I have a once in a lifetime Elk Hunt coming up in October and recently purchased a 300 Weatherby Magnum. I have started to reload due to the cost of ammunition. Does anyone have any accurate load data? I am willing to purchase new powder and bullets if necessary. Currently the best I have done is IMR 4831 78 Grains Nosler Ballistic tip 180 grain Col at Hornady book 2.546 Any help would be great for this Disabled Vet just into reloading...

Thank You for your service to the country. How well does the load you have group out of your rifle? It sounds like a reasonable load to me and if your gun likes it, it should work well for you.

best of Luck on your hunt and there should be some others list some loads they have had good results with.

My favorite load is 85 grains of IMR-7828 lit by a Fed. 215 behind a 180 Nosler Partition. 3200+ FPS and kills everything I hit with it. It is also very accurate in my rifle. BTW, the bullet is seated to as long as the magazine box will allow and back off .0015" in a Weatherby Mark V. Start below and work up!!!!

.300 WBY chambers have enough freebore so that it will be difficult to get a COL where the lands are contacted with a 180. I just load to a smidge under box mag length, and that always seems to work.

Second, my .300 WBYs (3 of them) do not like boat tail projos. The difference is night and day. I have not tried the ballistic tips, and realize their boat tail is subtle. So maybe they'll shoot great. If they don't, try a flatbase

I think your choice of powder is fine, though I might start with 75 gr. I've been using IMR 4350 for years. A slower powder like 7828 would probably get you a few more fps, but I doubt an elk will know the difference.

I, too, wish to thank you for your service.

Sam

Viper 85 grs of 7828 under most 180 gr bullets sparked by Fed 215's shoots well in most 300 Wby's. At close to 3200fps a lot of bullets do not hold together as well as they should. I would suggest considering Barnes TTSX bullets, Swift A-frames or Nosler Partitions. I have also been getting very good accuracy with the 180 gr TTSX and 85 to 87 grs of RL 25. Hope that helps. Good luck on your hunt!

A 165TTSX over 91 grains H-1000 in Weatherby case shoots sub inch groups out of my Winchester...

Just used it on a black wildebeest in RSA at a lasered 310 yards.

Well, it sounds like you are short of time and every rifle is different, but I have a favorite 300 Weatherby Mag load.

My rifle shoots best with Wetherby cases, Fed215M primers, a max load of RL 22, and a 180 grain Nosler Partition.

I would much prefer the Partition over the Ballistic Tip for use on elk.

I just load to an overall length to fit the magazine. The Weatherby's have to much freebore to get anywhere close to the lands.

quote:

Currently the best I have done is IMR 4831 78 Grains Nosler Ballistic tip 180 grain Col at Hornady book 2.546

That is a very mild load, not that much above a hot .30-06. Accuracy will likely improve as you go to 80 or 82 grains of that powder. Maximum loads vary in different manuals, from under 82 grains to over 85 grains. This may seem confusing, but different rifles and different bullets do respond differently to loads. Using the powder you have should give fine results in the right weight and with the right bullet.

For elk I too recommend a tougher bullet than the Ballistic Tip. Those are very accurate and good for deer and lower velocities, but out of the big .300 they may expand too rapidly, limiting penetration. An elk is big enough so that you do not need sub-moa accuracy. A Speer "Grean Slam" or Nosler Partition will work great for you. Load to the listed LOA in the manuals, you won't get close to the rifling.



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Thank you everyone for your quick responses. I am currently with a MOA of about 2.5 inches at 100 yards. With all of the advise I think I am going to Scheels and buy some Nosler Partitions and slam out the RL22. I'll let you know when I'm back from the range. Saepe Expertus Semper Fidelis Frater Infinitas. Respects, Viper

I've had good results with several bullets and powders in my .300 Weatherby Vanguard. The following were all moa or less 3 shot groups, Rem cases, and CCI 250 primers. All loads are under Barnes and Hornady book maximums and were worked up to in my rifle, and chronographed on my F-1 Chrony chronograph.

180 gr TSX, 84.0 gr IMR 7828, 3191 fps
180 gr TSX, 84.0 gr RL 22, 3241 fps
168 gr Hornady BTHP, 84.5 gr H4831SC, 3259 fps
168 gr TSX, 78.5 gr IMR 4350, 3290 fps
168 gr TTSX, 85.0 gr IMR 7828, 3250 fps

I used the 168 gr TSX on a 5 point elk a couple of years ago. It was a 100 yd shot, broadside behind the shoulder, complete penetration, he died within 3 steps, very little bloodshot meat.

I used the 168 gr TTSX bullets this year in South Africa on 5 animals from a Klipspringer at 314 yds to a Sable at 40 yds. All were one shot kills, and most were DRT. This is probably the bullet that I will be hunting elk with this year.

Excellent results with the 168TTSX, 84 RL22, wby cases and max to magazine of 3.58ish. Hammered 'em so well that my guide got out his cabela's and ordered some on our return to his house!

Just got back from the range. Ecstatic from the results. MOA 1 1/4 at 100 yards. Using Nosler 180 grain Partition. IMR 7828 80 grains Fed 215 Premium Primers. Length of COL 3.678 jUst into mag and backed off .005. Thank you everyone for all the positive feed. I am going out tomorrow to floor board with 80.2 up to 85.0 to see the shot groups. Couldn't be happier. I will post the video of the hunt. Semper Fidelis, Viper

Viper,

Load 82.5 gr of IMR 7828 with your 180 grain bullet...that load has worked in three 300 Wea rifles.

Good luck,

Paul

The only primer that has produced good accuracy for me, 1 inch or less at 100 yds, is a Federal 215. This primer was designed for Weatherly.

Like Paul Reed said, "load 82.5 gr of 7828." You will see the groups tighten up. Hell go up a grain at a time if you want and probably should you will see the groups tighten up as you go up.

load them hot and load them long. With in reason of course.