30 Nosler Surprise

[Mr6.5]

I made it to the range today and decided to drag along a 30 Nosler I built a couple years ago. I had never worked a load and had only shot it once to check function after building it. I had lost interest in it after building my 26 Nosler as the 26 was so fast and accurate. I worked through some of my other rifles 300 RUM, 30-06, 28 Nosler, and 300 WSM getting them ready for deer season. As an after thought I setup the 30 Nosler loaded with 165gr Federal Trophy Bonded tip and Retumbo.

I got it bore sighted and on paper, zeroed it to center and started working the ladder. At 84gr of Retumbo it shot the 5 shot group pictured here at 100 yards. Amazed is an understatement! I never thought this big ole magnum was capable of that group. I was intending to mostly hunt my 28 Nos this year but now, ugggg decisions

The funny thing is this group was shot by 3 people! I shot the first 2, my friend the next 2, and my son the last round and they ALL went through the same hole. How often does that happen?

Crono said 3260 fps average.

 

[TexasLife]

very nicely done by all 3.

 

[DrMike]

I'd say that load is a winner!

 

[RL338]

Never underestimate a magnum for good groups.
My best group to date was with my 460 Wby loaded with 500gr Barnes TSX.

 

[Mr6.5]

I have never hunted with this bullet, hope it is a performer, I won an auction for like 500 of them and figured what the heck... Anyone used them before?

165gr Federal Trophy Bonded Tip

 

[JD338]

Congrats on your 30 Nosler. That's an amazing feat with 3 different shooters.
May I ask the charge weight for your load?

JD338

 

[DrMike]

I have not used the Federal Trophy Bonded Tipped, but my "go to" bullet in my 7mm RM was the 175 grain iteration of old Trophy Bonded Bear Claw (which preceded the current Federal version). It accounted for multiple moose, elk, black bear, mule deer, and whitetail. I never lost game as result of a bullet failure. I have some of the newer iteration of this bullet in several calibers, but I haven't used them on game yet.

 

[NYDAN]

That is an amazing load and an amazing feat for three shooters. Well done!

 

[wvbuckbuster]

Quite an accomplishment. Never heard of that happening before. Load up some more and see if it will duplicate. I'd say it will.

 

[Mr6.5]

Congrats on your 30 Nosler. That's an amazing feat with 3 different shooters.
May I ask the charge weight for your load?

JD338

Exactly 84gr of retumbo

 

[Mr6.5]

I found another rifle in the back of the safe I have not shot or worked up a load for. It is a 6.5x300 Weather Magnum I custom built some time ago, Guess I need to get it to the range also and see what it will do.

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

I have never hunted with this bullet, hope it is a performer, I won an auction for like 500 of them and figured what the heck... Anyone used them before?

165gr Federal Trophy Bonded Tip

Never have used them but have heard VERY good things. One guy with a .30-06, the other with a .300 WSM, both using that same 165 grain TBT.

 

[SJB358]

I have never hunted with this bullet, hope it is a performer, I won an auction for like 500 of them and figured what the heck... Anyone used them before?

165gr Federal Trophy Bonded Tip

Absolute great bullet. We’ve taken a few elk with other calibers and weights but I’d not hesitate a second taking about anything with that load.

 

[JD338]

Exactly 84gr of retumbo

Thanks! I'll have to check my notes but I loaded my wife's 30 Nosler pretty close to the same load with the 168 ABLR and it shot .5 MOA.

JD338

 

[Mr6.5]

Thanks! I'll have to check my notes but I loaded my wife's 30 Nosler pretty close to the same load with the 168 ABLR and it shot .5 MOA.

JD338

It is impressive your wife shoots a 30 Nosler! My kind of Gal! I have always subscribed to the "bring enough gun" motto. Many of my friends are hunting the Grendel and 22 creedmoor's but that is not for me, not criticizing them, just not what I like hunting with.

 

[Blkram]

I have never hunted with this bullet, hope it is a performer, I won an auction for like 500 of them and figured what the heck... Anyone used them before?

165gr Federal Trophy Bonded Tip

My 270 WSM (LH Browning X Bolt All Weather) really likes the Federal Premium 140 gr Trophy Bonded Tip ammo. It will produce 0.396" groups at 100 yards at 3156 fps out of the 23" barrel.
I have acquired 4 boxes of component bullets for working up a load as well, but haven't yet done so. Looks like Re-25 would be my best option, with Re-22 and 19 as other potential powders.
I do have a decent supply of 19 and 22 on hand, but only 1 lb of 25 to try, so with only enough to try some development and hunting rounds, I better hope it comes together quick so I can make 40-50 rounds for hunting and sight in

So far, I have only taken a young caribou bull with it at 210 yards. Performed well. I wouldn't hesitate to use it elk if I came across one while hunting with this combo for mountain game (caribou, sheep and goat), as I have other rifle combinations I prefer for general elk hunting.
I have reported in another thread here on Nosler as to the retained weight and expansion but do not recall exact numbers at this moment, but believe it expanded approx double to the original diameter (and nice mushroom!) and approx 90% weight retention, but don't hold me to that here...

With the accuracy you are getting with that load in your rifle, and the velocity you should have, there should not be many species that will walk away from the TBT in the vitals on you. Hunt with confidence!

 

[JD338]

It is impressive your wife shoots a 30 Nosler! My kind of Gal! I have always subscribed to the "bring enough gun" motto. Many of my friends are hunting the Grendel and 22 creedmoor's but that is not for me, not criticizing them, just not what I like hunting with.

Nosler M48 Mountain Carbon, her favorite rifle. She shoots it out to 800 yards.
Hopefully she draws a WY Antelope tag for this fall.

JD338

 

[FOTIS]

Nicely done

 

[PJGunner]

Never underestimate a magnum for good groups.
My best group to date was with my 460 Wby loaded with 500gr Barnes TSX.

Interesting that you should say that. My only experience is with the Winchester .300 Magnum and one job of working up loads with an M70 in .300 WSM for my son in law. However, I do have four Ruger #1s in .300 Win. Mag. plus a Winchester M70 that I got into on the cheap. My pet load that works in all five rifles is the 200 gr. Speer Hot Core over 69.0 gr. WMR powder, Winchester WLR primer and Winchester brass. All five rifles have 26" barrels and all five average .80"or less at 100 yards. The M70 is a push feed rifle that done well on the few hunts I've had with it, one hunt taking a fat cow elk way out yonder. No hunts done with three of the Ruger's which are the "S" model and one which was a "B" model. That hunt was a learning experience in that I got caught in a very heavy rain storm with the rain flying almost horizontally. The hunt was in the John Day region of Oregon and I heard later that the John Day airport recorded winds over 100 MPH. We never saw any elk on that hunt but later one the way home stoppedof at a private anch in Nevada to do a little bird hunting. We saw a coyote about 200 yards away slowly trotting off with a pheasant in its mouth and as my rifle was the only one in the truck It was up to me to shoot the yote. I got off about three or four shots before I decided I was wasting ammo and the he yote got to keep the bird. I took an awful lot of ribbing because of the misses. A few days later, back in Tucson, I went to the range to see just wher I was hitting. Most of the shot were hitting the at the very top of the berm or passing over the top. When I got back home I did a serious looking over the gun and the wood was swollen so badly it was almost impossible to remove it from the barreled action. I cleaned and oil the metal and stord it away in the closet and places the wood in one of my sheds that gets quite hot come summer and stays quite warm in the winter. It took a little over six years before I could put the wood back on to try and shoot the rifle. It seems stable no but my #1s are only used as fair weather hunters. The affected rifle now shoots the same as before it became waterlogged from that storm. Seems the Ruger M77s I have are also not sealed in the inside wood stocks. Again, strictly fair weather use.
Paul B.