300 win mag advice/recommendations

michiman

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Minuteman
Aug 14, 2017
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I am relatively new to reloading. I started about 1.5 years ago, and started with my 6.5 cm. I decided to start loading for my 300 win mag earlier this year in preparation for a hunt out west. I was hoping to build something in the 230 gr range. I ended up with ADG brass, redding competition brass, and different bullets to test. The only thing i didnt buy was powder 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️. I was hoping to buy H1000, but thats obviously not happening. My hunt is fast approaching (first week of october), and i want to get my hunting rig set up for the hunt. I have shot hornady precision hunter, but have noticed pretty significant inconsistencies. My guide told me I should be ready to shoot out past 500 yards. My rifle is a remington sendero SF II, scope will be a vortex razor hd gen2 4.5-27 (unless the gen 3 comes out before my hunt). The barrel is 26" with 10" twist. Its my primary hunting rifle, It will also be used for target shooting out 1300+

I am now looking at the berger ammunition 230 gr hybrid OTM Tactical as this seams to check off most of the boxes that i was hoping to accomplish with my hand loads. Do any of you have any other recommendations or advice?

Also I apologize if this is in the wrong section
 
I am relatively new to reloading. I started about 1.5 years ago, and started with my 6.5 cm. I decided to start loading for my 300 win mag earlier this year in preparation for a hunt out west. I was hoping to build something in the 230 gr range. I ended up with ADG brass, redding competition brass, and different bullets to test. The only thing i didnt buy was powder 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️. I was hoping to buy H1000, but thats obviously not happening. My hunt is fast approaching (first week of october), and i want to get my hunting rig set up for the hunt. I have shot hornady precision hunter, but have noticed pretty significant inconsistencies. My guide told me I should be ready to shoot out past 500 yards. My rifle is a remington sendero SF II, scope will be a vortex razor hd gen2 4.5-27 (unless the gen 3 comes out before my hunt). The barrel is 26" with 10" twist. Its my primary hunting rifle, It will also be used for target shooting out 1300+

I am now looking at the berger ammunition 230 gr hybrid OTM Tactical as this seams to check off most of the boxes that i was hoping to accomplish with my hand loads. Do any of you have any other recommendations or advice?

Also I apologize if this is in the wrong section
I don't know shit about the 300 win mag but I'd check powder valley.com the other day they had a good selection of powder and I get the feeling the hazmat fee won't be much of a concern for you 😄
Definitely get something in the Hodgdon Extreme or IMR Enduron class of powder. Alliant has some that are temp stable but you have to read the writing on the front to check.
 
I’d look into Reloader 33 or Vit N570 for the heavier bullets...Have also read decent things about Ramshot Magnum. I’d go to every major online reloading retailer (midway, Midsouth shooter supply, graf and sons, powder valley, etc) and click “notify me” for those and any other powders you may want to try. As soon as you get their email advising powder is in stock, snap it up because it goes quick.

The win mag is fairly easy to develop for in that a variety of powders will produce a viable load, especially if you expand the bullet weight ranges you would be willing to use - everything from 185s to 230s would work for game in this country. If specifically looking to develop a hunting load, temp sensitivity prob isn’t as critical since hunting season is confined to the fall/early winter months so should open you up to more powder choices as well.
 
I’d look into Reloader 33 or Vit N570 for the heavier bullets...Have also read decent things about Ramshot Magnum. I’d go to every major online reloading retailer (midway, Midsouth shooter supply, graf and sons, powder valley, etc) and click “notify me” for those and any other powders you may want to try. As soon as you get their email advising powder is in stock, snap it up because it goes quick.

The win mag is fairly easy to develop for in that a variety of powders will produce a viable load, especially if you expand the bullet weight ranges you would be willing to use - everything from 185s to 230s would work for game in this country. If specifically looking to develop a hunting load, temp sensitivity prob isn’t as critical since hunting season is confined to the fall/early winter months so should open you up to more powder choices as well.
Am I thinking about this wrong? You wouldn't want to develope a load with temp sensitive powder in the middle of Summer that you intend to use in high country hunting in Fall / Winter? I could be wrong but temp sensitivity goes both ways?
 
Am I thinking about this wrong? You wouldn't want to develope a load with temp sensitive powder in the middle of Summer that you intend to use in high country hunting in Fall / Winter? I could be wrong but temp sensitivity goes both ways?

it’s not ideal but given powder shortages and the fact he would likely validate his drop chart / dope in the fall before the hunt, it won’t make much difference.

I use RE15, one of the most temp sensitive powders out there, for a load used in my SR25 which i shoot year round. have only minimal changes to drop values at distance (500+) in the summer vs winter here in Vegas. Summer mid-morning temps are 90-100 while winter temps are typically in the 50s. I develop loads year round and have never changed the load itself simply to account for temp differences or locations where I may be shooting.

Given the times, I also wouldn’t pass on buying a given powder solely due to concerns around temp sensitivity unless I’m really looking to hot rod the load, pushing the system to its limits which isn’t typical for a hunting application.
 
it’s not ideal but given powder shortages and the fact he would likely validate his drop chart / dope in the fall before the hunt, it won’t make much difference.

I use RE15, one of the most temp sensitive powders out there, for a load used in my SR25 which i shoot year round. have only minimal changes to drop values at distance (500+) in the summer vs winter here in Vegas. Summer mid-morning temps are 90-100 while winter temps are typically in the 50s. I develop loads year round and have never changed the load itself simply to account for temp differences or locations where I may be shooting.

Given the times, I also wouldn’t pass on buying a given powder solely due to concerns around temp sensitivity unless I’m really looking to hot rod the load, pushing the system to its limits which isn’t typical for a hunting application.
That makes sense. At the same time it sounds like he is going on a guided trip which sometimes means a limited draw hunt, so with the money invested in that, if I could, I would go the temp stable route.
Not really saying what he should do, just saying what I would do. But powder availability is super shitty right now. I was lucky to get an 8# keg of my powder the other day.
 
I would also advise not just getting a 1# bottle ( of whatever powder ) for load development and final rounds. At the least I would get a couple 1# bottles at the same time and they will send them from the same lot so you don't have to deal with lot to lot variance.
 
That makes sense. At the same time it sounds like he is going on a guided trip which sometimes means a limited draw hunt, so with the money invested in that, if I could, I would go the temp stable route.
Not really saying what he should do, just saying what I would do. But powder availability is super shitty right now. I was lucky to get an 8# keg of my powder the other day.

Yep, In an ideal (ie normal ) world, you go temp insensitive all day long but folks are scrounging. Honestly, I’d consider going factory ammo (he also mentioned this as a possibility) with a high performance hunting bullet like an accubond or partition to significantly reduce the “ammo” risk ( at least for the hunt given possibly limited prep/RDTE time with load development) but if he can snag a lb of at least two different powders plus a few different primers (I like Fed 215s, 210M, CCI BR2 for the win mag) soon, he should be able to arrive at a load in time.

Glad you got an 8 lb jug of your choice powder, they’re hard to come by these days.. I been spending like the Pentagon lately on reloading stuff, haha.
 
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Per this I vote Ramshot Magnum and Grafs has it in stock:

 
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Yep, In an ideal (ie normal ) world, you go temp insensitive all day long but folks are scrounging. Honestly, I’d consider going factory ammo (he also mentioned this as a possibility) with a high performance hunting bullet like an accubond or partition to significantly the “ammo” risk ( at least for the hunt given possibly limited prep/RDTE time with load development) but if he can snag a lb of at least two different powders plus a few different primers (I like Fed 215s, 210M, CCI BR2 for the win mag) soon, he should be able to arrive at a load in time.

Glad you got an 8 lb jug of your choice powder, they’re hard to come by these days.. I been spending like the Pentagon lately on reloading stuff, haha.
Yeah I agree with that. I was kind of thinking with the time crunch and how crazy shit is right now, you could feasibly just get factory ammo. If you're feeling really crazy do a seating depth test on that to tune it in. Then when you get free time develope the load.

I would be spending like the Pentagon but really the powder is all I've found. Bought some bullets today. Luckily I had 4k primers when this shit all started. Just down to my last 2# of powder and 200 bullets.