I shot some 180gr Nosler Partitions this weekend and started with 73.5 gr of RL 22 then went up to 75.5 grains which was the max load. I noticed that the groups dropped in size by about half but still I wanted more. I looked up in a sierra manual the max load and they report 77grains. I then looked at the Lee guide and it says 77.4 I believe.
So I loaded up the 180gr Partitions with 76.5 gr of RL 22. This load is a butt kicker. This is the first time I can say that my 300 WM has beat me up so bad I started flinching. I shot 5 rounds. 2 were touching and the rest were flinch shots. Two were about an inch away and one was 3 inches away.
So what do you guys think. Is this round really kicking so hard it hurts or was it that I shot 10 rounds on Saturday that made me tender and the 5 rounds on Sunday were just kicking my butt?
Anyone else have experience with about 76.5gr of RL 22 behind a 180 gr bullet in a 300?
Tom
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I have come to understand that I really enjoy learning things the hard way.
Oh yea, I am shooting 77gr of RL22 with 180gr ballistic tip, and notice just about somewhere over 75gr, you start feeling it. But its shooting 3100fps. And to boot, the groups tend to get tight at high pressures with RL22.
I found my magic number was 75.5gr RL 22 with the Barnes 180grTSX, 100yds three shot group was in the same hole "if I can only do it off-hand". I do have a slight atvantage though when it comes to the recoil, my rifle weighs just over 13lbs so felt recoil gets eatten up pretty good.
300 WM and RL22
