No newspaper this AM, so looked through the Hodgdon manual while having coffee. Noticed a load that appears to bring out optimal performance by any standard.
Load calls for 84 gr of Retumbo under a 200 gr Nosler Partition & Winchester LR primer, in a Winchester case producing 2,962 fps out of a 24" barrel.
Anybody got "hands on" experience with this recipe?
I find it curious as they list 78 gr as being compressed as the max load under the Accubond, with a vel. of about 100fps less.
My rifle has been on a diet of 180 gr Partitions under about a case full of RL22. Hodgdon seems to offer the opportunity to move on up to a 200gr bullet with no sacrifice in velocity. Gotta be an heck of a "reach out & touch'em" load if it actually works.
Might be grounds for a summer project.

not magic, the 200 gr partition is ever so slightly smaller diameter. they do this to reduce friction that would be greatly increased due to the unholy length of the bearing surface on that bullet. the 200 bullet going the same speed as the 180 sacrifices a tight fit in the .308 bore for that speed, some rifles will shoot them VERY well but the majority will not. not trying to discourage you from trying, just stating why. have tried them in .308 Norma (very simmilar to the WM) with no luck

My Dad uses the 200 Party in his 300 with RL-22 at 2,800 fps. and it shoots great and the bullet works great on game.

I'm hoping to work with that bullet and the 208 A-Max in the 300 Bee and 300 Winny soon as well, but with RL-25.

Check your pm's

84 grains of Retumbo? Are you sure? You can do the same thing with RL-22 or IMR 4831 only with 12 grains LESS powder. 84 seems like a lot. mtmuley

I don't know nothin about no 300 winchester, but in my 7mm RM -that Retumbo sh*t just works!


Kaiser Norton

I have used Retumbo int he 300 win mag with a 200gr accubond with good results and velocity over 2900 using Lapua brass. Sadly Lapua doesnt make 300 win mag brass any more.

Is .3075" under sized in your opinion. It is not in mine. It has shot well in every rifle i tried it in, but it is a hunting bullet. Never designed to be a match bullet. The 10 elk i have killed with them proved their performance.

I did not say "undersized" and i am not denying their lethality, the partition probably being one of the best big game bullets on the planet. i love them and would shoot them at anything that walks. all i was doing by mentioning the smaller diameter is to explain WHY they are capable of equal velocity to the 180's which measure a true .308. thus dispelling the "magic" portion of the post. you will NEVER hear me speak ill of a partition, they just plain kill [bleep]. at all ranges, even when heavy bone is contacted.