Which .30 to build? Economical weight & speed?

[Longshotjames]

I am brainstorming in the .30 cal calibers. I would like to push a 220gr bullet around 3,000fps with a speed min of 2900

Here is the catch; Is there an economical 300 class cartridge that can be reloaded w/o buying $2.75 brass?

All comments welcome
James

 

[Predator 22]

Are you hunting or target shooting? If hunting what game at what ranges?
You might want to read a few of "broz" threads. I would say he is the guy to talk to about 30 caliber.

 

[toddc]

All brass is high right now compared to the past. It's not something I look at as per PIECE but per FIRING.
A 300WM is probably the closest you will get.
You could neck up 7STW and essentially be shooting a 300 Weatherby to be different or neck a 338 RUM down to 30.
Personally for a per FIRING economy I would look into a 300 Lapua. Yeah the brass is $2.50 a piece but its under 25 cents or less per FIRING if you don't beat it to death.

 

[Longshotjames]

Are you hunting or target shooting? If hunting what game at what ranges?
You might want to read a few of "broz" threads. I would say he is the guy to talk to about 30 caliber.

I shoot everything from steel, deer, pigs and occasional elk. Steel to a mile and deer to 1100 with average at 6-700.

I am currently shooting a 7rem mag twisted for 160gr and it's perfect for lighter-medium game under 1,000 but I would like more weight and higher BC for larger game and less wind drift,

Thanks for all the input!

James

 

[toddc]

I shoot everything from steel, deer, pigs and occasional elk. Steel to a mile and deer to 1100 with average at 6-700.

I am currently shooting a 7rem mag twisted for 160gr and it's perfect for lighter-medium game under 1,000 but I would like more weight and higher BC for larger game and less wind drift,

Thanks for all the input!

James

A 7 twisted to run the 195s or a 300WM are really the only players in your area with ECONOMY being a requisite.

 

[HARPERC]

Economy is a relative term, performance always comes with a price tag.

 

[MudRunner2005]

I am brainstorming in the .30 cal calibers. I would like to push a 220gr bullet around 3,000fps with a speed min of 2900

Here is the catch; Is there an economical 300 class cartridge that can be reloaded w/o buying $2.75 brass?

All comments welcome
James

.300 Ackley... Uses .300 Wby brass to form.

Nosler .300 Wby brass is $1.58 each...

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/7...eloading-brass-300-weatherby-magnum-box-of-50

 

[smithjasona1978]

30/375 ruger with a 30 inch tube.
Brass is cheap as it comes.

 

[Longshotjames]

Economy is a relative term, performance always comes with a price tag.

.300 Ackley... Uses .300 Wby brass to form.

Nosler .300 Wby brass is $1.58 each...

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/7...eloading-brass-300-weatherby-magnum-box-of-50

The 7practical(7/300) twisted for the 195gr might be a good option too

300ackley sounds like a good one to research and $1.50 sounds pretty reasonable too . Do they do an Ackley imp on the 300win mag too?

Great suggestions guys!

 

[bigngreen]

A 300 Norma mag would fit the bill rather nicely but you need a Lapua capable action otherwise a 300 RUM will hit your speeds.

 

[MudRunner2005]

The 7practical(7/300) twisted for the 195gr might be a good option too

300ackley sounds like a good one to research and $1.50 sounds pretty reasonable too . Do they do an Ackley imp on the 300win mag too?

Great suggestions guys!

.300 WM would not really gain a lot from an Ackley Improving, but yes, they do offer one.

The .300 Ackley is based on the .300 Weatherby Mag. It's bigger than the .300 WinMag.

Here is one of my .300 Ackley loads, next to my .300 WinMag loads.

And here is a good size comparison lineup for .30 calibers.

Left-to-right: .308 Winchester, .30-06 Ackley Improved 40º, .300 WinMag, .300 Ackley

 

[Deleted member 46119]

I'm in with Mud on this.

300Wby or 300Ackley with Ackley getting the nod.

Mud, can you just shoot 300Wby in the Ackley like you can with some others?

 

[MudRunner2005]

I'm in with Mud on this.

300Wby or 300Ackley with Ackley getting the nod.

Mud, can you just shoot 300Wby in the Ackley like you can with some others?

Yep! I don't, but you can. It requires zero extra brass prep (prior to fire-forming) if you use brand new .300 Wby cases. I even use a .300 Wby neck-sizer die and seater die to load for it. I've had it since 2014, and still haven't ordered any custom Whidden dies for it yet. I need to get around to that. But I haven't shot much in the last year or 2 thanks to work, moving, and family stuff. But to get you started, you can use a cheap set of RCBS .300 Wby neck sizer & seater dies.

I load up new Nosler .300 Wby cases with a starting charge of RL-22 and a cheap Hornady Interlock (or 155 or 168 Nosler Custom Comp) and fire them. Then you have a properly formed case to start your load development.

Some folks don't waste the time fire-forming with a light charge and just shoot factory ammo, but I like to tinker, so I go through the extra effort to keep from cracking necks and shoulders. Lower pressures will move the brass where it needs to go without causing too rapid an expansion, which is where you get cracks in new brass from... Granted it's often times caused by oversize factory chambers (which I don't have to worry about with any of my rifles). Didn't happen to me, but I've even seen a chamber so out of spec that it happened shooting factory ammo in a factory chambered barrel.

 

[Longshotjames]

Mud,
What bullet/powder are you running in your 300ackly? What speeds are you getting?
If i go with a .30 I am looking at running 212 or 220eldX
Thank you for the info