Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Loading .300

That's what I use old towels for. Padding in the summer. Takes the bite out of extended shooting sessions.

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Years ago, I compared "thrown" charges to my more precise method of charging a case with powder... and using the Lyman Model #55 powder dispenser, I've always found it to be very accurate, but not "perfect"... occasionally "throwing" a load of powder a tiny bit lower or higher in weight than the desired (and "set-on-the-scale") powder charge.

Perhaps this is the reason I literally "wore out" an Ohaus 505 powder scale which is now called the "RCBS 505". Ohaus stopped selling their powder scales to the public years ago and began making their scales for RCBS. When I bought the Ohaus 505, it was one of the best powder scales on the market, however the RCBS 505 is very similar to the old Ohaus 505, but not quite as nice. Thus, I purchased the RCBS 1010 powder scale, but to be honest, I liked the Ohaus 505 better because with these old eyes, I could see the markings better on the Ohaus 505 than I can on the RCBS 1010.

I am still using the original Lyman #55 powder dispenser I bought back in about 1961, but since the vast majority of my shooting is (and has been) either bench-rest loads or hunting loads, I haven't "thrown" a powder charge in a great many years.

I set the lyman to throw a powder charge 1/10th of a grain light, then I "trickle" in (between my thumb and forefinger) the scale's powder pan the last 1/10th of a grain until the powder scale indicator moves up to "0" on the RCBS 1010 powder scale.

Thus, I weight each and every powder charge I use, but frankly, the Lyman #55 powder dispenser "throws" extremely reliable and equal powder charges as long as the hopper is reasonably full.

I never allow the Lyman powder container to get below half-full when dispensing powder. Yes, I admit that I'm just "super picky"... but absolute "accuracy" is always my ultimate goal and I never do any reloading if I'm in a "hurry".

To be perfectly honest, a bullet fired using a Lyman#55 "thrown" powder charge would very likely be as accurate as my more "perfect" powder charges because the Lyman's charges are almost always within 1/100th of a grain or less of what the dispenser is set to throw. However, my powder charges are EXACTLY the weight of powder I want in the cartridge case.

Perhaps it wouldn't make the least bit of difference... except to me.

Incidentally, the muzzle velocities I have given in other posts are chronographed muzzle velocities. If I'm guessing at a velocity, I'll say "estimated muzzle velocity"... or "about xxxx fps" which indicates it is not a chronographed velocity.


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

I used to worry about charge weights more than I do now. Once I have a load developed I concentrate more on straightness of the assembled cartridges. This approach has borne more fruit for my purposes.

Several of my 308 Win. rifles shoot well below MOA for five shot groups at 300 yards with thrown charges of crunchy old 3031 and 4064, and that's with baseline loads not tuned for any particular rifle. Only a 6x scope as well.

I am sorry but I think this thread has been hi-jacked. Please post any information on light bullet loads for this avid savage shooter. Thanks,

15 gr of Red Dot under a Speer 100 gr Plinker.

42 gr H4895 under 110 gr TTSX. Whitetail deer and coyote medicine.

All good, I don't mind variety in a thread, whether I start it or not, especially when it adds useful related information. I've got my one powder for the 150gr bullets, and apparently R15 is useful with heavier projectiles if I ever decide to try them. I might have found "the" one powder for my rifle with 125gr bullets, if TNT's work with it I think the search will be done. Also have H4895 and keep seeing it show up as a good one in the .300Sav. Appreciate all help and reporting of results.

Put me in the Varget fan column. I'm loading 42 grains under a 150-gr Hornady SST designed for the .300 Savage. Groups in my 99R average under an inch at 100 yards. Velocity averages 2650 fps. It is a whitetail hammer.

Dan, you and I must be the only two fellas here using that mighty bullet. Ive been singing its praise based on the results of big sambar deer. Ive gone to a lot of expense importing that bullet from the US as its unavailable here. Its now the only bullet I use in the 300 sav, thanks to Zooka & Skids ive got enough to see me out

Just need to find the perfect F thenall will be well

Johno

To wrap up my 150gr fun and games, I loaded up 3 each of 3 different OAL using the 44gr/R15 charge and Grand Slams. With case mouths at the bottom of the cannelure the bullets would still run through the magazine and rounds were 2.583" OAL. I record lengths using a Stoney Point/Hornady comparator but also wrote down total lengths out of curiosity. Others were 2.560" and 2.540", essentially middle and top of cannelure area. Didn't check the speeds on this drill, but at 100 yards the long loadings went into 3" with two in 2.3", the 3 shorties gave just under 1.5" and the 3 middle length showed up barely under 1". Just right.

I ran some more of the factory Remington 150s over the screens and while the average fps was up to 2530 it still gave some in the mid-2400s with a spread between 5 shots of 114fps. I shot the rest of the box at the 300 yard gong, which was fun in itself and lit up my shooting buddy to hear them smacking steel, and I now have more empties to refill. Now to pick up some .308 TNT bullets.