Chicken or Egg; Ladder test or Overall length;

[salmonchaser]

Getting ready to start on the 300 HH. I’ve Reloader 19;22;25and 26 available. I’m considering the logic of various methods and to be honest, I typically have had good luck just picking a load from the book. I’ll probably focus on Rl 25/180 partitions. Would you start with the ladder test?
Also, If anyone has any 300 HH brass laying around I’d be happy to relieve you of that storage problem.

 

[JD338]

A classic bullet choice for the grand old H&H.
Should be a good elk smasher.

JD338

 

[xphunter]

Getting ready to start on the 300 HH. I’ve Reloader 19;22;25and 26 available. I’m considering the logic of various methods and to be honest, I typically have had good luck just picking a load from the book. I’ll probably focus on Rl 25/180 partitions. Would you start with the ladder test?
Also, If anyone has any 300 HH brass laying around I’d be happy to relieve you of that storage problem.

Maximum distance you will hunt at with this rifle?

 

[Charlie-NY]

I'll normally run a new bullet about .020" off the rifling and start powder testing from there. Once I find a decent node with a particular powder & charge, then I'll adjust seating depth. More often than not, bullet seating depth has resulted in bigger changes in group size than powder or charge weight.

In a hunting rifle, you may be better off just starting with your bullets loaded to magazine length, assuming that this does not result in bullets touching the rifling, which is almost never the case.

 

[Blkram]

The 300 H&H has always held some fascination for me...and I think that if I were to ever acquire another 30 cal that it would be in this chambering...and possibly in a Ruger No.1 as there very few of these made in a left hand bolt action...unless of course I were to build one.

I guess I am just not up to speed on the whole ladder test process as yet...having always loaded 5 sets of loads in .5 or 1 gr increments as listed in the reloading manual or from QuickLoad to see which load any given powder shot the best in my rifle with my chosen bullet, as taught by those that have mentored me in this past time over the years. I have generally loaded to the COAL as listed in the manual, and have had pretty good results, usually achieving MOA or better accuracy in my rifles. The odd load I have played with seating depth, having acquired the necessary tools for this.

Overall, I have been pretty happy with the results achieved over the years, as most of my rifles show that they can shoot better than I am capable of on most days!
Wish that I was a better rifleman, but have been pretty consistent with putting meat on the table over the years, and being able to produce fairly consistent accuracy of achieving the MOA or better results with my rifles. So I am content in the knowledge of my abilities and limitations; that I shake like a leaf in a high wind (I know where in my wobble to break the trigger or release the arrow), and am not as keen of eye and hand coordination as others and may never qualify as a Master rifleman and win any championships, but can usually shoot straight enough to place the bullet accurately on target to get the job done!

 

[salmonchaser]

My first exposure to the 300 HH was about 1965, I was 10. We arrived at ”the Ranch” about 0500 opening morning. We had left Alaska so Dad could interview at Oregon State for his Doctoral studies. Following his meetings we drove all night as I recall to meet up with family. My uncle grew tired of all the BS in the kitchen, grabbed me and his 300 and said lets go were going to miss first light.
He and I jogged about a 1/2 mile across a wheat field to the edge of the trout creek canyon. He suddenly handed me a few cartridges and said be ready to hand those to me. Starting up the other side of the canyon were five good mule deer bucks, classic single file. A little over 200 yards. My uncle sat down and started shooting, started with the last one. He killed all five of those bucks. He thought it funny as hell that everybody had to pony up their tags for the deer he shot.
Always wanted one, finally found the #1 to make it happen.
I’ll probably just hunt elk with the 300 and I’ve a moose hunt in the planning stages for 2024. Of the 46 elk I’ve shot two have been right at 500; Don’t like shooting that far. A few have been right around 400 yards, most have been between 30 and 300 yards. I will work at getting inside 300 yards even if the elk are edgy.
I would like to get a load I can count on to 500 but will always take a closer shot.

 

[RL338]

Of the powders you listed I would go with RL22 as it will give you an ideal case fill. RL25 is going to be a pretty good compress loads.
I would start with Nosler data and work from there.

 

[salmonchaser]

I’ve had good luck with the 22 in several cartridges. I think I’ll start there.

 

[xphunter]

Just do load development the way you always have done.
When you get a good load, and go to confirm your drops in good conditions/very little wind, I am pretty sure you will be pleased.

 

[bob_dobalina]

I think this is a good question, if I understand correctly. I've always done a ladder test, then adjusted seating depth. But does adjusting seating depth throw your ladder test out the window? Is your velocity now in a different node? Recently I read a suggestion to shoot a few groups at a mild load and find the best seating depth, then do your ladder test. But that sounds like more work.

 

[gbflyer]

Getting ready to start on the 300 HH. I’ve Reloader 19;22;25and 26 available. I’m considering the logic of various methods and to be honest, I typically have had good luck just picking a load from the book. I’ll probably focus on Rl 25/180 partitions. Would you start with the ladder test?
Also, If anyone has any 300 HH brass laying around I’d be happy to relieve you of that storage problem.

I have a few excess cases. I’m getting ready to leave here and won’t be back until the middle of April. Hit me up then if you still need some.

 

[salmonchaser]

I have a few excess cases. I’m getting ready to leave here and won’t be back until the middle of April. Hit me up then if you still need some.

Thank you I can use them.