Hunting Washington Forum

Equipment & Gear => Guns and Ammo => Topic started by: Dean44 on February 26, 2011, 06:45:16 PM

Title: Most accurate powder for .300 WSM and 180 Gr Bullet?
Post by: Dean44 on February 26, 2011, 06:45:16 PM: I am looking for the best powder for tried and true accuracy with 180 grain bullets and 300 WSM.

The rifle is a new Winchester Model 70 Featherweight. Factory 180 Grain Winchester ammo groups less than 1 inch at 100 yards - consistently. I then loaded some 180 grain ballistic tips with Magpro and groups opened to 2 inches.

I though it better to ask for your experience rather than buy a bunch of different powders at $25 a pound.

Thanks for your help!!

Dean44
Title: Re: Most accurate powder for .300 WSM and 180 Gr Bullet?
Post by: carpsniperg2 on February 26, 2011, 06:50:56 PM: I use H-4831 or H-4831sc in all of my guns over 25cal. It is the best magnum powder out there in my opinion.
Title: Re: Most accurate powder for .300 WSM and 180 Gr Bullet?
Post by: BallisticsNut on February 26, 2011, 07:16:39 PM: My .300 WSM with 180Gr Sierra Gk, Federal 215 Primers, RL-17@66.9gr shoots sub 1" groups at 200 yards. Also is getting around 3150fps.

I have yet to finalize the test with 180gr Nosler BTs. Same formula above except the sweet spot seems to be between 66.5-67.5gr RL17. At 67gr, I started to see some flattening of the primers so I would recommend between 66.5-67.0 for testing.

Give it a shot, let us know how you make out.
Title: Re: Most accurate powder for .300 WSM and 180 Gr Bullet?
Post by: bhylton on March 13, 2011, 11:28:48 PM: 65gr imr 4350 185 gr berger vld, all stock browing a bolt, one hole groups at 100yds 3000fps
Title: Re: Most accurate powder for .300 WSM and 180 Gr Bullet?
Post by: sakoshooter on March 13, 2011, 11:48:55 PM: IMR-4831 or H-4831. Maybe the SC but I don't have any personal esperience with it.
Title: Re: Most accurate powder for .300 WSM and 180 Gr Bullet?
Post by: KNOPHISH on March 14, 2011, 06:19:15 AM: H4831SC for me also, Still working on the R17 loads. I'm using the Nosler 180 Accubonds.
Title: Re: Most accurate powder for .300 WSM and 180 Gr Bullet?
Post by: KillBilly on March 14, 2011, 06:47:48 AM: http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp (http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp)

Cartridge: 300 Winchester Short Magnum
Load Type: Rifle

180 GR. SFT SCIR IMR IMR 7828 .308" 2.860" 65.0 2783 54,400 PSI 69.5C* 2943 62,600 PSI
180 GR. SFT SCIR Winchester Supreme 780 .308" 2.860" 65.8 2779 52,500 PSI 70.0 2923 60,800 PSI
180 GR. SFT SCIR Hodgdon H4831 .308" 2.860" 65.5 2775 52,000 PSI 70.0C 2929 64,000 PSI
180 GR. SFT SCIR Hodgdon Hybrid 100V .308" 2.860" 59.0 2728 50,200 PSI 64.0C 2918 59,800 PSI
180 GR. SFT SCIR IMR IMR 4831 .308" 2.860" 62.0 2797 52,700 PSI 66.3C 2980 62,900 PSI
180 GR. SFT SCIR Hodgdon H4350 .308" 2.860" 60.0 2799 55,700 PSI 64.0 2950 63,900 PSI
180 GR. SFT SCIR Hodgdon H414 .308" 2.860" 59.0 2801 54,100 PSI 62.5 2959 63,000 PSI
180 GR. SFT SCIR IMR IMR 4350 .308" 2.860" 61.0 2808 52,800 PSI 65.0C 2991 63,700 PSI
180 GR. SFT SCIR Winchester 760 .308" 2.860" 59.0 2801 54,100 PSI 62.5 2959 63,000 PSI
180 GR. SFT SCIR IMR IMR 4007 SSC .308" 2.860" 57.0 2806 56,800 PSI 59.8 2927 63,000 PSI
180 GR. SFT SCIR Hodgdon H380 .308" 2.860" 57.0 2718 53,700 PSI 61.0 2884 63,400 PSI
Title: Re: Most accurate powder for .300 WSM and 180 Gr Bullet?
Post by: Bigshooter on March 14, 2011, 07:09:26 AM: I'm a big Mag Pro fan for any of the wsm.
Title: Re: Most accurate powder for .300 WSM and 180 Gr Bullet?
Post by: BigFoot02 on March 14, 2011, 07:23:18 AM: I have been loading with 4350 IMR with 64g of powder... That load has proven to be acurate and put a hurtin on deer and antelope..
Title: Re: Most accurate powder for .300 WSM and 180 Gr Bullet?
Post by: MDGrand on March 14, 2011, 08:54:23 AM: I will have to offer that what you are asking for is tough to deliver. What I mean is, every rifle is different and will like a different load. What will work in my rifle probably wont be identical in yours. My 300 WSM Vanguard Sub MOA ironically does not like the 180 XP3 factory ammo as much as it loves Barnes and Berger.

If you are working up some loads and found out that your rifle likes the factory winchester. I would 1. make sure to keep the brass. 2.measure the OAL of a bunch of rounds, then 3. find how that compares with the OAL guage of your bore and write that down. This should tell you how seated the bullet is and how far from the lands the bullet is. 4. I might take a few apart just to see what the weight of each powder is as well. 5. Finally, I would go buy about 2-3 powders... RL 17, IMG, Hodgdon and work up some loads.

* A key thing to remember on this is that factory ammo will vary in powder weight and OAL by a few 100ths or so.. this is common. I would take the average of all of those.
:twocents:
Title: Re: Most accurate powder for .300 WSM and 180 Gr Bullet?
Post by: engelwood on March 16, 2011, 09:51:41 PM: There have been a few suggestions for RL 17, I just loaded up some bullets with RL19. Is there a reason that people are preferring RL17 over RL 19 for the 300 WSM? New at this... thanks!
Title: Re: Most accurate powder for .300 WSM and 180 Gr Bullet?
Post by: timberghost72 on March 16, 2011, 09:58:53 PM: I am using IMR 4350. This is the only powder I have used for my 300WSM so I don't have a comparison but it shoots very good. I have loaded 165 grain and am going to load up some 168 grain and see how it does. I havn't loaded for 180 though. :twocents:
Title: Re: Most accurate powder for .300 WSM and 180 Gr Bullet?
Post by: engelwood on March 16, 2011, 10:08:55 PM: I also loaded some with IMR 4350. I'm interested to see what kind of groups I will get out of these new "hand loads". Looking forward to it.
Title: Re: Most accurate powder for .300 WSM and 180 Gr Bullet?
Post by: carpsniperg2 on March 16, 2011, 10:24:50 PM: Quote from: engelwood on March 16, 2011, 10:08:55 PM
I also loaded some with IMR 4350. I'm interested to see what kind of groups I will get out of these new "hand loads". Looking forward to it.

The books say you will be around 50fps faster with the r19, over the imr 4350. In the 300wsm.
Title: Re: Most accurate powder for .300 WSM and 180 Gr Bullet?
Post by: JKEEN33 on March 16, 2011, 10:43:19 PM: My 300WSM likes both IMR 4350 and 4831.
Title: Re: Most accurate powder for .300 WSM and 180 Gr Bullet?
Post by: KNOPHISH on March 18, 2011, 07:19:55 AM: Englewood, the R17 is said to be designed for Short magnum case capacity & added velocity.
Title: Re: Most accurate powder for .300 WSM and 180 Gr Bullet?
Post by: mazama on March 19, 2011, 09:50:47 AM: In my guns that i was using IMR 4350 in, i have now switched to R17, the velocity is a lot higher and accuracy is same,i was quite surprised what R17 did on the chronograph,that was one of the reasons i switched.
Title: Re: Most accurate powder for .300 WSM and 180 Gr Bullet?
Post by: KillBilly on March 19, 2011, 10:17:49 AM: I like and use Varget for my .300 WSM
Title: Re: Most accurate powder for .300 WSM and 180 Gr Bullet?
Post by: carpsniperg2 on March 19, 2011, 08:30:01 PM: The r17 is about 60-100fps faster depending on the bullet weight, then the r19 and imr4350. It burns almost twin to the 4350.
Title: Re: Most accurate powder for .300 WSM and 180 Gr Bullet?
Post by: MDGrand on March 21, 2011, 09:52:09 AM: For those of you getting 3000 fps.. I assume you are shooting out of 24" barrel?
Title: Re: Most accurate powder for .300 WSM and 180 Gr Bullet?
Post by: BallisticsNut on March 22, 2011, 05:52:03 AM: Quote from: MDGrand on March 21, 2011, 09:52:09 AM
For those of you getting 3000 fps.. I assume you are shooting out of 24" barrel?

That would be correct Sir! Tikka3 .300WSM SS 24" barrel. Seeing 3100 fps. with RL17
Title: Re: Most accurate powder for .300 WSM and 180 Gr Bullet?
Post by: arees on March 22, 2011, 07:34:30 AM: I went through several bullet and powder combinations on my model 70 300 WSM and found that it would not group until I hit max pressure loads. I could get the accuracy I wanted but not in a load I would recommend happily :bash:. This was in a rifle that was floated, bedded, trued, crowned and had a trigger job. I get the groups I want, but the primer flattens and starts to form a crater rim and the case needs to be full length resized each time.

Fortunately I have a beat up old 7 mag that shoots excellent so the 300 WSM sits in the safe waiting for more time to work on it.
Title: Re: Most accurate powder for .300 WSM and 180 Gr Bullet?
Post by: BallisticsNut on March 22, 2011, 08:41:09 AM: Quote from: arees on March 22, 2011, 07:34:30 AM
I went through several bullet and powder combinations on my model 70 300 WSM and found that it would not group until I hit max pressure loads. I could get the accuracy I wanted but not in a load I would recommend happily :bash:. This was in a rifle that was floated, bedded, trued, crowned and had a trigger job. I get the groups I want, but the primer flattens and starts to form a crater rim and the case needs to be full length resized each time.

Fortunately I have a beat up old 7 mag that shoots excellent so the 300 WSM sits in the safe waiting for more time to work on it.
Kind of have the same issue here. I can get decent groupings at a lower powder level and around 2700 fps. I almost stopped there and was reasonbly satisfied with the results. Decided to do a ladder test and was surprised to see that the true balance was at the higher pressure loads. Now, it shoots sub MOA but as you stated, it is close to flattening out the primers and I do have do trim each case after use. Therefore, those rounds are tried and tested, loaded and stored. Waiting until hunting season opens.