.300 RUM for deer

[CLAY]

   I'm new to the site- I was turned on to it by lakestatebob.  I have been looking for a good, knowledgeable base for some questions and discussion, and I hope I found it!
   Anyway, I have a .300 RUM that I use for deer.  I know, it's way overkill, but here's the story:
   I have a "magnum fanatic" buddy that thought he should buy the biggest and the best so he could reload some hot rounds.  He wound up with the .300RUM shortly after it debuted.  He shot 5, reloaded them as hot as he could, shot 3 of them, and was done.  Too much recoil- obviously.  I picked up the gun 6 months later with 8 shots through it for about half of the price he paid (evidently he's not a financial genious either).  Anyway, the first thing I did was get a muzzle brake on it so I could use it.  I'm not recoil shy, but I don't want to develop a flinch either.
   So, I have been shooting 180gr Sciroccos, and I only have about 8 left.  With prices up to $60.00 a box, I want to reload my empties.  I have about 100 or so.  Anyway, I'm looking for some handload recipies that use a nice light bullet and shoots it plenty flat in case of the long shot.  My *longest* shots are around 200 yards standard.

   Anyone else using the .300 RUM for deer?  Thanks!

[DalesCarpentry]

Just for your information. I have been thinking of buying a 300 Rem. Mag some day for myself for Deer, Elk and Bear. I don't reload yet so when I saw that Remington has come out with 300 Rem Ultra Mag Power level Ammunition I got a little excited. To bad you friend did not know about this ammo before he sold you the rifle. What this ammo is you can buy regular 300 Ultra Mag ammo or you can buy it with a powder charge equivalent to 300 Win mag loads or 30-06 loads. For me this would be Ideal. I could own a 300 Ultra Mag and hunt Deer with 30-06 loads. Or I could go Elk hunting with 300 Win Mag loads. Or I could just buy 300 Ultra mag rounds and go hunt Grizzley Bear. If you reload you can allready do this when you load them but some one like me that does not reload yet this would be ideal. I am seriously thinking of a 300 Ultra Mag for my next big round rifle. Dale

[Redhawk1]

I will give you the same advice I give everyone trying to find a good load for there guns. Buy a bunch of different bullets and powder. Go to the range and see which loads shoot the best, then refine your load to get the best accuracy your rifle will give and you are happy with. There is not a magical load that shoots well in everyone's guns. A lot of range time and loading time is the best way to go about it.

I had a 300 Rum and it like the Barnes 165 gr. XLC's

[CLAY]

To bad you friend did not know about this ammo before he sold you the rifle.

It worked out nice for me! 

[CLAY]

I will give you the same advice I give everyone trying to find a good load for there guns. Buy a bunch of different bullets and powder. Go to the range and see which loads shoot the best, then refine your load to get the best accuracy your rifle will give and you are happy with. There is not a magical load that shoots well in everyone's guns. A lot of range time and loading time is the best way to go about it.

I had a 300 Rum and it like the Barnes 165 gr. XLC's

  I do understand that- I was just wondering if anyone had a good place to start using lighter loads.

[Val]

I use 80 grains of IMR 4350 with 180 grain Nosler Partitions with my 300 RUM. This yields a chronographed muzzle velocity of 3125 fps.

With 200 grain Accubonds I use 77 grains of IMR 4350  which yields a muzzle velocity of 2839.5 fps.

This loads are very accurate in my Savage 300 RUM.

[jro45]

With my 300 rum I use H1000 for all my reloads. Then I use the load books for the amount of powder.

[Cheesehead]

Use caution with light bullets at magnum velocities on game. Many are not designed for the impact energies and will fragment as compared to penetrate causing massive superficial wounds and destruction of edible meat. In my 300 WM I used 180-200grain bullets with great results. For your requirement of a 200 yard maximum range, trajectory is not an issue.

Cheese

[Luckyducker]

What the he!! is overkill???  I have shot a couple of deer with a 338RUM using 250 grain slugs and they went bang/flop.  The first one was shot at 25 or 30 yds standing there looking at me and the other thought he could outrun a bullet so I showed him running was futile,  he dropped at 500+ yds.  I don't normally hunt deer with this cannon but am planning to hunt elk next fall with it.  I handload and have used 200 and 250 grain bullets and they both give tack driving accuracy.  I don't load it real hot but I don't mess with reduced loads either.  My rifle is a "Big Green"  Sendero that weighs in at 8.5# without ammo or scope and the recoil is less biting than a healthy dose of 180 grain 30/06, at least to me.  I'd describe it as more of a shove than a kick.  I  am not recoil sensitive but the heavy for cal bullets in the 06 comes as close as anything to kicking the crap out of me.  BTW, the 200 grainers that I use in the 338 are Hornady Interlocks at 3100 ft/sec with H4831SC, and while I have not shot game with this load I have no doubt it will hold up under impact.

[kx90]

I have been using my 700 XCR .338 RUM the past two years for deer because I had to remove the scope from my 7600 30.06.  This year was the first year that I shot a deer with it.  180gr Ballistic Tip, Federal Vital Shock factory ammo.  The entrance wound was normal, the exit wound...you could drop a baseball through it.  Didn't ruin any meat, made the vitals into jelly and it still ran 60 yards towards me before it hit the ground and didn't even twitch.  After seeing this I don't have an issue with using it for deer however I have concluded that it is absolutely capable of handling whitetails

Oh and the XCR has a built in Limbsaver which makes it feel like I'm shooting an .06

[41 mag]

Clay,

I would suggest going with the H-1000, 180gr Nosler AB's or Hornady Interbonds, for deer or possibly even the Barnes TSX. If your only shooting whitetails then something moving around 3000 - 3100fps should work out just fine, however using the H-1000 you can get slightly higher safe velocities from any of those bullets for bigger game or longer shots.

We have used Federal, Nosler, and Remington cases and found the Remington to hold up the best overall of the the bunch. For primers we have been using the Federal 215m and GM's with good loads resulting from either. We tried some others but nothign touched the groups we got with Federal.

Seating distances will vary from one rifle to another and there has been a lot written on getting close to the lands. WE have one load shooting the 185gr Berger into 3/4" groups at 300yds with the bullet seated .120" off the lands. There are generally a couple of different depths at which a rifle will shoot a particular load accurately, so don't get hung up on seating a bullet long, seat it to fit the magazine and function properly.

Good luck with your RUM, it is an awesom preformer for sure. 

[Val]

I just noted that the muzzle velocity on the 180 grain partition I posted is wrong. The correct chronographed muzzle velocity is 2980 fps. Sorry for the error.

[jro45]

With my 300 RUM  I took to Africa I killed a Gembok, A wart hog, A Zerba, and a links Cat With it shooting 200gr Noslers. Going about 3030 FPS. Some shots were at 2800 YDS. That 300 RUM reached out there and killed those animals  with no problem.

[saltydog]

Federal or CCI primers - Hodgdon or AA powder and Hornady bullets - https://www.hornady.com/shop/?ps_session=a19b8b64363aaa291f9bf75a1154e25a&page=shop%2Fbrowse&category_id=ffd8e51c7827b4eed2fb35a333f4eafb  SST line are very good big game bullets at reasonable prices. AA powder can be used for reduced loads for the bad boy to save your shoulder - word of warning do not use slow powders that you would normally use for the cartridge for reloading reduced loads - find a recipe and follow it.  Check out the latest Speer manual for loads. jro45 - 2800 yards is a long ways past a mile - you must have one heck of a scope and ballistics calculator.

[SuperstitionCoues]

Well, as much as I can help, here is where I usually start.

Research the Hornady, Sierra, and Lyman manuals thoroughly.  Look at the powder manuf. websites also.  Pick the weight of bullet that best fits your needs and work the powder around that.  Stick with Winchester or Federal Gold Medal primers, as they have given me proven results.   

In a word, research and a best guesstamite.

[jro45]

I would say that you can load it down unless you're making long shots. Or you could shoot it in the lungs.

[chazgin]

I just noted that the muzzle velocity on the 180 grain partition I posted is wrong. The correct chronographed muzzle velocity is 2980 fps. Sorry for the error.

Val what is up with that, a reduced load? (sorry, looks like a flame but it is not).  I get that with my 300 Win, thought the 300 RUM could go faster

[nomosendero]

I just noted that the muzzle velocity on the 180 grain partition I posted is wrong. The correct chronographed muzzle velocity is 2980 fps. Sorry for the error.

Val what is up with that, a reduced load? (sorry, looks like a flame but it is not).  I get that with my 300 Win, thought the 300 RUM could go faster

And it very easily can if you wish.

[Val]

I could get a higher muzzle velocity with a different powder. I think Rotumbo gets significantly higher muzzle velocities. I'm getting three shot groups as small as a 1/4 " with this load when I'm shooting well. I'm pretty happy with this load so I haven't played with other powders yet. I may in the future.

[chazgin]

Got a new Hornady manual for Christmas, shows velocities 3200 - 3300 fps for the 180. I wonder if those are achievable in regular rifles ? Also, how much room is left to play with seating depth before running out of magazine room in a Rem 700?

[kudzu]

With my 300 RUM  I took to Africa I killed a Gembok, A wart hog, A Zerba, and a links Cat With it shooting 200gr Noslers. Going about 3030 FPS. Some shots were at 2800 YDS. That 300 RUM reached out there and killed those animals  with no problem.

jro45, If that 2800 yrds ain't no typo, YOU DA MAN.

I'm getting about 3150fps with 92.5 RL25 and 200Accubonds out of my sendero.

Got a new Hornady manual for Christmas, shows velocities 3200 - 3300 fps for the 180. I wonder if those are achievable in regular rifles ? Also, how much room is left to play with seating depth before running out of magazine room in a Rem 700?

Not much.