Berger 245 EOL Best Cartridge

[B23]

My current 26" 300RUM shoots 230gr OTM at 3150 with N570 seated long on a 3.85" mag box.

Thats not max but the accuracy load. Its warm but not too hot.

I don't believe that people should try to make a smaller cartridge shoot hot as a bigger cartridge. And I believe people posting such is dangerous as doing it.

3150 in a 26in 300 RUM w/230 OTM's sounds like a lot more than just a warm load. Just for reference QL puts that at 86,000 PSI chamber pressure load to get 3150 w/N570 and those 230's even stretched out to 3.850.

 

[treillw]

Any thoughts on the 30 Sherman Magnum?

 

[284winner]

Any thoughts on the 30 Sherman Magnum?

Equals and exceeds the 300NM. Close to the 300NM improved but not quite.

 

[treillw]

Equals and exceeds the 300NM. Close to the 300NM improved but not quite.

Isn't that a little generous?

 

[284winner]

Isn't that a little generous?

I think it's pretty fair. I really can't say from experience because I don't have one. I'm basing my remark on what I've read about the 30SM from members that do own them and what their numbers show. My buddy does have a 300NM and I know his actual performance. I think the 30SM sits between the 300NM and the 300NM imp.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I have run them almost 3200 in my 30-338 lapua https://www.longrangeonly.com/forum/threads/300-lapua-improved-load-data.10052/#post-92901
I dont think thats what your after. The 300 Norma imp would be a very good one, but I wouldnt do that on a ti action. Standard magnums open up more options for actions for me. But your coal gets long, thats why the Norma imp case works so well. The Bat vampire is light and comes with a 4" mag cut but only in a standard mag bolt. The 30-338 rum would be worth a look. But personally Id stick with a 230. Velocity does matter in hunting. Ranging errors happen and a rainbow trajectory sucks when it does.

 

[treillw]

Would it make any sense for me to jump to a 338, keeping in mind the light weight of the rifle (8.5lb complete)? Don't want to be shooting a Lapua, etc at that weight, or I will have some expensive dentist bills.

 

[L.Sherm]

10lbs rifle and a good brake works wonders i bet.

 

[46and2]

10lbs rifle and a good brake works wonders i bet.

Yep, the only advantage a light rifle has is being light

 

[FeMan]

Light rifles are tough to shoot as well. I do a lot of deep backpack hunting and actually prefer rifles at 10.5 to 12 pounds depending on the caliber. My favorite is my 30-28 which weighs 12 lbs. I shoot both 215s and 230s out of it.

 

[treillw]

I walked over 200 miles this hunting season and didn't pull the trigger. My wife did. Hard for me to justify a heavy gun with what I can do with a lighter one. That being said, very larger calibers are probably too much for what I wanna do - .338 Lapua and the fastest .300s.

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

I walked over 200 miles this hunting season and didn't pull the trigger. My wife did. Hard for me to justify a heavy gun with what I can do with a lighter one. That being said, very larger calibers are probably too much for what I wanna do - .338 Lapua and the fastest .300s.

You won't have any issues with a lighter 30 shooting 245s, I have a 24" barreled 8 twist 30 nosler throated for 230s that weights 6.8 lbs naked.
I'm sending 245s at 2850 with H1000, using a suppressor I can spot my impacts without issue.
Honestly the recoil is no different than 220 bergers, I've loaded both and shot them alternately many times.

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

I think it's pretty fair. I really can't say from experience because I don't have one. I'm basing my remark on what I've read about the 30SM from members that do own them and what their numbers show. My buddy does have a 300NM and I know his actual performance. I think the 30SM sits between the 300NM and the 300NM imp.

I actually owned a 30 Sherman mag with a 26" barrel, it only got me 50 fps over a standard prc before I has pressure signs.
It wasn't worth the hassle so I sold it and put a 30 nosler together, it equals the 30 sm with 2" less barrel.
I've followed the Sherman fan club for years now, and I'm confident in saying that the numbers these guys throw around are at extremely high pressures, or abnormaly long barrels with N570

 

[284winner]

I actually owned a 30 Sherman mag with a 26" barrel, it only got me 50 fps over a standard prc before I has pressure signs.
It wasn't worth the hassle so I sold it and put a 30 nosler together, it equals the 30 sm with 2" less barrel.
I've followed the Sherman fan club for years now, and I'm confident in saying that the numbers these guys throw around are at extremely high pressures, or abnormaly long barrels with N570

One member of a range I belong to shoots the 30SM. He hasn't had any pressure issues. He shoots 230/245 Berger's. Accuracy comes at 3055 with the 230s and 2960 with the 245s. He shot the 300PRC prior to the 30SM and his experience is different than yours. Guess it just shows no two experiences are always alike. He said he wouldn't go back to the 300. He shoots a 26" barrel.

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

One member of a range I belong to shoots the 30SM. He hasn't had any pressure issues. He shoots 230/245 Berger's. Accuracy comes at 3055 with the 230s and 2960 with the 245s. He shot the 300PRC prior to the 30SM and his experience is different than yours. Guess it just shows no two experiences are always alike. He said he wouldn't go back to the 300. He shoots a 26" barrel.

The numbers make sense with a 26" barrel if he's running something like N570, that powder will easily get 100 fps over an equivalent load with H1000

 

[284winner]

The numbers make sense with a 26" barrel if he's running something like N570, that powder will easily get 100 fps over an equivalent load with H1000

Can't say really. RL26 and RL33 seem to ring a bell. N570 does too so not sure. I do know the bullet he shoots is the 230 Berger. He shoots the 245 in his 300NM improved. It picks up more performance with the 245. I've looked at all the options and think I'll go 300PRC and settle on a little less performance and no fire forming. I've improved the last 3 cartridges I've built for and ready for an easy straight forward build.

 

[muleystalker]

Can't say really. RL26 and RL33 seem to ring a bell. N570 does too so not sure. I do know the bullet he shoots is the 230 Berger. He shoots the 245 in his 300NM improved. It picks up more performance with the 245. I've looked at all the options and think I'll go 300PRC and settle on a little less performance and no fire forming. I've improved the last 3 cartridges I've built for and ready for an easy straight forward build.

Equals and exceeds the 300NM. Close to the 300NM improved but not quite.

The 30-28 Nosler has more capacity than the 300 PRC and I believe more than the the 30 SM also. And the 30-28 Nosler is just nipping on the heals of the 300NM.

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

The 30-28 Nosler has more capacity than the 300 PRC and I believe more than the the 30 SM also. And the 30-28 Nosler is just nipping on the heals of the 300NM.

I believe the 30-28 holds 102 grains??
I've been told that ADG 30 Nosler brass holds 100, I use Peterson and its 98.
My fire formed 30 SM brass measured 96 grains for a whopping 1 grain increase over the prc

 

[L.Sherm]

30-28 ADG is 103

 

[muleystalker]

I believe the 30-28 holds 103 grains??
I've been told that ADG 30 Nosler brass holds 100, I use Peterson and its 98.
My fire formed 30 SM brass measured 96 grains for a whopping 1 grain increase over the prc

Thats what I was getting at, .284winners reference " the 300PRC Equals and exceeds the 300NM. Close to the 300NM improved but not quite". The 30-28 Nosler has at least 7more grains of water capacity than the 300PRC and is just nipping at the heels of 300NM, there is no way the 300PRC equals or exceeds the 300NM.