Thread: 300WSM loading options (homework)

Hi guys,
something I am looking into is re barrelling my 270wsm to a short barrell 300wsm to improve the balence a bit and make it nicer to shoot offhand when required whilst still being a solid 600 yard nockem dead on the spot rifle.

so with all this in mind I have a few questions.

how short until it's not going to do what I want ? I was thinking 19-20" running a suppressor.

Mag length is somewhat limited being a Sako A7 action, so pill choice may be a bit limited (say maybe stick to 160-180gn range)

what powders are worth looking at ? I see 2209 would be an obvious choice, but I do have a fairly large amount of 2225 is this a viable option ?

brass......I have a reasonably quantity of 270WSM brass can this be successfully resized to 300WSM or will I be forced to by factory ammo to get myself some 300WSm brass as it seems to be harder to find than most unicorn parts currently.

this is all homework at this stage I have enough 270wsm components to likely see out my current barrel so no rush to change anything.

also before anyone points it out I know it won't be the most efficient way to achieve the results I hope to but it's what I want to work with and the rifle is sentimental to me, hopefully the shortened 300wsm should do everything the 270wsm can do at full length maybe even better....

I load for a couple of 300WSM both are tikka's with 20" barrel and using 168 ELDM and Barnes and both use Hodgdon superprofrmance.

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ok...so what happens if you fed your .270 wsm some 160 grn partitions......on paper,how does it stack up to your 300wsm????
what is the slipperest heavy .277 projectile we can actually get a hold of??? berger perhaps or a 150 NBT????
haw fast can you poke them out?????

not that long ago a wise man said to me"I was looking at the WSM all wrong,its not about making it go faster,its about making it go just as fast in shorter action"

so if he is right and its not about making projectiles go faster...he could go heavier and add a few more clicks on his dial and do same thing (hit animal X at X range with X amount of ftlbs of energy) with less $$$$ leaving his pocket ...could he not??????

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

ok...so what happens if you fed your .270 wsm some 160 grn partitions......on paper,how does it stack up to your 300wsm????
what is the slipperest heavy .277 projectile we can actually get a hold of??? berger perhaps or a 150 NBT????
haw fast can you poke them out?????

not that long ago a wise man said to me"I was looking at the WSM all wrong,its not about making it go faster,its about making it go just as fast in shorter action"

so if he is right and its not about making projectiles go faster...he could go heavier and add a few more clicks on his dial and do same thing (hit animal X at X range with X amount of ftlbs of energy) with less $$$$ leaving his pocket ...could he not??????

A very wise man indeed however the 270WSM doesn't take kindly to shortening as well as the 300wsm and I would ideally like a shorter barrel so I think the 300wsm would be ideal.
Pill selection is fairly limited too in the 270 family so this is another factor not that the mighty 145gn eldx doesn't slay everything as above I'd lke something equally capable or better in a shorter barrel using the rifle I already have.

so how short....and how badly does it make it???? eg what velocity will you drop down to if went to desired length????
it must be doable,if you recal a few seasons back the "Duleys" were using std .270 as a short bush rifle suppressed because when they ran the figures it beat the competition soundly with factory ammunition options......so SURELY your shorter fatter case with similar capacity should be able to still generate useful velocity even given a shorter tube to work with....go on humour me with predicted velocity for both .277 and .308 in the wsm at desired barrel length so I crunch some numbers and see what the attraction is.....

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

so how short....and how badly does it make it???? eg what velocity will you drop down to if went to desired length????
it must be doable,if you recal a few seasons back the "Duleys" were using std .270 as a short bush rifle suppressed because when they ran the figures it beat the competition soundly with factory ammunition options......so SURELY your shorter fatter case with similar capacity should be able to still generate useful velocity even given a shorter tube to work with....go on humour me with predicted velocity for both .277 and .308 in the wsm at desired barrel length so I crunch some numbers and see what the attraction is.....

my current 270WSM load is 145gn ELDX @3059fps out of a 22" barrel
no idea on 30 cal pills but somthing like a 168gn eldm @2900 fps I think should be achievable out of a 19" barrel
I'm at work so don't have access to my Strelok to crunch the numbers.....bear in mind I could also use 180gn NBt's in the 300WSM or any of the Norma Oryx line up 165gn and 180gn

right ho nosler 168grn hp BC .447

muzzle 2900fps--------400yards2121fps and1678ftibs with 21'' drop from a 200 yard zero

nosler 140 grn NBT .456

MUZZLE will go 2900 cause its lighter....400 yards 2137fps and 1419ftlbs with 21'' drop from a 200 yard zero

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

nosler 140 grn NBT .456

MUZZLE will go 2900 cause its lighter....400 yards 2137fps and 1419ftlbs with 21'' drop from a 200 yard zero

also un-obtainable I'm trying to stick to pills I can get....hence the 145edlx in 270 and the 165-180gn oryx or 180gn NBT or 168gn eldm for the 300wsm

Originally Posted by dannyb

also un-obtainable I'm trying to stick to pills I can get....hence the 145edlx in 270 and the 165-180gn oryx or 180gn NBT or 168gn eldm for the 300wsm

I dont have 145 eldx data...so bracketing it with arguably a less slick option I do have data from.... to get trajectory and energy figures....close enough to be within ciggy packet

make that a .277 150grn NBT
muzzle of will go 2800 cause its bit heavier.....400 yards 2107fps and 1479ftlbs with 22'' drop from a 200 yard zero

and just for grins n giggles cause its easy enough with manual open in front of me

will add in 160grn partition at 2700fps...cause that figure follows same curve/line of 10grns projectile = minus 100fps velocity

BC .434
muzzle 2700fps-----400yards1932fps and 1326ftlbs with 25'' drop from 200 yard zero

now IF you could push that flying brick of a160grn partition at 2900 at muzzle it would be snapping at heels of the fatter 168grn .308 with said same 21'' drop and 1564ftlbs energy retained

all in all there is not a huge amount in it bud.....

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

make that a .277 150grn NBT
muzzle of will go 2800 cause its bit heavier.....400 yards 2107fps and 1479ftlbs with 22'' drop from a 200 yard zero

and just for grins n giggles cause its easy enough with manual open in front of me

will add in 160grn partition at 2700fps...cause that figure follows same curve/line of 10grns projectile = minus 100fps velocity

BC .434
muzzle 2700fps-----400yards1932fps and 1326ftlbs with 25'' drop from 200 yard zero

now IF you could push that flying brick of a160grn partition at 2900 at muzzle it would be snapping at heels of the fatter 168grn .308 with said same 21'' drop and 1564ftlbs energy retained

all in all there is not a huge amount in it bud.....

I agree not a huge amount in it, it's about making the rifle nicer to carry and shoot off hand by shortening the barrel whilst keeping the same or close to it performance. In the case of the heavier 30 cal pills it is and only ever so slightly better performance out of a shorter barrel. if I was only doing it for projectile performance and ballistics you're right not worth it/much in it, but when you add that it will make the rifle nicer to carry, travel with and shoot off hand these are the factors that I'm looking for.

Originally Posted by dannyb

I agree not a huge amount in it, it's about making the rifle nicer to carry and shoot off hand by shortening the barrel whilst keeping the same or close to it performance. In the case of the heavier 30 cal pills it is and only ever so slightly better performance out of a shorter barrel. if I was only doing it for projectile performance and ballistics you're right not worth it/much in it, but when you add that it will make the rifle nicer to carry, travel with and shoot off hand these are the factors that I'm looking for.

I think you missing my point still bud......I dropped velocity from what you getting now at 75fps per inch removed.... so you DO GET the nicer to carry and shoot off hand thing,while still having terminal preformance more than ok..... pretty sure you not going to drop 75....depending on cartridge it can be as low as 25fps... 75 was worst case .... but you big boy and know what your doing...Im only trying to point out how green the grass is on your side of fence before you risk your knackers climbing over the barbed wire.

the 150grn NBT would still carry 1000ftlbs down to 1700ftps wwhich is 500 yards if starting out at 2600
the 140 grn NBT would still carry 1000ftlbs down to 1800ftps which is 500 yards if starting out at 2700

so piggy in middle says your 145 should be 1750ftps starting out at 2650 ftps...easy achievable for you even with 3" whacked off barrel LOL. you probably 200ftps quicker than that....

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

the 150grn NBT would still carry 1000ftlbs down to 1700ftps wwhich is 500 yards if starting out at 2600
the 140 grn NBT would still carry 1000ftlbs down to 1800ftps which is 500 yards if starting out at 2700

so piggy in middle says your 145 should be 1750ftps starting out at 2650 ftps...easy achievable for you even with 3" whacked off barrel LOL. you probably 200ftps quicker than that....

you're protest is duely noted.....too bad though