consistently do .7 moa it was closer to 1 moa but the 180 range stuff seemed more consistent

 

[MattBulic]

Ya i tried a few more of them and I could never get it to consistently do .7 moa it was closer to 1 moa but the 180 range stuff seemed more consistent

Dont forget you could be using the wrong powder for your projectile. Not sure where you live but in Australia we have ADI AR2208 (fast burning for lightweight projectiles) and AR2209 (slow burning for heavier). If your in the states see if you can get the equivalent of my 2208 and try a 150gr speer Boat-tail with EXACTLY 60gr of powder. For me it puts 3 through the same hole at 100yds, and I can hit a milk jug at about 1000yds. Very accurate and very fast, haven't used a chrono but I'm estimating around 3400fps.

 

[DoneNOut]

Your load is nearly identical for my Savage 110 hunter.

200 NAB
75.5gr H-1000
WLRM
PPU case
3.490" (Mag length)
2890-2915 from 0-100F

 

[MagnumManiac]

I just ran in my new 300WM barrel using Nosler 150g Ballistic Tips and 73g of AR2209 (H4350). Velocity was around 3280fps in my 26" barrel.
AR2208 (Varget) is way too fast a powder for the 300WM.
AR2217 (H1000) is a much better powder for 180g+ bullet weights.
AR2217 is the accuracy powder in every 300WM, it's not the fastest, but prints itty bitty groups. I run 3 F-class barrels with it.
My 3 hunting rifles also like it and RE25.

Cheers.

 

[MattBulic]

I just ran in my new 300WM barrel using Nosler 150g Ballistic Tips and 73g of AR2209 (H4350). Velocity was around 3280fps in my 26" barrel.
AR2208 (Varget) is way too fast a powder for the 300WM.
AR2217 (H1000) is a much better powder for 180g+ bullet weights.
AR2217 is the accuracy powder in every 300WM, it's not the fastest, but prints itty bitty groups. I run 3 F-class barrels with it.
My 3 hunting rifles also like it and RE25.

Cheers.

where are you located?
Its wrong to say a powder is too fast or too slow for a calibre when projectile weights govern the applicability of powder. Like I said with my experience, 150gr Speer boat tails, 61gr of 2208 puts 3 through the same hole at 100m, and stretching that accuracy past 500m to 1000m isn't an issue with a dud shot to check impact with wind etc. Just my 2c, everyone's experience is different.

 

[MagnumManiac]

where are you located?
Its wrong to say a powder is too fast or too slow for a calibre when projectile weights govern the applicability of powder. Like I said with my experience, 150gr Speer boat tails, 61gr of 2208 puts 3 through the same hole at 100m, and stretching that accuracy past 500m to 1000m isn't an issue with a dud shot to check impact with wind etc. Just my 2c, everyone's experience is different.

Just because a powder goes bang and puts 3 shots into the same hole does not make it the correct powder.
Oh, I am in Australia. I worked at ADI, I know what powders work in just about every cartridge there is.
AR2208 was formulated for cartridges like the 22-250, 6mm Rem and 243.
Just because ADI list it in there data does not make it correct.
The 300WM has a capacity of 90g, putting 60g of powder in there leaves a lot of airspace, this does not give good ES/SD numbers, no matter what you say how it performs at 1000. I find it very hard to believe you can put every shot on not a milk jug at that range.
I shoot F-class every other weekend. I will not say with my set-up that I could hit a milk jug everytime with my loads.

Cheers.

 

[MattBulic]

Just because a powder goes bang and puts 3 shots into the same hole does not make it the correct powder.
Oh, I am in Australia. I worked at ADI, I know what powders work in just about every cartridge there is.
AR2208 was formulated for cartridges like the 22-250, 6mm Rem and 243.
Just because ADI list it in there data does not make it correct.
The 300WM has a capacity of 90g, putting 60g of powder in there leaves a lot of airspace, this does not give good ES/SD numbers, no matter what you say how it performs at 1000. I find it very hard to believe you can put every shot on not a milk jug at that range.
I shoot F-class every other weekend. I will not say with my set-up that I could hit a milk jug everytime with my loads.

Cheers.

So you worked at ADI, and know just about every powder that work with every cartridge, and you say that AR2208 is the "incorrect" powder for 300wm? Why then using the ADI load data book or website is there multiple listings using AR2208 in 300WM for lighter projectiles? Why would they put it there if it wasn't correct? Why is it common in the ADI load data for lighter projectiles and as you move toward heavier it switches to AR2209? Having worked there you should know right?

With that logic are you saying you would use the same powder for 110gr - 230gr projectiles?
If a powder is putting 3 through the same hole at 100m at speeds in excess of 3000+fps, that is a great powder, regardless of what you say it was designed for... if it works it works.
And yes, after a few test shots for windage etc I can consistently hit milk and water jugs at 1000m with consistent, mild wind holding over the reticle. Are you saying I cant do that because you can't do that?

Cheers