All three are great choices in the 300. I'd try the rl22 and IMR4831 first. From past experience, the IMR4831 is at about the right burn rate for the lighter bullets, yet many people have liked rl22 for 165 grain bullets as well. With that said, I'd opt for the 180 grain bullets and RL22, but I like the extra sectional density for shots on elk. I'd try all powders with your 165 grain bullets if you are set on it and then go for the 180 grain bullets. RL22 really shines in the 300, especially with the 180 grain bullets in my experience.

I believe you'll find that IMR 7828 is too slow for optimum velocity with 165 gr. bullets. I've used mostly Reloader 22 with 165s, 168s, and 180s in the .300 Win. Mag., and it's just possibly the best all-around powder for this cartridge. In one rifle, IMR 4831 was absolutely outstanding as well. But I've got friends who swear by IMR 4350 and H4831 as well, and when my current supply of Reloader 22 is exhausted, I'm switching over to Winchester's WXR, of which I have a new and plentiful supply that really performs in my rifle -- about like Reloader 22 does.

It's all a crapshoot unless you have access to a chronograph and are willing to take the time to try several powders, all the while interpreting that the chronograph tells you about velocity, extreme spread, standard deviation, etc., not to mention the stories your targets are telling you. I could wax ecstatic about how well this old lot of Reloader 22 has performed for me since 1994 with 165s & 180s and think I'm steering you in the right direction, only to find that Reloader 22 doesn't work so well in your rifle after all, and that just possibly the best powder you can go with for your specific rifle is H4821 SC.

Without a chronograph, it's all a shot in the dark -- pure guesswork........

AD

From your post I assuming you have 8 pounds of IMR 4831. If this is the case, and you don't have 8 pounds of the other two, I would start with IMR 4831. I have used a lot of it in my .300 Win Mags and it is an excellent powder for the 165 and 180 grain bullets. I just recently started loading 200 grain accubonds on top of H1000

Well, obviously you should consult with loading manual and check pressures at range. I assume you do that already.

All 3 powders may be exceptional for the 165 bullet. What do you plan to hunt with this load? Distances?

My first pick would be the Re22, then 7828, followed by 4831. What bullet are you shooting? What have the load manuals stated about that bullet with the powders you are contemplating? I have found that in more cases than not, my rifles liked the same powder that worked best for the bullet maker. Sometimes my rifle liked a different charge though. Go have some fun at the range, load up a bunch and see what happens.

I was experimenting and working on a load for my .300WM this past Sunday. I first loaded 5 cartridges with IMR-4831 and then 5 with RL-22. I shot the 5 4831's at my 100 yard target through my chronograph. I was surprised to see the variances in the speed of the bullets. They ranged between about 2945 and 3120 FPS. I then shot my RL-22's. With the latter I was getting 3/4" groups with speeds of between 3090 and 3133. Clearly, in a .300 casing, the RL-22 got a much better burn. I suspect this contributed to better accuracy as well. My vote would be to use 77 grains of RL-22.

Which powder would be best for a 300 Win Mag with 165 grain bullets. I'm thinking IMR 78-28, R22, or IMR 4831 (I have 8 pounds on hand). I shoot a Savage rifle with a lot of free-bore, so I have a larger than normal case volume to fill. Any comments or other powder suggestions would be appreciated.

Doc,
I was shooting 180 grain Sierra GameKing BTSP.

I use H4931 in my 300 mags just because it seems to be the least sensitive to temperature, something important to me.

John Barsness concurs on RL22 and RL 25 - too temp sensitive

I have only one .300 Win load - 200 Partitions and 74-ish grains of 7828. It gets a little over 2900 for me, shoots into well under an inch and does everything I want a .300 to do. Simple, huh?

Cheers

Redial

75.5 gr of Reloader 22 and 180 Sierra Prohunter is what my 2 300 winnies like. I think that WXR and Re 22 are one and the same powder, along with MRP.

I've used Reloader 22 in some very hot places, such as Tanzania, Arizona, New Mexico, and Sonora, and I've never had a pressure problem. But then I didn't have the benefit of Barsness whispering in my ear that Reloader 22 was too "pressure sensitive", either! If I would have, maybe I would have used something else for the last ten years....



I ALWAYS work up and test loads in our hottest summer weather here in Oregon (85-100 degrees F), and this is the proceedure I advise when anyone is working up loads with any powder.



I think it's a good idea to buy maybe a pound each of the various powders to test, then buy a big lot of the powder you settle upon for your main load. If the lot number of that batch is different, you'll need to reduce the charge a couple of grains and work your way back up, just to be sure you won't have any problems. This is a minor hassle, but if you buy enough of that lot number, it'll last you for years -- maybe for the life of your barrel.



AD

RSY, yes, that's the unofficial word that I have as well.

WXR sure enough ACTS like Reloader 22 to be its near-twin, but even if it is indeed the same, there'd be enough variance, perhaps, between lot numbers to warrant starting low and working up again with WXR. I would treat it as a different powder, and I did just that when I bought my lot of WXR.

AD

I used other powders for years in my .300 Winnie, mainly 7828 and when it first came out thought it was the berries. And it was, until I discovered RL-22, now there is no comparison with my rifle. My 180 grain Nosler Partitions or North Forks are awesome in accuracy with 76 to 78 grains of powder, depending on the lot. My primer is Fed 210M, the 215M blows the group to an inch from one hole. I also use RL-22 with my .257 Wby, 7mm Wby, .358 STA and .416 Rigby, therefore when I buy I like to get at least 12 pounds of the same lot. Good shooting.

I've had mixed results with RL-22 in my 300 Winchester and I have "heard" of the pressure sensitivity of the powder. I have a good friend and reloader that swears by H-4831 in his 300s. My Model 70 likes 75gr of the stuff, but my friend has loaded as high as 78gr with the targets to prove it and no pressure signs. But I think if you were to "poll" most 300 winie users, RL -22 would come out on top and that speaks volumes. Were I first starting to load for the 300, RL-22 would be my starting powder. jorge

allen:



Maybe you were already alluding to this, but, as cliffs2 pointed out, word on the street is that WXR and RL-22 are the same powder (from Bofors).



RSY

RL-22

Jorge,

H4831(SC) is also my powder of choice. RL-22 was very good, but H4831 won out, and velocity was near the same for each at the most accurate powder charge for each. I would certainly work up loads with both powders during load developement. I have been in contact with a long range BR guy who has used a 300WM for nearly 30 years. He claims 90% of 300s will take to H4831, and he claims it is still the powder of choice for the BR guys shooting the 300WM.