Has anyone developed a load with heavier projos for .300WM using AA8700?
I have @4 lbs of 8700 sitting around from early attempts to make it work for .50BMG, and I'm trying to work up a good .300WM load using 200-220g projos...
I normally would go with IMR 7828 for something like this, but I figured since I already own a bunch, I'd give the 8700 a try too....

While I have your attention, does the smaller grain 7828SC, work as good as the older long-grain version???
Anyone... Beuller... Beuller...

Second question first: I've had great luck with IMR 7828 SSC; it meters almost as well as a ball powder and it has the dependable linear pressure/velocity characteristic of the IMR series.

8700 will be on the slow side for a .300 Win, but it should be acceptable using very heavy bullets. You can start by using data for H-870 from some old Hodgdon and Speer manuals as a guideline. I doubt you'll run into any pressure problems before reaching a fairly compressed load.

RL-25 is your brew for the 300 Winny.

Well, I FINALLY got around to playing with a AA8700 concoction in my .300WM...

StoneCreek you were right, no over-pressure signs, even at the max suggested load for both SMK 200grainers and Berger 210grainers... At max, the powder was filled right up to the base of the neck too
Dare I go into compressing some loads? I've never pushed loads that far before...

I also played with Rem. Magnum primers vs. Fed 210Match primers and I think the Feds also worked out a bit better with this powder.

on a side note, one thing I did notice when I first started loading was that there were some small "lumps" of powder in the can I opened. Even though this powder is fairly old, it still had the original factory seal on the can under the cap and the powder also smelled fine so I continued with the loading process. Is this common for AA8700 to be lumpy a little bit, or is this a sign of just being old and sitting in the powder cabinet too long? Not big clumps or anything, maybe 6-12 grains of powder stuck together once in a while... The lumps break up easily too...

pjs50


Id have to look to be sure on the exact amount of of H870 I used in my .300 Win using 200 grain bullets...

But Ill tell you that it was heavily compressed I believe it was 84 grains, I had to tamp the case the entire time the I was filling it.

Absolutely no pressure from doing this also.


I used to do this with H570 and the AA8700 you are using.
Velocity was not really impressive but I got rid of alot of bullets and the powder.

Good plinking rounds. And dont worry about the clumps just shake the can good and they break up.
I still have H870 in my shop that is Clumpy but its not a problem. Ill get around to shooting it again.


Cal30