best powder for 300wm Accubond 180gr

With 180 gn bullets I have attained the best velocity and accuracy with IMR 7828...........don't listen to all that BS about heavy bullets in the 300 WM, for hunting purposes within 500 mtrs you will gain nothing going to 200-220 gn bullets at the reduced velocities these produce in the 300 WM. If you step up to the Weatherby or RUM then the 200s make some sense. I have used both 180 and 200gn Partitions from a 300 WM extensively on game and can say that there is no noticeable difference, except the 200 may penetrate more.


uh huh
 
Dogleg is right sorry about my Berger rave, but the 180's with H-1000,IMR-4831,4350's,IMR-7828 will all get the job done for you out at those range's. Find your load my friend & practise as much as possible, 500 yards in elk country can be a long poke. But without a doubt the accubond will get it done for you.
Good luck out there and I hear the Saddle Hills are full of elk & I bet there is a nice bull just waiting for you to connect with that .300WM....
If you need any load data please let us know, we are all here to help.

Cheer's
 
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The guy's looking for a 500 yard elk load, not a 1000 yard load. At 500 you don't even need boat-tails never mind target bullets. H1000 is as good a place as any to start.

That may be, however for most hunters 500 yards is a pretty long poke, so why not offer him advice that exceeds his want? And offers additional benefits?
The 300 Win has been short changed for years by the fact that most tend to run less than the ideal bullet weight that it is capable of shooting, the typical mentality being "well it is good enough".
On longer shots especially on elk which have a healthy constitution a heavier bullet that has a higher B.C., better penetration for less than ideal shots, can NOT hurt. Having to worry less about wind drift is never a bad thing.
I just don't get some of the attitude here from some. If you are going to offer someone who is asking for advice some advice , why not offer something truly helpful?
Is it a bad thing to have more than just adequate? What if he encounters the bull of a lifetime and it is at 700 yards?

The word "Tactical" is used by many fudds in a negative connotation simply because they are stuck in the old world and are unwilling to look at the advancements and improvements that have been made in all aspects of the firearms industry.

I am sorry but the OP was asking a worthwhile question regarding his 300 Win Mag and its use for killing elk at 500 yards, which in my opinion is considered a longer than average shot for over 90% of hunters, so to offer him advice that will help him in many ways rather than the fudd style "use a 180 whatever, its what I use because I don't know any better" type answer seems lame to me.
 
I use IMR 4350. It works good in my 24 inches barrel with the 180 gr. Accubond. Only downside is that it is not an Extreme powder and can be a bit temp sensitive.

Mush
 
If you can get your hands on it, another stellar performer in the 300 Win Mag is Norma MRP. [Budget Shooters Supply has some, BTW.]

A 24" barreled 300 Win will usually reach or exceed 3100 with the 180, using MRP, at safe pressures.
MRP has very low temp sensitivity as well.

I use it a lot in my 308 Norma Magnums, with excellent results. Dave.
 
That may be, however for most hunters 500 yards is a pretty long poke, so why not offer him advice that exceeds his want? And offers additional benefits?
The 300 Win has been short changed for years by the fact that most tend to run less than the ideal bullet weight that it is capable of shooting, the typical mentality being "well it is good enough".
On longer shots especially on elk which have a healthy constitution a heavier bullet that has a higher B.C., better penetration for less than ideal shots, can NOT hurt. Having to worry less about wind drift is never a bad thing.
I just don't get some of the attitude here from some. If you are going to offer someone who is asking for advice some advice , why not offer something truly helpful?
Is it a bad thing to have more than just adequate? What if he encounters the bull of a lifetime and it is at 700 yards?

The word "Tactical" is used by many fudds in a negative connotation simply because they are stuck in the old world and are unwilling to look at the advancements and improvements that have been made in all aspects of the firearms industry.

I am sorry but the OP was asking a worthwhile question regarding his 300 Win Mag and its use for killing elk at 500 yards, which in my opinion is considered a longer than average shot for over 90% of hunters, so to offer him advice that will help him in many ways rather than the fudd style "use a 180 whatever, its what I use because I don't know any better" type answer seems lame to me.

It doesn't come down to tactical versus Fudd in my view.... It comes down to shooter versus hunter......

You clearly state in your post that 500 yards is a long poke for most hunters and I tend to agree with you... I have been hunting and shooting for 28 years and I wouldn't feel comfortable past 300, but I don't live in the prairies and have had very little exposure to shots that long....

You also go on to state "What if he encounters the bull of a lifetime and it is at 700 yards?"..... Well, to a true hunter and sportsman the answer is simple, he lets the bull of a lifetime walk because he would rather have seen it and know that it was there and try again tomorrow, than take a shot he is uncomfortable with and risk hitting it in the paunch so that it can run off and die an excruciating death..... especially an animal such as elk who are known to cover miles in a hurry when poorly hit....

No bullet is going to make up for a "less than ideal shot", and the truth is that said shot should not have been taken.... So, yes, for that guy who is comfortable out to 500, the 200 is not necessary.....

The issue that most hunters have with the tactical crowd is that they go to the opposite extreme in their belief that new technology and advancements in gear can make up for poor marksmanship and lack of hunting skills.... While there will always be the true fudd, who believes everyone should hunt with grandpa's 30-30 and everything else is overkill, there is certainly middle ground to be had between the two philosophies.....
 
That may be, however for most hunters 500 yards is a pretty long poke, so why not offer him advice that exceeds his want? And offers additional benefits?
The 300 Win has been short changed for years by the fact that most tend to run less than the ideal bullet weight that it is capable of shooting, the typical mentality being "well it is good enough".
On longer shots especially on elk which have a healthy constitution a heavier bullet that has a higher B.C., better penetration for less than ideal shots, can NOT hurt. Having to worry less about wind drift is never a bad thing.
I just don't get some of the attitude here from some. If you are going to offer someone who is asking for advice some advice , why not offer something truly helpful?
Is it a bad thing to have more than just adequate? What if he encounters the bull of a lifetime and it is at 700 yards?

The word "Tactical" is used by many fudds in a negative connotation simply because they are stuck in the old world and are unwilling to look at the advancements and improvements that have been made in all aspects of the firearms industry.

I am sorry but the OP was asking a worthwhile question regarding his 300 Win Mag and its use for killing elk at 500 yards, which in my opinion is considered a longer than average shot for over 90% of hunters, so to offer him advice that will help him in many ways rather than the fudd style "use a 180 whatever, its what I use because I don't know any better" type answer seems lame to me.

When some-one describes themselves as a new handloader and has already selected one of the best general purpose hunting bullets around for his described use, I usually don't suggest that he run out and get some target bullets instead. Maybe that makes me a Fudd?

FWIW I like a long range rifle just as much as the next guy.
 
I see everybody here is willing to help and offer advise, thanks. As far as a 500 yds shot goes, I now practice out to 500 off a bench, and on the ground off my pack with a 12" gong. As for the elk shot, I had the chance a couple of years ago at a bull at 400yds and missed. Not an excuse but it was not my gun, a 7mm magnum and my rest was poor. I do not every want to make that mistake again when the next 6x6 is there hence the 300wm and the practice of a couple hundred rounds last year before heading out.

The next time I pull the trigger on an animal out to 500yds I want to be confident in my guns ability. That is the reason I want to start reloading, also hand loading a couple hundred rounds will pay for the press pretty quickly
 
I see everybody here is willing to help and offer advise, thanks. As far as a 500 yds shot goes, I now practice out to 500 off a bench, and on the ground off my pack with a 12" gong. As for the elk shot, I had the chance a couple of years ago at a bull at 400yds and missed. Not an excuse but it was not my gun, a 7mm magnum and my rest was poor. I do not every want to make that mistake again when the next 6x6 is there hence the 300wm and the practice of a couple hundred rounds last year before heading out.

The next time I pull the trigger on an animal out to 500yds I want to be confident in my guns ability. That is the reason I want to start reloading, also hand loading a couple hundred rounds will pay for the press pretty quickly

Damn straight..... Practice your shots, refine your rifle and loads (reloading is almost another hobby in and of itself), and practice practice practice..... And stay within your limits.....

As an aside, thanks for posting this, I too am looking to acquire a 300wm and develop a load in the very near future.... Also, the off the pack shot is the one I practice the most.... Has served me well for anything from yote to whitetail to elk......
 
After that horrible day I bought a Remington700 XCR RMEF edition in 300WM and mounted a Vortex Viper 4-16 X 50 HS. This year shot an 8 point white tail at 60yds facing me straight on, hit him in the throat. He folded like a cheap lawn chair and never moved. I know the gun is a bit much for deer at that distance but I love this thing. My normal deer gun is a Remington 700 in .270 with a Redfield.
But elk is a different game altogether.
Want to find the best load possible.
 
It happens, and anyone who says th y never lost one or missed one isn't a hunter.....may least not an experi need one anyways.... And "overkill" is a relative statement..... We all have our beliefs on that..... I have taken whitetail with a .375 H&H because I had one and wanted to try it..... I just picked the right shot to do it with....

In the context of the reloading forum, think of how gratifying that experience will be when you harvest your elk with a rifle you practiced with in a package you are confident with and with a round you fine tuned and loaded yourself.....
 
Thanks for all the advise, I know when you ask a question like what is the best load everybody with have their opinion. I think I will start out with the 180 Accubonds and H4831 and work up from the starting load and see what my gun likes. Maybe also give the 200's a try.

I am looking for a reloading press, anyone have a one for sale?
 
Thanks for all the advise, I know when you ask a question like what is the best load everybody with have their opinion. I think I will start out with the 180 Accubonds and H4831 and work up from the starting load and see what my gun likes. Maybe also give the 200's a try.

I am looking for a reloading press, anyone have a one for sale?

Look at getting a kit..... I bought the hornady lock and load kit at about $450 all in.... But you can by a lee kit for $200 that will suit your needs.... You will have to buy dies as well.....
 
The 180 AB is a perfectly good hunting bullet in the 300 WM out to 5 or 6 or even 700 mtrs, take it from someone who has shot literally hundreds of big game animals (and Dogleg even more than I). There is a big difference between an experienced big game hunter and a theoretical hunter who incessantly quotes charts and ballistic tables and the like out to 800+ meters. I love and shoot the 200 gn ABs from my 300 Wby and my 300 RUM and will not say anything bad about this bullet but then the 180 in the Win mag ends up being pretty much the same. I have to seriously question a hunter who says he shoots a 208 gn Amax as this is described even by Horn as a target bullet, not a hunting bullet............what does this tell you...........
I'm sorry ATR but I have to seriously question your hunting experience, and your qualifications in giving load data for a hunting round in the 300 Win mag. May I suggest that you tactical guys limit yourselves to giving advice to tactical shooters and let us experienced big game hunting guys give advice to those who would like advice on big game hunting loads..............
 
I know this is an old thread but .... Just bought a 300wm. I have a couple hundred 180 gr accubonds but am not against changing grains. Looking for a powder to buy for the 180's. I do have some h4350 kicking around and have heard good stuff about h1000. Primary targets will be elk and or moose. Deer gun is squared away so not worried about that.

So ... Good powder to start load development for 180 gr accubond. Any other load bullet preference for the 300wm for these animals. Not to sound like a noob here but rifle is a weatherby vanguard 2. Don't even know the twist yet. Thanks for any help.
 
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