What do you want tested?

[Hoot]

I've done a few load-ups of the Speer 300gr Gold Dots as well as other members.
A member sent me 25 to do something with and Spring is real close.
What's been missed that still needs testing? I do my tests at the local 100 yd range, so long range is out.
Can do taper or stab crimp. Have Lil Gun, 296, and 1680. Have several different primers as well, though the heavy weights are not as primer sensitive as the lighter ones. Ditto on crimp type.

Like to get the obligatory stuff out of the way before pursuing weights of greater interest to me, along with other calibers.

Hoot

[gunnut]

I think it would be really interesting to do a compare of 275 to 350 grn. bullets 450B Vs.450LM.
I'm using fed. 215 primers exclusively for 450LM.
W296 gets into over pressure @ 275grn. bullets in the 450LM. Would be nice to see how it does in a reduced case capacity and/or compressed. (warnings of reduced charges of 296).
IMR 4227 works well with 275s and up. But, doesn't give the velocities. very safe
A1680 comes alive about 325 to 350grn bullets.
It would be very interesting to see if there is a crossover point between bullet weights,case capacity and powders!
Thanks so much for your efforts!

[Hoot]

My first outing of the year may well be some load workup using the Hornady 230gr FMJ a member sent me. Should track the MagTechs, but there's always a little difference.

Still not sure what to do with the 300gr Gold Dots. A lot of members have already had an at bat with them, including me. For the loads I tried, I was not impressed with their performance compared to the Hornady XTP Mag bullets. I've never had the opportunity to characterize 4227. If I can find a pound, perhaps I'll pair them up with it.

Hoot

[Texas Sheepdawg]

I just ordered some of those Blems in the 300 Grain. Would be interested in some tests with those.

[Hoot]

I just ordered some of those Blems in the 300 Grain. Would be interested in some tests with those.

I did a test with them last summer, during the Gold Dot craze. I was left with the impression that I was not spinning them fast enough to tighten u the groups, but I (forget) either ran out of bullets or started seeing pressure signs for my chamber that would not allow me to pump up the velocity any further. While I could have had another go at it, not being a fan of heavy bullets, I dropped it. They sure were imposing looking though. Just no use for them in Minnesota.

Hoot

[Hoot]

diewinter.jpg (13.45 KiB) Viewed 9367 times

I was reading an old thread bout the 300gr Deepcurls and remembered I had promised to take up where I ran out of bullets to test with last year, using AA1680. I still suspect it is more fitting for bullets weighting more the 300gr, but life is for learning.
I only have 25 bullets, so it'll be a limited test. I'll also do some categorizing step loads to use with QL for Hornady 230 RN FMJs. Not that TSD hasn't run that bullet to ground, but there may be slightly different jacket properties to take into consideration.

First we need Winter to Die! 6 New inches of mashed potato snow fell yesterday.

Hoot

[wildcatter]

diewinter.jpg

I was reading an old thread bout the 300gr Deepcurls and remembered I had promised to take up where I ran out of bullets to test with last year, using AA1680. I still suspect it is more fitting for bullets weighting more the 300gr, but life is for learning.
I only have 25 bullets, so it'll be a limited test. I'll also do some categorizing step loads to use with QL for Hornady 230 RN FMJs. Not that TSD hasn't run that bullet to ground, but there may be slightly different jacket properties to take into consideration.

First we need Winter to Die! 6 New inches of mashed potato snow fell yesterday.

Hoot

lololol.. Yup, 1680 is better suited for bullets heavier than 300gr. I like to use it on 250's-300's (again heavier is better) because it gives me much lower pressures, with 100% load densities and only slightly slower speeds, and-and the action functions flawlessly, all at the same time.

The slower speeds aren't any kind of problem as we've have residual Horse-Power, in Spades.

100% (and I can sometimes compress to 110%, depending on a ton of factors, that all have to be considered) load densities are better for over-all accuracy and efficiencies (though not necessarily, so again, load realities must prevail).

And residual HP is always a good thing, I know of no-other cartridges that can speak of this until you get to one of the 338 Magnums or better. The 300 win mag doesn't, nor the 7mm Mag, forget about the 06-308-and many others for none of them have residual HP. In fact the last several times I saw a 7mm working, I was standing well aft of an Elk with binoculars. The shot fired went through the boiler room and exited the animal. I could see steam coming out both sides and that Elk never knew it was hit, not reacting at all, the second shot, as I remember, was a neck hit and dispatched the animal immediately. Another time with a 7mm was in watching a paying customer, shoot a Moose many-many times, at about 100yds and the Moose never quit eating never knowing it was hit. Also, I myself quit using the 300mag when I saw these kinds of events, over and over and after I personally shot two whitetails in a double and one ran 75yds, the other went 75yds, jumped a fence and ran another 75yds before succumbing. Now, both of these had the top of their Hearts Blown Completely Off and their legs completely broken-down. It was pathetic, the damage of those wounds and yet those deer could still run and jump, on stumps for legs with no hearts. Needless to say I went back to my 338 and started down the Big Bore Military Weapons route, doing stuff to both M1's and to the AR's, this was in the early 1980's. I've never looked back to those lessor cartridges for help, even though I have a bunch of 98 Mauser's (I've been looking at the 375 Ruger for them)I should convert, but I can't get away from these 'highfalutin Big-Bore AR's. Case in point, you-know I still get cussed out, from guys that have gun vaults, loaded with firearms that they say are totally obsoleted and totally eclipsed by our weapon. Oh Yeah, if you need a Mountain Top to Mountain Top weapon, maybe there are better choices, but who can shoot that kind of stuff and I say I can get too within 300yds of any animal on earth, where "Dear Sports Fans", we shine in Spades!

Hy-Jack ended..

..t

[Hoot]

My entire life of hunting shots on big game probably doesn't equal one of WC's more active year's worth, but I have had a different net experience. The only whitetail I ever had run on me was a large 8-pointer I shot too high, double lunging him with a 30-30. He ran about 100 yards total and thanks to snow, I was able to spot the blood spray and follow him to where he gave it up. Without the snow, I would have lost the biggest deer I've ever shot. That's the exception. All the other deer, shot with a 300 Win Mag loaded down to 30-06, or an actual 30-06, or a 308, either dropped, or staggered such a short distance, that when I walked to where they stood when I shot them, I could see them where they fell in the woods. Also, the other deer I shot with a 30-30, through the shoulder and heart, bowled over sideways where he was shot. Using centerfire 30 calibers does not equal only a wounded deer which disappears, nor have I ever shot a deer twice in my entire life. I was tempted once as one tried to crawl off, but I waited a few minutes and it died 20 yards from where I shot it. Then again, I've watched what a lot of folks would have shot at, bound away rather than take a low odds shot, which the 450b might have gotten away with.

The 450b has the potential to anchor even the mightiest whitetail in my state and we grow them big, but so will many other calibers. I did not say Elk, Moose, Bighorns, Grizzly Bear, etc. I do not have the opportunity to affordably hunt them where I live or the deep pockets to travel to where I can and pay to do so. So my mission is a narrow one. My situation is a woods based, close in one. Despite the appeal, I pray the severe winters will preclude hogs ever taking hold here, because frankly, the damage they do is not a good trade-off for the pleasure of hunting them. It is not a win-win. Time will tell.

You don't need to kick any .452 bullet all that hard to make it a lethal tool. Obviously, from a technical perspective, it is appealing to work them as high as safely possible and as accurate as possible to justify the effort. That's just the scientist in me.

I left off on the 300 DC and 1680 with only just having scratched the performance surface at 41gr of charge. Even QL laughed at this anemic loading, but it was a new scenario and I approached it with the same respect as any other new load. Unfortunately, the donated rounds ran out before I could follow it to the end. At the point where I left off, I was not impressed with either the bullet or the powder's performance. The bullet needed more RPM and the powder left me wondering if I could get there. However, that allows me to skip that part of the workup when I continue.

Despite most members not having one, I will in all likelihood run these 25 with a modified Lee FCD stab crimp. In order to get as much charge into the case, I was considering going with the bullet loaded to 2.26. I'm not happy that at that COL, there is only .18 insertion depth, so I may have no choice other than to go with a shorter COL to get an insertion depth that affords adequate coaxiality and retention regardless of which crimp I use.

For my personal hunting mission, I was finished with 300gr bullets last summer. I don't hunt trees or shoot multiple deer with a single round. I am not working up an anti-material war round either. Once finished with these 25, I'm finished with 300 grainers. If it won't drop with the TKO afforded by a 200 grainer traveling nearly 2500fps, I won't be hunting it. Besides a 200 grainer traveling 2500fps only gives up a few digits of TKO to the 300 grainer traveling 2000fps. Both eclipse the 30-06 pushing a 165gr at 2800fps and that has served me well for the big game I hunt.

I reserve the right to change my mind and wander down the heavyweight bullet alley again, but in all honesty, I can't say why, short of the love for learning something new, regardless of whether I have a mission for it. What can I say? I'm fickle.

Hoot