300 WSM reloading

[xring1]

Has anyone had any experience with loading for a Browning A Bolt II in 300 WSM ?

 

[dragman]

Yes, Mine liked H4350 and 190 VLD's I have a few load though

 

[Gunpoor]

My friend and I worked up a load together for the 300WSM, his rifle being a Browning A-bolt II and mine a Tikka T3 Lite. We shot 165 grain Hornady SST over IMR4350 in Winchester brass and Win WLRMP primers. They were both new rifles and shot about the same at first, which was quite well, until they began to break in. Both rifles shot better with more rounds through them, but the Browning really turned into a tack driver after a hundred or so rounds. Steve, my buddy, dabbled with heavier bullets in his but didn't like them and returned to the 165 Hornady. BTW, you need to work up your load at safe pressure levels, but ours seem to like the high end of the load charts with the IMR4350.

 

[rimjob_rob]

I am interested in this as well. I picked up my A-bolt in 300 WSM this winter and have been trying a few different bullets and powders, but haven't had any combo really stick out yet. I've been trying 168 and 180 ballistic tips and 180 accubonds and RL17, RL19, and H4831sc for powders. Most loads were an inch to inch and a half at 100 yards and a few groups here and there under an inch, but not consistently. Might have to try the IMR 4350, also seem to have read a little about H4350?

I like the 180 Accubond and want to eventually work up a load for it or something similar for a future elk hunt, but am also open to finding a load with one of the Berger bullets. I just get dizzy every time I look at the different options of Berger's, 168, 175, 185, 195, 210, etc. Do I just throw a dart and buy a box and try to get it to work? I get a little leery about the 210's just because of the short magazine of my Browning. Probably would be okay if I was using the gun as a target rifle and was okay with a single shot, but I would have to load that bullet too deep to fit the cartridge in the magazine for hunting purposes.

 

[Team Roper]

Mine likes IMR 4007 with 175 gr Berger VLD. I am at work and do not remember off hand the grains of powder but it shoots in the 1/4" range

 

[brentc]

I am interested in this as well. I picked up my A-bolt in 300 WSM this winter and have been trying a few different bullets and powders, but haven't had any combo really stick out yet. I've been trying 168 and 180 ballistic tips and 180 accubonds and RL17, RL19, and H4831sc for powders. Most loads were an inch to inch and a half at 100 yards and a few groups here and there under an inch, but not consistently. Might have to try the IMR 4350, also seem to have read a little about H4350?

I like the 180 Accubond and want to eventually work up a load for it or something similar for a future elk hunt, but am also open to finding a load with one of the Berger bullets. I just get dizzy every time I look at the different options of Berger's, 168, 175, 185, 195, 210, etc. Do I just throw a dart and buy a box and try to get it to work? I get a little leery about the 210's just because of the short magazine of my Browning. Probably would be okay if I was using the gun as a target rifle and was okay with a single shot, but I would have to load that bullet too deep to fit the cartridge in the magazine for hunting purposes.

You're probably best off using a bullet that is less sensitive to jumping to the lands. I had a browning Stainless stalker that shot great, the limiting factor was the short magazine.

Mine shot the best with Hornady 165 to 180 grainers with RL17 and H4350. 65.5 grains of H4350 with a CCI250 and a 180 SST in Win brass at OAL 2.855 this was a one hole load at 2950 fps with my Abolt. BTW H4350 worked with every bullet I tried in my Browning.

I believe you're on the right track with the powders you're using. The only thing I would say is concentrate a little more on finding a seating depth before you get too experimental with powder. You're going to be jumping a good bit. My method was to find the sweet spot for powder and then tune the seating depth in from magazine length in .020 increments to 2.800. I always found a load in there that worked.

Another good load for me was 168 Nosler Etip on top of 67-67.5 grains of RL17. this should get you to around 3200 fps with good accuracy once you find a seating depth. Mine liked 2.820 with the Etip in this load combo.

 

[Timber338]

With all of my wsm's RL17 gives phenomenal velocity, but I rarely get top-shelf accuracy.

I load for an HS Precision 7mm WSM, a Winchester M70 300 WSM, Savage 16 300 WSM, and a custom 338-300wsm based on a Winchester M70 action. I am getting incredible accuracy and extremely consistent velocities using H4350. Although the velocity is usually ~75 fps below max, I don't argue as the accuracy is just fantastic.

I'm shooting Barnes TTSX's and they seem to like to jump. Start off about 0.050" away from the lands and if you want to experiment from there. Although .050 seems to work in all the rifles I load for.

With the 300 WSM I have great luck with both the 168 TTSX and the 175 LRX seated .050 away, although my favorite is the 175 to get the .508 b.c.

Last night I zeroed my 338-300 wsm shooting the 210ttsx and H4350. 4 shots @ 300 yards had a vertical spread of 0.9" and a horizontal spread of 0.25 (overall ~0.3 MOA). I typically am holding that same accuracy out to 750 yards which is the max lethal range for this gun and I never had that kind of success with any of the RL powders. At least give H4350 it a try!

 

[rimjob_rob]

That is some good advice Brent, thanks. I haven't been messing with seating depth too much yet, I have it stuck in my head that closer to the lands = better accuracy, but I need to convince myself that that isn't necessarily the case. RL17 has given my the worst groups of the powders I have tried, so i've been concentrating on RL19 for the most part. General consensus seems like that should be a decent powder to use. Not really looking for blazing speed, more looking for accuracy.

Thanks guys!

 

[brentc]

That is some good advice Brent, thanks. I haven't been messing with seating depth too much yet, I have it stuck in my head that closer to the lands = better accuracy, but I need to convince myself that that isn't necessarily the case. RL17 has given my the worst groups of the powders I have tried, so i've been concentrating on RL19 for the most part. General consensus seems like that should be a decent powder to use. Not really looking for blazing speed, more looking for accuracy.

Thanks guys!

For longer range with 165 to 190 grain loads I'd look more towards H4350 or H4831sc. The double based RL powders will produce excellent velocity and they burn clean, but you may have to sacrifice long range accuracy in terms of temp sensitivity to get it. Out to 400 yards using a maximum point blank zero, the RL's are hard to beat.

Another one to check out if you plan to use 190 and heavier is IMR7828ssc. This has become my favorite powder in the 300 WSM for several reasons. H4350 doesn't cut it with the heavies as far as velocity is concerned, and H4831sc works great up to the 190 grain range, but for overall performance in any condition for my heavy 300 WSM loads, I reach for IMR 7828ssc.

 

[Timber338]

Another one to check out if you plan to use 190 and heavier is IMR7828ssc. This has become my favorite powder in the 300 WSM for several reasons. H4350 doesn't cut it with the heavies as far as velocity is concerned, and H4831sc works great up to the 190 grain range, but for overall performance in any condition for my heavy 300 WSM loads, I reach for IMR 7828ssc.

Excellent advice... have not loaded heavies in any of my WSM's, so definitely going to keep this bit of advice for later use! I can see that H4350 burn rate is just too fast for heavy bullets.

 

[darrenflinn]

No fans of VV N550 here? The latest Nosler manual spoke very highly of it with 180 grains stuff

 

[Shortmagman]

I have had very good luck with N550 in two different 300WSM rifles. I loaded the N550 with 168 grain Barnes TSX bullet. This load produced excellent accuracy.

 

[darrenflinn]

Hopefully I can find a load my rifle likes.

Going to try N550 and Ramshot Hunter, Federal 215Ms, with the 180 TTSX, the 175 LRX, and the 168 Scirocco

Just waiting on my dies!

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

No fans of VV N550 here? The latest Nosler manual spoke very highly of it with 180 grains stuff

Good, but not good enough for the price they want for it lately. As far as the 300 wsm, you can use most of the normal mag powders, but you only have the same case capacity as the 300 h&h, so slower than rl22 or h4831 won't be at full pressure.

As to rl powders not being good at long range because of a supposed sacrilegious temp. sensitivity, all I can say is I've almost always got the best speed, accuracy, and uniformity with reloader. And it real world testing, the variance between high and low is usually less than hodgdon. Rl22 is all I shoot in my 300win browning a-bolt lh stainless stalker. I've got around 2 kegs just for that rifle.