My Amazing 300 Remington Ultra Magnum

[West_Texas_Bull_Shooter]

We took our first African Safari last August and my rifle performed absolutely fantastic. I harvested 5 animals in 5 days with 5 shots. I thought I would share what it took to get that kind for performance.
Seven years ago, I decided I wanted a hunting rifle that was a tack driver. I found a Remington 700 RMEF commemorative Bolt Action Rifle chambered in the 300 Remington Ultra Magnum cartridge. I selected a Bullet that would handle any animal I wanted to harvest (Barnes TTSX 180 grain). I attempted to build a custom load that would shoot accurately in the rifle on two separate occasions. I was only marginally successful and was not satisfied. I decided to go to the next level. I researched and found the best rifle barrel builder I could find. Lilja Precision Rifle Barrels (Riflebarrels.com) builds barrels for USMC Snipers and 1,000 Yard Match Shooters that are stress relieved. I called the Lilja company and somehow got connected with Dan Lilja. Lilja makes a variety of calibers, contours, features, etc. I had no clue. I told Dan what I wanted to build and how long I wanted it. He told me what I needed. I placed the order. A 26-inch Stainless Steel, Fluted, Tapered Contour Barrel. I ordered a Jewell Trigger that was also used in competition and was a recommended replacement for the stock Remington Trigger that everyone was having problems with. I had it set to one pound. I contracted my local gunsmith, Euless Guns and Ammo, to assemble/complete to rifle. They cut the chamber, mounted the barrel, blue printed the action, added a muzzle break, added a detachable magazine, and then fiber-glassed it back into the stock. Using Hodgdon Retumbo smokeless powder, I attempted the process of building a custom load that would shoot accurately in the rifle again. I found that the rifle shot well with a lot of the loads I tried. So, I settled on a charge weight of 92.60 grains. It drives the Barnes 180 grain TTSX bullet at an average of 3,165 feet per second. This produced shot groups of less than .75 inches at 100 yards. Then in preparation for the safari I practiced once a week for the last two months and it paid off in spades.

 

[meigsbucks]

Looks like your efforts paid off. The .300 RUM is a great round and pretty much the only one of the RUM series that has survived. Beats the .300 Wby by about 75 fps and doesn’t have a belt.
You can probably wring another 75-100 fps out of it, but with that accuracy, why bother.

 

[Trophyhunter01]

Love my 300 RUM. Loaded some 210 ELDX and the group really well out of the old Sendero. Nice work on your set up. I may need a new barrel in the near future and your set up sounds like the way to go.

 

[thoma018]

That's a lot of bullet traveling at a pretty darn good clip ! Nice work; Dan is a great guy to work with.

 

[Tex .416]

We took our first African Safari last August and my rifle performed absolutely fantastic. I harvested 5 animals in 5 days with 5 shots. I thought I would share what it took to get that kind for performance.
Seven years ago, I decided I wanted a hunting rifle that was a tack driver. I found a Remington 700 RMEF commemorative Bolt Action Rifle chambered in the 300 Remington Ultra Magnum cartridge. I selected a Bullet that would handle any animal I wanted to harvest (Barnes TTSX 180 grain). I attempted to build a custom load that would shoot accurately in the rifle on two separate occasions. I was only marginally successful and was not satisfied. I decided to go to the next level. I researched and found the best rifle barrel builder I could find. Lilja Precision Rifle Barrels (Riflebarrels.com) builds barrels for USMC Snipers and 1,000 Yard Match Shooters that are stress relieved. I called the Lilja company and somehow got connected with Dan Lilja. Lilja makes a variety of calibers, contours, features, etc. I had no clue. I told Dan what I wanted to build and how long I wanted it. He told me what I needed. I placed the order. A 26-inch Stainless Steel, Fluted, Tapered Contour Barrel. I ordered a Jewell Trigger that was also used in competition and was a recommended replacement for the stock Remington Trigger that everyone was having problems with. I had it set to one pound. I contracted my local gunsmith, Euless Guns and Ammo, to assemble/complete to rifle. They cut the chamber, mounted the barrel, blue printed the action, added a muzzle break, added a detachable magazine, and then fiber-glassed it back into the stock. Using Hodgdon Retumbo smokeless powder, I attempted the process of building a custom load that would shoot accurately in the rifle again. I found that the rifle shot well with a lot of the loads I tried. So, I settled on a charge weight of 92.60 grains. It drives the Barnes 180 grain TTSX bullet at an average of 3,165 feet per second. This produced shot groups of less than .75 inches at 100 yards. Then in preparation for the safari I practiced once a week for the last two months and it paid off in spades.

Congratulations on the nice shooting and load development.

Lilja makes great barrels, used one on my most recent build.

 

[Ray B]

I had Dan make a 6mm Creedmoor 28" on a 1951 FN Mauser action. Since CP Donnelly passed away, Lilja's are my barrel of choice.

 

[sureshot375]

Sounds like quite the rifle. You should post some pictures of the rifle and your trophies from August.

I did get a little nervous when I read you had the trigger set at 1lb. That’s a little light for my taste in hunting rifles. I don’t like to go below 3lbs on a hunting rifle.

 

[ftrovato]

When Bob Hart from RM Hart & Son in Nescopeck, PA (4 generation rifle & barrel makers) uses the 300 RUM as a primary platform for building his long range rifles you know it's a special cartridge!

 

[West_Texas_Bull_Shooter]

Sounds like quite the rifle. You should post some pictures of the rifle and your trophies from August.

I did get a little nervous when I read you had the trigger set at 1lb. That’s a little light for my taste in hunting rifles. I don’t like to go below 3lbs on a hunting rifle.

I was a little nervous about that too. The Remington 700 rifle with a stock trigger even set at 3 pounds will drop the hammer if you drop it recoil pad first from the 3 feet high. The Jewell trigger passes the same test with flying colors. Unfortunately, the owner of Jewell triggers has passed away. I am confident the set up I have is totally safe as long as you don't carry the rifle around with you finger on the trigger.

 

[West_Texas_Bull_Shooter]

We took our first African Safari last August and my rifle performed absolutely fantastic. I harvested 5 animals in 5 days with 5 shots. I thought I would share what it took to get that kind for performance.
Seven years ago, I decided I wanted a hunting rifle that was a tack driver. I found a Remington 700 RMEF commemorative Bolt Action Rifle chambered in the 300 Remington Ultra Magnum cartridge. I selected a Bullet that would handle any animal I wanted to harvest (Barnes TTSX 180 grain). I attempted to build a custom load that would shoot accurately in the rifle on two separate occasions. I was only marginally successful and was not satisfied. I decided to go to the next level. I researched and found the best rifle barrel builder I could find. Lilja Precision Rifle Barrels (Riflebarrels.com) builds barrels for USMC Snipers and 1,000 Yard Match Shooters that are stress relieved. I called the Lilja company and somehow got connected with Dan Lilja. Lilja makes a variety of calibers, contours, features, etc. I had no clue. I told Dan what I wanted to build and how long I wanted it. He told me what I needed. I placed the order. A 26-inch Stainless Steel, Fluted, Tapered Contour Barrel. I ordered a Jewell Trigger that was also used in competition and was a recommended replacement for the stock Remington Trigger that everyone was having problems with. I had it set to one pound. I contracted my local gunsmith, Euless Guns and Ammo, to assemble/complete to rifle. They cut the chamber, mounted the barrel, blue printed the action, added a muzzle break, added a detachable magazine, and then fiber-glassed it back into the stock. Using Hodgdon Retumbo smokeless powder, I attempted the process of building a custom load that would shoot accurately in the rifle again. I found that the rifle shot well with a lot of the loads I tried. So, I settled on a charge weight of 92.60 grains. It drives the Barnes 180 grain TTSX bullet at an average of 3,165 feet per second. This produced shot groups of less than .75 inches at 100 yards. Then in preparation for the safari I practiced once a week for the last two months and it paid off in spades.

 

[wyosteve]

Dangit, now you have me itching for a .300 RUM. I know where there is one at a good price, but I already use a .300 Win. Mag. so not sure I need another similar!

 

[West_Texas_Bull_Shooter]

Dangit, now you have me itching for a .300 RUM. I know where there is one at a good price, but I already use a .300 Win. Mag. so not sure I need another similar!

The Cartridge in that category doesn't matter that much. What does matter is the quality of the barrel, the trigger pull, the glass you put on top, the bullets you feed it, the time you take matching a load of powder to the rest of the equipment, and how much time you put in at the range. The .300 Win Mag has enough power.