Well here is a question for you fine fellows on here about pressure.
I have just worked up a load recently in my 300 win mag,( last sunday to be exact) and I have worked beyond listed max data by 3 grains and have no pressure issues or any signs that you would normally see. I was hoping to get my hands on some of the LRAB's but have not seen any in my neck of the woods yet. Did get my hands on some Berger 185 classic hunters though from one of my friends in a trade for .224 ballistic tips so I figured why not give em a try.
Well these bullets are made to shoot in standard factory rifles with sammi spec throats and mag's and still give improved drops and wind drift. I have shot quite a few Bergers when I was shooting matches and always shot the target vld's either jammed or within a couple of thou of the gears with great results. With a purpose built rifle this is not an issue nor is single loading as we all know. I fooled around a little bit with hunting Berger vld's in hunting rifles working on jump and had some ok results but nothing close to having them up tight to the lands but if you can't load the mag they don't seem very attractive.
I started working up using the data from Berger's new load manual with 3 cases to see what would happen during load work up. The first loads were on brand new cases, after that they were resized in lee collet dies with primer pockets cleaned and such and measured for stretch each time. So this worked out to six loads per case once I found the tighest shooting load. No extractor marks, nice round primers with no cratering, no issues with bolt lift and after the 6th load the cases needed to be trimmed to get back into proper spec but only 5 thou so I could have still probably got another load or two before I had to bump the shoulder's back and trim.
I am scratching my head a wee bit as to where I am at pressure wise. I have to shoot 3 more cases at this load level a few times to see what is going on for sure. I am getting one eggshaped hole at 100 yards with this load so I am really happy with the accuracy in a rifle that is proven to be fussy in what it likes to shoot. It is not a finished load yet but I think it is where it needs to be. This rifle has been pretty much right on with listed data in every combo I have tried in it over the years I have had it. My 10 year old chroney packed it in and won't read anything but error so I will have to wait till I get a new one to see what speed is which is not too big of a deal as I am just tinkering and have lots of accubonds loaded for hunting with just need to re-zero and I am good to go.
Here is what I have for a load and what the Berger Manual lists as thier max.
300 Win mag
Win Brass
CCI-250 primer
77 grains IMR-7828
Berger 185 classic hunter
loaded to 3.34" oal
Berger manual lists 74 grains and a bit as their max ( sorry dont have the book with me right now) The rifle in question is a Ruger Hawkeye stainless "plastic fantastic" 24" tube with a timney trigger nice rifle to carry in the field not to heavy and accurate enough to knock down any moose or elk I would think about shooting with it and cheap enough that I don't worry about rough treatment.
The bullet does have a shorter bearing surface than what I would normally shoot but I did not think that would give the results I am seeing, this rifle has been pretty much in line with published data and pressure signs when I went above said data. So I thought I knew this rifle on an intimate basis with a few different combo's and now I am learning that I don't quite know what I thought I knew and that it sure is fun to try some different things from time to time just to break up the boredom.
Sorry Nosler that I strayed from my tried tested preferred bullets but when I can't buy an AccuBond or a longrange version in my area and I can trade 200 55 grain Btips for 200 185's I just have to give em a try for curosity sake.
Going to shoot this load again this weekend with 3 once fired cases and see how they hold up with pockets sizing trimming and such. Hopefully my buddy will make it down to the farm with his gong and his 338 lapua and we can do some reaching out and I can see what this bullet will do when the range gets long.
I have just worked up a load recently in my 300 win mag,( last sunday to be exact) and I have worked beyond listed max data by 3 grains and have no pressure issues or any signs that you would normally see. I was hoping to get my hands on some of the LRAB's but have not seen any in my neck of the woods yet. Did get my hands on some Berger 185 classic hunters though from one of my friends in a trade for .224 ballistic tips so I figured why not give em a try.
Well these bullets are made to shoot in standard factory rifles with sammi spec throats and mag's and still give improved drops and wind drift. I have shot quite a few Bergers when I was shooting matches and always shot the target vld's either jammed or within a couple of thou of the gears with great results. With a purpose built rifle this is not an issue nor is single loading as we all know. I fooled around a little bit with hunting Berger vld's in hunting rifles working on jump and had some ok results but nothing close to having them up tight to the lands but if you can't load the mag they don't seem very attractive.
I started working up using the data from Berger's new load manual with 3 cases to see what would happen during load work up. The first loads were on brand new cases, after that they were resized in lee collet dies with primer pockets cleaned and such and measured for stretch each time. So this worked out to six loads per case once I found the tighest shooting load. No extractor marks, nice round primers with no cratering, no issues with bolt lift and after the 6th load the cases needed to be trimmed to get back into proper spec but only 5 thou so I could have still probably got another load or two before I had to bump the shoulder's back and trim.
I am scratching my head a wee bit as to where I am at pressure wise. I have to shoot 3 more cases at this load level a few times to see what is going on for sure. I am getting one eggshaped hole at 100 yards with this load so I am really happy with the accuracy in a rifle that is proven to be fussy in what it likes to shoot. It is not a finished load yet but I think it is where it needs to be. This rifle has been pretty much right on with listed data in every combo I have tried in it over the years I have had it. My 10 year old chroney packed it in and won't read anything but error so I will have to wait till I get a new one to see what speed is which is not too big of a deal as I am just tinkering and have lots of accubonds loaded for hunting with just need to re-zero and I am good to go.
Here is what I have for a load and what the Berger Manual lists as thier max.
300 Win mag
Win Brass
CCI-250 primer
77 grains IMR-7828
Berger 185 classic hunter
loaded to 3.34" oal
Berger manual lists 74 grains and a bit as their max ( sorry dont have the book with me right now) The rifle in question is a Ruger Hawkeye stainless "plastic fantastic" 24" tube with a timney trigger nice rifle to carry in the field not to heavy and accurate enough to knock down any moose or elk I would think about shooting with it and cheap enough that I don't worry about rough treatment.
The bullet does have a shorter bearing surface than what I would normally shoot but I did not think that would give the results I am seeing, this rifle has been pretty much in line with published data and pressure signs when I went above said data. So I thought I knew this rifle on an intimate basis with a few different combo's and now I am learning that I don't quite know what I thought I knew and that it sure is fun to try some different things from time to time just to break up the boredom.
Sorry Nosler that I strayed from my tried tested preferred bullets but when I can't buy an AccuBond or a longrange version in my area and I can trade 200 55 grain Btips for 200 185's I just have to give em a try for curosity sake.
Going to shoot this load again this weekend with 3 once fired cases and see how they hold up with pockets sizing trimming and such. Hopefully my buddy will make it down to the farm with his gong and his 338 lapua and we can do some reaching out and I can see what this bullet will do when the range gets long.
