I finally got to load for the .300 Weatherby Magnum

[Adam Helmer]

Last Saturday a novice reloader came by the farm with his Remington 700 BDL .300WM and two boxes of once-fired brass. (He is the same guy who used, and liked, the Lee Load All later in the day).

I got an RCBS Junior press in a recent trade and gave it to Wade. I bought a set of RCBS dies and shell holder for the loading of .300 WM ammo. We loaded 180 grain Sierra SPBT bullets and IMR4831 powder. Wade did the actual reloading under my supervision. We loaded a spread of 73, 74, 75 and 76 grains of powder. On the hayfield bench Wade shot a 4-shot 5/8-inch group at 100 yards. The rifle has a big muzzlebrake and the recoil is quite mild.

Next Saturday from the same bench we will shoot 400 yards at a target and a gong. At 76 grains per cartridge, a pound of powder does not last long. I will use this rifle for chucks this Summer.

Adam

[oger]

I've found RL-22 to work better with a 26in barrel. Had no problem getting 3300 FPS with nosler 180s. You may not get too many chucks before the bore is a bit oversize.

[Jack]

There must be some pretty tough woodchucks south of the NY border! :)

[skeet]

While I have a 300 Weatherby..made in the earlier 50s by Weatherby on a Brevex mauser action...I have to say it is one of the only calibers I have no use for. Yep it is a great round. It'll kill out therre a long way..and it really does have a tendency to be a very accurate round..The one I have is very unpleasant to shoot. I'd rather shoot my ol M-70 in 375 H&H..and it is a bear. Maybe that brake really helps. Hey Adam..is it LOUD with that brake?? I had a 338 Win Mag with a brake and it was ..well lets say..when you shot it you REALLY wanted ear protection. BTW a really good ol powder.

[Adam Helmer]

skeet,

Yes the .300 WM has a big BARK! I wear ear plugs and muffs. When I hunt I wear Sonic ear valve plugs; I can hear conversation and a grouse flush. I began shooting Old Army rifles in 1958 and got my first set of ear muffs in 1962. I can hear crickets in December so I am saving what hearing I have left.

Adam

[Larryjk]

The 300 Weatherby is not very violent compared to many of the new "magnum" offerings.
The fit of the stock and final weight of the rifle has a lot to do with how the rifle recoils.
My son has a Winchester Model 70 Supergrade in 300 Ultra Mag. that is not a bad gun to shoot. I will need to get it out and weigh it. I had a Weatherby made on a FN action by Weatherby in Southgate a long time ago that was somewhat of a "bell ringer". at the time. It only had a 24 inch barrel and was a pleasure to carry. I didn't mind the recoil and with that rifle and my old Steton, something was going to die.

[skeet]

Actually it isn't the caliber I don't like..It's probably the rifle itself. It is just unpleasant to shoot. A really worthwhile groundhog gun. Those friends of Petey's up there in Pa shoot things known as 300 Tomahawks and other big bangers.. But they shoot farther than I can see.

As far as my hearing ...well I worked on a Jet Airport. starting in the 60s.. It was not conducive to retaining hearing. And we didn't even know what it was doing to us till we had a test of the average decibel readings over a 24 hour period. It averaged over 105 decibels. Not really good for our hearing. By that time I had worked there for more than 20 years. What's that ya say there young feller?? I can't hear ya!! I have more trouble hearing ladies talking..Maybe a good thing, huh??

[Larryjk]

Skeet, I used to use my 300 WBY for a coyote rifle back in Nebraska. With 85 grs. of 4831 behiind a 150 gr bullet I could really reach out and touch them.
If you expect any sympathy on your hearing you will have to speak up. My hearing is shot from too many hours on a combine above the engine and hours in a Cessna with headphones on listening to BLM fire personnel asking me to dump retardant on them.
Anyway, womens voices are mainly a thing of the past.

[skeet]

Boy..I know about combines. From the old pull type PTO driven to the self propelled. First self propelled was an ol JD with a little 2 cyl gas engine. What was even worse than the noise was of course...the dust. Harder on ya than smoking. As far as the airplanes..everything from a cub to helio Couriers to a flying boxcar. All those radials are loud. We still had Connies and Super Connies when I went to work in the fire dept. GREAT BIG radials. I think the worst for hearing are the turbo props..jet noise and high speed prop noise both. Did you get my message about the brass??