Well I loaded up some test rounds for 300 Win Mag with IMR 3031 to try and find an easy recoiling load. I used 150 gr Hornady Interbonds and CCI LR primers. The starting load was 59 grains. All five were hangfires. I could distinctly hear/feel the pin drop before the round went off. Surprisingly the group was about 1 1/2" at 100 yds. Velocity clocked in at around 3140 fps. I opted not to shoot the rest of my test rounds and plan on using a different powder. I am thinking that magnum primers might alleviate the problem. I am not sure that it's worth taking a chance of a hangfire while hunting in colder temps this winter though. Anyone experience this before?? Questions??? Comments???
Hangfire(sssss)
- Thread starter Cypress
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DEDON45
Member
Well, I think I'd try Magnum primers, and perhaps another powder. My .300 Wby sings with CCI magnum primer and H4831SC powder under a 178gr A-Max...
brentwal
Member
243winxb
Member
Hangfires
< From CCI website. > http://www.cci-ammunition.com/products/primers/primer_chart.htm You should be using a MAGNUM PRIMERS. How OLD is your powder? Does it smell funny? Any rust mixed into the powder from the can? Has the BOLT been cleaned? If you don't want to take the bolt apart, spray it with WD 40. All the oil from cleaning runs in to the bolt if the rifle is stored on its butt. Over time this turns to gunk slowing the bolt travel. Slow firing pin travel can happen on new or old guns in cold weather also. After cleaning a rifle, store it muzzle DOWN for a few weeks with a paper towel under the muzzle, see how much drains out. The hangfires i have had were with very old GI ammo (30-06)and H450(discontinuded) powder in a 22/250 w/magnum primer. The Hodgdon website does NOT list IMR 3031 for the 150gr, so maybe a better powder choice is in order. I would not think IMR 3031 would be the cause of a hang fire if the powder is new and fresh. My old lyman manual gives a 60.0 gr load as maximum with the 150gr bullet.
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The powder is OK. I just used it for my 45-70 with good results. The gun is fine. I shot factory loads and reloads with IMR 4350 with good results. The primers in the reloads were from the same sleeve as the hangfires. I think the problem lies in the volume of powder used and the non-magnum primers. I know that this wasn't the best powder choice but I was curious how it would perform. I ended up with the same velocity with 68 grains of IMR 4350 without the hangfires. Recoil is very light and grouping is 3/4" @ 100 yds. Just thought it was interesting that every round was a hangfire.
243winxb
Member
It would seem so.
Sunray
Member
You don't need magnum primers just because of the name of the cartridge. One has nothing whatever to do with the other. Mind you, working up a load using them for extreme cold weather shooting isn't a bad idea. That's one of the things magnum primers are for. The other is to light hard to ignite powders. IMR3031 isn't. Otherwise, you don't need them unless your manual says to use 'em.
"...Hodgdon website does NOT list IMR 3031 for the 150gr..." That just means they didn't run any tests using IMR3031 when the on-line data was worked up.
My Lyman book gives 54.0 to 60.0 of IMR3031. Obviously, 59 grains is not a starting load.
"...All five were hangfires..." Approximately how long between pulling the trigger and the bang? Could be that your hearing is just very good.
"...Hodgdon website does NOT list IMR 3031 for the 150gr..." That just means they didn't run any tests using IMR3031 when the on-line data was worked up.
My Lyman book gives 54.0 to 60.0 of IMR3031. Obviously, 59 grains is not a starting load.
"...All five were hangfires..." Approximately how long between pulling the trigger and the bang? Could be that your hearing is just very good.
243winxb
Member
hangfiressss
Sunray, what do you think caused the hangfires??
True, but a magnum primer will not hurt a thing in a 300win. mag.
Also true, But when the powder does not fill the case this could have an affect.
The load data for IMR 3031 was already listed in there old powder guide. Hodgdon must have had a reason for not publishing the data.
you mean "not"
Sunray, what do you think caused the hangfires?? Listed Max in the Lee manual was 63 if I remember correctly. (I'm at work and don't have the book handy) It and one other manual were the only two that listed 3031. I started with 59 grains because this load would yield the minimum acceptable velocity that I was trying to achieve. I got 75-100 fps more velocity than I had calculated probably due to the 2" longer barrel. My hearing is not that good. I can't say how long the delay was but I got a distinct sound/feel and about the time it registered the gun fired. It seemed longer after round 2 probably because I was listening for it.
Der Verge
Member
You do not need magnum primers in a .300 win. There is not that much powder in there. I have switched between magnum and large rifle in 7 mag, 300 win, and 338 win. The primer type is not the problem. The #1 reason for primer failure is......improper seating. Namely, the primers are not seated in far enough. Flush or not, if the primer is not fully seated in the primer hole, the firing pin has to push the primer to the bottom of the hole, before the anvil can be crushed, and the charge ignited. I have driven this learning curve. Make sure everything is seated properly, and try again.
Failure reason #2....obstructed flash hole/dirty pocket.
etc
etc
Failure reason #2....obstructed flash hole/dirty pocket.
etc
etc
Seated the primers with a hand tool that I can feel the bottom in. Same tool that I used for the next 20 test rounds with 4350 an hour or two later with no hangfires. I think I'm gonna have to buy some magnum primers to try just to put my curiosity at rest. Or not!!!!
By the way the brass was new unfired that I personally sized,checked the length,primer pockets, and flash holes.
By the way the brass was new unfired that I personally sized,checked the length,primer pockets, and flash holes.
~z
Member
Cypress, I know exactly what you are talking about, I have had the EXACT same experience. 300WM IMR 3031. I dont recall the charge weight, but my results were similar. Not a click........bang, but things just didnt go off as expected. My experience was not every single round, but enough to discontinue the use of 3031 in that round. I love the powder for smaller cases but no for the 300 anymore
~z
~z
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