Just starting to reload and have a Dakota M76 with 23" bbl. I hope somebody has some double top secret load data. Thx

quote:

Originally posted by leftcoast:
Just starting to reload and have a Dakota M76 with 23" bbl. I hope somebody has some double top secret load data. Thx

Sorry I have no such "secret" or special oads for the .300 Dakota. However, I have a hunting buddy who has one for which I have loaded some ammo. I therefore have a few comments:

Initially, the brand-new cases he bought had necks that were too thick to use as they didn't expand enough to permit the bullet to exit w/o developing excessive pressures. I used Dakota's starting loadfor the 200-grain bullet, and got loose primers. Upon trying to insert a bullet into mouths of once-fired empty brass, the bullets would not go in!

We sent the rifle back to Dakota, stating the tneck portion of the chamber was too tight. Got it back from Dakota, "The chamber neck is OK". So I had to turn the necks down .002" in order to use them. Cases so treated worked fine.

So, although this happened maybe 10 years ago, and no doubt Dakota has corrected this problem by now, I am relating this just so you can be careful with this round!!

My other impression at that time was that their proprietary brass was way overpriced, especially when you consider that the quality control was not there!

It is my understanding that their brass is now being made by a different supplier, so it might be very good today.

Good luck with your .300 Dakota. But don't expect it to outperform other .300 Magnums in its class!

Yes you are certainly right about Dakota cases being made by someone else - they are now made by Hornaday. The fine folks at Superior Ammo told me that Dakota changes their brass manufactuer quite often.

quote:

Originally posted by leftcoast:
Yes you are certainly right about Dakota cases being made by someone else - they are now made by Hornaday. The fine folks at Superior Ammo told me that Dakota changes their brass manufactuer quite often.

Let me know what you discover loading yours! (Too bad they didn't get Lapua to make their brass - but then Lapua has their own cartridges to hype....)