I just got a Tikka T3 stainless in 300 WSM (mine was not a recall BTW). It has a 1 in 11 twist, and I plan on shooting 165 or 180 grain bullets with it. I have 165 grain HPBT sierra GAMEKINGS and 180 grain BTs and accubonds on hand. For powders I have lots of IMR 4350, H4831SC, and RL 22. I don't care as much about velocity as I do about accuracy. What in your opinions would be a couple of my best powder choices (whether I have the powder or not) to test first?

Shilen, I have had good results with both IMR 4350 and H4831SC. I have had a little better overall results with 4831SC. Regardless of the chrono (i.e. faster or slower) I have had a little more accuracy with the 4831SC, in the mid-range of loads listed in the Nosler manual.

Best--Don

Thanks Don! Any others I should try anyone?

I've found H4350 to run faster than H4831sc and to group as tightly with 165's and 180's... it's been my "go to" powder in the several 300 WSM's I've loaded for. The only other powders I've worked with besides those two are RL's 19 an 22.

Did you find H4350 to produce your tightest groups Brad?

For 165 to 168:
W-760 From 57.5 grains to 69.1 grains
Winchester WLR Primer

For 175 to 180:
RL-22 From 61.0 grains to 71.0 grains
Winchester WLR Primer

Shilen, it produced groups equal to the best groups of the other powders, but surpassed H4831 and RL19 in velocity. RL22 equaled it in velocity, but RL22 is temperature sensitive and can swing as much as 100 fps from hot to cold. Also it's very inconsistant lot to lot... I've really come to dislike RL22. Ball powders like WW760 and H414 are also very temperature sensitive. Nowadays I always start my load search with Hogdon "Extreme" powders as temps do vary a bit here in MT. Regardless, the 300 WSM is not fussy and will produce good groups easily!

Count me as another vote for H4350...in 180 grain load, anyway. It did well in 150-168 grain loads as well, but Varget was a little more accurate. 4831SC did well for me with 200 Gamekings...

Reloder 22 w/ the 180s works great. I like 66.5 grains.


Reloader

I have my best accuracy and velocity with Ramshot Hunter. 71gr. of Hunter behind 165 Partitions gives me sub MOA and 3150fps. Ramshot has this maxed out at 73grs.

Thanks all. Several guys have stated ramshot hunter as one of their favorite powders. I should know this, but is ramshot powder ball or stick, temp sensitive or not? I have never used any of their stuff.

Hunter is ball and meters very well. As for temp. sensitive, all I can say is, I have tested my favorite load from 82 deg. to 18 deg. My velocities were very consistant and my POI unchanged.
I am going to give Hunter a try in my 06 and see how it stacks up against 4350.

So far I've tried IMR4350, 4831 and 7828 and my best groups and SD'a have been with IMR 4831. I want to try H4831SC just for the ease of metering and supposedly better temperature sensitivity.

Thanks Steve. I enjoy using ball powders for how well they flow.

Shilen, just as another piece of info, I have Not had the issue with sensitivity with W 760 as Brad has. It has been very consistent for me, I just didn't get velocity as high with 760 as I did with 4831sc without going past book loads, which I won't do.
Regards-Don

Just an update on the Tikka. I have not had time to reload for it yet, but I have spent a bit of time making the short action into a long action. I have cut back the bolt stop and taken out the magazine spacer, adjusted the magazine lips to allow for sliding the shells back straight to the back, polished any rough spots in the magazine, and made it so the spring sits .3" farther back than it did. Works as slick as can be. I can seat both the 180 grain nosler BTs and accubonds to the lands, and the junction of the boat tail on both bullets are just barely below the neck/shoulder junction of the case. I kept putting shells into the magazine and chambering the rounds to make sure everything was smooth, and it was perfectly smooth every time when I was completed (50 or 60 rounds without trouble). I love the fact that a shell will chamber smoothly and flawlessly whether I load from the magazine or just by dropping a shell in the port (not using the magazine). I have spent my extra time loading for my custom 300 win mag I had rebarreled with a broughton 1-11" twist 5C barrel, but I will get to the tikka.

Magpro with the 180's, RL19 with 165's. The Magpro also gave me the most velocity, but the velocity was the same using either 165 or 180 gr bullets. I can get about 2950 with the 180 and magpro. Shot the best too.

I have had good luck with:

Win 760 powder at 66 gr.
WLR Primers
180 gr Hornady Interbonds

All these through a Sako Finnlight (not in the recall group) with groups as good as 0.563".