Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association
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  1. #1
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    Default Working up load for 300WM

    I am beginning to work up loads for a 700 Long Range in 300 WM. This rifle has a 26” barrel w/ a 1:10 twist and a deep throat. I have allot of once fired brass (mostly R-P & Barnes). This brass will chamber in my rifle w/o sizing (although there is some force required to close the bolt handle. Anyway, here are the steps that I am intending to follow.

    - Size the neck w/ a Lee collet die. I will use the standard diameter decapping rod.
    - Size w/ Redding body die. Adjust die such that bolt will close (on empty case) w/ a very slight drag. Eventually I will get a Larry Willis collet die but don’t have one now.
    - Clean/Uniform primer pockets, chamfer necks from inside/outside & prime the cases. Should the primer be a magnum primer or standard? I heard that standard primers result in a lower SD.
    - Starting loads will be 71 gr. H1000 & 74 gr. Retumbo. Each load will be individually weighed.
    - Hornady 220 gr. ELD-X bullets will be loaded & be seated w/ a Forster micrometer seating die to where the bullet is 0.020” off of the lands. This will result in a COAL of approximately 3.60”.

    I will only load 5 rounds of each. If cases are OK will go up by 0.5 grains on both powders & load 10 more. Will do this until I get to a max load (looking at primers for pressure signs). Is my intended procedure correct? Any other words of wisdom?
    Last edited by MMH; July 7th, 2016 at 02:32 PM.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Working up load for 300WM

    Looks good for the most part. I didn't check your powder charges to know whether or not they're high. Seems like it.

    A couple thoughts: bump size the brass to allow for easier chambering. No need to full length size if the brass is from the same gun. Just bump the shoulder back .001-.005" and you'll keep your brass for more cycles!

    Also, if loading for "short" range targets, there's no need to beat yourself up with maximum pressure loads. They often don't buy you much of anything. Personally, I would dial it back and just learn to compensate if shooting out to 1000 and beyond. Find your MER and know your limitations. The WM cartridge has a lot of potential but loading them super hot will also drastically reduce your barrel life. Shoot, the .30-06 will shoot to roughly 1300 before going subsonic (I.e. Destabilizing) with standard velocities.


    The ELD-X bullets are great by the way. Love those pills.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Working up load for 300WM

    Quote Originally Posted by ianb1116 View Post
    Looks good for the most part. I didn't check your powder charges to know whether or not they're high. Seems like it.

    A couple thoughts: bump size the brass to allow for easier chambering. No need to full length size if the brass is from the same gun. Just bump the shoulder back .001-.005" and you'll keep your brass for more cycles!

    Also, if loading for "short" range targets, there's no need to beat yourself up with maximum pressure loads. They often don't buy you much of anything. Personally, I would dial it back and just learn to compensate if shooting out to 1000 and beyond. Find your MER and know your limitations. The WM cartridge has a lot of potential but loading them super hot will also drastically reduce your barrel life. Shoot, the .30-06 will shoot to roughly 1300 before going subsonic (I.e. Destabilizing) with standard velocities.


    The ELD-X bullets are great by the way. Love those pills.
    A couple of sources that I checked suggest that those loads are far from hot & good starting loads.

    I am not looking to develop a super hot load. However, I want to determine the accuracy node for a given powder/bullet. More often than not, this is a fairly warm load. Punching paper out to 800 yards or so, if I want a lesser load I will go to my .308. Beyond that, or shooting large game at distance is what I got the 300WM for.

    Shooting at long range (1000 yds. & beyond) requires a high BC bullet & plenty of velocity. It is not a simple matter of "learn to compensate" With a .30 cal., high BC means a bullet in the range of 215 to 230 gr. A .308 can be used at 1000 yards, but it takes a hell of a shooter. That is why most competitors have gone to the 6/6.5/7 bullets - high BC & velocity with low recoil. Problem is that at range, they also have low KE.

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Working up load for 300WM

    I'm currently in the process of working up a load for my new .300 WM. I'm running the 215 Berger Hybrids up around 3000 fps out of a 30" barrel.

    I started using H1000 and went from 74gr all the way up to 80.6 gr using new Norma brass and a 3.62 COAL. For me it seems like 78 would be a good stopping point as that extra 2 grains was only getting an additional 40 fps.

    I am currently working with Retumbo using the fired brass to see if I can get better performance with less powder in the long barrel. So far at 78 gr I was up around 2970 fps so I'm going to test from 78.4 to 79 to iron out what the load will be based on accuracy.

    I would take a look at the 212gr ELD as opposed to the 220gr. Hornady developed the 220gr for the mag restrictions of the larger .300's like the RUM and Weatherby. Since your using a long loaded .300 WM the higher BC and lighter weight of the 212 gr would be more suited to your long range application.

    Edit: Disclaimer, please do not use the above loads and go shooting, what worked in my rifle was way to hot in another. Always start low and work up.
    Last edited by CMP703006; July 6th, 2016 at 05:02 PM. Reason: Disclaimer

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Working up load for 300WM

    Quote Originally Posted by MMH View Post
    A couple of sources that I checked suggest that those loads are far from hot & good starting loads.

    I am not looking to develop a super hot load. However, I want to determine the accuracy node for a given powder/bullet. More often than not, this is a fairly warm load. Punching paper out to 800 yards or so, if I want a lesser load I will go to my .308. Beyond that, or shooting large game at distance is what I got the 300WM for.

    Shooting at long range (1000 yds. & beyond) requires a high BC bullet & plenty of velocity. It is not a simple matter of "learn to compensate" With a .30 cal., high BC means a bullet in the range of 215 to 230 gr. A .308 can be used at 1000 yards, but it takes a hell of a shooter. That is why most competitors have gone to the 6/6.5/7 bullets - high BC & velocity with low recoil. Problem is that at range, they also have low KE.

    Right! I'm doing the same thing with my -06 currently. High BC bullets will hold velocity longer and thus reach out a bit further. Velocity is the kiss of death at long ranges. As you probably know, the transition from sonic to subsonic tends to tumble bullets. Vicker's tactical did a good video of this. Obviously, the equation is much more complicated than High BC + Velocity = long range accuracy, but generally, if you have those two things, you're starting on the right path. Making the wind calls and POA shifts are tough (i.e. your "hell of a shooter" comment).

    Most rounds are going to hemorrhage KE at 1K+ ranges; this is due to the loss of velocity as mass doesn't change over the flight.

    If you're hunting with the .300WM, you should be okay out to 1k if you can ethically take the shot. a 180gr A-MAX with a BC of 0.495 should have about 670 ft-lbs at 1000m per one source online. Plenty for white tail.

    Post your results when you get em!
    I'm only here for the wood c-rings.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Working up load for 300WM

    Quote Originally Posted by ianb1116 View Post
    Right! I'm doing the same thing with my -06 currently. High BC bullets will hold velocity longer and thus reach out a bit further. Velocity is the kiss of death at long ranges. As you probably know, the transition from sonic to subsonic tends to tumble bullets. Vicker's tactical did a good video of this. Obviously, the equation is much more complicated than High BC + Velocity = long range accuracy, but generally, if you have those two things, you're starting on the right path. Making the wind calls and POA shifts are tough (i.e. your "hell of a shooter" comment).

    Most rounds are going to hemorrhage KE at 1K+ ranges; this is due to the loss of velocity as mass doesn't change over the flight.

    If you're hunting with the .300WM, you should be okay out to 1k if you can ethically take the shot. a 180gr A-MAX with a BC of 0.495 should have about 670 ft-lbs at 1000m per one source online. Plenty for white tail.

    Post your results when you get em!
    Looks like you & I are on the same page. W/ a 300WM & 212 bullet, at 1000 yds. it should be at 1722 fps & 1395 ft.-lbs. - plenty for elk! Hell, even at 1400 yds. the bullet is still at 1325 fps. - just beginning to enter the transonic zone.

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Working up load for 300WM

    Quote Originally Posted by CMP703006 View Post
    I'm currently in the process of working up a load for my new .300 WM. I'm running the 215 Berger Hybrids up around 3000 fps out of a 30" barrel.

    I started using H1000 and went from 74gr all the way up to 80.6 gr using new Norma brass and a 3.62 COAL. For me it seems like 78 would be a good stopping point as that extra 2 grains was only getting an additional 40 fps.

    I am currently working with Retumbo using the fired brass to see if I can get better performance with less powder in the long barrel. So far at 78 gr I was up around 2970 fps so I'm going to test from 78.4 to 79 to iron out what the load will be based on accuracy.

    I would take a look at the 212gr ELD as opposed to the 220gr. Hornady developed the 220gr for the mag restrictions of the larger .300's like the RUM and Weatherby. Since your using a long loaded .300 WM the higher BC and lighter weight of the 212 gr would be more suited to your long range application.

    Edit: Disclaimer, please do not use the above loads and go shooting, what worked in my rifle was way to hot in another. Always start low and work up.
    Thanks for sharing your results. I also heard that IMR4831 was also a good powder for the 300WM.

    I did not realize that the 220 ELD was developed for mag. restricted cartridges. Checking out the BC, the 212 is clearly superior. Had you not explained why I would have been confused for a long, long time. I tried to get the 212 before but they were not in stock. Grice's has them in now & I will have to get a couple of boxes.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Working up load for 300WM

    Imr 4831 is on the faster side of things for the heavier bullets in that cartridge ,way back in the day 4831 was the slow "magnum" powder it was about as slow as it got except for powders for the 50 cal but things are different today , if your seeking velocity go with a slower powder .

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