300 wsm 150 etips

300 man · Jun 1, 2016

Hi fellas. Looking for some load suggestions for the 150 etips with the driving band in a 300 short.
Also interested in measured BC at distance you verified as the stated BC seems too high. Would also be interested in minimum impact speed for sufficient expansion on deer and up game size.

DrMike · Jun 1, 2016

Welcome aboard. A partial answer to your multi-part query is that you can assume that ~1800 fps is a minimum velocity for assured expansion on about any bullet.

AFG270 · Jun 1, 2016

Welcome to the Forum 300 man, I just started loading E-Tips in my 300 wsm also. I went with Varget and Nosler's data, will let you know how it works. I'm sure others will be along shortly that have much more experience than I do. This is a great forum with a lot of knowledgeable shooters.

MAinAR · Jun 2, 2016

IMR4064 is listed as most accurate in both Noslers manual and Barnes both with the 150gr monos.

Have temperature tested a lot of IMR4064 and is probably the most stable older IMR line there is, is just dang near as temperature stable as Varget and H4350. ( I usually see just under a .5 fps per degree velocity change)

IMR4064 would be my first powder up to start with in 300wsm and with 150gr mono bullets.

300 man · Jun 2, 2016

MAinAR, thank you for sharing that about the temperature sensitivity. I am keenly interested in this as I only really care about the speed I get in say 10F, which is what I go hunting in. Due to time constraints I have to do my load development in the summer and therefore would like a load that for all I care is right on the edge of max I'm 80F but loses very little fps when in 10F. I have had great success doing this with other powders in other cartridges and have stuck to hodgdon extreme powders and most recently imr 7977. I am one of those people that does chronograph in summer and in winter and I always find it humorous when reading about someone getting X fps in the summer only to assume they also get that on colder temps. Not only are the bullets slower but the node they found at 100fps faster may be gone ay the new speeds in colder temps. Rl22 Was the worst for me in this once I figured this out.

Do you mind sharing what range of temperature you tested 4064 in?

I have ordered 8lbs of h4350, imr 4350 and imr 4451 so play with.

MAinAR · Jun 2, 2016

Personally I see both Varget and H4350 average about .3 fps per degree but have seen both actually be faster in the hot and the cold than mid range velocity at about 50-70 degrees in some caliber bullet combos. With IMR4064 it is more linear in that 20 degree speeds will be about 25-35fps slower than at 80 degrees in the .308 150 grain AB I tested with, but had to find something as Varget was non existent for a period, may be completely different in another combo. 80 degrees seem to be the tipping point with less stable powders across the board.

This is Hodgdons chart below: (For what its worth touting their own powders)
Several years back Hodgdons did a velocity spread test from 0-125 F on 7.62x51mm using a 168gr OTM bullet.

Velocity spread in FPS between 0-125 degrees F:
1. H4350: 4 (FPS)
2. Varget: 8
3. H4831C: 10
4. RL 12: 26
5. AA4350: 29
6. AA2460: 36
7. IMR 4064: 46
8. VIT 550: 49
9. RL 15: 50
10. VIT N140: 50
11. AA2520: 63
12. IMR 4350: 67
13. RL22: 75
14. RL 19: 94
15. AA3100: 113
16. W 748: 114
17. VIT N560: 121
18. IMR 4831: 127
19. IMR 4895: 166

Then ran across this one somewhere, may have come from Long Range Hunting and it is pretty well spot on what I have seen overall testing over longer periods of time, now these will move around some based on combo and case fill %. But have witnessed N160/560, IMR4831, H414 and Hybrid 100 do exactly as this table represents.

HS-6 1.21fps per *
H110/W296 1.24 fps per *
Imr4227 1.17fps per *
Lil' Gun 1.31 fps per *
RL10x .71 fps per*
Benchmark .44 fps per *
Imr3031 .73 fps per *
Imr8208xbr .59 fps per *
H4895 .23 fps per *
Alliant Varmint pro .89 fps per *
Alliant AR comp .77 fps per *
Varget .19 fps per *
W748 1.32 fps per *
Imr4064 .53 fps per *
Ramshot Tac .91 fps per *
Imr4895 .87 fps per *
AA4064 1.11 fps per *
AA2520 .98 fps per *
RL15 1.52 fps per * from 50* and up
PP2000MR .99 fps per *
Imr4320 1.32 fps per *
Ramshot Biggame .98 fps per *
H380 1.44 fps per *
VV N150 1.08 fps per *
H414/W760 1.42 fps per *
Imr4350 .64 fps per *
AA4350 .47 fps per *
H4350 .29 fps per *
RL17 1.42 fps per *
Hybrid 100v .78 fps per *
RL19 1.61 fps per *
VV N160 1.24 fps per *
Imr4831 1.19 fps per *
Ramshot Hunter .86 fps per *
H4831 .36 fps per *
RL22 1.71 fps per *
Imr7828 1.36 fps per *
Magpro 1.01 fps per *
H1000 .21 fps per *
RL25 1.59 fps per *
Ramshot Magnum .87 fps per *
Retumbo .49 fps per *
RL33, still trying to get my data for this one.
US869 1.68 fps per *
H50bmg 1.64 fps per *

Then lately the Rick Jensen test comparing H4350 to IMR4451
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/201 ... -imr-4451/

For what it is worth I use more H4350 than any other powder, I will try to build a reasonable load with it first in ANY combo that "fits" its burn rate. Just be wary of lot to lot differences with it as you have covered with buying 8 lbs. Just recently hit a hot lot that had to drop from 39 to 38.5 grains to get back to known velocity node in a 243, that's pretty normal.

The ONLY reason I mention IMR4064 is I usually find it available when Varget and H4350 have dried up.........usually can find a node for it as a substitute of either powder in a lot of cases.

Keep in mind that shelf life on the new "green for environment" powders like RL26, RL23 and the Endurons is rated at 10 years. The "H" line for now is still near indefinite if stored properly due to containing the double "Ds" that wouldn't attempt to spell but they are stablizers.