.300 win mag with 208gr Amax

[trazman]

Hello, I am now developing a new load for my Blaser r93 .300 win mag. This load is gona be used for long range hunting up to 1000m.

I have a small problem. Due to small receiver I can not seat the bullet into the land, because i want to be able to have more than one round in the magazine.

So my question is, is it better to make it as long as the magazine can hold it or should I seat the bullet deeper in the case?
Is better crimping it or not?

Thanks, Tomaž

 

[FEENIX]

Blaser makes beautiful rifles!

The .208 A-Max would not be my first choice on hunting, esp on big game. I've harvested a doe and coyote using 178gr and 208gr A-Max beyond 300 yards but still would not recommend it for your hunting range. There are others here that have taken bigger games at further distances though.

I'd consider looking into the heaviest VLD bullets from Berger or Matrix you can push and take advantage of its BC.

Unless you single shot, I'd load them to magazine length where you can chamber them safely and consistently without jamming - for that ever important follow up shot as required.

Good luck and happy safe hunting/shooting.

 

[trazman]

Thanks Feenix.

I would really like to use berger bullets, but it is hard to find them here in Europe...
I have the chance of using sierra match kings, but i thing that A max should be better or not?

Do you suggest crimping bullets or not?

 

[Chopaka81]

I use the 208gr amax for my lr load. I get by using it as a single shot do to COL issue you have correctly pointed out. Never needed a second shot. My close in light rifle is a ruger #1. Seat it deeper and go with freebore. If you have to crimp, the jacket might be to light for that and you should look for a bullet that better suits your requirements. Good luck with your rifle.

 

[DocB]

Blaser makes beautiful rifles!

The .208 A-Max would not be my first choice on hunting, esp on big game.

I'd consider looking into the heaviest VLD bullets from Berger or Matrix you can push and take advantage of its BC.

Seeing as how I'm new to A-Max's if you don't mind my asking, why would you not prefer the 208gr A-Max?

And I had never heard of the Matrix RBT. Thanks for mentioning them. I went to their site after I read this and wow, their .284 VLDs and the .308 210gr VLD have some pretty astonishing BCs. Their 194gr. RBT isn't bad either.

Thanks FEENIX. That's why I really enjoy this site so much. There is a plethora of experts here who are THE source in this long range shooting endeavor!

Always grateful,

DocB

 

[FEENIX]

Seeing as how I'm new to A-Max's if you don't mind my asking, why would you not prefer the 208gr A-Max?

And I had never heard of the Matrix RBT. Thanks for mentioning them. I went to their site after I read this and wow, their .284 VLDs and the .308 210gr VLD have some pretty astonishing BCs. Their 194gr. RBT isn't bad either.

Thanks FEENIX. That's why I really enjoy this site so much. There is a plethora of experts here who are THE source in this long range shooting endeavor!

Always grateful,

DocB

DocB,

Because I have better choices, i.e., Berger VLD, Matrix VLD, NABs, etc... I would use the others before I'd use A-Max. Even though my experience did not require a follow up shot, I don't have enough personal experience like others to recommend it as ideal hunting round. The antelope doe and muley doe I shot had very tiny entry and exit wounds, but the internal organs were all souped up. On the other hand, the coyote was basically blown in half.

As noted, there are others that have very good success with them. If you do a custom search (top right), you'll yield pretty good result.

Good luck!

 

[Chopaka81]

DocB,

Because I have better choices, i.e., Berger VLD, Matrix VLD, NABs, etc... I would use the others before I'd use A-Max. Even though my experience did not require a follow up shot, I don't have enough personal experience like others to recommend it as ideal hunting round. The antelope doe and muley doe I shot had very tiny entry and exit wounds, but the internal organs were all souped up. On the other hand, the coyote was basically blown in half.

As noted, there are others that have very good success with them. If you do a custom search (top right), you'll yield pretty good result.

Good luck!

My experience with several 450+ yd kills on mule deer is exactly the opposite. Exit holes the size of a grapefruit, seeing the hits, it is like a fire hose blast on the exit hole side of the buck. My MV is 3208 from my 30" bbl'd 300RUM.

 

[el matador]

Bergers are just soft lead bullets with a thin jacket, arranged in a very aerodynamic shape. A-max's are the same thing. They may perform slightly different because of the tip construction but at the end of the day they are essentially the same bullet.

My feeling on exit wounds is that a small or non-existent one is best. I want my bullet expending all of it's energy inside the animal, causing damage to it's vital organs. Anything coming out the other side is an indication of wasted energy. Now with a 300 ultra and a little mule deer there is plenty of energy to go around, so a large exit wound is not surprising. Still it is not a sign of good bullet performance. The bullets we are talking about are long range bullets, and at long range you want every ft lb of energy available being used to put the animal down.

In response to the original question, there is nothing wrong with seating the bullet deeper. Read the first sticky in this forum, it talks about finding the best seating depth for the Berger bullets. I would try that method in your gun and see if you can find an accurate load that will fit in your magazine. If not, and if you're ok with it, load them longer and don't use the magazine. Best of luck.

 

[FEENIX]

My experience with several 450+ yd kills on mule deer is exactly the opposite. Exit holes the size of a grapefruit, seeing the hits, it is like a fire hose blast on the exit hole side of the buck. My MV is 3208 from my 30" bbl'd 300RUM.

As noted, I do not have enough personal experience on game (antelope, deer, and coyote) to make a comfortable recommendation for A-Max as a dependable hunting round. Deer and antelope were DRT but pencil size entry and exit wound but the internals imploded. The coyote was cut in half held only by the pelt at the belly.

BTW, the OP asked for 208 A-Max load in .300 Win Mag not .300 RUM. My load has an MV IIRC out my 24" at 2950 ... perhaps that extra OOMP is the ticket. lightbulb

 

[FEENIX]

el matador,

My feeling on exit wounds is that a small or non-existent one is best. I want my bullet expending all of it's energy inside the animal, causing damage to it's vital organs. Anything coming out the other side is an indication of wasted energy.

I agree with you on maximum energy spent internally. Base on your statement my personal experience did exactly that.

Now with a 300 ultra and a little mule deer there is plenty of energy to go around, so a large exit wound is not surprising. Still it is not a sign of good bullet performance. The bullets we are talking about are long range bullets, and at long range you want every ft lb of energy available being used to put the animal down.

Again, I agree with you on the extra energy from the .300 RUM but unless I misconstrue your message it contradicts the end result when you noted "Still it is not a sign of good bullet performance."

Perhaps Chopaka81 will re-engage to tell us the both the internal damage and exit wound performed desirably as a hunting round.

Hopefully, all of these info is helping the OP to make the decision.

Cheers!

 

[FEENIX]

The .208 A-Max would not be my first choice on hunting, esp on big game. I've harvested a doe and coyote using 178gr and 208gr A-Max beyond 300 yards but still would not recommend it for your hunting range. There are others here that have taken bigger games at further distances though.

Like this >>> http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f17/elk-lost-208-amax-121425/

 

[el matador]

Again, I agree with you on the extra energy from the .300 RUM but unless I misconstrue your message it contradicts the end result when you noted "Still it is not a sign of good bullet performance."

Yeah it wasn't as clear as it could have been. The 300 ultra bullet did "perform" and kill the deer. It's an example of having "plenty of gun", and just about any bullet from that gun would have killed the deer at that range. I do not quantify a bullet's performance by the size of the exit wound, that's all. You could have a bullet fail to expand at all and then blow out the off side shoulder, causing very little internal damage but leaving a large exit wound. I hear people say that they only had a pencil-sized exit wound so the bullet performed like garbage and they won't use it again. What matters is the wound channel inside the animal, not how wide the channel is when the bullet exits.

 

[FEENIX]

Yeah it wasn't as clear as it could have been. The 300 ultra bullet did "perform" and kill the deer. It's an example of having "plenty of gun", and just about any bullet from that gun would have killed the deer at that range. I do not quantify a bullet's performance by the size of the exit wound, that's all. You could have a bullet fail to expand at all and then blow out the off side shoulder, causing very little internal damage but leaving a large exit wound. I hear people say that they only had a pencil-sized exit wound so the bullet performed like garbage and they won't use it again. What matters is the wound channel inside the animal, not how wide the channel is when the bullet exits.

Copy that! Thanks.