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(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
(also called 358/300WSM or 35/300WSM or 35 Sambar)
RUGER KM77RFP Mk11 (1.5x5 Leupold VariX-III)
Factory 22" barrel with a 1 in 12 twist
Ruger stainless - model KM77RFP in 350WSM
- read disclaimer above carefully
Loads here not "recommended" to others for use

Velocities given are uncorrected instrumental readings - 12 feet from muzzle
Click here for a pic and details of this 350WSM cartridge

67/IMR4895
- powder shakes in case
- faint scuff ring on head beginning

250 Hornady RN
- no crimp
- seated to back edge of canelure
- 2.885 COAL

2740 av. instrumental (readings 2749, 2732, 2739, 2740fps)
4197 ft.lbs
Taylor KO 35
- view 100 yd. target with 1" grid here

WLR, virgin WW brass 325WSM necked up,
62/IMR4895 - 2495
63/IMR4895 - 2538
64/IMR4895 - 2579
65/IMR4895 - 2618
66/IMR4895 - 2666
69/IMR4895 - 2789 (slight scuffing but pressures OK still - consider as near max load - powder still shakes very slightly)

66/IMR4895

250 Speer SP Hotcore
no crimp
- 2.885 COAL

2727 av. instrumental - (readings 2723, 2730, 2728,fps)(another day 2747, 2730, 2704,fps)
4157 ft.lbs
Taylor KO 34
- consistent accurate

WLR, virgin WW brass 325WSM necked up,
- best hunting load is 66.3/IMR 4895 chronied 2723, 2715, 2717
- see 100 yd. target with 1" grid here
- see 200 yard target with 1" grid here
NOTE - these targets from different days with several scope adjustments between days.

66/ReL15

250 Speer SP Hotcore
no crimp
- 2.885 COAL

2719,2717,2706,fps,
----ft.lbs

WLR, virgin WW brass 325WSM necked up,
3" 100 yd. group with vertical stringing

66.5/ReL 15

250 Hornady RN
no crimp
seated to canelure -2.865 COAL

2649fps,
----ft.lbs
no ejector slot imprint yet

WLR, virgin WW brass 325WSM necked up,
62/ReL15- 2416
63/ReL15 - 2484
64/ReL15 - 2528 and 2520
64.5/ReL15 - 2547
65/ReL15 - 2575
65.5/ReL15 - 2594
66/ReL15 - 2619
66.5/ReL15 - 2649
67/ReL15 - 2647 (chrony was spun around after this shot - ??? - so reading may be wrong) but recorded 2710, 2725, 2719 another day with this load
68/ReL15 - 2650*
68.5/ReL15 - 2666* (no signs of excess pressure)
*NOTE - newer and slower it seems lot of ReL15

67/ReL 15

225 Nosler Ballistic Tip
no crimp
2.885 COAL
to fit Ruger mag
approx .170" to lands,

2803
----ft.lbs

WLR, virgin WW brass 325WSM necked up,

67/IMR 4895
- heavily compressed

225 Nosler Ballistic Tip
no crimp
2.875 COAL
to fit Ruger mag
approx .180" to lands,

2829,2839
----ft.lbs

WLR, nickel plated 300WSM necked up,

67/ReL 15

225 Nosler Partition
no crimp
2.850 COAL
approx .030" to lands

2785fps
----ft.lbs

WLR, virgin WW brass 325WSM necked up,
67.5/ReL 15 - ????
68/ReL 15 - ????

75/ReL 17
- close to being all I can fit in at this COAL

225 Nosler Partition
no crimp
2.850 COAL
approx .030" to lands

2892, 2894 fps instrumental
- no measureable case head expansion with this load, primers in good shape with slightly rounded edges, no sticky bolt lifts at all
4206 ft.lbs
Taylor KO - 33

WLR or WLRM (same velocity)
- good hunting accuracy
- see my first target with this load and its long range potential here
- nickel plated WW brass 300WSM and RP 325WSM necked up
70/ReL 17 - 2709
72/ReL 17 - 2785
74/ReL 17 - 2845
74.5/ReL 17 - 2871
75/ReL 17 - 2892, 2894

73/ReL 17
- close to being all I can fit in at this COAL

225 TSX
no crimp
2.885 COAL - approx .045" to lands
(little too long for mag - try 2.875" next)
(2.930" is touching lands)

2789 fps

WLRM
nickel plated WW brass 300WSM necked up,
first target not accurate - 3 into 4 1/4"
72/ReL 17 - 2743

67/IMR 4895

225 Nosler Partition
no crimp
2.850 COAL
approx .030" to lands

2859 (fouling shot), 2827fps
----ft.lbs

WLR, nickel plated 300WSM necked up,
note to self - try 67.3grs - might be about perfect (exactly one grain more than when using 250s as above)

73/IMR4350
- heavily compressed
- all I can fit in case

250 Hornady RN
no crimp
seated to back edge of canelure
- 2.885 COAL

2535fps,
----ft.lbs

WLR, virgin WW brass 325WSM necked up,
71/IMR4350 - 2489
72/IMR4350 compressed -2515

71/IMR4350
- heavily compressed
- all I can fit in case

250 Speer SP Hotcore
no crimp
- 2.885 COAL

2509fps,
----ft.lbs

WLR, virgin WW brass 325WSM necked up,
70/IMR4350 - 2430

71/IMR4350
- heavily compressed
- all I can fit in case

225 NOS Partition
no crimp
- 2.885 COAL

2585fps,
----ft.lbs

WLR, virgin WW brass 325WSM necked up,

65/ReL15

250 NORMA NiClad semi spitzer
- COAL - ??? (probably 2.880 to fit mag)

2609 fps,
mild load
----ft.lbs

Fed210M
- nickel plated WW 300WSM necked up,

60/IMR4895
-powder shakes very slightly

232 NORMA swaged down 9.3 bullets (Norma reference #69305)
no crimp
- 2.600 COAL required because of ogive shape
approx .030" to lands

2498,2503,2501fps,
balanced load, experimental and accurate
----ft.lbs

Fed210M,
- once fired nickel plated WW 300WSM necked up,

62/ReL15
- powder very slightly shaking in case
- no measurable case head expansion on second firing

310 WoodleighRN
- light roll crimp
- Ok hunting accuracy
-100yd. target with 1/2" grid
-200yd. target with 1" grid and a low flyer
-More targets with this load

2378fps av. instrumental
(readings 2403, 2386, 2376, 2359, 2368, 2379 fps)(another day 2401, 2399, 2402 fps)
3924 ft.lbs
Taylor KO - 37

2.870" COAL - gives .045" to lands in my Ruger77
- seated to front of canelure
- close to as long as I can go for feeding and magbox compatibility
55/ReL15 - 2169
56/ReL15 - 2177
57/ReL15 - 2229
58/ReL15 - 2281
59/ReL15 - 2314
60/ReL15 - 2336
61/ReL15 - 2358 (powder shaking in case)
*63/ReL15* - 2452,2439,2442 (nickel plated) WW 300WSM cases/WLR - pressures near or at max - some case head expansion - hunting accuracy

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
heavily compressed

286 Hornady SP/RP
(resized from .366")
2.810" COAL - gives approx .035" to lands in my Ruger77
- seated to canelure centre
- no crimp

2473fps

- (nickel plated) WW 300WSM cases/WLR
60/ReL15 - 2366
61.5/ReL15 - 2428
- see 100 yd. target of these three loads (plus the one IMR4895 test load immediately below).

62/IMR4895
heavily compressed

286 Hornady SP/RP
(resized from .366")
2.810" COAL - gives approx .035" to lands in my Ruger77
- seated to canelure centre
- no crimp

2476 fps

- (nickel plated) WW 300WSM cases/WLR

???

225 Barnes TSX
no crimp?
2.885 COAL
approx .045" to lands
(2.930" is touching lands)

----fps
----ft.lbs

----

???

200 Barnes TSX
no crimp?
2.740" COAL
approx .045" to lands
(2.785" is touching lands)

----fps
----ft.lbs

----

About this 350 WSM Rifle

My Ruger M77 chambered in 350WSM

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.

350WSM 200 yard target

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.



350WSM Hornady custom dies




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).



First Ever 350WSM made in 2002 in Oz - named the 35 Sambar

http://www.gunsgame.com/images/jul_sep2002/big/35sambar.jpg
http://www.gunsgame.com/images/oct_dec2002/big/35sambar.jpg
http://www.gunsgame.com/images/jan_mar2003/big/current_cover_iss37.jpg
http://www.gunsgame.com/images/jan_mar2003/big/35sambar.jpg

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