.300 Holland and Holland, opinions and suggestions on how to feed one

BC Tal said:

Quandary,
You don't mention what PG animals you intend to hunt. If you follow the rule of take what the bush gives you it could range from medium to larger PG animals. For this task, the 300 H&H will be just fine for what the 35 Whelen could do. 30 cal 165gr heads is something I associate with 308 loads and/or smaller antelope game and 180gr heads for 30-06 and heavier antelope. I would suggest looking at 200gr heads for the 300 H&H to cover off the heavier antelope game.

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@BC Tal
Ican assure you the Whelen works well in Namibia. One and done in everything I shot with it.
Bob

Bob Nelson 35Whelen said:

@BC Tal
Ican assure you the Whelen works well in Namibia. One and done in everything I shot with it.
Bob

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Yes Bob. Quandary stated, "I figure this way if something happens to one of the rifles I am realistically covered for everything". I was recommending he try 200gr bullets in the 300 H&H to cover off the larger PG in the event his 35 goes down.

quandary said:

Maybe this is a odd approach but here's what I am thinking. PG hunt in Namibia. Taking two rifles a 35 Whelen and a 300H&H that I am in process of building. I will run 225s (probably Accubonds as they shoot really well in my 35 Whelen) in the 35 Whelen for the bigger stuff. Never loaded for 300H&H but reviewing the Nosler load data I am thinking of 165 Accubonds (assuming they shoot) which should run at 3,000fps or a bit quicker. I figure this way if something happens to one of the rifles I am realistically covered for everything. Obviously for the "smaller" caliber I could take a whole bunch of other rifles but I like the idea of the classic Super 30 and "America's Magnum" as Col. Townsend Whelen said.

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If you have a choice of bullets, something like this would be perfect, but unfortunately, I did not. Initially, I also wanted to load lighter bullets for my rifle caliber 300 H&H Magnum, but that did not work because they were too short for the length of the throat of the barrel, which affected the accuracy and precision. It is no coincidence that the old 220gr Silvertip bullet shoots so accurately. However, when using 180gr TSX bullets, due to the length of these bullets, I was able to get the problem under control. I don't know what kind of barrel was used to build my rifle in 1964, but since the action used was from an Eddystone M1917 rifle, I suspect it was a caliber .308 military barrel. Barrels for hunting rifles have to be turned, and for this reason it was probably one intended for a machine gun, according the opinion of some gunmakers. Would explain the length of the throat.

BC Tal said:

Quandary,
You don't mention what PG animals you intend to hunt. If you follow the rule of take what the bush gives you it could range from medium to larger PG animals. For this task, the 300 H&H will be just fine for what the 35 Whelen could do. 30 cal 165gr heads is something I associate with 308 loads and/or smaller antelope game and 180gr heads for 30-06 and heavier antelope. I would suggest looking at 200gr heads for the 300 H&H to cover off the heavier antelope game.

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On our hope for list is Eland, Kudu, Oryx, Waterbuck, Hartebeest, Wildebeest. Understanding however you take what the bush provides. I also realize that I could load the 300H&H with say 200gr Accubonds or Partitions and be all set. However I would like to take 2 rifles, both the 35 Whelen and the 300H&H. My thinking is the 225gr/165gr approach would make the rifles not as redundant as they seem to be for PG. I was also thinking that with the 165gr Accubond I am good for a very long shot should the unlikely necessity arise.

Bob Nelson 35Whelen said:

@quandary
With the 225 accubonds work up slowly to 69 gn of CFE 223 .
This will give you 2,900fps and shoot fairly flat out to 400 where they still carry over 2,000fpe.
This is a max load so work up from 66gn keeping an eye on pressure. This was safe in MY rifle but use caution.
Bob

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The load I have now in the Whelen is Varget with the 225gr Accubonds. It is giving me .75 MOA 10 shot groups and 2,775fps. (slightly fast than 225gr SGKs) I will be using this load bear hunting in Canada this spring. However I will definitively acquire some CFE 223 this summer and give it a try.

grand veneur said:

If you have a choice of bullets, something like this would be perfect, but unfortunately, I did not. Initially, I also wanted to load lighter bullets for my rifle caliber 300 H&H Magnum, but that did not work because they were too short for the length of the throat of the barrel, which affected the accuracy and precision. It is no coincidence that the old 220gr Silvertip bullet shoots so accurately. However, when using 180gr TSX bullets, due to the length of these bullets, I was able to get the problem under control. I don't know what kind of barrel was used to build my rifle in 1964, but since the action used was from an Eddystone M1917 rifle, I suspect it was a caliber .308 military barrel. Barrels for hunting rifles have to be turned, and for this reason it was probably one intended for a machine gun, according the opinion of some gunmakers. Would explain the length of the throat.

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This is an excellent point. I will not have the 300H&H put together until May and everything may change based on what it shoots well. The reamer being used is not SAAMI per se. Frank at Bartlein drew it up as an "accurized" 300H&H and its being throated for longer 308 bullets and has 1:8 twist. So the barrel may not shoot 165s very well at all. In which case I'll use what it shoots. In that case maybe I'll do the 225gr Accubonds in the Whelen and 215gr Bergers in the 300H&H or if I want to go tougher one of the big ELDXs or the 200gr Lazer from CEB.

Buy brass and handload for your .300 H&H. After first firing, only neck-size brass. If/when bolt closure has resistance bump the shoulder back.

farmer_john said:

Do you anneal your cases? You can probably get at least double the case life or more. If you do

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Not yet, but I plan on trying that the next time I load.

Doug3006 said:

Hi John. Welcome to the original magnum 30 club! Here’s what I do. You may want to try something else.

First of all, finding loaded 300 H&H ammo is a chore! The only loaded ammo I’ve been able to find is Nosler 180 grain Accubond. It shoots 1.5” to 2” groups out of my Ruger #1. So I load my own.

Brass is also hard to find. So I routinely check the usual reloading sites and Gunbroker. Be prepared to be gouged. Achieving ballistic nirvana is not cheap. I’ve been able to amass a good inventory of Norma and Nosler brass. (I think Nosler gets their brass from Norma….regardless my loads shoot the same using either brand. ). I practice with loads developed using fired brass. The 300 H&H is known for relatively short case life, but I can generally get 3-4 loads out of them before neck cracking sets in.

I load my hunting rounds using new cases. I can’t tell the difference from an accuracy standpoint and I figure using fresh cases eliminates one potential point of failure. I load 200 grain Nosler Partitions. I feel like the heavier bullets make the H&H really stand out.

Best of luck! PM me if you’d like.

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Anneal your brass w

Hornady and Nosler brass is available right now.

John the Electrician said:

I’m eagerly awaiting the arrival of a very special to me rifle. This is in .300 HH and I have never owned one before so I have no ammunition or reloading components for it aside from .30 cal bullets and primers.

So, the question is, do I acquire new or used brass or, should I buy loaded ammo and save the brass after the ammo is shot?

Naturally there are tons of nuances to either option. What are the opinions and suggestions of the group?

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Congrats @John the Electrician . The 300H&H is a FANTASTIC caliber. For utter reliability, feed and extraction are probably the very best of all the 30 cal magnums. For shooting purposes, you can download it to do whatever a 30-06 or 308 can do. For big moose, elk, eland, giraffe and others, you can load it with 195gr-220gr bullets for long shots on tough animals. If you'd rather tangle in the deep bush for close range work on large stuff, you can load it with 240gr bullets as well.

For optimal loading, you should get two things. First, get yourself some new brass, don't bother forming them from 375HH, it just isn't necessary. Second, there is one defect with the 375HH parent cartridge you must understand. They all (300HH, 458 Lott, 7mm Rem, and 40 others) headspace on their belt. That means that the sizing dies can't push back the body of the brass very well for precision and repetitive reloading. There is a collet die made by a guy in FL that allows you to resize your brass (it works on all 375 family brass) so they don't slowly grow a beer belly with repeated loadings.

The largest animal I've taken with a 300HH was a giraffe in SW Zimbabwe. A 195gr Accubond in the heart dropped it within less than 40 yards with no fuss. It's a very potent and flexible caliber and the rifles they come in are rarely ugly.

quandary said:

On our hope for list is Eland, Kudu, Oryx, Waterbuck, Hartebeest, Wildebeest. Understanding however you take what the bush provides. I also realize that I could load the 300H&H with say 200gr Accubonds or Partitions and be all set. However I would like to take 2 rifles, both the 35 Whelen and the 300H&H. My thinking is the 225gr/165gr approach would make the rifles not as redundant as they seem to be for PG. I was also thinking that with the 165gr Accubond I am good for a very long shot should the unlikely necessity arise.

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@quandary
If'n you are going after eland I would step up to the 250s in the Whelen.
The 250 Woodleigh PPSP is a brilliant bullet and if you can get hold of any 250gn Hornady Round nose soft points they will put a lot of hurt on big critters out to 250yds. They Hornady are tougher than people think..
Bob

quandary said:

The load I have now in the Whelen is Varget with the 225gr Accubonds. It is giving me .75 MOA 10 shot groups and 2,775fps. (slightly fast than 225gr SGKs) I will be using this load bear hunting in Canada this spring. However I will definitively acquire some CFE 223 this summer and give it a try.

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@quandary

A ten shot group using 10 different projectiles and weights from 200-275 gn all with the same sight hold,1.5"
Shot 11 was a 310 into the bull still the same sight hold.
The barrel was NOT allowed to cool during the shot string. All shots were fired one after the other starting with a cold clean bore.
The Whelen is known for its inherent accuracy.
Bob

quandary said:

This is an excellent point. I will not have the 300H&H put together until May and everything may change based on what it shoots well. The reamer being used is not SAAMI per se. Frank at Bartlein drew it up as an "accurized" 300H&H and its being throated for longer 308 bullets and has 1:8 twist. So the barrel may not shoot 165s very well at all. In which case I'll use what it shoots. In that case maybe I'll do the 225gr Accubonds in the Whelen and 215gr Bergers in the 300H&H or if I want to go tougher one of the big ELDXs or the 200gr Lazer from CEB.

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@quandary
Even the 212 ELDX out of a 300wm will come apart in bigger game. Yes it kills well but I prefer my projectiles to stay together.
Bob

Rechamber it to 300 weatherby way more power easy to find ammo for .

I decided to get my old No 1 Boddington 300 H&H out last weekend and set it up for a hunt. Been sitting in the safe for years NIB. I shoot the matching 7x57 all the time, but this one just sat. No experience with a 300 H&H prior to this, but now I'm absolutely sold on the cartridge. First mid-range handload with H4831SC and 200gr Swift A Frames shot beautifully, slightly better than the 200gr Partitions. Recoil off the bench got to me after a few groups, but standing off the ASC sticks was very pleasant and easy to make hits on steel to 200yds. What a great rifle-cartridge combination!

Hi @Tango! Nice rifle you’ve got there! I have the same rifle, sans the Boddington endorsement. Ive killed a few plains game animals with it. Mine likes the 200 g Partition. This April, I shot a zebra in the center of his chest (facing me dead on.) He sat down on his haunches and toppled over. I’m impressed with the 300 Super!

Thank you. I can't wait to get to Africa with it this summer.

I plan on taking one of my 300 H&H's to Africa later this year for Crocodile and any plains game and will be shooting the 180 gr. Swift A Frame

Hunter-Habib said:

Get Hendershots Custom Ammunition to load you up a batch employing 200Gr Nosler Partitions.

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As stated above, try with 200gr Partions; the pre-64 .300H&H’s I’ve owned and shot really shined with 200gr Partitions and RL22.