Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Ballistic Tips in a 300 Win Mag?

I tried some Remington Core-Lokt 180's in my 300 Win and the results were terrible.

I want to try a Ballistic Tip but the mag confines would cause me to seat the bullet super deep into the case. I was thinking the only way to pull it off would be with a 150gr.

Anyone trying 150's in their 300? I want to try a spitzer type bullet, but it looks like my gun might not allow it unless I go with a lower weight bullet. I have always had good luck with Ballistic tips in my other guns, so I wanted to try them in my 300, just not sure if I can make it work.

I am open to suggestions of other bullets that worked well in your 300's.

Thanks!

I have had astounding results with the Barnes TSX in 168 gr and also very good results with Partitions (180's are the only ones I've tried) but they shot well and killed well.

My experience is that at the relatively high velocities that are obtainable in the 300, the non premiums may shoot accurately, but they come apart on game pretty badly. I love Hornady bullets in non magnum cartridges, and I used them a lot in 30-06 but even the 180 Hornady Interlock BTSP was pretty frangible at the 3100+ velocity I was getting. I went to Partitions and the problem was solved. Then I made the "mistake" of trying TSX's and I'm hooked. In my Browning Eclipse M1000 they are surgically accurate, and even at moderate velocities they kill like Thor's hammer.

Personally, for game, I would stay away from the plastic tip bullets in the 300 mag, but as always, YMMV.

dogcatcher-when you say the results with the CL were terrible you mean accuracy wise or what?

Also what are you looking to use the load 4?

Thx

Mark D

There's no problem seating a long bullet deeply into the case with a .300 Winchester, or indeed any other cartridge. This is an old myth, mostly having to do with the notion that you'll lose too much powder capacity, which is not true.

My own .300 Winchester is a Ruger action with 3.34 magazine, and I have shot 200-grain Nosler AccuBonds in it with no problem--and they are about as long as bullets get. I use the same load I use with 200-grain Partitions, 78.0 grains of Ramshot Magnum.

Which bullet you pick depends on what you want to use it for. The 180 Ballistic Tip now has a very heavy jacket (like that on the 200-grain .338) and would hold together well enough on about any game up to 500 pounds or so, but would also expand nicely on deer or pronghorn.

150's of course will work in the .300 Winchester but if your crank up some of the softer ones they will disintegrate almost like bombs. Have seen the 150 Ballistic Tip started at 3300 from a .300 magnum leave an exit hole you could stick a football in on pronghorn.

Plastic tips are no longer any indication of how a bullet will hold together. Among the tougher ones now are the Hornady Interbond, Nosler AccuBond, Barnes MRX and Winchester XP3. Oh, and the Swift Scirocco II is also designed to expand less widely than the previous Scirocco.

MD

I used to shoot 150 Ballistic Tips from a 300 Win Mag at 3350 or so. I shot 16 or 17 deer with the combo, all were one shot kills. All were whitetails and most dropped in their tracks, which sure beats tracking through a cutover or thick plantation. Most broadside shots exited while quartering shots sometimes did not. I went from a 243 to a 270 to this 300, and let me tell you, the 150 BT at this velocity is the deadliest load I have ever seen on deer. More than once I heard "Good Lord, what did you you shoot him with?" Don't be afraid of Ballistic Tips on deer-sized animals. I used 78.5 grains of IMR 4831, which was safe in my rifle.

Thanks for the info guys. FYI, my rifle is an old tang safety Ruger which has a short magazine.

Mark: The results on paper were terrible. I was getting a couple shots close together, then a flier 4" away. I didn't get one decent group with 4 different test charges of I4350.

I want to try a bullet that I know is accurate, then maybe mess with the Core-Lokts when I have time.

Mule Deer: One more thing, when i checked the seating with a 165gr ballistic tip, it seemed like it was so deep that I was borderline on the ogive to fit in my magazine. Are you able to seat on the flat part of the bullet with the longer ones?

Thanks.

Ballistic tips are deadly on paper....wouldnt stoop to the level of using them on game. Especially out of anything MAGNUM. Too many super excellent bonded bullets out there to be risking the explosive nature of NBTs when driven at high velocities. Me personally...I'm in love with the NAB. Super scary accurate out of my 280AI. And they hold together well with very little meat destroyed even on my favored double shoulder shots. That was proven on a buck at less than 40 yards. But here's the good part. The 2 bullets are almost interchangeable. Work up a load with the usually cheaper NBT. Then back your powder off just a smidge and work back up with the NAB using the same OAL. The results should be more than satisfactory.

Gameking 165
Hornady SST 165
Hornady SP 180
Hornady 220 RN

These have all shot very well in my 300wm. Personally I think that 165 and greater takes advantage of the case capacity in the WM. I think the 150 sheds too much energy at long range.

dc223,
Anything I hit with this load dies pretty quick.

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

Should be big fun. Don't shoot the parts you plan on eating, though..... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I try not to shoot the parts I plan on eating regardless of the bullet construction.... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />


BTW, I'm shooting Hornady's excellent 155 gr A-Max out of my 300 Winnie. The results on Deer are impressive.... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" />

IMO and IME BT work great on Whitetails and Muleys.

I have excellent results with 180 BT, 300 Win mag., and white tails.

The 180 gr., 30 cal. BT do not seem fragile at all; even drive at 300 Win mag velocities.

GB

I am not concerned about the bullet failing to perform, I am concerned about seating it very deep since my gun has a short mag box.

I think maybe the 150gr Accubond might be the ticket.

I would not be overly concerned about having to seat the bullet deeply in the case. My 300 mag was a Winchester and the mag box length was not the greatest.

If your concern with seating the bullet deeply is "compressing" the charge, you can always use a different powder.

H4350 is an excellent powder for the 300 mag. and it will not fill the case like RL22 of RL25. I had excellent results with 4350 and there is plenty of room for 180 gr. bullets.

GB

Mule Deer reports that the .30 cal BTs have been significan't beefed up.

That being said, in a 300WM I wouldn't be shooting 150s...165s or 180s depending on the quarry.

Any and all factory rifles have magazines that will function will the OAL of any and all factory loads. Since factory loads are loaded with BT's it stands to reason that there is no problem in seating them in any wieght to fit and function through you magazine............... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Good point. Maybe I should buy a box just to see how they work. At least I will get some brass out of the deal.

I load 165 BT's in a 300WSM for my father-in-law. The bullets seat deep to fit the Browning magazine but they still chrono at 3100 fps and kill like crazy. Groups are usually sub-moa