So, I just bought a new Tikka t3 in 300wsm. I went to the local store and bought the cheapest winchester ammo (power Max 150g) I could find to kind of break it in till I could wrangle up with some reloading components. I loaded up the magazine and pulled the trigger. I have a 300wm sendero and it's my 3rd 300wm so recoil really doesn't bother me to much. That first shot of the Tikka freaking hurt lol. I shot 8 rounds, every round showed pressure signs. For educational purposes I shot the last round through my magnetospeed at 3400fps. I knew something wasn't right. I pulled the remaining bullets and the powder averaged 72.0 grains! From every reloading manual I have read those rounds were almost 4-10 grains over charge for most powders.... I knew there was a reason why I stopped buying factory and usually only shoot reloads!
Reloads vs factory
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FearNoWind
Well-Known Member
Shooting a Tikka t3 in 300wsm takes a lot of man. 
This happened to a friend I had been trying to convince hand loads were better. Better to be able to inspect components and know the powder you shoot. He is now loading some very accurate loads and enjoys his time spent reloading.
Gunpoor
Well-Known Member
I had a Tikka T3 Lite chambered in 300WSM that I only shot 165 grain Hornady handloads through and they ran 3000 ft/sec at the muzzle +7'. I didn't think recoil was all that bad but when my #2 son begged it off me he couldn't stand to shoot it because of the kick and traded it on something else. My #1 son and my S-I-L agreed with Kyle that it was a hard kicker. Those tulips don't know what heavy recoil feels like! LOL I had a 338RUM Sendero SF that came from the factory with a decelerator recoil pad and it would get my attention but when that pad started coming loose from the stock and it wouldn't hold air it kicked hard enough that after about six shots through it my arm was bruised to the elbow and my right rib cage was black and blue almost to my waist. I just thought I was turning into a tulip when I shot it but seeing the bruising I knew something just wasn't correct. That Tikka would shoot about .75 MOA consistently but my friends Browning in 300WSM would shoot about .25 MOA. We were both shooting 66 grains of IMR4350 over a Win magnum primer and 165 grain Hornady bullet, either IL or SST, in Win cases. Both rifles shot the same velocity.
Weight is your friend when it comes to recoil, try plugging in your info >>> Recoil Calculator. The sendero .300 WM has more weight over the T3 .300 WSM to dampen most of the recoil.
I guess that depends on powder used. I just check on Hornady 10th ed and 74.7g of Superformance can propel a 150-155g bullet to 3400 FPS (24" 1:10" WW WLRM COL - 2.860").
Cheers!
Shortmagman
Well-Known Member
Winchester seems to have always loaded the 150 grain bullets very hot in the 300WSM. When I first shot my 300WSM I also used a Winchester load,150 Ballistic Silver Tips and my velocity was over 3300 ft/sec, not quite 3400 but still very hot. I think that someone wanted to prove that the 300WSM could match or exceed the 300WM.
FearNoWind
Well-Known Member
A well cut muzzle brake by a skilled gunsmith is worth it's weight in gold for that combination. Wouldn't use a screw on model ... just my 2¢
BallisticsGuy
Well-Known Member
The WSM's are running pretty high pressure anyway. 62K IIRC. Anyway, my .325wsm didn't just flatten primers, it blanked them. Every single time. Also kicked like a Missouri mule. Traded off. Back to light kicking 7mag.
DartonJager
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I guess 30+ years of 12ga 2.75" magnum sabot slug ammo has desensitized me to recoil as I also own a Tikka T3 lite in 300 wsm and although I did install a Limb Saver Air Tech recoil pad and some times wear my PAST recoil shield, I don't think it kicks all that bad from the bench. I cant say that I actually enjoy the recoil, but I certainly don't dread it or have yet had to call it quits because I reached my tolerance limit.
My normal range session consists of 26-30 rounds from the bench and another 10-15 rounds off hand and shot using shooting sticks. Love to ring that steel.
My experience with factory ammo has been quite a pleasant surprise I must admit. When I bought my T3 Lite I never imagined finding affordable 300wsm would prove so difficult, and although Norma brass was readily available it cost over $1.50/EA. I came across a great deal on Federal blue box Power Shock ammo for $26.00 for 20 rounds so I bought 200 rounds just so I would have a source of brass and I was getting actual loaded ammunition for cheaper than brass.
To my utter delight the Federal Power Shock ammo with 180 grain SSP averages right at 1-1/8" for a 100 yard 3-shot group, with MOA or better groups with regularity. IT also is about 50fps faster than advertised.
The rifle is proving to be easy to reload for using IMR 4831 I'm getting an average MV of 3050 fps with 1 grain under book max loads using 180grn NPTs and H-INT/LOKS and I'm certain I can still improve my load with a little tinkering.
I am going to the range tomorrow with loads using IMR4831, IMR4451, and RL17.
What can I say I love to shoot.
I guess 30+ years of 12ga 2.75" magnum sabot slug ammo has desensitized me to recoil as I also own a Tikka T3 lite in 300 wsm and although I did install a Limb Saver Air Tech recoil pad and some times wear my PAST recoil shield, I don't think it kicks all that bad from the bench. I cant say that I actually enjoy the recoil, but I certainly don't dread it or have yet had to call it quits because I reached my tolerance limit.
My normal range session consists of 26-30 rounds from the bench and another 10-15 rounds off hand and shot using shooting sticks. Love to ring that steel.
My experience with factory ammo has been quite a pleasant surprise I must admit. When I bought my T3 Lite I never imagined finding affordable 300wsm would prove so difficult, and although Norma brass was readily available it cost over $1.50/EA. I came across a great deal on Federal blue box Power Shock ammo for $26.00 for 20 rounds so I bought 200 rounds just so I would have a source of brass and I was getting actual loaded ammunition for cheaper than brass.
To my utter delight the Federal Power Shock ammo with 180 grain SSP averages right at 1-1/8" for a 100 yard 3-shot group, with MOA or better groups with regularity. IT also is about 50fps faster than advertised.
The rifle is proving to be easy to reload for using IMR 4831 I'm getting an average MV of 3050 fps with 1 grain under book max loads using 180grn NPTs and H-INT/LOKS and I'm certain I can still improve my load with a little tinkering.
I am going to the range tomorrow with loads using IMR4831, IMR4451, and RL17.
What can I say I love to shoot.
