.300 WM speeds in 30-06: am I safe?

[Peakbagger46]

Well close to WM speeds... I finally shot some loads over a chronograph yesterday and got more velocity than expected. The load:

Accubond 180g
60.5g Reloader 22 (not quite but almost compressed)
Remington brass
CCI 200
3.331" OAL

Average velocity was 2875fps out of my 24.5" Sako A7. Groups were just under MOA at 100 yards.

I did "work up" in .5g incrimintes and am below Noslers listed 62g max. Kinda fast though... Am I safe?

 

[Andrew Leigh]

According to QL you are slightly over pressure 60 143psi.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

That IS speedy, but well below listed max. This is from Alliant Powder's site:

30-06 Spring.
Speer 180 gr SP
Winchester case
3.16 OAL
Barrel length - not specified
CCI 200 Primer
Reloder 22
Charge wt. 62
Vel 2,721

Absent any other signs of high pressure (sticky bolt lift, expanded heads, flattened primers) I'd say you just have a "fast" barrel, but the load is safe.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

According to the current data from Alliant the Max charge of RL22 under a 180gr Speer bullet is 62.0gr which matches the Hornady data so you should be fine. Alliant is reporting velocities of only 2721 fps so your velocities are higher but if there are no other pressure signs it's probably due to all the variables that cause the data to have a spread instead of one charge weight.

Are you sure of the charge weight? Are there any other high or excessive pressure signs? Just for info why not fire some factory ammo and see how the velocitiy in your rifle match the advertised velocity of the factory ammo.

EDIT: I didn't see the post above mine when I posted. It seems I repeated what was said but we do agree.

 

[Peakbagger46]

I am not getting any pressure signs. I like the idea of running some factory loads to check velocity. I am weighing each charge, and the load is not compressed.

When I look at various books for rel 22, velocities are all over the map with similar charge weights. Nosler says 61g will net 2872fps, swift has 61g at only 2708fps. I understand differing bullets and test barrels, but that is quite a large spread.

Now that I have shot them over a chrony, I know why the SST I hit a mulie with last fall was a bit explosive.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

When I look at various books for rel 22, velocities are all over the map with similar charge weights. Nosler says 61g will net 2872fps, swift has 61g at only 2708fps. I understand differing bullets and test barrels, but that is quite a large spread.

That is very good and important information from the Nosler manual. Since you are loading a Nosler bullet and the Nosler manual reports similar velocity with a similar charge of RL22 you have no reason for concern. You said you were getting very high velocity but the data from the manufacturer of the bullet you are using tells you differently. I would say you are good to go since that load is accurate.

 

[USSR]

I basically used the 60.5gr RL22 behind the Sierra 190gr MatchKing bullet listed in the Lyman 49th Edition manual for several years in 1,000 yard F Class competition. It is a good one. With my 26" Krieger barrel, I reached 2875 fps with 60.4gr of RL22. 60.7gr gave me 2900 fps.

Don

 

[jmr40]

That is playing a little too close to the edge for me. The charge weight is below max, but the speed is well over. I use the speed as the limiting factor,not the charge weight. While it might not be dangerous most of the time, it could be over pressure in hot weather or if one of those rounds ended up in a different rifle.

I use H4350 and load the same bullets to 2800 fps in a load that I feel very comfortable shooting. The extra 75 fps you're getting translates into about 3" less drop and about 90 ft lbs more energy at 500 yards. If I need more speed I can get 3000-3100 fps easily in a 300 magnum. Pushing a 30-06 right to the edge just isn't worth the risk for me.

 

[Peakbagger46]

Edit to Nosler Data

So, found this little data card in an Accubond box (given the price of the bullets they should include a complimentary manual). My stupid phone is going to post the picture sideways, but it lists 62g as max at 2812fps. Also states 105% compressed and "most accurate load". I thought Nosler data was conservative, maybe I'm thinking Hornady? Anyway, interesting they went up a grain from older data.

I'm NOT going to work up to 62g...

Thank you for all the imput guys. I'm testing on long range steel tomorrow.

Still hope to shoot meat this fall at under 100y though. Starting with a recurve makes getting close a habit

 

[TimSr]

Well under published max, very good accuracy, no signs of pressure...I see nothing that needs "fixing". I don't even see where your velocity results are anything to get excited about - a little higher than expected, but not off the charts. Sounds like you found a good load.

 

[steve4102]

How far was the chrony from the muzzle?

Sky screens installed?

Cloudy, sunny, time of day?

Type brand of chrony?

 

[USSR]

That is playing a little too close to the edge for me. The charge weight is below max, but the speed is well over. I use the speed as the limiting factor,not the charge weight. While it might not be dangerous most of the time, it could be over pressure in hot weather or if one of those rounds ended up in a different rifle.

jmr40,

Not on the edge at all. QuickLoad says 59.1k psi with the 60.7gr load. What you are actually seeing is the benefit of a quality barrel compared to a factory barrel. For example, I have 2 .30-06 target rifles and both have 26" barrels; one is a factory Winchester barrel and the other is a Krieger. With the same load using N160 and a 178gr Amax bullet, the Krieger does 2950fps while the factory barrel only does 2875fps. So, the high velocities I receive with the Krieger are a reflection of using a quality barrel.

Don

 

[Peakbagger46]

Shot at 300 today

Just 5 rounds, wind at about 5mph left to right. Dialed up 4moa. One "winger" in the group (may have been me), but I'm quite happy with the results thus far.

The high desert is just wonderful this time of year. We saw a bunch of mulies and pronghorn loafing around the piñon and junipers. Tons of oldish elk sign too.

Interesting observations on barrel speeds, Don. This Sako is nothing fancy, but the barrel is really easy to clean and seems smoother than my other rifles. Makes me wonder if it isn't producing less friction on the bullet.

400 yards is next up. After that it may be time to order my CDS dial from Leupold.

 

[macgrumpy]

Your 62gr max seems to have come from the online Nosler reloading info, that's different than Nosler's #6 reloading manual, it recommends a max of 61gr. The difference is that it seems that the online version is providing powder charge weights for a broader spectrum of bullets (175gr to 180gr) while the book specifically lists their 180gr bullets.

Your load is right at the top end and I would recommend backing off a little so that your pressures wont be over the SAAMI max when temperatures go up during the summer. I would also warn you to not change cartridge cases unless you know that the case has equal or slightly more volume than the ones you are currently using.

Nosler's reloading manual (the actual book and not the online version) shows a max load of 61gr of RL22 for the 30-06 using their 180gr Accubond in a 24" barrel and an OAL of 3.340". The Nosler book manual recommends a powder charge weight of 57gr for best accuracy (approx 2682 fps).

Also, in regards to the details that I mentioned...

When reloading you need to pay attention to the details of loads listed in reloading manuals. Slight differences in load recipes can make for big changes in pressures and velocities.

• Different brands of bullets of the same weight will have different dimensions which will create differences in pressures and velocities. The 180gr Speer is far shorter than the 180gr Accubond. That's why I like to use the reloading manual that matches the brand of bullet that I'm using.
  
• Different brands of cases will have different volumes which will create differences in pressures and velocities.
  
• Different cartridge overall lengths will change pressures and velocities.

Comparing data from different sources doesn't mean much if you don't use the same cartridge components and OAL dimensions, the pressures and velocities aren't directly comparable.

Using QuickLoad it looks like Alliant most likely developed their load data using a 20" barrel; it's really impossible to estimate safe pressures by comparing their 20" muzzle velocity info to the muzzle velocity of a 24.5" barrel.