3500fps from a 300 H&H?!?!?!?!?

[BarnesX.308]

They have an article in Guns&Ammo (2005 Annual) on the old 300 H&H written by Craig Boddington. In this aricle it claims that they are getting over 3400fps out of this cartridge and could easily get 3500fps as pressures were fine. The actual text is as follows "the chronograph reading 3400 fps and change. There were no signs of pressure, so we probably could have gone off the charts and approached the 3500 mark, but with that kind of accuracy, we were done". This is with a 150gr bullet and "plenty of IMR4350". This seems awfully fast for the H&H, to me. Factory loads for the 300 Rem. UltraMag are listed at 3450fps (about the same). Am I missing something?

[pharaoh2]

I've never been a fan of col. craig or his flunky's. And I also don't like reading those types of mags anymore. They keep trying to say what you have is no longer good enough, and if your cartridge doesn't shoot at 3500 fps, it's no longer suitable to kill a deer. As for the h&h, it probably will do it, provided the barrels at least 26-28" long. But all I ask is why must they do that?

[Briman]

I don't know fist hand, but a guy I used to work with loved his 300 H&H. He said the cartridge shoots much flatter than a .270, and he's loaded them up with balistic tips and claims its like a varmint round for whitetails.

[BarnesX.308]

I understand that the 300 H&H is capable of a lot more than how the factory loads it, but when it exceeds velocities of the 300Win and matches or beats some 300 Weatherby and UltraMag velocities, you have to wonder. How much IMR4350 are they putting in that case. That wouldn't be my choice of powder for a magnum either but maybe I'm missing something. I think they're using a lot of a powder that's a little faster than most would load in this cartridge and using the amount that one might use if loading with a slower powder - like RL22.

[ELKampMaster]

But all I ask is why must they do that?

Some folks choose to run in the middle of the pack [where the view never changes]....
Other folks push the envelope and live life at the edge....

Magazine sales, I would venture, work best at the edge --- doing Jack O'Connor reprints would likely not buoy sales any at all....

Regarding Boddington....

I wouldn't mind at all to have hunted WHERE he has,
I wouldn't mind at all to have hunted WHAT he has,
I wouldn't mind at all to own/shoot the guns he has,
I woudn't mind at all to have a job that PAYS me to go do what he does,

The typical response is either going to be respect (I'd like to do that) or
hatred/resentment (I'll never be able to do that, why are they even showing it)....

I respect the guy. I'll take what is useful and ignore/discard the rest --- I'm sure that is his intent.

Just the flip side of the coin.

EKM

[James B]

I have only one manual here handi at the moment but it shows 3300 fps as the top load with 4350. This gives the top speed in this manual for that bullet. 3400-3450 would not be out of the question for they are using a 24 inch barrel. A 26 inch would come close to that. The bigger question IMO is what kind of bullet will stand the test of hitting a big bone at that velocity. Some would I quess or as a varmit load it would not matter that much. I would rather move up to a bigger casing or a bigger caliber rather than to push the old 300 to those levels. Just my Opinion. The Manual I have here is the new Nosler manual.

[RedAllison]

What kind of 30 cal 150 will do it James? The Barnes Triple Shock will do it and do it EVERYTIME you ask it to. I shoot one at a hint below 3800fps and it has never failed me, including DOUBLE shoulder hits and full body length shots. And before those I fired 130Xbullets @ near 4k with the same results. They are simply BAAAAD too the bone!

As for this kind of velocity from the old warhorse and grandfather to most small mags, I dont believe it. You can stoutly load a 300 Wby (which is a blown out 300 H&H) longthroat the 26"-28" barrel and you "might" get that kind of velocity. But I just dont think it will happen from the old "Olive Oil necked" H&H.

But stranger things have happened,
RA

[James B]

Barnes bullets would be an exception to the norm. I so far have found no need to load the 150 past 3000 fps. For me I would move up to the 165 minimum. Even the 180 will shoot plenty flat to take about any game at ranges most hunters should be shooting. IMO.