Hard time with my 300 rum
 

I am having a heck of a time finding the right load combo for my 300 sendero.
I am trying to shoot the horady sst 180gr.
I have tried different col's, powder, powder wght, and primers.
What I am wanting to do is use this bullet for my general hunting and shooting and save my barnes triples for the occasional hunt (expensive).
If any one has any load data, it will be gladly noted.
Oh yeah, the best that I can bring the sst's in is about 1.25".

RE: Hard time with my 300 rum
 

Have you tried a faster powder? Maybe something like IMR4350. My accuracy improved alot with this powder. I have tried them all. I just couldn't deal with 3075fps 180gr load for a 300RUM. Thats the only reason I don't use the 4350 anymore. I have had good luck also Sierra 180gr prohunters with Re22.

RE: Hard time with my 300 rum
 

shootn hogs,

Sometimes a rifle just does not like a particular type of bullet. I had a .300 Winchester Magnum that I was bound and determined to shoot Hornady 190 grain Boat Tail Spire Points out of. I tried 3 or 4 different powders, different primers, different brass, different seating depths etc. Went through a whole lot of bullets and powder before I gave up. Tried the 180 grain version of the same bullet and within a few experimental groups I was onto a load that would shoot accurately and consistently.

With the information you have given I would be tempted to say your Sendero doesn't like that bullet. Maybe buy a box of Nosler ballistic tips and see what happens with them.

RE: Hard time with my 300 rum
 

I would guess that your Sendero is like mine. My Sendero just does not like Hornady Bullets. I get 1/2 to 3/4-inch groups with Nosler Partitions & Nosler Accubonds. If you try the same load with Hornady bullets I get a pattern not a group.
I am lucky, I have an old Ruger M-77 300-win mag that just loves any bullet(except barnes-x) you feed it. I have been useing my Hornady's in it with good results.

RE: Hard time with my 300 rum
 

Try some flat based bullets they just might work. Good luck.

RE: Hard time with my 300 rum
 

I know exactly what you're going through. I've been working for the past 6-8 months trying to find the 'right' load for my 300 RUM. Hook up with Bigcountry and listen to what he says. He's been thru it all and helped me work thru it. I've discovered that my particular rifle, Rem 700 BDL Stainless, doesn't like it when I turn up the heat. The faster I try and push a bullet, the worse my groups get. I've finally settled on a 180 Nosler partition over Re22 with a Fed mag primer. This recipe gives me sub moa at 100, 1 1/2" at 200 and about 3" at 300 yards. Granted, this isn't the best shootn rifle, but it'll get me in the woods next month for elk. I've even seen a difference in the 2 different styles of 180 partitions and the way my rifle shoots them. I disagree with 300winnie and using the ballistic tip. I personally think that the 300 RUM will push the BT too fast, just my 2 cents, especially if you're pushing full power loads. Good luck and keep us in on how you're making out.

RE: Hard time with my 300 rum
 

I agree with Highpower in relation to the ballistic tips when used in a hunting situation. Stubblejumper will disagree, and he has a lot of experience with ballistic tips and 300 RUM's. I was merely suggesting that if a gun won't shoot ballistic tips with a little bit of work, then I would probably be looking at more than the bullet to see what is wrong. After re-reading my original post what I meant to say wasn't what I said. Confused yet?:eek:

RE: Hard time with my 300 rum
 

Both of my 300ultramags group the best by far with 180gr ballistic tips and reloader 25.However each rifle is an individual and you must let it show you what load it likes by testing various bullets as well as powders.As far as the 180gr ballistic tips are concerned,they have performed very well on the five elk and two moose that I have taken with them.

RE: Hard time with my 300 rum
 

I overheard a conversation today about the 300 rum, apparently this guy was having really good luck with Hodgdon Retumbo powder, and 180 grain hornady SST's. he had a target with a sub 1 inch group. I dont know what range he was shooting at but I'm assuming atleast 100 yards.

RE: Hard time with my 300 rum
 

Don't know if this will help or not...in my Rem BDL 300 UM, I get 1.25" group @ 200 yds,using 98.7 gr. of H1000, 180 gr Accubond, Fed primers. Average 3300 fps. Was getting 6" group until i floated the barrell. Now I have the accuracy i can live with.

RE: Hard time with my 300 rum
 

stubble, I won't dispute your results, I was just working from my own experiences. Several years ago, I worked with Nosler and their ballistic tip bullets. Seems that I could push their 140 gr 7mm BT bullet beyond their speed window with a 7mm Rem Mag. They recorded numerious failures from individuals across the crountry and ended up redesigning the BT bullet. Back then, in my testing, I believed the bullets were actually failing in air due to the velosity. I know todays BT is a completely different bullet, but I still worry that a full power load in a 300 RUM, you can push a 180 gr bullet pretty hard. And a 165 gr, churning 3400-3500 fps, i think, is outside of the BT's window of performance. I just think at the speeds generated by the 300RUM, non-rapid expansion bullets are better suited. Just my $.02.

RE: Hard time with my 300 rum
 

There must be some GOOD reason why Browning dropped the 300RUM from their line. (?)

RE: Hard time with my 300 rum
 

Economics.Since most people can't take advantage of the extra velocity and don't like the recoil that the 300ultramag delivers,sales have been slow.

RE: Hard time with my 300 rum
 

I should have bought a 75 in 300 UM when Sako dropped them in favor of selling more short mags, lets face it is a specialized cartridge but a very good cartridge design at that. Some posters at other sites are reporting unbelievable 300 yard groups with Sako 75's probably a combination of gun and cartridge IMHO . Stubblejumper is probably the most experienced with this cartridge on this board and I haven't heard too many negatives from him when it comes to this cartridge.

RE: Hard time with my 300 rum
 

I had the best accuracy with IMR 7828 useing 180's...;)

RE: Hard time with my 300 rum
 

With all due respect to stubble, I have never had luck with his very hot loads. I am sure he has built top notch rifles which probably helps.

The gun is not for everybody. But neither is alot of specialized rounds like the 6.5-284. or the 22-243 middlestead.

RE: Hard time with my 300 rum
 

Yes, I hear you, however your comparison to the wildcats, 6.5-284 and 22-243, is not valid. The 300RUM was introduced as one more competitor for the top slot, .30cal cartridge. Had anyone been warning, early on, how finicky the 300RUM was going to be, in terms of OAL, primers, propellents and bullets, I doubt that the cartridge would've gotten off the ground at all.
I know of too many hunters who have for years, gotten excellent accuracy from the 300WinMag and the 300WeatherbyMag, without test firing eight or nine hundred rounds, before hitting on a formula that produces accectable groups. So, bottom line being, that if one has to sacrifice 200fps to get a cartridge that likes more loads, what is the big deal. Forget the 300RUM and go with proven performance in a cartridge, for which acceptable groups come easier. I am happy for those who have struggled through finding what works with their particular rifle, and are getting great groups with high velocity loads, out of their 300RUM. Some folks enjoy working through that particular exercise and I respect that. I simply believe that as a production cartridge, the 300RUM will not be with us long. This, not only because of the difficulty of finding acceptable fodder, but because of short barrel life that goes along with high velocity in big case magnums.
Even if we accept rebarreling at 1000-1200 rounds, are we to assume that the cartridge load search must begin all over again?
I received lots of help from bigcountry and others, when I was struggling with my Browning Stalker in 300RUM. I really do appreciate the time that others took to help me. bigcountry offered to go to the range with me and take a look at things and again, that sort of kindness is appreciated. However, I did not have it in me to continue with that cartridge and since I was able to sell with very little loss, the 300RUM went down the road to someone else. I have loaded well over a dozen high powered cartridges in the past and have never been so frustrated as I was with the 300RUM in that Browning. After reading of others' problems with the 300RUM in various models of rifles, I had to discount any problems with the Browning and lay the problem on the cartridge. I have held a dealer's FFL for many years and hear countless stories of difficulties, from hand loaders. Nothing matches the numbers of bad reports that I have heard, regarding the 300RUM's hand loads being hard to find, with acceptable performance.
Add to all of that, the fact that the 300RUM has no draw, in terms of being the biggest, badest, fastest .30cal. Some have said that not everyone can handle a high priced sports car and that they need to drive a Chevy. Well, the 300RUM is at best, an Edsel.