185 Berger Classic Hunter at 3225 or 215 Berger Hybrid at 2,975
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Broz
Well-Known Member
215 Hybrid for me. 19 one shot kills from bull elk at 200 yards to antelope at 1285 yards don't lie. 
Jeff
Jeff
Broz
Well-Known Member
I get 3035 from a fast 28" tube. I would load for accuracy. 2975 will work very nicely and will even work better under 500 yards than 3035.
Jeff
Rem700addict
Well-Known Member
If you don't mind me asking, what type of powder and charge weight are you using for your 185's? I just picked up some myself, thanks.
I went through a similiar decision with both my 300 WM and 6,5x284. In addition to improved shorter range bullet performance, an added benefit of the lower velocity, heavy bullet, is the prospect of increased barrel life.
MontanaRifleman
Well-Known Member
Have you thought about the 230 hybrids in your 300 Dakota?
A little slower with more mass equals better terminal performance IMO. Not that the 215's don't perform well.
A little better barrel life as well.
You might also look at RL33 shooting the 230's. You could probably equal the velocity you're getting with the 215's with a 100% to 101% load. 33 looks to be doing very well in the RUM cases.
I shoot the 230's in my 300 RUM with H1000. I hadn't really thought about them in the Dakota. Maybe I should. Is R33 supposed to be more temp stable than the other Reloder powders?
MontanaRifleman
Well-Known Member
Not really much data out on 33 temp stability yet but it is producing very good velocities. RL17 and RL33 are a different chemistry than the other Reloader powders and it seems 17 is a bit sensitive to temps but maybe not as much as 22 and 25. I have read numerous reports of 50 - 150 fps more velocity than Retumbo. It is a slower powder than Retumbo but also more dense so you can pack more in.
From what I'm reading, 33 doesn't quite fill the 300 RUM case pushing the 230's. Based on that, I think the 300 Dakota is a good candidate for 33 pushing the 230's It might be a tad fast for the Dalokta, but if you got say a 101% with moderate pressure and good velocity I would think it would be a good thing. This all depends on hoe deep you seat your bullet.
My thinking on temp stable powders is there is no such thing as a completely temp stable powder. Some are more stable than others so adjustment have to made when temps change. How much and how often are other considerations but if a powder that filled my case was a little more sensitive to temps, than a powder that only filled 90% of my case, I might go with the full load vs the 90% load as long as accuracy was good. Accuracy would be trump consideration.
i stumbled on to this thread and thought I would chime in. I am shooting the 230 OTM out of my 300 Dakota. I am using 77 grains of H1000, 215M primer and seating it .004 off the lands. it did not take me long at all to find this load, I have been having good luck with the 230 OTM's being most accurate at .004 jump. I shot a .521 inch center to center group at 275 yards, prone off harris Bi pod and rear bag. Chrono is showing 2950- 2955 fps. took it out to 835 and shot 1 MOA low. So my guess is it is chugging along at 2900 fps.
