300 WSM Barrel Length Help

[T28w]

168 ttsx.
About to load some 200 eldx and see how they do

 

[sndmn11]

Anyone care to share there 300wsm load recipes. I’m getting back out today to retest some loads. I have a thread discussing the issues already and would like to see what others are using brass and powder, and charge weights.
I don’t think I’m going to be happy with what I have loaded up today. Velocity is going to be too low I feel, but too much pressure signs where I was.

300WSM:
Staball at 68.4gr, FEDgm215m, Norma case at 2.090", 175gr LRX at 2.175"BTO, 3100fps 23" Xbolt

 

[madcalfe]

165 I’d use h4530 180gr h4350 or h100v
190-200 h4831sc

 

[Jmgates09]

Have a t3x ss lite in 300wsm trying to decide on what length to get the barrel cut 20 21 or 21.5 mainly be used in blind and woods longest shot might be 250?? Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[BoiseDoc]

I just did this. Played with the barrel new - has 20 shots down it. With a 212 eldx, 62.5 grains of H4350, 215M primer in a 21” barrel got 2749. Nice velocity node at 2700 fps which with that bullet puts it past the minimum velocity of 1600fps out to 1K with any elevation above about 3K. For my 500-600 max range it’s more than enough. If I did it again I’d go 20” but couldn’t decide between 20 and 22” and 21” sounds cool anyway

 

[doverpack12]

I just did this. Played with the barrel new - has 20 shots down it. With a 212 eldx, 62.5 grains of H4350, 215M primer in a 21” barrel got 2749. Nice velocity node at 2700 fps which with that bullet puts it past the minimum velocity of 1600fps out to 1K with any elevation above about 3K. For my 500-600 max range it’s more than enough. If I did it again I’d go 20” but couldn’t decide between 20 and 22” and 21” sounds cool anyway

Was this a tikka factory barrel?

 

[BoiseDoc]

No was a 1:9 twist barrel from Hells Canyon. I will say I didn’t see any pressure signs even with the max load in ADG brass. I was just looking for 2700. I’m planning to mainly hunt with a suppressor but this was just the end cap on the barrel as my chrono is a magnetospeed. Oh and a SAAMI chamber.

 

[Prairiekid]

My factory barrel was cut to 20” with no brake. Shooting 180g Nosler AB from the factory was too much recoil to enjoy shooting. The damn thing would jump and twist. A brake or a bit more weight would have made all the difference. For inside of 250 I would look at a 308 or 338 Fed. I definitely get the allure of a short barrelled 300wsm.

 

[BoiseDoc]

He makes a good point. It lets you know when the firing pin drops. I built mine for a kill everything in North America without question rifle. I never wanted to ask “is this enough” from whitetail in the thick country to elk or even moose. Grizzly I doubt ever but it would work; that being said there are people in here killing moose with .223s so what do I know. I hunt with an arrow 90% of the time anyway. But I do like that short little rifle.

 

[littlefish]

I’m going to be building a lightweight hunting rifle likely going with .300WSM. Researching barrel length and it seems like the general consensus is somewhere in the 20-22” range? What twist is preferred? Going to be shooting factory ammo for whitetails and black bear.

 

[Andouille]

1-11 will shoot almost if not all factory ammo as evidenced by my 20" Tikka making tight groups with 200 ELD'x (2650ish fps) , but 1-10 will give a little extra margin for long and heavy bullets or copper bullets > 180gr.1-9 would be for very heavy and long bullets which are an unlikely combo with the slower speeds of a shorter barrel.

 

[JRS3]

I had a 23” Model 70 FWT that balanced well. I had it dropped into a McMillan edge stock but I couldn’t get consistent accuracy out of it so I sold it. For a non-suppressed setup, I like a 22-23” barreled .300 WSM for portability.

My next .300 WSM will be 20”, if not 18” to hunt suppressed with a direct thread DA TiXC.

 

[jbwright]

Following. in the same camp building 300wsm. going with a 20" 1:10 proof. trying to figure out action but leaning Precision 737 or NBK and Lone Peak Fuzion. prolly the Peak 44 bastion.

 

[khuber84]

Following. in the same camp building 300wsm. going with a 20" 1:10 proof. trying to figure out action but leaning Precision 737 or NBK and Lone Peak Fuzion. prolly the Peak 44 bastion.

I just did a 6cm 20" carbon, bastion, lpa fuzion ti, this is too light a rifle for anything over 6.5cm in my opinion.

 

[Andouille]

Following. in the same camp building 300wsm. going with a 20" 1:10 proof. trying to figure out action but leaning Precision 737 or NBK and Lone Peak Fuzion. prolly the Peak 44 bastion.

In case you're factoring in stock weights, my 8.6lb 20" WSM (with scope and 4-port brake) is about as light as can be comfortably and accurately shot for a long range session with double hearing protection. With a Banish Backcountry it's about 9lbs and is fine for 3 or so shots, before my shoulder feels the 30-06 like recoil, but of course the volume and muzzle blast are much more pleasant than with the brake.

 

[littlefish]

In case you're factoring in stock weights, my 8.6lb 20" WSM (with scope and 4-port brake) is about as light as can be comfortably and accurately shot for a long range session with double hearing protection. With a Banish Backcountry it's about 9lbs and is fine for 3 or so shots, before my shoulder feels the 30-06 like recoil, but of course the volume and muzzle blast are much more pleasant than with the brake.

This is so good to know. I was torn on caliber for my first real lightweight hunting build. I was torn between .308 and 6.5PRC or 300WSM. Hoping to have the whole package around 7 pounds. I ended up going .308 and I can go to a larger caliber later. But I’m glad I did .308 for this build.

 

[KenLee]

20 inches. Install a limbsaver recoil pad. Skip the brake.

 

[jbwright]

I just did a 6cm 20" carbon, bastion, lpa fuzion ti, this is too light a rifle for anything over 6.5cm in my opinion.
View attachment 841717

How do you like the recoil

In case you're factoring in stock weights, my 8.6lb 20" WSM (with scope and 4-port brake) is about as light as can be comfortably and accurately shot for a long range session with double hearing protection. With a Banish Backcountry it's about 9lbs and is fine for 3 or so shots, before my shoulder feels the 30-06 like recoil, but of course the volume and muzzle blast are much more pleasant than with the brake.

Thanks. Def thinking through each component. Really researching to figure out how much recoil the can will take off. Best guess right now is between 20-30%. Not sure how possible it is, but would like to get the 300wsm recoil down to low 20's or high teens ft/lb. Right now I have it spec'd at just a shade over 9lbs with the action, stock, barrel, scope, and suppressor. On the heavier side but as of now a tradeoff I'm strongly considering.

 

[jbwright]

20 inches. Install a limbsaver recoil pad. Skip the brake.

Do you run suppressed by chance? pretty much made up my mind to run the 20" over the 22" - will run a suppressor on it and not giving up enough fps to where i'll appreciate the 2"

 

[Blackdog317]

Went down the same path 2 years ago. Ended up with a 20" 300 WSM and absolutely love it. Right at 9 lbs suppressed (AB Raptor 6 stack with 5" reflex). Easy to shoot at this weight suppressed. Pretty snappy without the can.