Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting 300WSM and the 208 A-Max

I ordered a box of the 208's to run through the EW. I have a good hunting load with 180 Deep Curl's over H4350 but I want to try a heavier, higher BC bullet for grins. To be honest, I have had not had good luck with Hornady bullets so I rarely shoot them except in the 45-70.

My preference is Hodgdon Extreme powers but H4350 is on the slow end of the recommended powders for 200gr bullets.

Any experience in regards to accuracy or comments on powder or primer choice?

For a starting point, you may try going here on this site.

reloadersnest.com/frontpage.asp?CaliberID=244

See load ID #s 6218 and 7210 where the 208 A-Max is used.

You can also look at the 210 VLD loadings, starting lower and apply those loadings to the 208 A-Max.

Imo and from experience, H4350 is one of the better and more versatile powders for the 300 WSM when using 165 gr up to and including the 200s as well as the 210s. H4350 may be on the slower end of the scale, but it is a very good powder for the 300 WSM.

my 300win mag loves 208 amaxs and h1000 FWIW.

I always get excellent results from hornady bullets. For your 300 wsm, you may get better results by switching to R17 powder for that bullet. I'd start out around 62.5 gr. and work up to around 65. Stay off the lands by about .020"-.050" and let us know how that awesome shooting EW does.

Seems to be low interest in this topic, not sure if it's the cartridge and bullet combination or the wrong forum. Anyhow, I do have some H1000 on hand and some RL17 although I had no luck with 2-2.5 lbs of RL17 in two 270WSM's and my current 300.

I look forward to giving this bullet some range time. I compared the ballistics to the 180gr DC and drop and drift at 1000 are significantly better, less so at 500. Recoil is 2-3 ft-lbs more and that is not much at all.

Dave, what loads do you like in your 270 WSMS?

I shoot moly'd 208s in a 30-06. 61gr RL22 is compressed and makes 2720 fps from a 22.5" bbl.

Also I use some RL17, getting 2700 fps with that too, via 55gr. about 95% case fill.

Long way of saying RL22 and RL17 should work well in the WSM case with the 208, and easily exceed my velocities.

I would stay with the Hodgen Extreme powders for the temp stability. I wouldn't even bother with the RL17. The velocity gain isn't worth the tradeoff in vide velocity variations.

I know some guy's are using tha A-MAX for hunting, but I would lean toward the Berger VLD for a "hunting bullet". Any reason your not using Berger?

Have you had any issues with temperature swings using RL17? We shot a bunch of it in a 243WSSM and it was terrible.

We've slayed A LOT of animals with AMAX's. We've killed quite a few with VLD's also. The 208gr AMAX is murder.

I've noted velocity swings with the RL17, about the same as RL22.

Roughly 1 fps per degree F. With RL17, 2740 fps at 80F, dropped to 2690 fps at 30F.

With RL22 about the same. Did a deep cold test with RL22, lost 100 fps from 80F to -20F, with ammo and rifle left outside for the night.

............True! But regardless of velocity variances going from warmer to colder weather, shouldn`t all rifles be zero checked and sighted while in camp before the hunt?

This business about higher velocity variances with certain powders going from warmer to colder weather, is an overrated issue imo.

If ya lose 50 fps or so in the cold, but "ARE" sighted in for that cold weather, then it shouldn`t matter.

I have yet to see any hunter place a target on their game and shoot for groups during their hunts. It is the first shot that matters. And as long as one is sighted in for the cold weather, then using a powder which is more temp sensative shouldn`t matter all that much if at all.

Very similar to what I've seen.
Have also seen RL22 pressures go thru the roof when weather got warmer in loads that were already close to max. and developed in cooler weather.

Unless you're hunting where you change elevations dramatically, say from a base camp at 3500' up to 10,000 -11,000' elevation and bad weather blows in.
You don't have a chance to rezero then.....................

Complete bullshit. During hunting season I might see a 70 degree temp swing from one day to the next. Am I going to sight in every morning?

You should have stayed away like you you said you were going to do.

I have not had issues with possible changes in velocity from loads developed in the high 90's in central Texas to hunting in the low 20's in northeast Kansas, however, I zero before I head to our farm and that is typically with temperature between 30-40 degrees.

I gave up on RL17 after getting high pressure signs well below max. I used to shoot a lot of Alliant and still have 7, 15, 17, 19 and 22 but I have been very pleased with Hodgdon.

I don't know if I will hunt with the 300WSM EW next year or not since my 260 EW should be ready in May. I wanted to try the heavy A-Max and even heavier Berger 230 hybrid for fun this summer. A friend has a place to shoot with plates out to about 925 and I am pretty sure we can trim some trees to get to a 1000.

I hope to have some time to practice on the plates between 300-500 with hunting in mind, my longest shot on the farm is probably 575 but I rarely setup at that location; for the most part, I would have shots between 75-450.

RDW,
I think you already have a very good powder in the H-4350.
The new worlds record for 1000yds was recently set with H-4350 and a 300 WSM using a 210gr Berger.
Five shots into right around 2.8 inches.
I'd just concentrate on accuracy and then master the trajectory/windage adjustments and not worry so much about velocity.........................

I'd have to call BS on that as well Rancho.
Too many temp swings in a season & sometimes on one trip to not worry about it for me.

My new 300 wsm just came in so I'm starting load development for it. 208 amax, cci250, Norma brass, 62g RL-17 =2880fps from my 24" brux. 2.95 col I have a Wyatt's on a predator action so I can feed from the mag and kiss the lands.

I plan on trying a few other powders soon.

Bb