Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Is this excessive velocity?

I was working up a load for my .300 Win mag Sako (26" Lilja barrel) using 168 gr. Barnes TSX bullets and RL 22. My maximum load was 78 grs and with that amount of powder I was getting velocity readings in the 3320 fps range. Does this sound okay to you guys? Seems a bit fast to me. My cases extracted fine and I didn't notice anything abnormal otherwise about them.

BTW, it probably doesn't matter much anyway since I doubt I'll use this load again. Accuracy was awful.

Mmmmmmm, well...it seems a wee bit fast, but the load seems within book max. Did you have any signs on the brass...or sticky bolt? You sure about the chrony?

The velocity does seem a little high. However, unless you wewre shooting through an Oehler chrono, you might just be getting an unsually high reading. I don't know how hot of a load 78 grains of RL 22 w/the 168 TSX is considered.

anything over 3250 would scare me. I'd back off 2 grains and retest. Might be a great load.

It might not be all that high, given the 26" barrel. Any indication from other loads that this is a "fast" barrel?

A test might be to take the same case, load and shoot it 5 times. If the primer pocket is still tight, then you are probably ok.

That load may be fine... north end no doubt. However 26" is a LOT of barrel. Quite a few 300 WM's will run 180's as high as 3,100 - 3,150 with 24" tubes. There's certainly no reason to run stuff balls-to-the-walls. Maybe back off to 3,250 and have peace of mind... the game will certainly never know the difference.

I have had some real scarey velocity out of the 168tsx in a couple of guns with max charges of slow burners. Be careful with it. (I don't think there is any free ride and when I see people posting that they are able to load a grain or two more powder more than other bullets of the same wt it scares me.)
Also....for what its worth it seems like RE22 is getting faster burning....could be a combo of the two?

This load is w/in, actually under, max load for 165s according to Alliant's data. I know its a 168 TSX, but most data I see they combine data for 165s and 168s. Barnes may be different. But also, like Brad said, its a 26" tube. I get 3150 from 180s in my 24" tube, and I do it with book loads, max loads, but within book. But as has also been said...dropping back a grain or even 2 wont hurt anything likely.

Well, like I mentioned, the max load wasn't very accurate anyway, so I have no plans to try it again. However, 75 grs. looked promising and velocity was about 3160 fps. I can live with that. Thanks for the replies.

If something tells you the load is too hot, it's too hot. If you don't believe your instruments, then believe your gut. I speak from experience. I blew this one up.

http://warthog1134.com/blowup_page_1.htm

I loaded 77 grs. of RL-22 and the 168 TSX.Shot two,three shot groups.The first group avg.was 3322 fps.The second was 3320 fps.The sd's of these groups were 12 and 13 fps.Went to 78 grs. and achieved 3386 fps.These were from a 24" Hart.Accuracy was good.
I talked to Ty at Barnes and he told me that the loads were a little "HOT" and to back off.These loads were within the Barnes loading manual specs.
At the time I was shooting over a Crony Beta Master.Have sense upgraded to an Oehler 35 and have found that the Crony velocities were optimistic.
I experienced no "pressure signs",but suspect Ty is right.
The RL-22 is a great powder for the .300 Win.mag.,in my experience,but seems to be unpredictable.Have sense switched to Hodgdon.FWIW.

Is that bolt bent, or is it just pic perspective? That IS SCARY!

Velocity IS a pressure sign. If your velocity is too high so is your pressure. Traditional "pressure signs" are highly unreliable especially in tightly fitted custon rifles................DJ

DJ nailed it. 3300fps+ is blazing out fo a 300 Win Mag.

Further, the Alliant data is for a Speer SPitzer bullet, not a TSX.

My bet is you are way over safe pressures.

Any time you change ...the bullet.....the primer....the case you are treading on uncertain ground. A load that might be perfectly safe using a certain bullet and a certain powder charge might really spike pressure with just a change in primer.

I have a 375 that likes Reloader 15 and I was getting just about 2600 fps with a 300gr Nosler Partition with it and with excellent accuracy .... recoil was stout so I backed off to about 2540 fps. When I ran out of powder I bought another cannister and as is my cautious habit I dropped the load a bit and loaded a couple of rounds to check it out.... not good. Big time pressure signs.....bottom line was the best I could get out of that lot of powder was 2450 fps.

I used to just be cautious but now I'm paranoid cautious.

If the accuracy is terrible, what difference does the velocity make?

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

aint no amount of bore cleaner gonna fix that. was anything salvagable or did you have to scrap the whole stick?

Nosler #5 shows 79 grs as max with their bullets at 3290. So just over 3300 with a longer barrel and a grain less seems reasonable.

If the load were accurate I would use it after checking it against more data.

Keep in mind that the temperture matters and if your work up was in cool weather then ammo and a rifle in the hot sun could produce higher pressures.

Here is a higher charge that was accurate!

".300 Winchester Magnum
LoadID 9414
Bullet Barnes TSX
BulletWeight 168 grs
Powder Alliant Reloader 22
PowderWeight 80 grs
Primer Federal GM 215
Brass Make Norma
Barrel Length 24 (inches)
C.O.L 3.385 (inches)
Velocity 3285 fps
Group 0.375 (inches by 3 shot at 100 yds)
Submitted Date 9/2/2004 4:21:00 AM
Submitted By Jim Hundley
Gun Info
Comment Fast and accurate"



web page

Try this