.300 Win Mag / 165 Peregrine Plains Master

[Ridgewalker]

Thanks PP. I'm trying to check their website every couple of days.

The Peregrines are sounding pretty good. I believe I read on their website that they use a "red brass" to make them out of. I use to spec a red brass, 360, or something like that for screw machine parts. I guess that's how they make them. The critical process would be how they dimensionally check them in large quantities. Apparently they have it figured out.

I plan to test some next week if the 30F days aren't too windy.

 

[Alchemist]

A tip that was passed on to me by a PH friend of mine that swears by Peregrine is to substitute the decapping pin and expander ball with those of a smaller caliber. This way you decap and resize but the expander ball is out of play, leaving the neckmthe correct size.
The only issue I had was with Bushmaster on my CZ 6.5x55 that had feeding issues from the magazine to the chamber. The flat face of the bullet tend to stuckagainst the throat of the chamber. The VG 4 was working fine. I am using VG3 in my 375 and have no issues.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

A tip that was passed on to me by a PH friend of mine that swears by Peregrine is to substitute the decapping pin and expander ball with those of a smaller caliber. This way you decap and resize but the expander ball is out of play, leaving the neckmthe correct size.
The only issue I had was with Bushmaster on my CZ 6.5x55 that had feeding issues from the magazine to the chamber. The flat face of the bullet tend to stuckagainst the throat of the chamber. The VG 4 was working fine. I am using VG3 in my 375 and have no issues.

My last method was a bit of a hybrid but I also used new brass. I ran the new brass through with the expander ball in place to ensure roundess. Then I re-ran with the expander/decap out. Got very consistent inside diameter doing this with new brass. With previously used brass, not near as consistent. I attribute that to work hardening of the brass.

 

[Shootist43]

I've read a lot of your posts with a great deal of interest. I just wanted to pass along another option for increasing the neck tension for your 300 WM. This "trick" was written up by Nathan Foster (an accomplished author, hunter and reloader from New Zealand) chuck -up the de-capping pin with the expander ball in place into an electric drill. Cover the expander ball with a fine grit crocus cloth squeezed between your thumb and fingers and turn on the drill. This effort will reduce the diameter of the expander ball (slightly) thus increasing the neck tension. Obviously you don't want to remove too much. Admittedly this is a trial and error method but you can easily understand the process. This post is in response to posts appearing in a thread created by Biggs re loads for a 300 Win Mag. You may wind up with two de-capping pins, one for use with the Peregrine bullets and one for all others.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I've read a lot of your posts with a great deal of interest. I just wanted to pass along another option for increasing the neck tension for your 300 WM. This "trick" was written up by Nathan Foster (an accomplished author, hunter and reloader from New Zealand) chuck -up the de-capping pin with the expander ball in place into an electric drill. Cover the expander ball with a fine grit crocus cloth squeezed between your thumb and fingers and turn on the drill. This effort will reduce the diameter of the expander ball (slightly) thus increasing the neck tension. Obviously you don't want to remove too much. Admittedly this is a trial and error method but you can easily understand the process. This post is in response to posts appearing in a thread created by Biggs re loads for a 300 Win Mag. You may wind up with two de-capping pins, one for use with the Peregrine bullets and one for all others.

I've seen this trick mentioned elsewhere before. Have thought about trying it, but never have. I guess the worst that could happen is you have to buy a new decap/expander ball assembly.

 

[Ridgewalker]

PP, I was at the cold breezy range today. Tested a 168gr Barnes TTSX in my Tikka 300WM. 3 shots with the hottest loading went into 5/8" at 100yds. I'll load some more up to test again and chronograph next time out.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Loaded up three shots each 68.8gr and 69gr of IMR4350. 68.8gr shot just a bit better group than the 69gr load, but that could easily be me. Chronographed the lighter load at 3010fps and the hotter load at 3040fps. I'm calling this load done at 69.9gr to allow 0.1gr error to either side.

The taped holes are not the 69gr load. I put on a new scope and that was bore sighting shots.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Looks good to me.

 

[Shootist43]

That should get the job done. Just to make sure I'd make several more trips to the range with that rifle and load to confirm the results. Although some might say that the range work leading up to this point is sufficient. When are you going to start working on the load for your wife's 30-06? I dare say that there are probably more 30-06s in the safes of AH members than any other caliber.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

That should get the job done. Just to make sure I'd make several more trips to the range with that rifle and load to confirm the results. Although some might say that the range work leading up to this point is sufficient. When are you going to start working on the load for your wife's 30-06? I dare say that there are probably more 30-06s in the safes of AH members than any other caliber.

This load has shown plenty of repeatability for me. This is at least the third time with the method of working with only new brass and sizing without the expander ball. In the .300WM, I'm moving on to work with the 180gr version of the bullet. Have seen decent accuracy but the speed was low, more work to do there however as I've just got started.

The .30-06 you say, yeah I'm not sure what I'm going to do there with this bullet. The only disadvantage of the Peregrine's is the length. They take up a lot of room that could otherwise be used for powder as can be seen in the velocity I'm getting. I don't mind that too much in the .300WM, but it becomes a bit of a hindrance as the cases get smaller. Plus Donna handled the recoil from the M70 FW, that I'm thinking of stepping her up a bit but with a heavier rifle.

 

[Shootist43]

Have you considered a 35 Whelen pushing a 225 G TSX for Donna? I had mine built about a year ago and took it to Africa last August. I was thinking of looking into Peregrine Bullets for it. But I haven't done anything more than think about it. For my 30-06 & 180 Gr Hornady Bullets I used 54.7 Gr. of Win. 760. For my Whelen I used 59 Gr of 4054 pushing the 225 Gr. Barnes TSX. Both loads shot very tight groups in their respective rifles.