Need help with bullet choice...(weight)

[AtownBcat]

So I hope this is in the right forum...

This question has been on my mind for a while and I do not believe I have seen it discussed as I will attempt to ask it here...

First a little background. I shoot a 300WM.
Kreiger 26 inch 1 in 10 twist barrel.
It will shoot 178 and 208 grain AMax's equally well.
I was shooting the 208's with 77.7 grains of Retumbo, CCI Mag primers, RWS Brass. It was a very accurate load but about every couple of shots, I was having a little trouble with heavy bolt lift. I figured no matter how great it shot, this was not going to work. So I started to lower the powder charge 77.5-77.3-77.1 still having trouble(new factory ammo no problem) I could be having a problem with my reloads but i just think the load is still a little hot.

So for the question:

How do you decide where the line is between speed(shooting the 178's) and BC is(the 208's) I mean how slow do I have to go with the 208's before the speed of switching to the 178's is more important(accurate) then the higher BC of the 208's?

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

Just google jbm ballistics and run the numbers to see what you have. Then you can decide what is best for you. Run the numbers to the range you intend to shoot. In other words no need running it to 1200 yards if you shoot mostly 800 and closer.

 

[Broz]

You are experiencing the same thing I have with Retumbo. It is accurate but spikes on some shots if you run it close to max resulting in the hard bolt lift and pressure sign. That said I think you are high on the pressure charge with the low volume case of RWS brass. I usually have to drop 3 full grains when going from WW , RP or Lapua brass in to RWS. So here is what I would do. Either change your load over to brass with a larger case volume and see what ya get. Or try H-1000 for powder and work a load back up. I would start that load at 72 gr with a 210 gr bullet. Also the ammount you dropped your charge from 77.5 down to 77.1 is not enough. If you see pressure signs you need to back off 3 gr and slowly work back up in 1/2 gr steps.

I shoot heavy bullets in all my rifles because I shoot long range in wind and hunt elk with most of them. We take many trophy elk each year. Below are a couple pics from last season. The larger one is from a 210Berger in my 300 win taken at 643 yards. We like elk DRT and don't want them running to the bottom of a gulch to expire. This is why we use expanding bullets, the heavier the better.

Jeff

 

[Broz]

So for the question:

How do you decide where the line is between speed(shooting the 178's) and BC is(the 208's) I mean how slow do I have to go with the 208's before the speed of switching to the 178's is more important(accurate) then the higher BC of the 208's?

For this I would recommend you take a couple of each out on a windy day. Set a wide target up at your max distance. Then shoot both and see for yourself which one has less drift. Then take those results and look at the intended game you will be hunting and decide which you feel will kill it fastest. If this is strictly a target load the size of the bullet may not matter to you depending on distance and drift.

Jeff

 

[AtownBcat]

Thanks to you both for the replies...
I played a little with JBM and even if i took the 208's down to 2800 fps it woild still buck the wind better than the 178. Now it would drop farther but im dialing drop anyway so a few more clicks dont mean much.

Another question. It was suggested that I might be having trouble because its a belted mag. That the case might be sticking because the area right above the belt never really gets resized. Someone suggested a larry willis die for belted mags. Im not having trouble chambering the rounds but the bolt is not sticky until the very top of the lift. I have to use my thumb to wrap around the scope and "pop" it loose...any ideas? My primer is flowing a little but it is not flat and Im not seeing an extractor mark....so maybe its not pressure...???

 

[Broz]

..so maybe its not pressure...???

Go load 3 rounds 3 gr less and see if it goes away. If it does I still say your are hot. Or try the H-1000 to get rid of it.

Jeff

 

[diriel]

@AtowBcat,

A Huge +1 to what Broz is telling you! I can not stress it enough, H1000 in a 300WM is real hard to beat when what you want is rock solid reliability.

I would also ask BSL and company what the status is on the 215gr Berger Hybrid Hunting bullets in 30cal. For that matter, 200gr and above really.

Gary

 

[load]

So I hope this is in the right forum...

This question has been on my mind for a while and I do not believe I have seen it discussed as I will attempt to ask it here...

First a little background. I shoot a 300WM.
Kreiger 26 inch 1 in 10 twist barrel.
It will shoot 178 and 208 grain AMax's equally well.
I was shooting the 208's with 77.7 grains of Retumbo, CCI Mag primers, RWS Brass. It was a very accurate load but about every couple of shots, I was having a little trouble with heavy bolt lift. I figured no matter how great it shot, this was not going to work. So I started to lower the powder charge 77.5-77.3-77.1 still having trouble(new factory ammo no problem) I could be having a problem with my reloads but i just think the load is still a little hot.

So for the question:

How do you decide where the line is between speed(shooting the 178's) and BC is(the 208's) I mean how slow do I have to go with the 208's before the speed of switching to the 178's is more important(accurate) then the higher BC of the 208's?

try dropping back to fed gm 210 primers your probably getting a pressure spike using mag primers.gun) i use 75 grains with 225 thats max with 215 mag primers but light with 210s

 

[AtownBcat]

OK, so I have a range update.

I Had already loaded some rounds 2g lighter than the 77.7 that I started with. (not the three that was recomended). I also found some virgin winchester brass.
I loaded the winchester brass with my starting load of 77.7 grains.

The RWS brass with 75.7 grains stuck just like the 77.7 did. But the virgin winchester brass had no pressure signs and ejected perfectly. So it can only be either there is that much difference in the two brands of brass or the fact that the RWS (third firing) is not being sized all the way to the belt is causing the problems.

 

[load]

OK, so I have a range update.

I Had already loaded some rounds 2g lighter than the 77.7 that I started with. (not the three that was recomended). I also found some virgin winchester brass.
I loaded the winchester brass with my starting load of 77.7 grains.

The RWS brass with 75.7 grains stuck just like the 77.7 did. But the virgin winchester brass had no pressure signs and ejected perfectly. So it can only be either there is that much difference in the two brands of brass or the fact that the RWS (third firing) is not being sized all the way to the belt is causing the problems.

check over all length of the case also

 

[AtownBcat]

I trim cases after every firing so this should not be a problem.