Starter Load for 300 Win Mag

[Danny Boy]

With my 300 win mag coming in soon, I am thinking about developing a load so that I can build up my tolerance to recoil. Eventually I plan to develop my big game load using 180 or 200 gr bullets.

I currently use H4350 powder for my .243 & .270 and may just start with 150 gr bullets. Is there any point in starting with the 130 gr bullets? I hate to buy a box of 100 and use only 10 of them.

How much powder should I start with? Presumably, it would be at the min. load in the manuals. But how low is low?

Please advise!

Danny Boy

[John Traveler]

Danny Boy,

Recoil sensitivity can be a subjective thing, as I discovered when first shooting the 7mm Remington Magnum and finding it didn't kick much more than heavy .30-06 loads.  It kicked even less using 120 varmint bullets.

130 grain bullets are fine.  I would NOT go any lower than the minimum loading manual recommendations.  Your .300 WM is one of those be-very-careful-calibers that are subject to SEE (Secondary Explosion Event) if slow burning powders are reduced too much in loading density.  This is even more important when using slow burning or hard to ignite ball powders.

You will quickly graduate to full charges with 150 and then 180 grain bullets without letting recoil bother you.

have fun!

John

[Gregory]

I've used Ken Water's reduced loads in my 300 Win Mag.  They use H4895 powder and are 30/06 equivalent loads.  About 56 or 57 gr of H4895 with a 180 gr bullet.

Hodgdon also lists low recoil "youth loads" on their site:
http://www.hodgdon.com/data/youth/300winmag_y.php


If you don't want to buy new powder I'd use your H4350 with starting loads:
You could reduce these loads 10%
http://www.hodgdon.com/data/rifle/300winma.php