300 H&H OAL

[wkudu]

Hey guys,

I'm reloading my 300 H&H and recently tried 200 grain speer, previously 180 grain interlocks and other 165-180s grainers. I dont have a speer manual but loaded them using data from another load book for speer 200gr but it didn't specify bullet type. At the published COAL I was way into the lands. When I back out I have a significant amount of free space in the magazine. Long ramble short here is the question. What OAL(base to ogive) are you 300H/H shooters measuring in your rifles? Mine is a M70

Thanks, Will

 

[centershot]

Factory barrel? My factory Remington is the opposite. Seat to the lands will not fit in the magazine.

 

[358WCF]

I have a 300 H&H push feed M70 that was part of a limited run, late 80s. With the now discontinued 180gr Nosler Solid Base 3.630" OAL was just short of touch & a tad too long for the magazine. With this OAL, measuring base to ogive with a Davidson seating depth checker my value was 3.958". An OAL of 3.600" fits my magazine & feeds reliably.

These numbers are likely absolutely meaningless to you as your rifle is not my rifle & my comparator very likely falls in a slightly different spot on the ogive than yours. Published OALs are also guides rather than absolutes. Sometimes they work out.

If you require magazine feeding, that will be your start length if your chamber is long enough.

If you have a shorter chamber, you'll need to find the "to touch" value for yourself. Like everything else there are a few ways to do this. The Hornady (ex Stoney Point) tool which uses a threaded cartridge case can be useful here.

Go shorter from your starting point, incrementally, until groups shrink. Fine tune from there as you wish. The Berger Bullets website has a short tutorial on establishing optimal seating depth if you need one.

It can be a juggling act if you make it one. There is no single right/wrong depth for all 300 H&H rifles, only what your rifle likes. Lately I've been running lighter bullets, 150 to 168gr. at between 3.940-3.955" BTO measured with my comparator with decent results in my rifle. Most, except for the 168 tipped, fit the magazine & feed. YMMV.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

Speer book shows 3.500 coal for the 200 gr sp.

 

[Ray123]

You can use a throating reamer to move the bullet out farther for a particular hunting bullet, but may not be a good idea for VLD out of the mag unless you single feed those. Always depends on what you want to accomplish, and hunting only or combining with long range target, as well, with only one rifle.

 

[wkudu]

Factory barrel? My factory Remington is the opposite. Seat to the lands will not fit in the magazine.

ya factory. im jealous

 

[wkudu]

I have a 300 H&H push feed M70 that was part of a limited run, late 80s. With the now discontinued 180gr Nosler Solid Base 3.630" OAL was just short of touch & a tad too long for the magazine. With this OAL, measuring base to ogive with a Davidson seating depth checker my value was 3.958". An OAL of 3.600" fits my magazine & feeds reliably.

These numbers are likely absolutely meaningless to you as your rifle is not my rifle & my comparator very likely falls in a slightly different spot on the ogive than yours. Published OALs are also guides rather than absolutes. Sometimes they work out.

If you require magazine feeding, that will be your start length if your chamber is long enough.

If you have a shorter chamber, you'll need to find the "to touch" value for yourself. Like everything else there are a few ways to do this. The Hornady (ex Stoney Point) tool which uses a threaded cartridge case can be useful here.

Go shorter from your starting point, incrementally, until groups shrink. Fine tune from there as you wish. The Berger Bullets website has a short tutorial on establishing optimal seating depth if you need one.

It can be a juggling act if you make it one. There is no single right/wrong depth for all 300 H&H rifles, only what your rifle likes. Lately I've been running lighter bullets, 150 to 168gr. at between 3.940-3.955" BTO measured with my comparator with decent results in my rifle. Most, except for the 168 tipped, fit the magazine & feed. YMMV.

Ya ive used my hornady comparator. throat just seems short

What is weird is that two lands are contacted significantly sooner than the other 3. So far accuracy is ok but i havent done a lot of shooting yet

 

[wkudu]

You can use a throating reamer to move the bullet out farther for a particular hunting bullet, but may not be a good idea for VLD out of the mag unless you single feed those. Always depends on what you want to accomplish, and hunting only or combining with long range target, as well, with only one rifle.

I'm thinking about it. i shoot 200+ grains. You dont get a 300 h/h to shoot 160s...

 

[Kurz]

Ya ive used my hornady comparator. throat just seems short

'Seems short' is difficult term to come to grasp with. Measurements and comparisons are what really work. Find a measuring tool which works for you and get started making actual measurements with specific bullets. Make a list and work from there.

If your chamber is indeed short then either contact a gunsmith to fix the chamber or rent the tools needed to DIY.

i shoot 200+ grains. You dont get a 300 h/h to shoot 160s...

If this is the weight you insist on then those are the bullets I would start with.

I've loaded and accurately shot the Nosler 165 Ballistic Tips in my H&H on Elk. They work just fine.

I dont have a speer manual but loaded them using data from another load book for speer 200gr

It might be a worthwhile investment to purchase the Speer Manual for this and other situations which may occur.

Enjoy the process!