Heavy powder crunch with H1000 / 300 Win Mag

[TackDriver284]

I'm getting heavy powder crunch with my 300 win Mag / H1000 / 200 Accubonds. I have a pound and a half of the long version H4831 that I like to use instead of H1000. Heavy powder
( 78 grains ) crunch keeps me from getting the consistent seating depth that I want, it keeps giving me erratic seating depths from .008 - .015" longer.
Do any of you use H4831 in your 300 WM? Curious on what you are using with 200 grain bullets only. I have ran a few 3 round groups this morning, its pretty consistent 3 shot groups all across the paper. Loads in .4 increments from 69.5 to 71.5 grains H4831, velocity is a tad low than what I like, its 2815 fps with 71.5 grains. Book max is 70.5 with Nosler and 71.5 with Hodgdon. No pressure seen yet, I just loaded one charge per round of 6 rounds just now from 72, 72.5, 73, 73.5, 74 and 74.5 grains to try in the morning with the Xero. I ran into similar low velocity issues earlier in the year with H4831SC / 143 ELDX in the 6.5 x 284, went 4 grains over max to get 2890 fps with no pressure. shoots .25 MOA or better @100.

 

[RL338]

The little 300WM loading I’ve done , 200gr weren’t on the menu.
I totally agree with your decision to run up a pressure test of 72 - 74.5grs. This is how I also go about working with a new load. Then I take those velocities and adjust QL to match.

 

[SJB358]

You’ll be good with H4831 but have you tried dumping from a longer drop tube to settle the H1000 some before seating?

I’ll also say H4350 is danged good, if you dare and very accurate.

 

[TackDriver284]

You’ll be good with H4831 but have you tried dumping from a longer drop tube to settle the H1000 some before seating?

I’ll also say H4350 is danged good, if you dare and very accurate.

Yes, I used a drop tube, still crunches the H1000. Yep, H4350 is good as well, got plenty of those for my Creed.

 

[jimbires]

double check the COAL today . usually I have to reseat the bullets , caused by the powder pushing them back out .

 

[Aussie Wanderer]

H4350 turned around my lousy relationship with the 300wm to being one of my favourites. Admittedly this was with the 180nbt and AccuBond. I tried H1000 and 4813sc for okay groups, but just wasn’t doing it for me. H4350 was like I finally unlocked the rifles secret.

 

[JD338]

You’ll be good with H4831 but have you tried dumping from a longer drop tube to settle the H1000 some before seating?

I’ll also say H4350 is danged good, if you dare and very accurate.

I'm with Scotty. H4831, especially H4831SC will get you the desired results. H4350 is also a good choice.

JD338

 

[SJB358]

H4350 turned around my lousy relationship with the 300wm to being one of my favourites. Admittedly this was with the 180nbt and AccuBond. I tried H1000 and 4813sc for okay groups, but just wasn’t doing it for me. H4350 was like I finally unlocked the rifles secret.

I know it’s really good in the Win and H&H. Used to be I’d never think to try it but nowadays it’s first up. Like I said in an earlier thread or post, H4350 and 200 ABs is darned near amazing.

 

[Guy Miner]

Recently loaded 300 Win Mag, 180's, 212's, 225's with Mag Pro. It's a spherical powder, flows beautifully through a manual powder measure. Supposed to be temperature sensitive, but I've worked around that just fine in the past. Got some smokin' velocity with the 180's. Good accuracy with all three.

Ramshot Grand is a newer spherical powder and very nice to work with. Not temp sensitive. Also produced excellent results.

No crunching with either of those spherical powders, but I do remember the "crunch" of IMR 7828, H4831, etc with 300 Win Mag and 7mm Rem Mag. The short-cut versions of the Hodgdon stick powders helped a lot with that. I am growing quite fond of spherical powders anymore. Nice consistent powder charges. Fills the case nicely. It's just awfully easy to work with.

Guy

 

[TackDriver284]

I'm with Scotty. H4831, especially H4831SC will get you the desired results. H4350 is also a good choice.

JD338

Guess what? A 8 pound jug of H4831sc is on its way plus two boxes of 180 Barnes TTSX.
I never used the Barnes, are there any additional steps that are different from seating cup /core bullets? I read on Midway that Barnes recommends seating .030" to .070" for best accuracy. No crimp needed? I never crimp my rifle bullets.

 

[JD338]

Guess what? A 8 pound jug of H4831sc is on its way plus two boxes of 180 Barnes TTSX.
I never used the Barnes, are there any additional steps that are different from seating cup /core bullets? I read on Midway that Barnes recommends seating .030" to .070" for best accuracy. No crimp needed? I never crimp my rifle bullets.

Excellent Mark.
The TTSX is a great bullet. No crimp is needed.

JD338

 

[TackDriver284]

I know it’s really good in the Win and H&H. Used to be I’d never think to try it but nowadays it’s first up. Like I said in an earlier thread or post, H4350 and 200 ABs is darned near amazing.

I don't doubt you, i got two 8 pound jugs of the H4350 in case, but I have faith in the H4831 / H4831SC which I'm working on now, this morning my ladder shows promising results getting to the mid 2900 fps window with the regular H4831 pound I have left. Bought it a few years ago, has been sitting there collecting dust.

 

[JD338]

A 200 gr AB at 2900+ is a very respectful and powerful load.

JD338

 

[TackDriver284]

double check the COAL today . usually I have to reseat the bullets , caused by the powder pushing them back out .

I had that happen to me before, but I had shot all the rounds I had left because I did not like the cold bore shot which has strayed away from the group. The H4831 cold bore stayed within the group yesterday and I liked that. Development still continues,,,,

 

[Aussie Wanderer]

Guess what? A 8 pound jug of H4831sc is on its way plus two boxes of 180 Barnes TTSX.
I never used the Barnes, are there any additional steps that are different from seating cup /core bullets? I read on Midway that Barnes recommends seating .030" to .070" for best accuracy. No crimp needed? I never crimp my rifle bullets.

Just make sure your barrel is well scrubbed before you start. They definitely like a clean barrel to shoot accurately, more so than your standard cup and core bullets which seem to have greater tolerance through being softer.

 

[TackDriver284]

FPS goal is 2900-2950 fps
Ladder results:
69.9 - 2775
70.3 - 2804 ( Nosler max is 70.5 grain @ 2910 fps )
70.7 - 2817
71.1 - 2809
71.5 - 2829 ( Hodgdon book max @ 2785 fps )
Above was 3 round group average, seems a flat spot is seen at 71.1 grains
Below is single round ladder only to get to my 2950 fps window
72.0 - 2817
72.5 - 2868
73.0 - 2873
73.5 - 2926
74.0 - 2914
74.5 - 2932
Seems a flat spot is at 74 grains, could be a fluke since its one round fired, will resume with 3 round groups from 74, 74.4, 74.8, 75.2 ,75.6 and 76 at .020" off the lands.
Hopefully good results, I aim to get it to group under .4 MOA as a result, just enough for nilgai hunting. Here is QL with 74.5 grains and another showing maximum at 77 grains.

 

[TackDriver284]

Just make sure your barrel is well scrubbed before you start. They definitely like a clean barrel to shoot accurately, more so than your standard cup and core bullets which seem to have greater tolerance through being softer.

Will do.

 

[PJGunner]

I like the 200 gr. Bullet in the .300 Win. Mag . I have some early reloads in Federal brass that have 72.5 gr. of IMR 4831 and the old Nosler 200 gr. bullet with the semi round nose. Extremely accurate un the Ruger #1B and a Winchester M79 push feeder. Veocity was about 2900 FPS as I recall. I'v since switched to the now long gone WMR (Winchester Magnum Rifle) and the 200 gr. Speer Hot Core. Bras is Winchester, Winchester WLR primer and 69.0 gr. WMR. Winchester load booklet #15 shows 2750 FPS* from I presume a 26" Barrel with 59,000 PSI. as the max load. The load is very accurate in 5 different rifles chambered to the .300 Win. Mag.

*WMR is a rather strange powerd. It has proved excellent in several .270 Win. rifle, a .280 Rem. and the previously mentioned .300 WM. With that said, it is a lowdown dirty dog in the 30-06** which confuses me. Winchester only shows two load for the 06, the 200 and 220 gr. bullet and pressure is on the low side with no spectacular velocity which is confusing as the .270 an .280 are based on 30-06 brass. I tried it as well n the .338 Win. mag. and it wasn't much good there. I have more than a lifetime supply so I'll continue playing with it.

All my .300 Win. Mags have 26" barrels.

*When WMR was still included on burning charts it was all over the place ranging from about like H4350 to a bit slower than IMR 7828. That's probably why Big W dropped it so fast. I got five 8 pound cannisters for $500 from a gun shop in California. A friend picked it up and met me in Quartzite AZ with the powder I gave him one of the cannisters for his trouble.

**When used in the 30-06 with bullets lighter than 200 gr., it's extremely erratic with wide changes in velocity even when using measured and weighed powder charges. It's not too bad with 200 gr. bullet and the best it would do with 220 gr. bullets was 2.0 to 1.50". The 200s ran closer to 3.00". I should play with seating depth and those bullet some more as I just seated them to factory specs. Dunno if there might be some improvement or not.
Paul B.