Always One To Tinker... .300RUM w. 230 Hybrids?

[lancetkenyon]

I figured since I finally drew an elk tag this year after an 18 year dry spell, why not build a better "elk trap". I purchased a used Premier Heritage 5-25x56 and have a new McMillan adjustable Game Warden on order with the Wyatt's extended box. I will also be Cerakoting the metal. I think in flat black, but maybe in FDE or Coyote Tan. Depends on the colors in the stock. I ordered the "Coyote Ambush" color McMillan.

 

 

Not a lightweight, but a decent weight for a LR rig. I won't be packing this thing around the mountains too much however.

 

 

I have been shooting a 210 HVLD/215 Hybrid, and quite a few people have used my .300RUM to take their elk with these loads.

 

I have a reduced load pushing a 210 HVLD @ 2960fps, and a full power load pushing a 215 Hybrid at 3120fps, Both loads have taken a few elk, and a few other animals too.

 

But I figured I am always tinkering, so why not see if I can work up a full power load using the 230 Hybrid?

 

So that is what I am starting.

 

I did my usual, and went and bought 50 new pieces of Nosler .300RUM brass, some Retumbo, and 2 boxes of 230 grain Berger Hybrids.

 

 

I weight sorted the brass, and one of the reasons I love Nosler brass, is they are very consistent. All 50 pieces were within .9 grains. The primer pockets were all consistent, and my trimmer didn't even touch a single one. Flash holes are also already deburred. That saves a lot of time and effort. All I did was neck size them, and check headspace on about half of them, again, all within .0015". They are about .006" short of my chamber, but will fire form just fine. I also measured and weighed the Berger 230 Hybrids. All were within .0015" base to ogive, and within .3 grains across 25 of the 100 that I checked.

 

I annealed the brass after neck sizing also.

 

 

I took a fired case I had shot previously and checked seating depth to lands with the 230 Hybrids. They came out about .0500" longer than the Wyatt's box will allow, but I always ladder test with the bullets touching the lands, and I will do seating depth testing and most likely seat them deeper anyway. I want these to be magazine length, so I will need a minimum of .0500" jump to fit the box, which will also reduce pressure.

 

 

 

 

I worked up a ladder test with the 230 Hybrids. .5 grain increments. Probably could have stepped up to .8 (1% +/-) or even 1 grain at these levels, but kept it at .5.

 

 

Starting charge weight

 

 

Ending charge weight

 

 

I went and sighted it in @ 200 with the lowest charge weight and 230s and got a baseline speed for my ladder test over the weekend. 2860fps.

 

 

I only shot my ladder test at 351 yards, along with a few other rifles and loads I am working on. I can say that shooting about 40 rounds of magnum loads rings your bell by the end of the day. I forgot to take a photo of the ladder test and velocity results page in my book, but I will get them up soon. Needless to say, I think the 230s are going to shoot pretty well. I got slight pressure signs at 92.0 grains, an extractor mark on the brass, but primers were good, no sticky bolt lift, etc. so I stopped there. I have gotten extractor marks on other Nosler brass in loads that were not over pressure, so I think I was still OK, but I was pretty happy with the speeds I was getting, so I stopped anyway. Over 13 rounds, speeds ranged between 2860 & 3070ish. I had two very good nodes, low node was slower, in the 2860-2900 range, and a high node between 3040-3056. I had two hotter loads, 3060 & 3070ish, but one of them had the pressure, so not working those up.

 

At 351 yards, I think my entire ladder test was about 3.5" across 13 different charge weights. My two nodes were both about 1" groups, with vertical separation in the .5" range.

 

So I went home, and loaded up some charge weight testing loads for next weekend.

 

Charge weights

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued......

[duckhunter175]

What were you pushing the 215 Hybrid with? 15gr heavier and you got a high node within 60ish FPS of the lighter bullet.

[Rumhunter84]

I was just getting ready to start a load work up on this bullet with my PCR 300 rum also !

 

Thanks

[Tac]

those magnums ring your bell after a few shots it seems that my focus in my eyes deteriorates.

[lancetkenyon]

I run H1000 under my 210/215s. 85.5gr for the reduced load w. 210 HVLD. 90.3gr. w. 215 Hybrid. But both are seated deep to fit a standard LA mag.

[Rumhunter84]

Why did you chose the hybrids over the OTM ?

[lancetkenyon]

I have had fantastic results shooting the Hybrids on game. BC is a hair better too. .717 vs. .710. Not that I would ever tell the difference. Seems like I see more of the Target Hybrids on the shelf more often than the Tactical Hybrid OTM. The OTM is a bit shorter, to help fit in a magazine better, but with the Wyatt's box, it won't matter as much. I am anticipating a .0500" jump anyway. Most of my other Hybrid loads have a .0500-.0700" jump in the sweet spot.

[lancetkenyon]

Here was my ladder test.

 

 

And my velocity results chart.

 

[Zeke-BE]

Do you have a picture of the Ejector Mark? Im getting better at signs of pressure but I've had a few test loads with a tiny creator on the primer and the next .5 grain I'll blow the primer. So any more education would help thanks

[lancetkenyon]

I will try and get a photo of the ejector mark. I already resized, cleaned, annealed and reprimed the brass.

[PRDATR]

Do you have a picture of the Ejector Mark? Im getting better at signs of pressure but I've had a few test loads with a tiny creator on the primer and the next .5 grain I'll blow the primer. So any more education would help thanks

 

Usually a crescent mark on the face of the base, if that makes sense.

[lancetkenyon]

It is not very pronounced. No real brass flow, just a shiny spot. No other signs of pressure. No flattened or cratered primers, no sticky bolt lift, no case head swipes, etc.

 

Look right on the "N" in Nosler...see the ejector Mark? The circle.

 

 

[Zeke-BE]

Ok I see it!! Thanks I didn't know anything about that. And that is another bad sign of pressure right??

[cjl2010]

Can I shoot a ladder test at 300? How long between shots?

[lancetkenyon]

I prefer to shoot a ladder test at 400, but a lot of times, I shoot alone. And the extra 100 yards each way walking out and back after every other shot gets tiresome.