Quick 300 WSM

Well this is an interesting one. My nephew just got a Rem 700 300WSM and we have been doing a bit of load development with different bullets and powder. The rifle is a good shooter with most combo's running around the inch group at 100 yards.
The load the nephew wants to run is using the 200 gr ELD X and RL 26 ( Fairy Dust as some call it) I loaded up several batches and even at the top load of 69 grains no pressure signs and no sticky bolt lift.
We run the loads through the Chrono and near fell over when they registered on the screen as they went through at an average of 3112 fps. I figured the chrono was playing up so I run some shots over it with my air rifle to see if they were similar to what I had previously had shot over it, they were similar. Also a low velocity 22 short registered close to a previous test so think it is OK.
This is a 200 gr bullet out of a 300 WSM , the speed it is traveling at is up there with my 300 RUM which burns 23 grs more powder to achieve that. Maybe that Fairy Dust RL 26 is magical?
I have access to another chrono so will double check the speed, then we will verify it at longer range using the bullet drop chart I have just done. I think the firing at 500 600 yards will sort it out one way or another.
Has anyone else seen these sorts of speeds with this powder and bullet out of there 300 WSM's ?
The load we used here was safe in the nephews rifle so work up to this compressed load starting several grains lower.

That is crazy awsome!

That’s very quick for 200gn pills. Have not tried RL26 in wsm but might do so. Have settled on Hyb100v gives me 3050fps with 180gn Berger VLDs

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Originally Posted by chainsaw

That’s very quick for 200gn pills. Have not tried RL26 in wsm but might do so. Have settled on Hyb100v gives me 3050fps with 180gn Berger VLDs

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They would still sting like hell.

The people that know seem to think that the RL 26 is a very good magnum powder and if this all pans out it will be so. I still want to see how the longer dialed shots go but the chrono appears to be working as it should so those velocities should be close.
This load generates 4301 ft lds energy so it will be pretty efficient to say the least.

If it's true, that'll be pretty unreal. What length barrel is it?

I ran the load on Quickload, using the data you supplied and assuming a 26" barrel length - it says 2965 fps with a pressure of just on 60,000 psi (max is nearly 64,000)

If you had a slightly fast batch of powder you might be running at 65-70,000 psi for velocity around 3100 fps - high but lots of guys do it and modern brass and rifles seem to digest it OK . . . .

Do you have any photos of the primers & case head Brian?

I send some through in a few minutes

R26 seems to be the ducks nuts in the WSM.
I got over 2900 with 215 bergers out of a 22in barrel during load development.
Ive read on some US forums of guys getting over 3000 out of 26in tubes without pressure issues

There is a slight crater but the primers look good not flattened out to edges, my 300 Rum has bigger craters than these and that is good no heavy bolt lift etc.Attachment 122952Attachment 122953Attachment 122954

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Originally Posted by wsm junkie

R26 seems to be the ducks nuts in the WSM.
I got over 2900 with 215 bergers out of a 22in barrel during load development.
Ive read on some US forums of guys getting over 3000 out of 26in tubes without pressure issues

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That's what my nephew has been reading also. These figures are in a 24 inch barrel which makes me wonder a bit.

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Originally Posted by McNotty

If it's true, that'll be pretty unreal. What length barrel is it?

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24 inch

Blimey - that’s fast.
Have you measured head expansion?

I’m working up a 7RM load with 180s and RE26, so will be good to see how that goes. Haven’t pushed it hard yet, but already into mid-2800s and 11 fps ES.

Thats phenomenal! I shoot IMR4350 with the 200eldx pills out of a 26inch barrel at 2730fps. Don't like high pressure, but still. Ridiculous speed. Even if you can get 2950, maybe settle with that. Rather be safe than sorry

This makes me happy in pants :D Been using 2209 in my WSM, accurate but under 2800fps

69.5gr under a 208 ELD-M was what I worked up to. I was getting over 2800 from a 24" Tikka. That's pretty crazy speed you're getting.

That is really fast. I use RL17 with the 200gr ELD X and am getting 2947fps with 61.5gr of powder. That seems like a lot of powder, can't be much room left in the case.

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Originally Posted by 300wsm for life

That is really fast. I use RL17 with the 200gr ELD X and am getting 2947fps with 61.5gr of powder. That seems like a lot of powder, can't be much room left in the case.

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It is compressed but when the powder is in the case there is a bit of space, it's not up the neck probably mid shoulder in the case.

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Originally Posted by PommyMcPomFace

69.5gr under a 208 ELD-M was what I worked up to. I was getting over 2800 from a 24" Tikka. That's pretty crazy speed you're getting.

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What powder were you using?

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Originally Posted by Spitfire

Blimey - that’s fast.
Have you measured head expansion?

I’m working up a 7RM load with 180s and RE26, so will be good to see how that goes. Haven’t pushed it hard yet, but already into mid-2800s and 11 fps ES.

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No I haven't, My other nephew has just got a Tikka 7mm Mag and we are going to try 162 gr eldx using RL26 , according to Alliant 69.1 grs was max for that bullet. Hope that bullet shoots OK as mine and my sons don't like them, they like the lighter bullet.Mine shoots better with 150 gr eldx the sons 140 gr Berger.

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Originally Posted by Mooseman

What powder were you using?

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RL26. Loaded long at 3.025". It's over 99% case fill but not compressed.

Sorry. Out of curiosity, I have modelled this in QuickLoad...

Using my own results as baseline: weighting factor set to 0.42, from a 24" tube, it reckoned I'd get ~2876fps and 57.7k psi. The labradar I borrowed said 2860fps, so I'm pretty confident QL is matching up with reality pretty darn well.

I don't know your OAL so assuming closer to a book value of 2.900". With a 200 ELD-X, it reckons you need 73.5gr to get to 3111fps (and 72.7k psi to boot).

But you're only using 69gr? That only gives 2913fps according to its estimate. The only way I can get it to line up with your chrono result is by changing the burn rate of the powder and making it quite a bit faster - 0.3397 to 0.3975. That gives exactly 3112fps but... wait for it... 83.2k psi.

Knowing that there's no free lunch and that speed and pressure go hand in hand, I would be wary of continuing to shoot that load.

I have them loaded at 2.960 in or 74 mm. That is interesting what you have come up with, I very much doubt the loads are running at 70 - 80 000 psi as the cases wouldn't be looking like they are and the bolt would be welded shut I would imagine.
I still think the chrono isn't reading true, I think your figure of 2913 fps is a lot closer. When we check the bullet drop at longer range we should know a lot more.

My 300 Win Mag with 74 grs of RL 26 runs the 200 gr ELDX at 2900 fps which I thought was pretty good. Must run a few of those through the chrono to see if they are still around that speed.

go the fairy dust,,must have as im a speed freak,,love the 300wsm

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Originally Posted by Mooseman

My 300 Win Mag with 74 grs of RL 26 runs the 200 gr ELDX at 2900 fps which I thought was pretty good. Must run a few of those through the chrono to see if they are still around that speed.

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I’m getting 2984 fps with 208s and 2217 in my 26” .300 Win Mag. That said, it’s using a lot more powder than some of the WSM loads mentioned here.

Checked the chrono out today. Ran some known velocity loads from my 223, 22 250, and 7 mm mag and all were pretty close to what velocity I had previously got. It appears to be reading ok . We might try a drop test out to 400 - 500 yards and measure how much drop there is, that will clear things up then.

Well we worked on that load in the 300 WSM yesterday between hunts and ran some rounds through my other Chrono and got different results from the other one. The loads were travelling at 3112 fps in my F1 chrono but in the Pro Chrono they averaged 2957 fps. We also went out to 400 yards and shot to measure the bullet drop which should have been about 17 inches which it was so we concluded that the chrono speed is correct. Today I ran the air rifle over both the Chrono's and found that the difference was about 20 fps bar one that was 47 fps different. The only thing that I can see that was causing the strange results was the pumice dust that was blasted over the chrono from the muzzle break, this could have disrupted the speed readings, other than that both Chrono's appear to be close to each other. Later on I will try some rounds from other rifles to see if there is a big difference.
The load of 69 grs RL 26 over the 200 gr ELDX that one of the members here ran over Quickload was pretty much bang on in the end. What ever way you look at it this load is a grunty one for the 300 WSM.

Thats gunna be a hammer way out there:cool:

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Originally Posted by wsm junkie

Thats gunna be a hammer way out there:cool:

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It's a hammer up close as the stag on the weekend found out.

Funny you should about the tikka 7mm rem mags my one will shoot Hornady precision 162 eldx into one jagged hole at 100 yards but at 450 it shoots 8 inches and at 550 it can hardly hit the target . I can only think it must be becoming unstable ?

67.3gn of 2213sc push the 208 eldm at 2790 fts out of 24inch tikka. The odd rounds get stamped marks on the brasses.

Neck turning the brass neck and shoulder junction will increase velocity a bit, as some of the factory dies set won’t resize the neck all the way down the shoulder. Also, seating deeper or touch the land will increase velocity too.

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Originally Posted by hillbilly

Funny you should about the tikka 7mm rem mags my one will shoot Hornady precision 162 eldx into one jagged hole at 100 yards but at 450 it shoots 8 inches and at 550 it can hardly hit the target . I can only think it must be becoming unstable ?

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Have you had a look at your Extreme spread of your loads? 50fps might not make the biggest difference at 100m but at 500m you'll definitely see it.

I’m talking a 1.8m group at 550 yards not just vertical difference it’s the precision hunter factory ammo so shouldn’t be to bad .

Twist rate? I would lose 208 eld-m's out past 1km when fired through a 1:11". Could just be a shit shot but I suspect they were going transonic and lacked enough spin to make it through.

7mm rem mag 1:9.5”

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Originally Posted by hillbilly

I’m talking a 1.8m group at 550 yards not just vertical difference it’s the precision hunter factory ammo so shouldn’t be to bad .

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I shoot that stuff through my 06 and have the same problem.

Can tell you its the SD. When I finally got to chrony mine, the SD was like 40fps.
That's the cause

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Originally Posted by hillbilly

I’m talking a 1.8m group at 550 yards not just vertical difference it’s the precision hunter factory ammo so shouldn’t be to bad .

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You need to check extreme spread, I shoot the 162 eldx out of my A7 with the same 9.5 twist and they shoot great out to 700+. Only difference is mine are reloads that I did myself.