Federal Standard 300wm Accuracy?

[KnightOfNee]

Well, took my new build to the range today to do some barrel breakin, I decided to do this with cheap 180 grain soft point Federal standard "blue box" ammo.

I did this because I thought it would be a waste of $ to use expensive ammo for breakin and to get it shooting on paper.

I am kinda worried, with the new rig I cant get under a 1" 100 yard group with this ammo, I realize this is the cheap stuff, but is this normal?

I havent had a chance to run any match ammo through it yet.

The barrel is a Kreiger 300wm heavy target contour 1 in 10 twist and 5r type rifling with a blueprinted 700 action with devcon bedded bell and carlson stock.

What accuacy do all of your guy's rifles shoot with this ammo compaired to your match grade groups?

 

[Dirty D]

Re: Federal Standard 300wm Accuracy?

http://www.google.com/cse/home?cx=010955838166721108978:qcbx5qqy10o&hl=en Search here for break in and you will find that most people don't. Fed 168gr softpoints shoots 2- 2 1/2" 100 yard groups out of my .308 Savage and handloaded rounds shoot 1/2" to 3/4", that stuff is not consistent in my experience.

 

[Glock45]

Re: Federal Standard 300wm Accuracy?

I have personally fired the Fed Blue Box out of my old R700 in .308(Varmint heavy barrel) for cheap plinking. It was more like expensive agony! It grouped like complete HELL!!!! Inconsistent!! anywhere from 1.5-4" groups @ 100yd

I've also fired it through my LR308 and my M1A - again, still SUCKED!!! Still inconsistent!

A bit off topic(sorry) the blue-box Fed Buckshot 2.75/9-pellet OO Buck patterns well in my Benelli M4.

So there are my personal expriences with the Fed Blue Box.

A good friend was shooting his Browning A-bolt w/ BOSS in .300WM, and Fed Blue - horrible(3" or more) For him, the Rem Core-Lokt worked well(hunting rifle) and it was 1-1.25" @ 100yds.

Short of handloading, consider the Black Hills or Fed Gold Match Ammo when you get your rifle "broke-in." I won't even delve into that topic as it is extremely varied.

Best of luck to ya though!!

-G45

 

[Billk]

Re: Federal Standard 300wm Accuracy?

don't panic until you try some different ammo. My 300 hated the blue box.

 

[desertrat1979]

Re: Federal Standard 300wm Accuracy?

Do yourself a favor. Switch over to the cheap winchester and remington ammo. At least then you will have decent once-fired brass for reloads. Thats about the best you will get out of cheap hunting ammo. I had good luck with FMJ stuff from various manufacturers, best groups were still over an inch though.

 

[jrob300]

Re: Federal Standard 300wm Accuracy?

Try some Federal Fusion 180's. Some of the very best groups from factory ammo have been with that. The copper jacket is electroplated to the lead core molecules at a time, so jacket thickness is tightly controlled. I've shot 1" groups at 200 yds. from my WM with it and it's not that much more than Blue Box.

John

 

[aaronraby1]

Re: Federal Standard 300wm Accuracy?

i had great groups with the 180gr sst hornady superformance factory ammo. im shooting a browning A-bolt medallion.

 

[KnightOfNee]

Re: Federal Standard 300wm Accuracy?

I have some Hornaday Performance sst and some 190 grain Cor-bon bthp on the way, hopefully I can get some good groups out of this Kreiger barrel and blueprinted 700 action.

 

[KnightOfNee]

Re: Federal Standard 300wm Accuracy?

Now I am starting to get worried, I got back from the range yesterday tried Hornaday performance sst and Cor-bon match 190gr, and both performed about the same size group" best was 1" at 100yrd, I cant get this thing to shoot under 1"

The rifle doesnt even kick with the Badger brake and that heavy barrel, so I'm not flinching.

Unless it is me"I hope it is and not the rifle" I would be happy.

it makes me worry though, because I took my Savage 10fcp-k with no mods and shot it right after the 300wm and shot 8 shots with it, both groups were 1/2" at 100 yard with Hornaday Match 168gr A-max. :\

 

[Pat M]

Re: Federal Standard 300wm Accuracy?

One of my 300wm's liked the Remington 180 softpoint ammo ?

 

[jrob300]

Re: Federal Standard 300wm Accuracy?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Knightofnee</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Now I am starting to get worried, I got back from the range yesterday tried Hornaday performance sst and Cor-bon match 190gr, and both performed about the same size group" best was 1" at 100yrd, I cant get this thing to shoot under 1"

The rifle doesnt even kick with the Badger brake and that heavy barrel, so I'm not flinching.

Unless it is me"I hope it is and not the rifle" I would be happy.

it makes me worry though, because I took my Savage 10fcp-k with no mods and shot it right after the 300wm and shot 8 shots with it, both groups were 1/2" at 100 yard with Hornaday Match 168gr A-max. :\ </div></div>

Check action screws, scope base, scope rings...

If you bang on the bottom of the fore end of the stock, will it hit your barrel? If so, you don't have enough clearance and the stock could be coming into contact with the barrel during recoil.

just thoughts...

John

 

[KnightOfNee]

Re: Federal Standard 300wm Accuracy?

stock is tight,devcon bedded, about 1/8" completely free floated barrel, rings are tightend down, they are burris tactical rings with egw base.
I cant get the stock to rub against the barrel by pushing even hard on it, it has full alum skeleton.

I;m wondering if it could be the trigger, it is running an old style none X 700 bdl trigger, The trigger is used, I dont know if it has been adjusted from the factory, I dont have a trigger scale to find out what LB is it at.

 

[beretta_man11]

Re: Federal Standard 300wm Accuracy?

i second jrob. I shot the fuzions quite well out of my 300wm. Winchester 180xp3 and etips shot well too. good bit more money though.

what scope did you put on it?

 

[KnightOfNee]

Re: Federal Standard 300wm Accuracy?

I put a Hawk tactical 6.5-20x42
:Burris tactical rings
:Egw 20moa base
:Badger Fte brake
:26" 1/10 5r Heavy contour x6 fluted 300wm Krieger stainless barrel
:Fully Trued 700 action.
:B&C Medalist stock that I modded and Devcon bedded.

Krieger did all the chambering and blueprinting of the barrel/action and muzzlebrake.

My other rifle that I pretty much have no problem shooting 1/2 groups with is a:
:Savage 10fcp-k 24" 308,Accu trigger and accu stock,1/10 heavy barrel with brake."all Factory"
:20 moa EGW base
:Tps steel Rings
:SWFA Super Sniper fixed 10x42 scope
:This rifle Loves Hornaday 168gr Amax match ammo.

 

[KnightOfNee]

Re: Federal Standard 300wm Accuracy?

Well, I got a Timney Trigger on the way adjusted to 2.5lbs and some Southwest ammo coming" 190smk and 220 smk" hopefully this will help.

I'm beginning to wonder if that last ammo is being"over stabilized" coming out of that 1/10 twist 26" barrel, some places do state that the 5r type rifling does add a little speed to the bullet flight. I didnt try shooting it past 100 yards yet.

 

[GunKnowledge]

Re: Federal Standard 300wm Accuracy?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jrob300</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Try some Federal Fusion 180's. Some of the very best groups from factory ammo have been with that. The copper jacket is electroplated to the lead core molecules at a time, so jacket thickness is tightly controlled. I've shot 1" groups at 200 yds. from my WM with it and it's not that much more than Blue Box.

John </div></div>

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: beretta_man11</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i second jrob. I shot the fuzions quite well out of my 300wm. Winchester 180xp3 and etips shot well too. good bit more money though.

what scope did you put on it? </div></div>

I'll third this, Federal Fusion has been considerably better ammo in my experience, using a Douglas barreled Mauser action, but in 7 Rem Mag, but not as proportionally expensive as the "match" loadings. Outshot all the low-end factory loads I had, next best as Rem CL.

 

[Rancid Coolaid]

Re: Federal Standard 300wm Accuracy?

Black Hills 300WM has always done right by my 300s.

Nothing beats a well made handload, tailored to your rifle.

 

[KnightOfNee]

Re: Federal Standard 300wm Accuracy?

Well, I installed the Timney trigger and that didnt help group size, so I tried shooting with and without the muzzle brake with the same results, group didnt tighten up. so I removed some of the devcon bedding that was 1" into the barrel. it seems to have helped.

I shot some groups with Sw ammo and some more Hornaday performance sst, I have not been able to get any black hills or Fed prem" everybody is out of stock.

all these groups were at 107 yards
1. x1 5 shot group .652" Hornaday sst 180gr
2. x1 3 shot group .58 Hornaday sst
3. x1 2 shot group"ran out of ammo or there would be a third shot,lol" .36" Hornaday performance sst

4. Southwest ammo 190gr smk x2 1.25" 3 shot group average
5. Southwest 220gr smk x1 4 shot group 2"
6 Southwest 220gr smk x1 9 shot group again 2" this 220gr was odd though,in that 9 shot group, there were sub groups of .24 to .125 sub groups""two of which are sharing the same hole" like the load would have a few rounds that shot evactly like each other then a few others that were flyers, I dont get it.

I took the Hawke tactical scope and rings off my 300wm and installed onto my 308 savage and shot one 1/4" 3 shot group with it, so I guess the scope is doing it's job

I'm hoping some black hills will help when I get my hands on some.

 

[gmbjr]

Re: Federal Standard 300wm Accuracy?

I wouldn't get worked up. I don't know how many times you've shot it but for me, it takes at least 200 rounds to really figure out how a particular rifle likes to be shot. You've got all the right components, it will shoot. Sounds like your groups are getting smaller. If you can, I would start hand loading. My 300wm (TRG-42) shoots pretty good with 190 FGMM(moa) but, with handloads, 1/2-3/8moa out to 400 is common and usually holds true out to 600 unless conditions are really tough (210vld's and RL25). It's like a whole different gun with handloads. I've got 308's that will shoot anything I put down them into an inch at 100 and I don't bother reloading for them. My experience with the 300wm hasn't been as forgiving. The 300's I've owned were harder to figure out at first.

 

[KnightOfNee]

Re: Federal Standard 300wm Accuracy?

I just received some Blackhills red box 190smk, will report back when I shoot again.

 

[rlr]

Re: Federal Standard 300wm Accuracy?

Did you get a target or baseline report from Krieger to show its capabilities after it was put together....and the ammo they used? Did they test with the stock, or just the barreled action. That can give you a place to start

 

[Johnny Lately]

Re: Federal Standard 300wm Accuracy?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rancid Coolaid</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Nothing beats a well made handload, tailored to your rifle. </div></div>

X2. No factory ammo will shoot as well as handloads in my rifle

 

[winxp_man]

Re: Federal Standard 300wm Accuracy?

I can post targets if anyone is interested but my 300 WM I shot under one inch two groups after the sight in with the 180 Winchester soft point ammo. I totally got lucky and even got a .300's group with the same ammo. Now I got some A-Max 208 and 220 SMK with H1000 powder.

 

[KnightOfNee]

Re: Federal Standard 300wm Accuracy?

Well, after a long wait, I finally got it to the range and got off two 1/2" 4 shot groups with a steady 15mph crosswind at 100yrds, I didnt have a camera with me, but I will this next trip I go and will have some pics then, Including the rifle now that is painted.

It seems to like the blackhills red box pretty well.