.300 win mag: pursuing 4000 feet per second.

[Calvin45]

Hey all, I had promised a few people to share results of my experimenting with the 120 grain Barnes TAC-TX (designed for the .300 blackout)
In my 300 win mag (savage 111 Long Range Hunter).

I've got a load worked up! Unfortunately I have no velocity numbers for you right now as a friend borrowed my chronograph and retrieving it is proving difficult .

I treated these bullets with hexagonal boron nitride, as with all bullets that go down this particular barrel.

the final load to test velocity on soon is the 120 tac tx hbn treated, in new Peterson brass, a
Federal 215m primer, and 89.5 grains of hodgdon Superformance powder lightly compressed. Being a dense ball powder you can fit a lot in there! Also 90 grains of powder out of a 300 win mag with a muzzle brake sounds deightfully MEAN and is furthering my suspicions that in the future I'll own a bigger .30 of some kind.

I know they're monometals but they also have an insanely huge tip and hollow point, meant for low velocity expansion. So i was surprised and impressed when these blew through an 18" thick tree (willow, very soft wood but still…if it can go through a foot and a half of tree I don't see why an elk shoulder would be a problem at all).

accuracy was a bit disappointing at first (because I've been spoiled by my "one ragged hole" accurate 225 eld m load) but still measured around 3/4 of an inch at 90 paces or so, and I can work on that a bit: I never ran the virgin brass through the sizing die/expander ball, maybe that would help. I also did not crimp or play with seating depth yet. Most importantly, i was shooting in lightly drizzling rain and I don't know how much that affects accuracy but surely it must! I'm not done yet but preliminary findings are promising

I hit pressure at 91.5 grains compressed (yes, 91.5 grains of this stuff easily fit in a .300 win mag!). Slightly stiff bolt lift, a bit of soot around the primer. So I backed off two grains and it shoots great, when doing load work up I always cycle the bolt with one finger just to make sure I'm notice any difference in resistance. There is none at 89.5, the cases just slide on our, no shiny marks on the base, no cratering of the primer, nothing.

Anyone care to make a guess or use software to guess how fast these might be running?

 

[Calvin45]

 

[Calvin45]

@ButterBean, @scope-eye, @Carsyn.22, and @Hand Skills i figured I'd tag you guys in this as you've either asked how this is going or been influencing in my deciding to try the "light and fast" thing again after years of not thinking it practical or worthwhile. Thanks speed freaks (and don't worry butterbean, handskills, a fellow Saskatchewan dweller, is planning to order some hammers sometime soon and I think I'm gonna go in on that with him haha - but we'll see how these lowly Barnes do!)

 

[340Wby-4-everything]

3880fps

 

[asd9055]

Until the mid 80's Weatherby used to sell 110 grain bullets for their 300 WBY. Loading books had recipies for them as well, anywhere from 3500 t0 3950 FPS.

 

[ButterBean]

@ButterBean, @scope-eye, @Carsyn.22, and @Hand Skills i figured I'd tag you guys in this as you've either asked how this is going or been influencing in my deciding to try the "light and fast" thing again after years of not thinking it practical or worthwhile. Thanks speed freaks (and don't worry butterbean, handskills, a fellow Saskatchewan dweller, is planning to order some hammers sometime soon and I think I'm gonna go in on that with him haha - but we'll see how these lowly Barnes do!)

I'm gonna say your in the mid 3800's and don't be disappointed in a 3/4 moa group

 

[Calvin45]

I'm gonna say your in the mid 3800's and don't be disappointed in a 3/4 moa group

That sounds realistic I know, to hit 4000 FPS would equate to over 4200 foot pounds of energy. While that energy level can be done with a 300 Winnie I've always heard of it with 200+ grainers, not lightweights.

a man can dream though….

you're right about not being disappointed though, I know that I just have been used to the freakishly accurate load I did up with the 225s but those don't fit in the magazine and while their true long range ability will smoke any of the light monos, their point blank range isn't amazing and, moment of truth time, while
I've shot at targets further out, I've never taken game beyond 400 yards. Just haven't ever needed to, can always get closer than that. So I came to my senses and thought, "what is the point of having this load that requires single feeding, even if it is supersonic to 2000 yards according to software - never actually shot anywhere close to that far to verify - when I almost certainly will never even want to try shooting live game beyond 600 or so?" Inside 600 that bowstring trajectory counts for a lot.

 

[ButterBean]

That sounds realistic I know, to hit 4000 FPS would equate to over 4200 foot pounds of energy. While that energy level can be done with a 300 Winnie I've always heard of it with 200+ grainers, not lightweights.

a man can dream though….

you're right about not being disappointed though, I know that I just have been used to the freakishly accurate load I did up with the 225s but those don't fit in the magazine and while their true long range ability will smoke any of the light monos, their point blank range isn't amazing and, moment of truth time, while
I've shot at targets further out, I've never taken game beyond 400 yards. Just haven't ever needed to, can always get closer than that. So I came to my senses and thought, "what is the point of having this load that requires single feeding, even if it is supersonic to 2000 yards according to software - never actually shot anywhere close to that far to verify - when I almost certainly will never even want to try shooting live game beyond 600 or so?" Inside 600 that bowstring trajectory counts for a lot.

Yes it does IMO

 

[Carsyn.22]

Nice Handskills and I made a Hammer order last year, If you guys need and extra box or two of bullets to hit your import limit just let me know as I would like to get a couple.

I will defer to butterbean for velocity estimates, he tends to know his stuff!

 

[skipglo]

@ButterBean, @scope-eye, @Carsyn.22, and @Hand Skills i figured I'd tag you guys in this as you've either asked how this is going or been influencing in my deciding to try the "light and fast" thing again after years of not thinking it practical or worthwhile. Thanks speed freaks (and don't worry butterbean, handskills, a fellow Saskatchewan dweller, is planning to order some hammers sometime soon and I think I'm gonna go in on that with him haha - but we'll see how these lowly Barnes do!)

It will take two people, or maybe 3 to be able to afford a box of Hammers in Canada! I'm in Alberta...I'll go thirds!

 

[del2les]

I don't think you will reach 4k with the 120's, for I can get 3,900 with the 110's.
Thus, most likely, you will be in the 3,700-3,800 range, or in the mid to high 3,800 with high pressure.
YMMV

 

[Calvin45]

I don't think you will reach 4k with the 120's, for I can get 3,900 with the 110's.
Thus, most likely, you will be in the 3,700-3,800 range, or in the mid to high 3,800 with high pressure.
YMMV

Yeah those numbers are more probable for sure.

powder you use with those 110s? Are these 110 Barnes? Do you coat them with anything? Just trying to get a comparative bit of info.

 

[fmuguira]

I ll guess 3820 FPS if a 24" barrel… 26" and I ll guess 3885 FPS …..

Let us know just for curiosity sakes. Also interested in jump to lands, BC, and OAL. Good luck.

 

[jarnold37]

Hey all, I had promised a few people to share results of my experimenting with the 120 grain Barnes TAC-TX (designed for the .300 blackout)
In my 300 win mag (savage 111 Long Range Hunter).

I've got a load worked up! Unfortunately I have no velocity numbers for you right now as a friend borrowed my chronograph and retrieving it is proving difficult .

I treated these bullets with hexagonal boron nitride, as with all bullets that go down this particular barrel.

the final load to test velocity on soon is the 120 tac tx hbn treated, in new Peterson brass, a
Federal 215m primer, and 89.5 grains of hodgdon Superformance powder lightly compressed. Being a dense ball powder you can fit a lot in there! Also 90 grains of powder out of a 300 win mag with a muzzle brake sounds deightfully MEAN and is furthering my suspicions that in the future I'll own a bigger .30 of some kind.

I know they're monometals but they also have an insanely huge tip and hollow point, meant for low velocity expansion. So i was surprised and impressed when these blew through an 18" thick tree (willow, very soft wood but still…if it can go through a foot and a half of tree I don't see why an elk shoulder would be a problem at all).

accuracy was a bit disappointing at first (because I've been spoiled by my "one ragged hole" accurate 225 eld m load) but still measured around 3/4 of an inch at 90 paces or so, and I can work on that a bit: I never ran the virgin brass through the sizing die/expander ball, maybe that would help. I also did not crimp or play with seating depth yet. Most importantly, i was shooting in lightly drizzling rain and I don't know how much that affects accuracy but surely it must! I'm not done yet but preliminary findings are promising

I hit pressure at 91.5 grains compressed (yes, 91.5 grains of this stuff easily fit in a .300 win mag!). Slightly stiff bolt lift, a bit of soot around the primer. So I backed off two grains and it shoots great, when doing load work up I always cycle the bolt with one finger just to make sure I'm notice any difference in resistance. There is none at 89.5, the cases just slide on our, no shiny marks on the base, no cratering of the primer, nothing.

Anyone care to make a guess or use software to guess how fast these might be running?

Several years before the 30-378 became a legitimate factory round, I started shooting it as a wildcat. I ordered two reamers one for 125 grain loadings and the other for 180 and bigger loadings. Both reamers were ordered to cut with no freebore, so I could touch the riflings for better accuracy. With several barrels and twists with actual field performance I eventually determined that the 125-130 grain bullet with 14" twist and bullet basically touching riflings was my favorite combination delivering 4050fps and less than 1/4" grouping at 100 yards. Even though I had program out to 1000 yards my shots were usually between 4-6 hundred yards. I even preferred this over another chambering, 338-378 with 300 grn bullets in a heavy gun that gave no recoil allowing perfect view of hits. I have chambered other high capacity cartridges but still after all these years prefer 125 grn 30 caliber at over 4000 fps. In a 20 lb. gun, muzzle brake, with no recoil, 20z trigger and 12-42 scope it is my most enjoyable gun. I never shoot at a deer without a rest, so this gives me my cake and eat it to