300 Win Mag

[evil5826]

Ok so i waited to use my noob question after i been here for a while.

Hand guns i get and do but.....
Is it possible to mold and shoot 300 win mag? I know there is leading involved due to velocity. And if its is possible I assume gas checks are needed.

Let me know and try not to bash me to hard.

[shooter93]

Any caliber can be cast for and shot....with or without gaschecks. That all will depend on the velocity and accuracy you want. Then toss in bullet fit, rpm's etc. If you want to achieve jacketed bullet velocities and accuracy at the same time.....you have your work cut out for you.

[white eagle]

I would not waste my time with the 300 winchester magnum
when thinking of cast think of aprox. 2400 fps

[HangFireW8]

Ok so i waited to use my noob question after i been here for a while.

Hand guns i get and do but.....
Is it possible to mold and shoot 300 win mag? I know there is leading involved due to velocity. And if its is possible I assume gas checks are needed.

Let me know and try not to bash me to hard.

It is certainly possible and doable, with all the usual caveats- slug the bore, size boolits to bore size or slightly larger, use a quality lube. Stick to the basic rules of thumb, like use gas checks and harder alloys for higher velocities. Also don't expect magum performance, like 3000 fps or more.

The basic reasons that its not done a lot is a.) it's not as economical, and b.) it will be harder to acheive accuracy. In addition there is a safety caution (we'll call it c.) ).

The reason for a.) is that you'll need a bit more powder just to get the pressures up. On top of that, magnum brass is not as cheap, and not as commonly found in the scrap bucket at the shooting range.

The primary reason for b.) is that you'll have more pressure and velocity variances than smaller, more efficient cases.

Larry would probably weigh in at this point about the twist being fast, usually 1-10" for 300 Win Mag. As long as you have modest velocity goals- like under 2200 fps- you should be OK there.

As for safety, c.), the 300WinMag has a very short neck, and gas check boolits might extend the gas check below that neck. Some reloaders refuse to load any cartridge where this is the case, due to the chance that the gas check could fall off, lodge in the bore, and become an obstruction to the next shot. I respect those who refuse to do this, but I do load gas checks below the neck. I think the warnings go back to the days of slip-on/fall-off gas checks. As long as my modern gas checks crimp on firmly, I feel secure loading them below the neck. However the warning is there, and I take responsibility only for my own loads.

Fortunately most magnum rifles have some freebore or generous leade, and you can seat the boolits pretty far out. In addition some gas check boolit designs are especially made for rifles like this, especially the long nose bore riders.

A final consideration is that not all the lubed grooves may fit under the neck, which means you'll either have to use a hard lube, or store and handle your cartridges carefully.

HF

[Larry Gibson]

Certainly the 300 Win mag is "doable" with cast bullets. With the short neck, the large capacity case and 10" twist I'd be looking at a heavy bullet, medium or slower burning powder and a filler. I'd look at the 311299 at around 200 gr cast of WWs + 2% tin and AC'd. With that bullet the lube grooves should be seated inside the neck along with the GC. I'd size at .311, lube with Javelina or 2500+ and use a crimp on GC. I'd start with H4895 or Varget powder at 32 gr and use a 3/4 - 1 gr dacron fillet in fire formed and NS'd cases with a standard LR primer. I would also apply a coat of LLA to the nose after loading. I would work up in 1 gr increments untile accuracy went south which would probably be in teh 1900 - 2000 fps range. I would then select the best load and tweak it 1 gr +/-. If I didn't get the accuracy I expected I would try the other powder and then perhaps AA4350, RL19, H4831SC or perhaps RL22.

I know that might sound like a broken record (for those who might remember "records") but that method works for many cartridges, especially .30/.31 cal cartridges.

One could go the other way with fast powders like Unique or Red Dot and such sans any filler or wad but velocity will be down in the 1200 - 1500 fps range which is ok with many. Or one could use 2400, 4759 or 5744.

Might check out Lyman's 4th edition Cast Bullet Handbook as it has quite a few cast bullet loads for the big .30 cals.

Larry Gibson

[MT Gianni]

I was thinking a rb lubed with alox and a small amount of BE.

[311-200]

I have 311284 mold and last year I was thinking to try some load with H -4831, but something disturb me to finish this project.After this thread I'll try to load some cartridges.

[XWrench3]

i do it. you just can not push a cast boolit to 3000 fps. there was talk a while back (year or so ) by me and a couple of others talking about paper patching to achieve that speed. i never did do it, mostly because i think that the rpm of the boolit would be high enough to explode from centrifugal force. figure on shooting 30-30 velocity from your 300 win mag, and you will do ok. 3000 fps is for jacketed or solid bullets. p.s. the absolute best groups i have ever shot from my gun came about by shooting cast boolits, a 5 shot, 0.483" 100 yard group!

[evil5826]

Out of all the 308 bullets out there which is the most safe to cast with. 308 win or 30-06 for example, or do both of this fall on the same things that could happen mentioned above.

[quilbilly]

I would try about 28 gr of 5744 powder behind a boolit of about 180-190 gr with a gas check. Seat the boolit so that the gas check is just to the bottom of the neck then chamber one to see if boolit has been engraved by the landes and if it has been pushed into the case. If the boolit looks OK, it is time to start shooting and see if there is a group. My 338 Winmag shoots very well with cast boolits.

[beagle]

Sure you can use cast in the .300 Win Mag.......just have to throttle it back some. I shot the Lyman 311284 for several years in a .30-338 and that's basically a .300 Win Mag./beagle

[Larry Gibson]

311284 vs 311299 in the 300 Win Mag or any other short necked cartridge.

Consider the 311284 is a very old design made for the 30-40, the 30-03 and the 30-06 with their long case necks. The 311299 was designed for short necked cartridges. With the 311284 most often the GC and lube groove above it have to be seated down into the case below the case neck for the driving band to be just against the leade. This can easily be a detriment to accuracy with gas cutting and riviting of the bullet base. The 311299 cand be seated with the driving band just on the lead and the GC, or at least the top of it, will still be inside the neck of the 300 Win Mag, not to mention all the lube grooves.

The 311284 also has a scraper groove which is a weak point allowing the nose to bend or slough, especially if pushing the bullet hard. The 311299 was designed without that weak point. The 311299 is the best choice for shorter necked cartridges like the 300 Win Mag.

Larry Gibson

[bowenrd]

You sure can shoot cast in 300WM. I use the 311294 with GC sized to .311. Homemade lube and IMR SR 4759 @ 2100 FPS. Most of the time the holes in target are touching @ 100 yards.
The avatar shows a 5 shot group in a Ruger M77 300WM

[63 Shiloh]

I use cast in my .300 win too.

For shooting small stuff like bunnys and fox, I use 18.0gn of Trail Boss under a NOE 311299 HP. Alloy for this is 50/50 of air cooled WW and lead. Lube is Rooster HVR.

I size to .311" and use a GC, although it is probably not needed with this load.

A heavier load with the same boolit made with straight WW water dropped, sized to .311" and HVR for lube and GC. I use 48.5gn H4895 with about 1gn of Dacron as filler. I 'tease' the Dacron out so it is a fluffy looking ball. Using a bit of wood dowel I push the Dacron down past the neck, then seat the boolit using neck tension alone to hold the boolit, I do not employ a crimp.

Both loads work well for my purposes, the Trail Boss one can be fired by a 12 year old lad, bugger all recoil and quite.

Good luck mate.

Mike

[rogn]

Ive been working with a 7mm WSM and a Ruger 375. Im using the reduced quantity pistol Shotgun powder and LLA lubed bullits. The 7mm is without GC( early model boat tail). and a plain base 375. Velocites are from 1050 to 1600FPS. Accuracy of the 375 is submoa. These are just so I can afford to shoot these gun often without burning up barrels or gaining the wrath of my neighbors. 70 to 85gr of powder makes a LOUD bang. The dollar factor is real too with some of the 375 running more than 50 per shot.The 375 will get to convert a whitetail or two to freezer filler this fall. 1600 FPS and a bit of hollow point should do all that needs doin', like the classic 38-55. The other side of this would be to use the heaviest for caliber bullets, some people have reported ~2500fps with cast. A 220gr or heavier 30 cal would be formidable at that velocity.

[walltube]

the 300 WM does well with poured projectiles.

The images below are from a pile of targets that give witness to my pleasure in heaping agony on the naysayers shooting tectonic shifting, high $$$$ SuperMagnums. I do this with pennies on the dollar cast boolit re-loads while they cringe behind their equally high $$$$ spotting scopes pretending to not notice. Ever price check some of that OTC "Custom Grade" SuperMagnum ammo? Oy!

My fave recipie is: Lyman's 311335 @215.0 gr., sized .310".
18gr. Unique kept in place with a 1.25" square of 2 ply soft tissue.
Win Large Rifle primer, R-P brass.

This target's distance is but 50Yds., but non the less satisfying. Evil666, I say go for it. Use all due caution working up your loads and try not to achieve light-speed velocities with CBs. If that is indeed what you are wanting, then visit the "Paper Patching" forum. Them guys do some wonderful things with a PP Cast Boolit.

Good luck, take care..
Wt.

[Moonie]

My youngest son wants a .300 so badly he could spit. I helped him purchase his first rifle, a 30-06 which I thought was a perfect choice for him. He sold that rifle to me for 2/3'rds what he paid for it because he wants that 300. I can't really blame him, when I was his age I thought faster was better. Learned better now, and that 30-06 will shoot sub MOA with Accurate Molds 245C and H4895 at around 1950fps, I'm sure it will go end to end through any deer I'll encounter around here and will probably be just as dead as it would be if hit with a 300.

[Larry Gibson]

Moonie

Just hold on to the '06 and some day soon you will be selling it back to him for another profit. Sad to make a profit off your own boy but that's how they learn.

Larry Gibson

[Moonie]

Moonie

Just hold on to the '06 and some day soon you will be selling it back to him for another profit. Sad to make a profit off your own boy but that's how they learn.

Larry Gibson

I will hold hold on to the gun, but he really has his heart set on a 300, just need to work up some loads for it that will really punish him lol, teach him a lesson. Wonder how fast I can push that 245gr Accurate boolit

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
NRA CAST BULLET HANDBOOK has a good write up on cast in the 300 WM IIRC.