(disclaimer) My load notes and development data is not warranted safe in your rifle just because it was in my rifle(s). Therefore, what I present of my own load development experiments - my results and thoughts - is for educational comparative purposes only. Hence I use the term "load notes" and not "load data" in the sense of load "recipes" per se. Also any and all other reloading data presented here - or any and all reloading data linked from my site - must be treated cautiously. Consult several reputable reloading manuals for starting loads and then use normal, safe reloading practices to work up to maximum loads carefully and safely! I accept no responsibility for your safety. |
350 WSM |
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Velocities given are uncorrected instrumental readings - 12 feet from muzzle |
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67/IMR4895 |
250 Hornady RN |
2740 av. instrumental (readings 2749, 2732, 2739, 2740fps)
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WLR, virgin WW brass 325WSM necked up,
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66/IMR4895 |
250 Speer SP Hotcore |
2727 av. instrumental - (readings 2723, 2730, 2728,fps)(another day 2747, 2730, 2704,fps) |
WLR, virgin WW brass 325WSM necked up,
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66/ReL15 |
250 Speer SP Hotcore |
2719,2717,2706,fps, |
WLR, virgin WW brass 325WSM necked up,
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66.5/ReL 15 |
250 Hornady RN |
2649fps, |
WLR, virgin WW brass 325WSM necked up,
|
67/ReL 15 |
225 Nosler Ballistic Tip |
2803 |
WLR, virgin WW brass 325WSM necked up, |
67/IMR 4895 |
225 Nosler Ballistic Tip |
2829,2839 |
WLR, nickel plated 300WSM necked up, |
67/ReL 15 |
225 Nosler Partition |
2785fps |
WLR, virgin WW brass 325WSM necked up, |
75/ReL 17 |
225 Nosler Partition |
2892, 2894 fps instrumental |
WLR or WLRM (same velocity) |
73/ReL 17 |
225 TSX |
2789 fps |
WLRM |
67/IMR 4895 |
225 Nosler Partition |
2859 (fouling shot), 2827fps |
WLR, nickel plated 300WSM necked up, |
73/IMR4350 |
250 Hornady RN |
2535fps, |
WLR, virgin WW brass 325WSM necked up,
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71/IMR4350 |
250 Speer SP Hotcore |
2509fps, |
WLR, virgin WW brass 325WSM necked up,
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71/IMR4350 |
225 NOS Partition |
2585fps, |
WLR, virgin WW brass 325WSM necked up, |
65/ReL15 |
250 NORMA NiClad semi spitzer |
2609 fps, |
Fed210M |
60/IMR4895 |
232 NORMA swaged down 9.3 bullets (Norma reference #69305) |
2498,2503,2501fps, |
Fed210M, |
62/ReL15 |
310 WoodleighRN |
2378fps av. instrumental |
2.870" COAL - gives .045" to lands in my Ruger77 Note to self - try 62.5ReL15 next as it may be about perfect - tried it - 2395fps and note - it printed just 3/4" above the 225Partition, 75ReL17, 2900MV load at 100 yds! |
63/ReL15 |
286 Hornady SP/RP |
2473fps |
- (nickel plated) WW 300WSM cases/WLR
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62/IMR4895 |
286 Hornady SP/RP |
2476 fps |
- (nickel plated) WW 300WSM cases/WLR |
??? |
225 Barnes TSX |
----fps |
---- |
??? |
200 Barnes TSX |
----fps |
---- |
This Ruger 77 MkII began life as a 350Remington Magnum. I bought it new from Ellwood Epps and it never would feed properly. My repeater was in use a reliable "single" shot. They sent it back to the Canadian Ruger service centre in Quebec to fix it. Ruger Canada service didn't fix it and it came back with the same feeding issues. I was quite frustrated. So in the end it was left up to me to fix at my expense. I decided to void my warranty (like it mattered) by hiring a very good smith to make it feed properly, and while he was at it, rechamber the gun for 350 WSM - just a 300 WSM necked up with no other changes. The conversion was a great success and now so far EVERYTHING reliably feeds I put in the mag - both pointy and RN bullets. Thanks to a pro's action mods and timing, I have a truly dependable big game gun - finally. These are the events that led me to cobble up this great 35 cat.
The twist is 1 in 12 and a COAL of 2.885" is about perfect for the mag. The first trip to the range was with Reloder15 and that powder performed well in initial testing as can be seen above. The second trip I tried IMR4350. But not enough would fit in the case to reach optimum performance as again is evident above. It's too bulky for this cartridge it seems. IMR4895 seems optimum with the the 250 Hornady RN for velocity and probably will prove to be optimum also with other 250s and lighter bullets too.
Christmas came real early this year as a shooting friend just gave me 120 nickel plated 300 WSM cases. I have necked up 10 of them (works great even with the plating) and loaded one as a sample with some rare Norma Alaskan (???) 250gr soft points I have. They have some kind of steel jacket with a "nickel-like" finish. The loaded round is quite impressive looking I think - as well it should perform admirably as intended on big critters I imagine. Pics coming on that - and the gun too - but they seem to belong together - stainless rifle with nickel plated cases and bullets.
My smith buffed the shine off the Ruger barrel but the receiver and floorplate still need toning down also I think. Someday - in the meanwhile, green painter's masking tape placed strategically will keep the reflections at bay.
I'm just nicely getting started load development. I have my Hornady custom dies now as this pic shows - as well as a new replacement scope from Leupold. Also I've identified several decent 250 grain loads. So I'm beginning shooting for accuracy now.
Woodleigh 310s canelure location seems perfect for this case (see my "bullets" page for the cut away case pics). My newly installed limbsaver pad really tames the recoil (see initial loads above).