Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles RL 17 / 300 WSM Load Results...

Brad--patience is a virtue---Thank you.
Winter, work , too many people had the best of me, but I am much better now. Anxious to get some knife projects done and get the can of RL17 out.
Freddy--- do you have the decimal place right for the expansion?? I don't have any problems with only a couple thousandths (.002") expansion.

Yes, I believe the measurements are correct, as an example one load went from .5001 to .5021, I believe that would be .002 expansion. you are correct but that is still too much expansion according to Barnes.

Check out www.6mmbr.com/reloder17.html these guys know their stuff and are getting anywhere from 150 to 200+ fps out of short fat cases, including the 284 win, i'd say its the real deal

Went back out and refired some of the loads that I shot yesterday.This time I used once fired brass,I backed off from 69 gr to 68.5 gr as my top load, here are todays results.
Barnes 168 gr xlc
67.5 gr 3058

68 gr 3115

68.5 gr 3152

None of the cases expanded more than .0003
When I get a chance and the weather clears up, I am going to fire a five shot string for average, I have a load built up with 70 gr of IMR 4831 that averages 3115, looks like RL 17 does add a little speed to the 300 wsm. I also fired a five shot string using 61.5 gr of RL 17 and the 200 gr Barnes X bullet, I got an average of 2748 with that load. I built up a load about two months ago consisting of 74 gr of Ramshot magnum, that load averaged 2736 and shoots one inch groups, I don't know if RL 17 can match it for accuracy.

Expansion means nothing.

Both Barnes and Nosler use expansion to check for excessive pressure, don't know if they have pressure testing equipment. Checking primer pockets don't help much either when building loads in my 300 wsm, if I use winchester primers they fit looser even after only one fireing, cci primers fit much tighter, they are .001 larger in diameter.

Freddy.....where at on the case are you taking your measurements ?

The intitial expansion sounds horrible , but it could be due to first firing of the case in a sloppy chamber .

Here is a good post discussing expansion.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...&topic=0&Search=true#Post1369854

I have discovered that new brass expands much more than once fired brass.

I am taking my measurements on the web just in front of the extractor groove.

Howdy. I just signed up but i have been reading for a while.today i did a bunch of chrno work with a 300 wsm and because of this thread i shot 2 pieces of brass to see how long they would last.one was Rem and one was winchester well i wore out before they did i quit at 20 times.the load was:190 gr match king bullet with cci 200 primer and 66.0 grs. of RL-17.the brass was fired before i started about 3 or 4 times oh the load shot 3019 fps.Good Luck

Interesting, good to hear.

That's a seriously stout load but it obviously worked well for you. 20 re-loads is a fair bit more than I'd expect for sure. Thanks for the input.

Hey 456 - interesting and alot more than I ever figured possible.

Hey Sam! About that 300WSM WW brass..........

I ran a test on the 300WSM about three years ago. I reloaded one group of WW brass 10 times before I arbitrarily decided I'd gotten my value from them. There were a variety of loads in the 150gr. to 180gr. bullet weight to decide what worked best in the Kimber.
The reloads were full length sized every time, by the way. RL17 seems like a good prospect.

I just did the math.

Figure I'm good for about 5000 firings.....grin
(slopped out a 3" group at 400 yards this morning)

Well, if the brass is lasting that long I have more good news. Over at long range shooting a very well respected gun expert is reporting that the wsm is winning big favor with long range shooters over the 300 win mag because barrels seem to be lasting 2x's and even 3x's longer although no one really seems to know why. Here's his final comment:
The 2008 IBS 1000 yard shooter of the year and Nationals champ is Danny Brooks who has been a long time Win Mag shooter. However, he won this year with a WSM that had 4000 rounds at the Nationals. No Win Mag has ever done that with half that many rounds in the tube.

Sweet!

I'll take that slop anytime............good for you Sam!

You had better be finding the exact quote on that one there kraky........'cuz no doubt, someone will be callin' you out on that one!!!..........

The 300WSM just happens to do what I need it to.......no more, no less. I've said all along that the 300WSM might very well be MY answer to "what one cartridge would you choose for all your big game huntin'".....'course, I'd hate to limit myself in that regard.

It also goes a loooooong ways to showin' that it has ALOT to do with the NUT behind the trigger as well. But that is a heck of a very large, round count, no matter who or what!

Thanks for the report/news flash...............