some chrono readins and eating a little crow.

[Lloyd Smale]

Ive got 3 new guns ive been working up loads with and found a good accurate load and took the chrono out to check them. A 300 ultra 26 inch barreled bdl. A 24 inch barreled 300 H&H classic and an abolt 22 inch 300 wsm. Ive allways been one that preached the short mag **** was well, just that **** but the chrono doesnt lie. the 300 h&h and the wsm were loaded with 4350 to the point i got pressure signs and then backed off one grain of powder. I wont list the load as its at least with the h&h well over listed data. Both were loaded with 150 hornady sst tipped bullets. Average for 5 shots put the H&H at 3125 and the wsm at 3185 so i got 60 more fps out of a 2 inch shorter barrel. Got to be something to the short mag ****. the ultra was loaded with 97 grains of re25 and a 168 tssx. Never had any pressure signs but that load shot so good i stopped there. It went 3425 for an average so dont let anyone fool you into thinking its a waste of powder. You arent getting to that level with any of the smaller 300s and id save that 250-300 fps with a 18 grain heavier bullet is a big step up in horse power. Ill add too that theres probably a bit more to be had if I wanted to take the time.

[Larry Gibson]

Lloyd

What the WSMs have is more effective barrel lengths (the interior). The 300 WSM has close to 1" more effective barrel length that the 300 Win Mag or the 300 H&H in the same length barrels. In a magnum cartridge with slower powders that can equate to 50+ fps more velocity. Additionally the minimal tapered 300 WSM may very well be loaded to higher psi before it gives psi signs than with the heavily tapered 300 H&H case. When loaded to the same psi with the same effective barrel lengths there really isn't much difference between the WSMs and magnum cartridges of equal case capacity.

Just pointing out some things and not disagreeing with you at all. "Got to be something to the short mag" is correct in that you can get the same magnum level performance with a shorter over all length barrel. To some a 2" shorter barrel is meaningful and that's a good thing.

Larry Gibson

[Lloyd Smale]

never thought of the extra inch you gain with a short action round. Makes alot of sense.