300RUM & A.B.'s

[Powerstroke]

Ok, I finally was able to somewhat get my .300RUM sat down yesterday for some shooting. I had some 180gr B-Tips & AB's.
I've bought some H1000 to try rather than the Viht I was using. Max load with the B-Tips was 7/8ths of an inch @ 100. ( good for where I was and the conditions ) When switching to the AB's tho, the best was aprox a 3.5in group.... I was realy hoping they would shoot the same. Ideas? I had 3 200gr AB's loaded that I think may be better??
Thanks for the input before-hand.

 

[chet]

I am amazed at the difference! What could have happened? Any differences between the two loads? powder? seating depth? bore temp? ambient temp? something is array. Just doesnt add up????

 

[Powerstroke]

chet,
I'm amazed, and a little confused myself. Unfortunately on that round, the magazine limits the bullet seating depth, so both bullets are at the same depth. I had two groups of B-tips and AB's loaded....both groups of AB were worse. I'm going to play with the 200gr AB's now, I think they may do a little better.

 

[JD338]

Powerstroke,

Give me the details of your load, we will try to sort through it.

Make of rifle?
Make of scope?
Everything tight? Action, bases, rings, etc.

300 RUM
180 gr AB
H1000 ? grains
R-P case ?
primer?
COL ?

The RUM's can deliver awesome accuracy, just got to find the sweet spot.

JD338

 

[Powerstroke]

Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 4:03 pm Post subject:

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Powerstroke,

Give me the details of your load, we will try to sort through it.

Make of rifle? Remington Sendero / Stainless Fluted
Make of scope? Cabela's Alaskan Guide 6.5 X 20-50
Everything tight? Action, bases, rings, etc. Yes Yes & Yes

300 RUM
180 gr AB
H1000 ? grains 94 & 96 (96 max is ok with the B-tips)
R-P case ? Yes unfortunately
primer? 215 Federal
COL ? 3.650 Magazine Max

Again, I can go back to the B-tips, and the groups tighten up. The AB's are aprox two inches higher and four to five inches to the left.
I have no doubt I can find something / combo that they will shot, I was just very supprised to see them that far off from the B-tips. Should that be normal?
NOTE: Tender shoulder today! but love the gun!

The RUM's can deliver awesome accuracy, just got to find the sweet spot.

 

[JD338]

powerstroke,

The 700 Sendero is an accurate rifle so you are in good shape. You might want to add a Pachmyer Decelerator or Limbsaver recoil pad to ease the recoil. (I added a Decelerator to my 700 LSS 338 RUM and it made a big difference).
With H1000, try going in .5 gr increments from 94.0 to 96.5.
Remember to watch for pressure signs as you approach max loads.
If your COL is 3.650" try 3.625". Double check your max length in the magazine, you may be able to go longer. (I am loading the AB on my 338 RUM to 3.660"). Try 3.660" but make sure it will feed through the magazine.

You might also want to try RL22, RL25 or Rutumbo.
I have had great luck with both RL22 and RL25 in my 338 RUM.
Yesterday I was shooting some 200 gr AB's and shot two groups well under .5". This was with RL22.

Hope this helps you out.

JD338

 

[Powerstroke]

JD338,
I appreciate the info! This gun is the one "different" one out of all mine. I've never been a big caliber fan, but I'm starting to love this one.
I have a lot of powder, just not anything for this big guy. So why does no one use much of the Viht powder? I have great luck with it in my smaller calibers.
Also, what's your thought on case capicity and altitude? I was @ 11,500 yesterday.

COL @ 3.650 is determined by my magazine. I can certianly seat them a little deeper. I've checked the lands, which are no where close to the 3.650 that I'm limited to

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

Some rifles just dont like some bullets. Your Sendero should shoot the AB's as well as Btips. They are virtually the same bullet, same length, ogive, etc. I dont see where the problem would lie. I have had great success using H1000 and 180g btips. I used 96g with the btips, and 98g with the combined tech btips. I have the LSS in 300 RUM and with the right loads, trust me, they are very lethal waaaaay out there. My OAL's are 3.660" as well, my primer of choice is also the Fed 215. If it was me, I would try them again. I would go from 94g to 97g in .5g increments. .5g can make a hell of a difference. I dont think your 11,500 ft altitude has anything to do with it. Dont give up on H1000 just yet, if you want to use a nother powder, try Retumbo or RL-25. These are the 3 top choices for the 300 RUM. I have never used Viht powders for a couple reasons, 1 I never had a place to use it untill sportsmans warehouse came around. I dont order powder, to expensive, and it comes in 2lb cans. If it doens't shoot good, your stuck with quitea bit of powder. When you find a load that shoots .5-.75 you will be very happy with the performance. You might want to try the 200g AB with any of the 3 above powders mentioned. I have tried Retumbo and H1000, never Rl-25. My 300 RUM has not ever been picky or fussy. It shot great with 1000 and retumbo. I would also get your trigger worked down to 2. or 2.5 lbs, if you dont already. That helps quite a bit to. Let us know how she shoots again, dont base everything off 1 time out and a couple bad groups, give her some time and you'll be happy you did.

 

[Powerstroke]

remington-man

I have nothing but time. I also don't have anything against the B-tips that are shooting very well in the gun. More of an issue of wanting to use the hip and so called best bullet on the market. I know there won't be anything that walks away from a B-tip as opposed to the A.B.s
And yes, the trigger has been taken care of.
I appreciate all the help and info from everyone! I'll post the next results.

 

[FOTIS]

I will second what JD338 said. RL 25 and RETUMBO are the powders for the 300 rum. Mine hates RL 25 but loves retumbo.

 

[TRIC]

Agree with POP, I have tried RL25 in my 375 RUM and that was a no-go. When I loaded up with Retumbo, all came out real fine. Those RUM's seem to favor a particular powder/bullet combination. With the 260PT Retumbo won't work for me...