300 wsm barrel length

[Guest]

I am planning on building a lr rifle. Wanting to use the 300 wsm cartridge. What barrel length, twist should I use for a combo hunting, bench gun. Whats a good action to go with. This is the first rifle I am building and don't have a pile of money. Thanks for the help.

 

[Boyd Heaton]

30" BARREL.....11 TWIST......Rem 700 ACTION...

 

[Guest]

[ 07-11-2003: Message edited by: S1 ]

 

[BountyHunter]

Second the opinion on 30" barrel and 1-11 twist. I built my HG (under 100lb weight limit), with a 10" BAT action with 30" 1.875" to 1.5" barrel with 1-10. It shoots very good, but the 300 wsm is really more suited for 1-11 with 190-210 bullets. My next barrel will be 1-10 and now everyone is going with 1-11. Start with 210 JLKs as a recommendation.

Use a PA rules tapered barrel and if 700 and 30" I would recommend sleeving the action.

Caution on the 30" barrel though, you will need to really talk to a good 1k smith before you buy components (stock, barrel, scope and action) and start building. Depending on components, you could have a difficult time making 16.5lb weight limit for BR competition under PA rules and limit is 17 lbs for IBS or NBRA. Most end up cutting back to 28" and with LG add good muzzle brake. If go with 30" you will definitely need to flute the barrel and that adds $150-180. Night Force scope will also make it hard to make weight, go with Leupold 1" or 30mm tubes or something similar.

Good Luck

BH

 

[4mesh063]

Bounty, with a wooden stock, it'll be easy to make weight. You just hollow the butt and forearm till it come in under 16.5. Perhaps with a McMillan stock, it'll be a tank. I have a 29" FULL to the rules fluted barrel with a 1.470 Long action and mines under with brake, sunshade, mirage shade, recoil pad and some room to spare. Ain't much stock though!

Harv,

Some guys at Williamsport are shootin the 240 Sierra out of a 1:11 twist. Not many get that much bullet to stabilize but some do. I don't think anyone tried in a WSM, usually it was some big cannon with more speed. The WSM guys I talked to stuck to the 210 JLK/Bergers/Other similar weight. I used a 1:11 with good results and bought a 1:10 this year for absolutely no good reason. Mine's not exactly a WSM but it may as well be.

To a man, everyone I talked to with a WSM uses H4831 or SC. Going much past 30" will probably not gain you much in the line of velocity unless you slow the powder down some to say H1K, N165 or R25. Some guys said they had 210's going 3100 out of a 30"er but I had doubt about that. They did shoot all over hell though so perhaps they were goin that fast!

[ 03-14-2003: Message edited by: 4mesh063 ]

 

[BountyHunter]

Try the h4350 in the WSM, all of us here in VA are using that or MRP2, And shooting very well. Every gun is different so try and see what yours likes.

4mesho63

Always found that when you hollow a stock out if it is used for BR, it changes the gun balance on the bags and can seriously effect tracking. Some may get away with it, but I would not like to plan on it. Personal opinion is build the gun balanced and in weight tolerances from beginning.

Just my opinion, but great BR guns are a synergistic effect of the sum of the parts. All have to mesh and work together, not against each other.

BH

 

[4mesh063]

Bounty,

H4350 in a 30 Cal WSM? Seems fast. I seem to remember it being one of the early powders to show pressure in my gun. Strange cause I shot H380 and W748 in mine as well. Mine likes W748 better than anything as long as you don't want a 210 to go over 2700. H380 is all too close to dangerous though. ES is sure good. Be VERY careful anyone trying that. For good 1000yd performance, I have stayed to H414 and H4831.

As for stocks, I really removed a bunch from the forearm. It's completely hollow. To look at it you'd wonder how it holds the gun up. No balance problem yet here. My only tracking problem was from no muzzle brake last year. That's been fixed.

McMillan is now making lightweight stocks just for this purpose. Supposedly under 2#.