.300 win mag recipe for elk load?

[Kingcreek]

I'm thinking of loading the 180gr Partition or a Barnes bullet and looking for suggestions for favorite powders, etc. Trying to put together a good load suitable for western Washington Elk medicine.
Thanks

 

[stork]

My personal elk load with the 180 Nostler Partitian is with WWII surplus 4831-prepped Winchester brass-Fed 215 primers. It is higher than the recommended maximum load by Hodgdon but chronographs at over 3000 fps and has grouped in the .3's with ONE particular lot of partitian bullets, not with all lots unfortunately. If I had it to do over now I would look very hard at the Accubonds, fortunately I have 3 boxes of that particular lot of 180 Partitians and 3# of powder left so I'm set for life.

FWIW

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I'm thinking of loading the 180gr Partition or a Barnes bullet and looking for suggestions for favorite powders, etc. Trying to put together a good load suitable for western Washington Elk medicine.
Thanks

You're already there -- the Nosler Partition Jacket or Barnes Triple-X will do the job, and a few hundred fps one way or the other won't matter.

What I do when starting to work up a load is look in the manual for the powder that gives the highest velocity in that caliber, with that bullet. Then I start at the starting load and load 10 cartridges, each one 1/9 of the difference between starting load and max. (Caution: When loading the Barnes Triple-X be sure you're using data developed for that bullet.)

Next, I carefully shoot a 10-round group noting each shot (this is called the "ladder.") What you normally find is that a few bullets that are close to each other in charge will land close to each other on the target -- the others will be more spread out. I pick the middle charge weight of that cluster.

Example; Flipping open one of my manuals, I see the powder giving the highest velocity in the .300 Win Mag is H1000. Charge weights run from 78.0 (2945 fps) to 83.0 (3121 fps). That's a 4 grain spread. I start at 78.0 and go up about 0.4 grains at a time (to avoid having to deal with charges that weigh, say 78.45 grains).

 

[MtnCreek]

I would look at Hornady Interbond. I've used these in 165 gr for 300wm w/ great results on large hogs. I used H4831sc.

 

[Kingcreek]

I've got some IMR4831 on hand. Looks like starting load somewhere around 70 gr.
Thanks
I've loaded 165gr gameking and ballistic tips for deer and pronghorn but never put an elk load together before.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

You might consider a 165 grain Nosler PJ or Triple Shock, then -- for a long time, the 180 grain load was axiomatic, but that was in the days of simple cup-and-core bullets.

 

[cheygriz]

150 grain Barnes "X" since you're using a magnum. And as much 4831 as your rifle allows you to load.

Personally, I use the 150 grain Speer boat-tail soft point in a .30-06, and I've never lost one yet. (Haven't had to track one either. They just go down.)

 

[joed]

Besides 4831 by both Hodgdon and IMR I've also had good luck with IMR 4350 in the .300 Win Mag.

 

[OldRook]

Cheygriz

what does the off side of anything you shoot look like with that load? That has got to be an ungodly mess.. spectacular is another way to look at it isnt it??

 

[calofbend]

73 grs. imr 7828 shoot .500 groups @ 100 yds. in my mod.70

 

[Kingcreek]

Thanks folks. I'll be picking up some bullets this weekend.

 

[cheygriz]

Old Rook,

The neck shots look like a headsman's axe was used!

The high lung shots pulverize the lungs, and usually stop on the hide on the opposite side.

(BTW, on large animals, the bullet often stops under the hide on the opposite side because the hide is somewhat elastic, allowing it to "bulge out" quite a it and it's very tough. This should not be construed as a lack of proper penetration, since the bullet completely penetrated the body before reaching the hide.)