300 Weatherby loading tips.

[palerider3]

Guys, I was hoping to get a couple questions answered. I have been hand loading for a while now. I have been hand loading for accuracy only a couple years now. I have always started with the bullet I intend to use and a middle size charge of s powder common in that cartridge and then played with the seating depth before working with powder weight. My question is, with the freebore in my weatherby vanguard is there any point in doing this? I have only about 30 rounds through this rifle and it was all weatherby factory 150 gr spire points. They shot well but I am looking to use it for elk and was going to try either the 180 gr scirroco 2s that I have already or the 165 ttsx that I already have. What loads shoot good for you guys and what should I play with seating depth or just load them at the length of the factory ammo that shot well? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Danny1788]

I have a why vanguard sub moa. I shoot the 168gr ttsx as we'll with imr7828 I'm at 84.0gr which I worked up to, fed 215gm, wby brass, 3.560" max mag box length almost. It still feeds fine. With the short barrel I'm at 3140fps. Groups are under MOA. Never played with seating depth just loaded max length and played with powder weight. My rifle is bedded and barrel free floated. Good luck my barrel also shoots the 200gr Barnes lrx bullets and rl22 just as accurate but I have so many 168 I just keep shooting those

 

[MudRunner2005]

Guys, I was hoping to get a couple questions answered. I have been hand loading for a while now. I have been hand loading for accuracy only a couple years now. I have always started with the bullet I intend to use and a middle size charge of s powder common in that cartridge and then played with the seating depth before working with powder weight. My question is, with the freebore in my weatherby vanguard is there any point in doing this? I have only about 30 rounds through this rifle and it was all weatherby factory 150 gr spire points. They shot well but I am looking to use it for elk and was going to try either the 180 gr scirroco 2s that I have already or the 165 ttsx that I already have. What loads shoot good for you guys and what should I play with seating depth or just load them at the length of the factory ammo that shot well? Any help would be appreciated.

I've found with a Weatherby and lots of freebore, to load about 0.005"-0.010" short of magazine length, then ladder test your powders from there to find where it likes it.

Also, if you like the way your .300 Wby is shooting, you should consider having the chamber opened up to .300 Ackley Magnum. It's basically an improved version of a .300 Wby (sometimes called the .300 Weatherby Ackley Improved 40*) that has a 40* shoulder instead of the rounded Weatherby shoulder, to improve accuracy and case life. You can form brass out of your .300 Wby brass you already have. All you have to do is load it up and shoot it, and out-pops a fully formed .300 Ackley brass. You will need custom dies made, but in the meantime (after fire-forming) you can use an RCBS .300 Wby neck-sizer die and size just the neck of the .300 Ackley brass, since they have the same neck dimensions. Just a little tip I've learned along the way with mine. And also, for load data, you start out using .300 Wby load data and work your way up to find your rifle's preferred charge.

It's just something to look into and think about. I have a buddy who has a .300 Wby, and after showing him my .300 Ackley, he's considering having his chamber opened up to it, as well.

Oh, and like Calhunter, I also use IMR 7828 SSC in my .300 Ackley.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

I'm helping a buddy work up a load for his accumark in 300roy lately. It seems to thrive with either the 220 nos. hpbt and rl33 or the 225 hdy hpbt and 7828. Since the hornady won't be in production for a while we'll be tweaking the nosler load until it's about as good as this rifle will get. This particular 300roy doesn't even shoot a decent group until the bullet weight gets up there, so I'm actually considering working with the 240 sierra if the nosler 220 hpbt's don't pan out quite as well as they promise.

 

[MagnumManiac]

I always load for magazine length in my Weatherby's, being near the lands means nothing, you will find a seating depth further from the lands that can be just as accurate. There's no need to fiddle with the COAL, just shoot it.
I had very good success with 180gr and 200gr Accubonds in my 300 Weatherby, the Scirroco are good bullets too, but I would stick with 180 and heavier bullets for the Weatherby, 165/168gr bullets are a bit soft for Weatherby velocities and will destroy a lot of meat in my experience.

Cheers.
gun)

 

[4xforfun]

I've found with a Weatherby and lots of freebore, to load about 0.005"-0.010" short of magazine length, then ladder test your powders from there to find where it likes it.

Also, if you like the way your .300 Wby is shooting, you should consider having the chamber opened up to .300 Ackley Magnum. It's basically an improved version of a .300 Wby (sometimes called the .300 Weatherby Ackley Improved 40*) that has a 40* shoulder instead of the rounded Weatherby shoulder, to improve accuracy and case life. You can form brass out of your .300 Wby brass you already have. All you have to do is load it up and shoot it, and out-pops a fully formed .300 Ackley brass. You will need custom dies made, but in the meantime (after fire-forming) you can use an RCBS .300 Wby neck-sizer die and size just the neck of the .300 Ackley brass, since they have the same neck dimensions. Just a little tip I've learned along the way with mine. And also, for load data, you start out using .300 Wby load data and work your way up to find your rifle's preferred charge.

It's just something to look into and think about. I have a buddy who has a .300 Wby, and after showing him my .300 Ackley, he's considering having his chamber opened up to it, as well.

Oh, and like Calhunter, I also use IMR 7828 SSC in my .300 Ackley.

There are 101 reasons why some of the 1000 yard BR crowd ditched the Weatherby double radiused sholder for the Ackley design....but not ONE of them had anything to do with accuracy.

 

[MudRunner2005]

There are 101 reasons why some of the 1000 yard BR crowd ditched the Weatherby double radiused sholder for the Ackley design....but not ONE of them had anything to do with accuracy.

Well, please elaborate on them... I know better brass life, and less case stretch, so less trimming.

 

[4xforfun]

Well, please elaborate on them... I know better brass life, and less case stretch, so less trimming.

You are forgetting two of the biggest reasons...more case capacity, and once someone won with one, lots of shooters piled on....it became the "it cartrage" of the day.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Still is a hell of a cartridge.

 

[Deleted member 46119]

I would have to concur that accuracy is not a reason to denigrate the Roy Radius.
Being belted is not a reason either even though I don't like belted designs.

so

Back to the subject at hand.

I have a tendency to twiddle the powder charge rather than the seating depth.

For me with TTSX the best seating in the Wby has always been to expose the first goove + .005 or so. Jumps are of course huge. Powder is almost always 7828.

For TTSX 180 COAL 3.730 worked.

For Nosler CC 168's the 300 Wby are lasers. All three of them liked it with the same COAL 3.570.

CEB MTH C48 COAL 3.584

The Barnes LRX 200 was seated with the first groove covered and I don't have that worked out yet and probably not going to has I'm going to rechamber the intended rifle to 300 RUM.

 

[palerider3]

Thanks for the replies guys. This is a hunting rifle for me and will never be a benchrest gun. I appreciate the tips with freebore. As for the 1000 yard benchrest shooting, I believe the vast majority are shooting 6 and 6.5 mm guns that burn half the powder of the 300 weatherby. I shoot a 308 and a 260 Remington for long range target shooting. Much more pleasant to shoot for a while, a lot more loads to a lb of powder, and 308 barrels last a long time.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Thanks for the replies guys. This is a hunting rifle for me and will never be a benchrest gun. I appreciate the tips with freebore. As for the 1000 yard benchrest shooting, I believe the vast majority are shooting 6 and 6.5 mm guns that burn half the powder of the 300 weatherby. I shoot a 308 and a 260 Remington for long range target shooting. Much more pleasant to shoot for a while, a lot more loads to a lb of powder, and 308 barrels last a long time.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I have always had a love affair with the .308 Win. Had a .308 since I was 16 years old. Won't ever NOT have one in the safe. I currently have a Rem 700 5R 24" .308. 100% factory (other than a new trigger), and it shoots 1-hole groups @ 100. Like you said, they're just really fun to shoot, and uses 1/2 the powder of the magnums.

Also, my .300 Ackley is a hunting rifle (Remington Sendero), not a BR rifle. I don't shoot BR so I don't own a BR rifle.

 

[alaska]

Loaded my 300 WBY for over 30 years

I have had best luck with

IMR 7828 @ 85.0
180 gr Nosler Part
CCI 250 mag primer
Hornady Brass

 

[stevencraig]

Can anyone tell me what is going on? I am shooting older Sako AV in 300 Wby. Saw where IMR 7828 max. load was 84.5 with 180 gr. bullet in Nosler load data. I loaded group of 3 each starting at 82. and going up to max of 84.5. When i shot 83.+ at range, pressures were so high i couldnt open bolt, didnt even shoot 84. and 84.5 loads. Loaded 178 gr ELDX, oal of 3.540. Anyone know? Thanks