Help with .300wm Load

[JohnnyB]

Newer to reloading and working on a ladder for my Tikka T3x lite .300wm. So far this is what I have:

RL22. Barnes 180gn TTSX

grains
72.0=2836
72.2=2861
72.4=2897
72.6=2893
72.8=2977
73.0=2986

The Barnes factory ammo I am hoping to match in accuracy gave me a five shot average of 2988fps with a low of 2963 and a high of 3019.

Based on this info would you recommend continuing the ladder up or loading up some to start shooting groups? Do any of these velocities look out of line for what you would expect with RL22? Is it important to continue up to find pressure signs?

Appreciate any help! Thanks

 

[BRTreedogs]

Ok I'll try and help. But I'm a little unsure of what you have done and what you questions are.
First in a magnum go to .5 grain increments .2 is for fine tuning in the end.
So have you been shooting groups with these loads?
A ladder test is shooting groups with various powder charges and then lengths. While looking for pressure signs.
Based on what you said you have just been looking for pressure signs. And trying to match a factory load.
For no just leave velocity out of it.
If there were no pressure signs at 73 grains and would start shooting groups, moving up in .5 grain increments until you see pressure, or accuracy drops.
Then go back to the next best load and increase length if you can to see if accuracy improves.
Once you find a consistent load that shoots good and has a decent Extreme spread and standard deviation.
Zero the rifle. Whatever the speed is it is.
You should be rite in the 73-75 grains.
76 will be getting pretty hot w reloader22

 

[JohnnyB]

Ok I'll try and help. But I'm a little unsure of what you have done and what you questions are.
First in a magnum go to .5 grain increments .2 is for fine tuning in the end.
So have you been shooting groups with these loads?
A ladder test is shooting groups with various powder charges and then lengths. While looking for pressure signs.
Based on what you said you have just been looking for pressure signs. And trying to match a factory load.
For no just leave velocity out of it.
If there were no pressure signs at 73 grains and would start shooting groups, moving up in .5 grain increments until you see pressure, or accuracy drops.
Then go back to the next best load and increase length if you can to see if accuracy improves.
Once you find a consistent load that shoots good and has a decent Extreme spread and standard deviation.
Zero the rifle. Whatever the speed is it is.
You should be rite in the 73-75 grains.
76 will be getting pretty hot w reloader22

Thanks. I guess I was thinking I needed to do the whole ladder to find the node and then start shooting groups. The book says 73.7 is max so would you go to 73.5 and stop? Also, what increment do you adjust coal when testing?

Appreciate the help!

 

[BRTreedogs]

I think part of your miss understanding is the fact your trying to copy the box ammo.
No way of knowing what powder they used.
To me node is an accuracy node.
In what reference are you using it?
I just left town and cannot look at my notes but I believe in my 300 w 180 Scirocco I made it to 77 with barely a primer swell.
But I do not recommend that, that seems unusual and in a hunting situation I had a bolt lift problem I never had before. RL22 can be temp sensitive.

The best way to find your length is going to be to buy and OAL gauge and a comparator tool and measure CBTO off the bearing surface, start .10 off.
But you are probably ok making .10 jumps out off the factory ammo length.
Just make sure you chamber it slow,
I stuck a bullet in the lands once and it pulled and filled my action with powder.
Look up how to read pressure signs.
You'll know its coming. If you dont make any huge jumps the rifle wont come apart.
You and also can try splitting and fired case with a dremel and using that like an oal gauge. Just Google it.

Look up Sam at panhandle precision on YouTube.
He has some amazingly in depth videos on this stuff.

 

[JohnnyB]

Great info, thanks.

The node I was trying to find first was a flat spot in velocity over three different charge weights. I heard some guys saying if you found the flat node your ultimate sd will be lower.

My assumption was that since I have been very happy with the performance of the factory round, getting close to that would yield the same results. This may be totally off base but I have a total of around 35 reloaded rounds of cumulative experience.

i would probably never have tried reloading if it weren’t becoming an issue getting the ammo I want here in California, and when I find it in stock it is $65 per box plus background check. Thanks again.

 

[tdhanses]

Newer to reloading and working on a ladder for my Tikka T3x lite .300wm. So far this is what I have:

RL22. Barnes 180gn TTSX

grains
72.0=2836
72.2=2861
72.4=2897
72.6=2893
72.8=2977
73.0=2986

The Barnes factory ammo I am hoping to match in accuracy gave me a five shot average of 2988fps with a low of 2963 and a high of 3019.

Based on this info would you recommend continuing the ladder up or loading up some to start shooting groups? Do any of these velocities look out of line for what you would expect with RL22? Is it important to continue up to find pressure signs?

Appreciate any help! Thanks

You can do better then what that factory load gave you, your ES (extreme spread) isn‘t great at 56, this is a very important measurement in consistent loads. I like Ryan Averys baseline of an ES of 25 (for example high 3025 and low at 3000, avg of 3012.5) or less, I try to cut that in half if not into the single digits. While ladders can help you find a node, low swings in velocity, I prefer loading in groups of 5rds per load now. As you may get two rounds close in speed and 3 way out there but not know it till you settle on a load, kind of like your factory ammo, ladders just aren’t as accurate and need to be done at 300 yards to really work, not sure what distance you shot at.

I also agree going in .5gr intervals. you need to get an oal gauge and find out where your lands are, you’ll also need a comparator to measure your ogive for consistent seating and the ability to fine tune this measurement. You could start buy measuring what the ogive is on the factory load but truthfully I wouldn’t mess with copying that load as you should be able to improve on it. If your chrono doesn’t give you the ES just keep track of the velocities in the 5 shot groups, then subtract the lowest from the highest.

If you have already loaded another ladder test, load it 4 more times

I haven’t used RL22 but just keep watching your primers and bolt lift, if they are super flat and you can feel the bolt getting harder to move, go back down to your load with the lowest ES and load .2grs below and above. Then you can start playing with seating depth changes.