Anyone seen any recipes for the 300 WSM. Just got one and will need some recipes once I burn up the factory ammo I've got. Appreciate any help.

I saw something in the last issue of Handloader, Rifle or something (maybe Guns & Ammo). I'll check when I get home, or, you can check if you have any lying around.
Good Luck
R-WEST

I did some reload testing over the weekend for the 300 WSM using 150 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips. I tried 3 powders, IMR 4350, IMR 4831 & H4831SC. All cases were one time fired Winchester cases & I was using Federal Magnum primers. Based upon my testing I would say the maximum load using IMR 4350 is 68.0 Grains and the maximum load using IMR 4831 is 69.5 Grains. Velocity for both of these max loads is 3170 FPS from my Browning A-BoltII composite stalker with 23" barrel. Accuracy with both powders was excellent with .5" to .75" groups. H4831SC is too slow burning to reach maximums unless you want to substantially compress the powder charge.

Anyone try 180 or 200 grain bullets yet? My Winchester M70 Featherweight is shooting 0.53 at 100 yds with the factory Power Point load. Would love to try some heavy bullet loads.

Kuduking,
Glad to hear your 300WSM is doing so well. This is a great cartridge! It shoots everything well. If you are in a hurry, you might have to be the one to break ground on the 180's and 200's. I'm going to try some loads with 165 grain Hornady Interlock Boattails this weekend. I might get around to 180's in a couple weeks. I probably won't bother with 200's since nothing in Colorado requires that much lead. Winchester has limited load data on their website. All loads listed are using W760 powder and WLR primers. Good luck.
Jay

Jay:

Thanks for the info, will try the Winchester data this week.

And a note for those intrepid loaders of this cartridge: some of your familiar tools and dies don't fit dues to the wide-body of this case. Eg.: the standard Dillon powder die for the popular RL550B is too narrow, you must order a special wider one. Eg.: the RCBS inertia bullet puller collet is a very tight fit and it is difficult to screw the end cap on, and to remove the collet (don't make any mistakes ! ). Eg.: my powder funnel spilled powder all over the first time I tried it because the case body would not fit into the mouth of the funnel, it had to be trimmed.

Another odd item: I was unable to partially re-size the once-fired case, the fit in the chamber was incredibly tight, more so than if left unresized ! I was forced to full-length resize, with the die camming over at full stroke. This was with RCBS dies.

[This message has been edited by KuduKing (edited 06-04-2001).]

[This message has been edited by KuduKing (edited 06-04-2001).]

I did some load testing yesterday with 165 grain Hornady BTSP using IMR 4350 & IMR 4831. Again I was using Federal Magnum primers and using an OAL of 2.870". This time I did all my shooting at 200 yards. I found maximum loads to be 66.5 grains of IMR 4350 and 68.0 grains IMR 4831. The 4350 load clocked 3080 fps, the 4831 load did 3090 fps. Accuracy wasn't as impressive as with the Nosler Ballistic Tips. Both the maximums and the work up loads shot to the same point of impact at 200 yards. 200 yard groups were 1.80" to 2.10".

I don't know but these don't sound like the kind of velocity you could expect from the original .300 Win Mag which the WSM is touted to duplicate.

Dr. Bill,
As far as I can tell, Winchester is claiming that the 300 WSM factory ammo duplicates the performance of 300 Win Mag factory ammo. I don't think they are claiming that hand loaders can attain the same velocities as maximum hand loaded 300 Win Mag ammo. I also think that Winchester is loading the new factory 300 WSM loads to higher pressures than factory 300 Win Mag loads. I don't think the factory 300 WSM loads exceed safe pressures, I just think they are closer to the max than the factory 300 Win Mag loads. It still comes down to case capacity and the 300 Win Mag is a larger capacity case. I find that the 300 WSM is right smack in the middle between the 30-06 and the 300 Win Mag. When I'm working up a load, I look in the loading manuals at the 30-06 and the 300 Win mag and split the difference between them. Then I start several grains below that point and work my way up. So far, every time I get to that midpoint between the 30-06 and 300 Win Mag, I start to get the first pressure signs.

Very interesting Jay. The .300 Win Mag holds 6 grains more water than the .300 WSM so obviously handloaders of the Win Mag can beat the WSM. I agree that the WSM is a nice midpoint cartridge.

The WSM is SAAMI spec at 65,000 psi, the Win Mag at 64,000 psi.

I tried the loading data at the Winchester website. Even though pressure was listed to be only in the 60,500 psi range, their published loads were WAY TOO HOT in my rifle, a Winchester M70 Featherweight.

I loaded their recommended 71.0 gr of W760 with a WLR primer in once-fired brass. I used a Hornady 150 gr SST rather than their 150 gr Ballistic Silvertip. The magazine and chamber throat can accomodate a much longer OAL than the factory round. OAL was set at 0.040" off the lands.

I only fired 2 rounds, both of which stuck the bolt handle and caused ejector marks on the brass. Pulling the bullets later was difficult due to the problems mentioned in my earlier post.

I tried 63.0 grains of W760 with a Speer 200 gr SP with the same OAL of 0.040" off the lands and got a sticky bolt handle, but no ejector marks. Pulled the rest also.

Granted, the Winchester data is with the Bullistic Silvershit which is a moly-coated projectile and could account for some of the discrepency. But I think their data is off. By any measure this should have been a starter load (7% under max pressure), but instead it was far over max.

I should have suspected something was not right since 71.0 grains of W760 with a 150 gr bullet in the Win Mag generates appx. 50,000 cup (which is close to 60,000 psi). How in the world is the WSM with 7% less capacity than the Win Mag supposed to take the same powder charge?

I will try some additional loads at a significantly lighter charge.

KuduKing,
I do not have any W760 on my loading bench so I did not try any of the loads that Winchester has posted on their website. The loads sounded overpressure based upon what I've found to be maximum loads with lesser amounts of slower burning powders. Perhaps you should send Winchester an e-mail about your findings before someone else puts themselves in an excessive pressure situation. Glad you didn't get hurt and that your gun sounds like it is still OK. Did you come up with any useable load data for W760 powder or any other powder? I just got in some 165 Grain Swift Scirocco bullets last night. Can't wait to work up some loads for those bullets! Hope the gun likes them. Those bullets seem like the ultimate game bullet design. Hope it works.

I shot some more today. Reduced the 150 grain bullet to 68.0 grains of W760 and pressure seemed OK, but accuracy mediocre, about 1.5 MOA.

Reduced the 200 grain bullet load but it was still too warm for my taste at 61.0 grains of W760, accuracy about 1 MOA.

As a control, shot the factory WW 180 PP load again, 0.57".

Also tried some IMR-4350 loads: 200 grain bullet 64.0 grains is definitely TOO HOT.

Will try some 180 grain bullets as my rifle seems to like those. In general, the published Winchester data, in my rifle, appears to be 3 grains to TOO MUCH. Beware.