300 Win Mag and Nosler Partitions

So I've been experimenting with TTSX and TSX loads now for awhile in my Tikka 300 Win Mag. I have varied powders, primers, seating depths to who knows how many permutations. The best group I actually got today at the range was about 1.25 inches. Not too bad, but not exceptional either.

Meanwhile this last week I've also loaded up 180gr and 200gr Nosler Partitions with two different powders per the Nosler reloading manual and the bullets seated to SAAMI COAL. Four different 3 shot groups, all under 1 inch and the best being with one of the 200gr loads at 0.7 inch.

Please tell me I can stop what feels like an endless quest to get the triple shocks to shoot accurately in my rifle and hunt PG confidently with this 200gr NP load.

I went through the same thing with my 300 win mag. I backed the bullets up to 0.070" off of the lands and the CTC groups dropped to 0.652" at 100 yds.

I used 180 grain NP on my trip in May with my 300 win mag. It did a fantastic job on all 12 animals I took.

Originally Posted by browningbbr

I went through the same thing with my 300 win mag. I backed the bullets up to 0.070" off of the lands and the CTC groups dropped to 0.652" at 100 yds.

I would guess then you're actually longer than 3.6" COAL. The drawback of my Tikka being a clip rifle is that I can only go just a touch beyond 3.6 inches. I picked up somewhere else that you can actually go shorter with the TTSX/TSX bullets and get better accuracy so that's what I've been doing. It has helped a bit. The strange thing is that I usually get two shots that are very close and one flyer that busts the grouping. I guess I'll keep trying because what else am I going to do with these bullets.

By the way, what primer are you using? I found the Remington 9 1/2M's to tighten things up which is completely contrary to all my other rifles that prefer the Fed 215's.

Originally Posted by Blue Skies Hunting Adventures

I used 180 grain NP on my trip in May with my 300 win mag. It did a fantastic job on all 12 animals I took.

Thanks Brian, my rifle seems to just like the NP's and I've always had fantastic results from the bullet on deer, elk and a moose I killed in Idaho.

I'm using CCI 250 primers. Fed 215's got into short supply last year, so I switched.

Yes, the magazine on my rifle allows me to go longer than the SAAMI COAL.

You say that you are getting 2 shots together, then one flyer - did you check bullet run out and what is the headspacing? I've found both of these to be very important to consistent grouping. Run out over 0.004" or so will give you fits. I've found headspace of 0.002-0.004" to work best in my 300.

Following the purchase of my Blaser 300 Win Mag, I picked up 5 boxes of premium ammo to see what she liked best. I found the least expensive Hornady 180 gr heavy mags shot a sub 3/4" group. Happy with that, I pulled The bullet and found 87 Grains of a spericle shaped powder. It had to be a very slow burning powder to pack that much into a 300 win mag case. You will not find this in any of the lawyer load books. As it turns out, it was Accurate 8700, a now discontinued powder. I grabbed up every last bit of that powder that was to be found. So I should be good for the life of the barrel. I live in a area that requires a non lead bullet so I replaced the Hornady inter bond bullet with the 180gr Barnes tsx .003 off the lands. New Norma brass, Federal 215GM primers. Shot a slight bit over 1/4" group. Loaded up a hundred rounds, now awaiting there trip to Namibia this July. Best of luck in your load work up. I find it most rewarding working a new gun and load to its best potential.

Originally Posted by browningbbr

I'm using CCI 250 primers. Fed 215's got into short supply last year, so I switched.

Yes, the magazine on my rifle allows me to go longer than the SAAMI COAL.

You say that you are getting 2 shots together, then one flyer - did you check bullet run out and what is the headspacing? I've found both of these to be very important to consistent grouping. Run out over 0.004" or so will give you fits. I've found headspace of 0.002-0.004" to work best in my 300.

Honestly bbr, I've have never found the need to check those dimensions and don't even know what they are. If I had to guess bullet run out would be a gauge of how round the bullet is? I've checked run out on the pinion gears on my motorcycles to see how true they were rotating, i.e. just how close to a perfect circle it was turning versus being oblong.

I won't even venture a guess what the headspace measurement is.

Originally Posted by NUCNSHOOT

Following the purchase of my Blaser 300 Win Mag, I picked up 5 boxes of premium ammo to see what she liked best. I found the least expensive Hornady 180 gr heavy mags shot a sub 3/4" group. Happy with that, I pulled The bullet and found 87 Grains of a spericle shaped powder. It had to be a very slow burning powder to pack that much into a 300 win mag case. You will not find this in any of the lawyer load books. As it turns out, it was Accurate 8700, a now discontinued powder. I grabbed up every last bit of that powder that was to be found. So I should be good for the life of the barrel. I live in a area that requires a non lead bullet so I replaced the Hornady inter bond bullet with the 180gr Barnes tsx .003 off the lands. New Norma brass, Federal 215GM primers. Shot a slight bit over 1/4" group. Loaded up a hundred rounds, now awaiting there trip to Namibia this July. Best of luck in your load work up. I find it most rewarding working a new gun and load to its best potential.

1/4"! Wow, that would have too look like a slightly imperfect circle I'd guess. I'm pretty certain I haven't the skills even if given the load to shoot that well.

3 SHOT GROUP @ 100 YARDS 300 WIN. MAG W/ ABOVE LOAD

I've gone just the opposite way. I used to shoot the 180 grains NP in my 300 WM, but last year I changed to the 180 grain TSX bullets. Took 6 animals in South Africa in August last year, a bull elk here in CO and a scimitar horned oryx and blackbuck in Texas in November. Only 2 animals required secondary shots and the furthest one ran was the first kudu which made it about 75 yards.

I haven't recovered a bullet as all have been complete pass thrus. The skinner did find one petal from the second kudu on the exit wound that was taken at 225 yards. One shot thru the lungs and about a 10 yard tumble.

My load is WW Brass, Wolf LRM primer, and 69.9 gr IMR7828. I don't remember off the top of my head what the COAL is, but I know it is longer than recommended in the books. The speed is very slow at only 2815 fps, but accuracy is about 0.6" at 100 yards.

I've made up a set of 168 gr TTSX bullets to try, which I don't know why as I've had very good luck with the 180 gr TSX bullets.

Good luck finding the right load.