Todays range results

J300UM

Beginner
Aug 14, 2006
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I finally made it to the range today with some 200gr AB loads for the weaver. Its showing some promise with my last group landing at .5". Some things I didn't understand was the fact that my velocities started to decrease toward the top end charges and the fact the loads that had the lower extreme spreads were printing the larger groups. I loaded the bullets .010 of the lands, using retumbo powder and 215gm primers. 95gr gave me 3227, 3230, 3247 and a 1" group. 95.5gr gave me 3234, 3274, 3255 and a .75" group. 96gr gave me 3287, 3270, 3294 and a 1.25" group. 96.5gr gave me 3233, 3246, 3250 and a .5" group. I'm not sure why the average vel. on the last load was slower than the previous load. I had loads exceed 3300fps but accuracy was horrible. Should I try 96.5gr with different primers or should I stay with it and try to tighten it up a little more with seating depth?
 
I would try adjusting the COL first, change the primer second.

JD338
 
Thanks JD. I loaded them long so I would have plenty of room to play with depth. Do you have any idea why velocity would decrease with a hotter charge?
 
J300UM

I would guess that your load went beyond the point of being efficient.

JD338
 
Fouling building up in the barrel? Just a thought.

With a 200 gr bullet at over 3200 fps, any of your loads are giving you more than enough velocity. I'd go for the best grouping load at this point.

Regards, Guy
 
Guy Miner":3lk6ns3p said:
I'd go for the best grouping load at this point.

Regards, Guy
Thats all I'm shootin for right now. I know I can get more velocity. I was touchin 3500 with 180s. Velocity doesnt do me any good if I cant hit anything. I really think this rifle can be a tack driver so I'm gonna try to squeeze out the tightest group I can and hopefully do it with the AccuBond.
 
Mid 3200's at .5 sounds pretty dang good for any hunting situation I can think of. If it holds at longer ranges 1/2MOA should get it done for ya. Seating depth might tighten it up some but with what you already have I wouldn't burn the barrel out or go crazy trying to get that extra .025's smaller group. Just my .02
 
JD338":46b7r1g9 said:
J300UM

I would guess that your load went beyond the point of being efficient.

JD338


.......and your guess is absolutely correct. It has reached (and went beyond) maximum efficiency. It can not burn any more powder....to make a difference that is.
 
Would a slightly faster burning powder be more efficient in this case? Im probably not gonna try too much since my elk hunt is in 5 weeks and I will be gone for 2 of them. But I can never leave well enough alone. So I'll probably be playin with it over the winter, weather pending.
 
You might wanna try RL 25 but in all honesty I do not think it is gonna work. Why?

Well check the powder capacity od the 300 RUM/Weaver and the 30-378. The 30-378 has it all over the other 2. That said I have had 2 30-378's . On sako and one Accumark WBY. The wby did about 3350 and the Sako 3275. Now, look at your speeds. Same thing (more or less) so how can you do better?
My 300 rums and others' have done from 3150 -3225 or so so I would say you're there.

All of the above assume a 200 grain AccuBond.
 
Retumbo is what I'm using. I'll probably only mess with seating depth for now since the loads are too long for the mag. If accuracy goes away, I'll leave it alone and shoot it as a single shot. It should only take one anyway right?!
 
Guy Miner":ndfhy0kt said:
Fouling building up in the barrel? Just a thought.

With a 200 gr bullet at over 3200 fps, any of your loads are giving you more than enough velocity. I'd go for the best grouping load at this point.

Regards, Guy

And what Jd338 said about efficency.
A combination of both and maybe some barrel temperature also.
I have noticed decreased velocity with warm or mildly hot barrels vs cold.
 
If you are adding more powder, but getting lower velocities, it means the bullet is exiting the barrel before all the powder is burned. With a .270 Win shooting h4831, a 22" bbl will reach this point about 2.5 grains before a 26" bbl will.
.5" group at 3200?, I think that would be my load.
 
Just curious - how many rounds do you guys think it's going to take to burn out the throat of a .300 RUM?

When I've had to replace barrels on .308's, the throat areas showed bad wear, but it took 4000+ rounds. Factory barrel went at about 4000 rounds, a couple of the Kriegers went 5600+ rounds before being pulled. To the naked eye the throat was just looking a little gray. Through a borescope it was easy to see the checkering and cracking of the surface in the throat - and the rifling was moving farther down the barrel as well. Accuracy went downhill too, and as the barrel wore, it took a little adjusting of my loads to keep the velocity and accuracy up where they needed to be.

I know big magnums that burn a lot of powder will use up a barrel sooner than my little old .308's ever will - but how long will it take a 3200 fps monster gobbling 95 grains of powder per shot to eat up the barrel? I truly don't know the answer, but I just might know of a fellow who does... I'd estimate a 1500 - 2000 round useful barrel life on a big maggie like the .300 RUM, but it's a guess, based on my observation of others who shoot the big dogs a lot.

Something to consider...
 
1200? Even in my 243 after having a 243 ai go south real quick and in a hurry, I shoot sparingly compared to my other rifles. Those big magnums really carry the mail, but I would try to find a good load and use as much as I could for when it's most important. Just my .02 thats probably not worth half of that.
 
Guy, from having put about 1200 rounds through my 300 RUM, I could tell a noticable difference in accuracy past about 1000. I cleaned very often and tried not to get the barrel to hot either. Maybe you could get 1500 out of a custom barrel, but I dont think 2K is even near the picture...
 
Kind of what I was thinking, but I didn't want to be too pessimistic...

Nothing wrong with shooting out a barrel. They still make 'em, and it's actually kind of neat to order up a good custom tube from Krieger or some other maker, but it is something of which to be aware...

After I started wearing 'em out - I decided they were like tires - even the good ones need to be replaced from time to time.

Later, Guy
 
Well I've been back out to the range 3 times over the last 2 days. I have yet to be able to duplicate the .5 inch group that I shot the other day so I gave up on that and decided to give the 180s a shot. After a couple of fouling shots I managed ragged holes right out of the gate. I went out this morning and managed to duplicate that twice. I would have done it 3 times but I pulled the second shot of the 3rd group so it printed about .75. Average velocity is 3432. I think I'll stop right there!!!
 
I strongly suspect that rifle is going to kill anything you shoot it at real dead. :grin:
 
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