300 RUM Pressures

[spradley19]

I am somewhat new to reloading and have a question I hope someone could help me with. i have a remington 700 custom 300 RUM and seem to be having trouble with the brass I am reloading. I am using remington brass and loading 94 gr H-1000 pushing 180gr NAB. I am getting some extractor impressions or sheer marks on the end of more than half the cases and about a third seem to become sticky on the bolt. I have chronographed the load at 3250 and it seems to be a safe load. Never had any major indications of too much pressure(to me anyhow.) Can someone tell me what is going on with the case to make the bolt so sticky to open and close. I use a full length resizing die and everything is done to factory standards. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Winchester 69]

Are you seating your bullets into or near the lands? Are the primers flattened? The velocity isn't lacking.
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[jmden]

What you are describing are signs of too much pressure. That powder might be a bit fast burning for the particular combination of components you have. Retumbo was specifically designed with the 180g bullet in mind and the large overbore chambering like the 300RUM and 30-378. If I recall correctly the number printed on the jug of Retumbo is 100g for the 180g bullet at 3300fps. I believe the load I used for the RUM was 96.3g Retumbo with the 180 NAB at 3300fps. That was tops for me in the 26" Rem 700, perhaps because I was right on the lands with no bullet jump. Good luck.

Some (many) on this site would argue that a 180g bullet is too light a bullet to fully utilize the potential of the 300 RUM. Many are going with the 200g NAB or even better, the 210g Berger. Might try Retumbo or perhpas H50BMG--not sure. Ask around. I didn't get that great of velocity with the 200AB and Retumbo, but got 3200 fps MV with the 200AB and 109.5g of US 869. Now, I've 'evolved' to the 240SMK after going through all the lighter bullets and much prefer it. With 104.2g US869 behind it (colder weather load), I am able to extract more energy (with a much higher BC bullet) out of that chambering than I have with any other combination of components, in my rifle. Good luck.

 

[jmden]

message deleted--sent twice

 

[spradley19]

I am not seating the bullet up on the lands. Everything is trimmed and seated to factory standards. The primers seem to be flattened slightly but not too bad. Perhaps I need to just keep backing off until all the pressure signs go away. The load just seems to be doing very well in the gun. I am just burning up brass pretty quick.