Great Range trip today with 300 RUM 200 AB

[Guest]

Ya know I should have listened to all the forum members talking about the 200 AB with this gun. I have always been fooling around with the 180 bullets and sometimes had really good results. In fact when I did get a great load and posted the results I had the gun re-stocked, glass bedded, free floated and pillars put on. That move changed everything, had to start all over. That great load shot .442 with 180 AB. Got tired of messing around, bought some 200 AB, loaded some up with 3-different powders. Retumbo, Reloader 25 & Ramshot Magnum. Seated the bullets length of magazine putting them .200 off the lands in my 700 Remington. The barrel is 26" and ported. Used re-sized Rem Brass & Fed. 215 primers. It was 35-degrees today, shooting 100-yds in 3-shot groups. Best results today are as follows:

Retumbo: 94.0 gave 3,133 fps average, put 2-shots in one hole, 3rd 1.5" away. ES 25

Retumbo: 95.0 gave 3,218 fps average, .567 group (outside measurement) slightly wiped heads. Book Max. Load ES 20

Reloader 25: 91.5 gave 3,059 average, .192 cloverleaf (outside measurement) ES 18
This is the best group to date I have ever shot in my life! :mrgreen:

I will fine tune the first load listed with seating depth, may push the last load a little more too.
Overall it was a great day at the range for me.

Don

 

[shoots_5]

I think I'd quit while I was ahead with that RL 25 load! That kind of accuracy with a 200gr AB doing over 3000fps should put anything that walks north America down with authority....

Some dandy shooting on your part for sure! Well done.

 

[DrMike]

Either the Retumbo load or the RL25 load will work very well. The added velocity of the Retumbo load may be enough to tip the scale that direction, unless the Rl25 load is reproducible. Still, a 0.57 inch group at 3220 is an awesome hammer on game.

 

[JD338]

Don,

Nice shooting! In the 300 RUM, the 200 gr AB is where its at.

JD338

 

[FOTIS]

HMMMM

Some great recipes you got there Don! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[Guest]

Ok, I must confess, Pop gets the credit and my thanks for providing incredible recipes for me. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
I hope I measured the groups correctly. I measured the extreme outside spread then deducted .308 (the caliber) from the measurement. Is this correct?

Dr Mike,
That Max Retumbo load slightly wiped the case heads. Although I like everything else, that concerns me. I have to keep in mind it was 35-degrees here today during range time. Warmer temperatures can elevate pressures. I know that RL25 group is the best hands down. My experience with RL25 is I lost 50-80 fps in colder weather with a 180 load previously worked up in 80-degree temperatures.

Thanks for the replies
Don

 

[FOTIS]

Do not thank me Don. I provided the data you did the kik-azz shooting.

I would opt for the RL25 load as 3200 fps is close to 30-378 vicinity.... :shock:

 

[DrMike]

One major reason many people select Retumbo is because it is an Extreme Powder. Presumably, it will exhibit less sensitivity to temperature. I'd be inclined to work up a load in warmer weather to see what it does.

 

[Guest]

That's good advise from both of you. I'm leaning towards RL 25 as this rifle always has responded well with that powder. I am going to continue with Retumbo just to see where it will take me. I will test both loads more when warmer weather rolls around. Now to stock up on components! :mrgreen:

Pop,
I was shocked as well to see 3200 + with Retumbo that's what makes me want to believe the pressure is way up there via case heads slightly wiped.

Don

 

[FOTIS]

Your 2 & 1 load might settle down with seating depth variations....

 

[Guy Miner]

"Retumbo: 95.0 gave 3,218 fps average, .567 group (outside measurement) slightly wiped heads. Book Max. Load ES 20

Reloader 25: 91.5 gave 3,059 average, .192 cloverleaf (outside measurement) ES 18
This is the best group to date I have ever shot in my life"

NICE! :grin: That's good stuff. You're doing well.

 

[Guest]

Pop,
My thoughts exactly, the reason I'm not giving up on them at this point. I do like the benefits of the Extreme Powders too.

Thanks Guy, my best day ever with this gun since I've owned it.

Don

 

[SJB358]

I think I'd quit while I was ahead with that RL 25 load! That kind of accuracy with a 200gr AB doing over 3000fps should put anything that walks north America down with authority....

Some dandy shooting on your part for sure! Well done.

I am with him! Over 3000 with the 200 AB.. Man, that is alot of clout especially if it is reproducable.

 

[Guest]

Scotty,
I'm not touching that RL25 Load for now, I feel good about that load for now so I'm going to let it set. But I am going to play with the seating depth on the other two Retumbo loads to see where they will go. The intention here is to MAYBE get the pressure down on the max charge load and tighten up the group. Then adjust the seat depth on the other Retumbo load to tighten the group, I put two in the same hole with that load. I just have to see where that may go too. I will however re-visit the RL25 load a little later to verify.

I couldn't believe my eyes with the results I got. 300 Ultra Mags are made for 200 grain bullets, made a believer out of me. :mrgreen:
I was like a kid in a candy shop at the range, came away with one keeper (RL25) and two loads with real promise. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Don

 

[Guest]

Heading to the Range tomorrow afternoon. Loaded up some of the 95.0 Retumbo with various seating depths and the 200 AB to see if it would settle down as Fotis suggested. Put a load together with 94.5 Retumbo seated at the initial starting depth. I'll shoot the RL25 Max charge later to see if I can duplicate that group again. Cleaned the gun real good with CR10.

Everything is ready, now to get to the Range.

Don

 

[bullet]

I hope your next time at the range is as good as this one. Good luck, looking forward to the results.

 

[Guest]

Thanks, I'll give the update later.

Don

 

[Teknys]

Don,
+1 on the Retumbo 95.
My 300 RUM is in a Sendero with bi-pod. For me it's not my carry over the mountain gun. It's for longer shooting. I too get about 3240 with 95gns and three shot groups are in the 0.25 - 0.5" range just how you measured them too - repeatably. I stopped there. I watched my case heads after two reloadings, still OK. "Keeping fingers crossed" I know these cases can't take many loadings at these pressures.
I also got the recipe from this site! I played with the seating depth a couple of times and this was the result. Me ------ I was looking to squeeze as much vel as I could before the consistent accuracy fell off and am extremely pleased with the result.
If this was a carry gun and shooting could be 25 - 500 yds, I think any recipe you had would do the trick.

 

[SJB358]

Heading to the Range tomorrow afternoon. Loaded up some of the 95.0 Retumbo with various seating depths and the 200 AB to see if it would settle down as Fotis suggested. Put a load together with 94.5 Retumbo seated at the initial starting depth. I'll shoot the RL25 Max charge later to see if I can duplicate that group again. Cleaned the gun real good with CR10.

Everything is ready, now to get to the Range.

Don

Good luck out there Don. If your loads shoot as well as Brians does with the 200's I can't imagine you will be disapointed at all.. Looking forward to the results. Don't forget your camera!

 

[Ridge_Runner]

Don,
Did you notice any difference in the barrel heat generated between the retumbo and the re-25?
just wondering, had an aquaintance that says he burnt up 3 barrels in the rum shooting retumbo, which according to the round counts he stated just seemed premature to me. I know H-1000 burns much hotter than double based powders. just curious. Great shooting BTW
RR