Blaser R8 300WM- Recommendation of What Factory Ammo to Try Next

[Red Leg]

I have just started with the .300 with a 22” barrel. I am using my Thunderbeast Ultra 5 suppressor with it and I’m hunting the EC with it this month. I had all kinds of trouble and bought like 4 or more different loads. I was frustrated. What I finally figured out is that it gets hot and loses accuracy. Just like you I had poor groups and the occasional flyer. Frustrating!
Then I finally planned to just shoot a three shot group and then go back to work (yes I have two shooting ranges at my ranch so I can shoot anytime). I am wanting to hunt with Barnes 180g but also bought and had good accuracy with Nosler Accubond 180g.
With a cool barrel I am just about putting them in the same hole. 1” group at 100 yards easily. Problem solved! Thank goodness as I leave the 24th.
Best of luck.
Philip

Suppressors can compound the effect of barrel heating because they will heat at a different rate than the actual barrel. As you noted three shots will tell you how the rifle is actually doing for any hunting scenario.

 

[Justbryan]

With a cool barrel I am just about putting them in the same hole. 1” group at 100 yards easily. Problem solved! Thank goodness as I leave the 24th.

This is logical Phil because my first three shots clover leafed. I let the barrel cool down some but not to environmental temp and I am shooting suppressed. I will give it another try. But I also bought 200 grain ELD-X to try just in case I cannot get the Nosler Accubond 180g to shot. Thanks!

I will try this before re-crowning option.

 

[Red Leg]

I have just started with the .300 with a 22” barrel. I am using my Thunderbeast Ultra 5 suppressor with it and I’m hunting the EC with it this month. I had all kinds of trouble and bought like 4 or more different loads. I was frustrated. What I finally figured out is that it gets hot and loses accuracy. Just like you I had poor groups and the occasional flyer. Frustrating!
Then I finally planned to just shoot a three shot group and then go back to work (yes I have two shooting ranges at my ranch so I can shoot anytime). I am wanting to hunt with Barnes 180g but also bought and had good accuracy with Nosler Accubond 180g.
With a cool barrel I am just about putting them in the same hole. 1” group at 100 yards easily. Problem solved! Thank goodness as I leave the 24th.
Best of luck.
Philip

Suppressors can compound the effect of barrel heating because they will heat at a different rate than the actual barrel. As you noted three shots will tell you how the rifle is actually doing for any hunting scenario.

 

[mikecatt13]

I have just started with the .300 with a 22” barrel. I am using my Thunderbeast Ultra 5 suppressor with it and I’m hunting the EC with it this month. I had all kinds of trouble and bought like 4 or more different loads. I was frustrated. What I finally figured out is that it gets hot and loses accuracy. Just like you I had poor groups and the occasional flyer. Frustrating!
Then I finally planned to just shoot a three shot group and then go back to work (yes I have two shooting ranges at my ranch so I can shoot anytime). I am wanting to hunt with Barnes 180g but also bought and had good accuracy with Nosler Accubond 180g.
With a cool barrel I am just about putting them in the same hole. 1” group at 100 yards easily. Problem solved! Thank goodness as I leave the 24th.
Best of luck.
Philip

Believe it or not, mirage from a warm/hot supressor will cause pretty major issues too. I chased an issue with my 28 Nosler last year and part of it was copper fouling but a supressor cover made a massive difference as well. I shot it in the summer and it wasnt that noticeable, then October rolls around getting ready for a Texas hunt and the mirage in the cooler temps was giving me hell

 

[RTG]

This is logical Phil because my first three shots clover leafed. I let the barrel cool down some but not to environmental temp and I am shooting suppressed. I will give it another try. But I also bought 200 grain ELD-X to try just in case I cannot get the Nosler Accubond 180g to shot. Thanks!

I will try this before re-crowning option.

Glad I found this old tread. My .300 WM Blaser R8 won’t shoot Federal 180gr Accubond either. It shoots every other 180-200gr as one would expect. I couldn’t understand why, so I’ve tried them three separate times, and each time it shoots 4-6” groups at 100 yards. Everything else rips holes in paper.

My assumption was this was a bad batch of Anccubond’s, or a bad batch of loaded ammunition from Federal. I brought home 10 boxes of the stuff in 2021, when ammo was hard to find. (I still have most of it.) @Justbryan ammo was Winchester loaded 180 Accubond, and he posted in 2021. Guessing now, it was either a bad batch of Nosler bullets, or Blaser’s just hate Accubonds. Either way, Federal is vindicated.

I identified this problem while preparing for Zimbabwe in May of 21. I was a last-minute substitute for another Hunter and had a little time to prepare. The first ammo I shot for this hunt was 180 grain Accubond. I thought “oh shit what’s wrong with me“ as I instinctively blame myself first. I was greatly relieved when I switched to Federal 180 grain TSX. Here are two pictures of back to back 100 Yard groups from that day. I was so shocked by the results so I took pictures to send to a couple gun buddies.

2021 Federal 180gr Accubond

2021 Federal 180gr Barnes TSX

Anyway, if anyone wants to buy some Federal 300 WM 180gr Accubond… I have a few boxes available.