300 winmag match loads

[Tarvis]

I'm looking for a 800+ yard load for my 700P with a 1-10 twist. I've been using RL22 and have had decent luck with 165gr nosler ballistic tips on the 18" gong, but haven't had the patience (or the weather) to spend time shooting paper.

Basically, I'm looking for some suggestions on bullet weight and powder. I'm thinking 185gr berger VLDs or whatever they are, and I need to use up my RL 22 but open to suggestions.

 

[Afy]

I have had good luck with 185 Scenar and 77.5 gr of VV N-165. But have never shot it at 800 meters.
At 100 am getting well under an inch if I do my part with a SHR 970

 

[~z]

I have been using 168 SMKs and RL22 with great success to that distance, much beyond 1K I use 175 SMK and 190 SMKs. The Berger bullets are very good, but I have not noticed a lot of difference between those and the SMKs. In the end it came down to price for me and the SMKs are a bit less expensive. Another powder that has served me well is H1000.
~z

 

[Shibumi]

If it's good enough for the Marines...

My brother shoots a .300 and has commissioned me to reload rounds to the spec used by the USMC competition team at 1000 yards. I have just completed the first batch to ship to him, based on research online to his satisfaction:

Matched brass (pick your price level!)
Federal magnum match primer
Sierra Matchking 190 gr. HPBT (#2210)
70.4 gr. RE-22

Velocity of 2900 fps.

Specs online listed all but the powder used, and that was deduced by looking in the Sierra manual and cross-referencing the velocity listed, and what a coincidence that Sierra found the most accurate load out of all powders to be RE-22 at 70.4 gr. and 2900 fps!

 

[Lazuris]

I like hornady amax 178g with 75g rl22. This is nice and flat out to 1000yds and is both easy on the shoulder and the wallet. I was clocking just over 3k FPS. savage 110fp w/ new shilen match barrel. Also the Amax 208g with 70g RL22 is another great 1000yd+ round as it bucks the wind better. I have no FPS data yet as this is still a new loading for me.

 

[Tarvis]

Shibumi: Thanks, good info. Also, welcome to THR!

Also the Amax 208g with 70g RL22 is another great 1000yd+ round

I have a few of those so I'll try 'em. Haven't spent too much time with them yet either.

What exactly is a SMK? I hear it used a lot but I'm not really sure what it is.

 

[USSR]

SMK = Sierra MatchKing. A 190SMK at 2900fps is a good load for the .30-06 as well. Have used it for many years in 1,000 yard competition.

Don

 

[Owen]

190gr at 2900fps from a .30-06?

What's the recipe?

 

[Tarvis]

I see. I bought some 180 smk's so I need to use those up, I'll try the 190 next.

 

[USSR]

190gr at 2900fps from a .30-06?

What's the recipe?

owen,

Lake City Match or Lapua brass
190SMK
Fed 210M primer
60.7gr RL22

Perfectly safe load out of my 26" Krieger barrel, and similar loads have been used by several of my friends in their rifles. You simply cannot get enough RL22 in the '06 case to get in trouble with the 190SMK.

Don

 

[Owen]

I think I will have to look into this "RL22"

 

[ShunZu]

A preferred recipe for my Sendero in .300WM that's worked well at 1K:

70.4 grains IMR4350
200 grain Sierra Matchking BTHP (I'd prefer to use a 220 but can't get it to print reliably, unfortunately)
Winchester Mag primer
new winchester brass

This is out of an unmodified, "stock" Sendero with factory trigger adjusted to 2.5lbs. Barrel was lapped at 200 rounds, and other than that, no mods. Shoots quite satisfactorily in my opinion, and I liked it so much the Sendero became a central figure in the New Madrid Trilogy of novels. Great caliber imho.

Had to raise my eyebrows, however.... at a post above that a guy is running is .30/06 at 2900fps. My '41 Winchester Garand went and hid under the couch when I read that to him. He's very attached to his factory action rod.

 

[GooseGestapo]

I doubt very seriously that he's actually getting 2,900fps w/190gr bullet even from a 26" bbl.

I've shot a LOT of RL22 from a 24"bbl and a 180gr bullet for 2,780-2,820fps, depending on powder lot# and outside temperature.

Alliant lists the 190gr bullet and 60.0gr at 2,755fps as a max load w/24" bbl. I'd expect an average of around ~2,820fps with his gear. So, you may see an occasional 2,900fps on the chrono, but the true average will be a bit less.

Nevertheless, an outstanding load that shouldn't be fired through an AUTOLOADER, HOWEVER !!!

Stricly a bolt-gun load.

 

[USSR]

I doubt very seriously that he's actually getting 2,900fps w/190gr bullet even from a 26" bbl.

I've shot a LOT of RL22 from a 24"bbl and a 180gr bullet for 2,780-2,820fps, depending on powder lot# and outside temperature.

Alliant lists the 190gr bullet and 60.0gr at 2,755fps as a max load w/24" bbl. I'd expect an average of around ~2,820fps with his gear. So, you may see an occasional 2,900fps on the chrono, but the true average will be a bit less.

GG,

Stop over to www.SnipersHide.com sometime and search the archives. Myself and a poster going by MontanaMarine pioneered the 2900fps 190gr .30-06 load about 6 years ago. Dozens of different peoples chronos can't all be wrong. You simply can't take the velocity obtained and published in a reloading manual, and extrapolate that your or someone elses rifle will attain a certain velocity. Example: I have two .30-06 precision rifles, both with 26" barrels. With the exact same load (using a Hornady 178gr Amax bullet) in both of them, I get 2875fps in one, and 2950fps in the other.

Don