300 H&H Update

[Doug3006]

Last year, I bought a new-in-box Ruger #1 chambered in 300 H&H. It’s a beautiful rifle and I have had fun breaking it in. I found a supply of Nosler factory cartridges and bought a case. They are the 180 grain Accubonds.

Over the past few months, I‘ve shot quite a few 3-shot groups with the Nosler factory rounds. I’m really pleased with the accuracy. Measuring the last 6 groups the average group size is 1.20”. Better yet, the largest group was just 1.4.” That’s plenty accurate and consistent for factory ammo.

Over the same time period, I’ve worn myself out trying to hand load anything to beat the accuracy of the Nosler rounds. This is new to me. I’ve always been able to custom load a combination that‘s better than factory in my rifles. I’ve used a number of different powders, half a dozen different bullets (TSXs, Speer Hot-Cores, Nosler Partitions, Hornady Interlocks) and the best any of them do is over 1.5”. I’ve played with seating depth. I even broke down and weighed bullets and even applied a concentricity gauge. Anyone have a pet load I should try?

Otherwise…..I’m going to load practice rounds and save the Accubonds for my trip to SA next year. I guess I’ll have to obsess about something else. I think I need to find the perfect binoculars for the Eastern Cape and Kwazulu-Natal!

 

[WAB]

This will sound odd, but I would try A-Frames. They have worked for me when all else failed.

Have you noticed any difference between 165, 180 and 200 grain bullets? Rifles quite often have a weight preference. Sometimes it’s driven by rate of twist and sometimes it’s just an idiosyncrasy.

 

[Doug3006]

If I can find ant AFs I’ll try them WAB. I tried 180 and 165 trainers too.

 

[Ray B]

The makers haven't talked much about barrel harmonics lately, but they do exist. You might try making slight adjustments in the load so that you'll get a slight decrease or increase in velocity. seeking to find a flat spot in the barrels wave function.

 

[andries 318 wr]

Doug the 300 H&H in a No 1 is a perfect setup
I have also struggled with mine to get a smaller grouping but made peace with it. Its a hunting rifle
Mine liked 200gr Accubonds, as a hunting round I prefer the Woodleigh 200gr PP.
Have recently bought 200gr A-Frames and will be happy with a 1.5" grouping as I think it would be a deadly combination
Good Luck

 

[Doug3006]

Doug the 300 H&H in a No 1 is a perfect setup
I have also struggled with mine to get a smaller grouping but made peace with it. Its a hunting rifle
Mine liked 200gr Accubonds, as a hunting round I prefer the Woodleigh 200gr PP.
Have recently bought 200gr A-Frames and will be happy with a 1.5" grouping as I think it would be a deadly combination
Good Luck

That’s where I am Andries. If 1.2” with a good bullet like the Accubond is as good as I can do….so be it. That’s plenty accurate for a PG rifle.

 

[Pole Pole]

I had the same problem. The Accubond box provides data for 2950 fps which I was trying too duplicate with poor results so I called Nosler. They suggested a load in the Nosler manual which was around 2880 fps. I was short on components so i also stuck with the factory loads on my May hunt, which, as you said, are very accurate. 150 yard shot with bullet found under skin on off side.

 

[Rick HOlbert]

Hello Doug. Excellent choice going with the 300 H&H. I recently picked up a sporterized P-17 Enfield in that caliber and love it! Of course I have a soft spot for H&H calibers also. I've gotten very good results using IMR-4831 under the Hornady 180grn Interbond bullet. Also the Barnes 168grn TTSX shoots extremely well also. I know this doesn't help on a Ruger #1 but will get you in the general area. Agood custom smith who knows the #1 may be able to help tune that rifle and get you tighter groups.

 

[Pole Pole]

I have had good accuracy with H4350 and 180 grain GameKings at a published 2950 fps.

 

[AZDAVE]

On my 300 I have found that 200gr and heavier bullets work well. The lighter stuff not so much.

 

[Shootist43]

Barrel harmonics is important. For those of you interested in such things, here is a link to the data I use.

Optimal Barrel Time Concept

Optimal Barrel Time Paper

 

[Doug3006]

I had the same problem. The Accubond box provides data for 2950 fps which I was trying too duplicate with poor results so I called Nosler. They suggested a load in the Nosler manual which was around 2880 fps. I was short on components so i also stuck with the factory loads on my May hunt, which, as you said, are very accurate. 150 yard shot with bullet found under skin on off side.

Thanks Pole Pole! Love the griz!

 

[gbflyer]

I chrono’d the 180gr accubond Nosler factory ammo out of my 26” Winchester 70 300 H&H at ~2800 or a little less. I am underwhelmed in velocity performance and accuracy in my particular rifle.

 

[Dukescav]

Last year, I bought a new-in-box Ruger #1 chambered in 300 H&H. It’s a beautiful rifle and I have had fun breaking it in. I found a supply of Nosler factory cartridges and bought a case. They are the 180 grain Accubonds.

Over the past few months, I‘ve shot quite a few 3-shot groups with the Nosler factory rounds. I’m really pleased with the accuracy. Measuring the last 6 groups the average group size is 1.20”. Better yet, the largest group was just 1.4.” That’s plenty accurate and consistent for factory ammo.

Over the same time period, I’ve worn myself out trying to hand load anything to beat the accuracy of the Nosler rounds. This is new to me. I’ve always been able to custom load a combination that‘s better than factory in my rifles. I’ve used a number of different powders, half a dozen different bullets (TSXs, Speer Hot-Cores, Nosler Partitions, Hornady Interlocks) and the best any of them do is over 1.5”. I’ve played with seating depth. I even broke down and weighed bullets and even applied a concentricity gauge. Anyone have a pet load I should try?

Otherwise…..I’m going to load practice rounds and save the Accubonds for my trip to SA next year. I guess I’ll have to obsess about something else. I think I need to find the perfect binoculars for the Eastern Cape and Kwazulu-Natal!

I hope this helps, it did for me. Back shortly after the Ruger #1 first came out, Elmer Keith did an article on them. What he suggested (more like determined) is you can get better results out of the #1 by doing a couple of things to the forend. First, he suggested to take the forend off the rifle and stand the receiver end upright on a flat surface and some fine sandpaper and gently remove some material off of it until when replaced on the rifle, neither side of it touches the front of the receiver. His contention was that if one side is slightly longer than the other, it forces the front of the forend over against the side of the barrel as the barrel heats up a little. I noticed that mine would shoot first 2-3 shots pretty good and then start drifting off and up as the barrel heated up. When I checked I saw that one side of the wood had a deeper impression than the other side where it was against the receiver which would have made it push toward the off side. I fixed the forend to where it did not make any contact with the receiver and my groups quit drifting off. Plus, I more or less free floated the front end of the wood where it made no contact with the barrel. The way the forend is on a #1, it doesn't need to even be there as it is attached to a separate assembly that comes off the receiver. But if any part of the wood contacts the barrel, it can (and will) effect the barrel harmonics. My #1 in 25-06 has since done 5 shot groups that are close to 3/8" c-to-c at 100 yds.

My 300 H&H load in an 26" old Rem 721 is like 70-71gr (? Have to check for sure), CCI 250, IMR4831 with 165gr Barnes that chronograph a flat 3100fps with a SD of like 5. Another IMR4831 with 180gr Partitions run a flat 3000fps. But it will also shoot 125 gr Barnes, 165 gr Barnes, 180 Partitions, and both the Remington and Winchester 180gr factory loads mixed into a group of just under 2", it is the most forgiving thing I've ever seen.

 

[Doug3006]

I hope this helps, it did for me. Back shortly after the Ruger #1 first came out, Elmer Keith did an article on them. What he suggested (more like determined) is you can get better results out of the #1 by doing a couple of things to the forend. First, he suggested to take the forend off the rifle and stand the receiver end upright on a flat surface and some fine sandpaper and gently remove some material off of it until when replaced on the rifle, neither side of it touches the front of the receiver. His contention was that if one side is slightly longer than the other, it forces the front of the forend over against the side of the barrel as the barrel heats up a little. I noticed that mine would shoot first 2-3 shots pretty good and then start drifting off and up as the barrel heated up. When I checked I saw that one side of the wood had a deeper impression than the other side where it was against the receiver which would have made it push toward the off side. I fixed the forend to where it did not make any contact with the receiver and my groups quit drifting off. Plus, I more or less free floated the front end of the wood where it made no contact with the barrel. The way the forend is on a #1, it doesn't need to even be there as it is attached to a separate assembly that comes off the receiver. But if any part of the wood contacts the barrel, it can (and will) effect the barrel harmonics. My #1 in 25-06 has since done 5 shot groups that are close to 3/8" c-to-c at 100 yds.

My 300 H&H load in an 26" old Rem 721 is like 70-71gr (? Have to check for sure), CCI 250, IMR4831 with 165gr Barnes that chronograph a flat 3100fps with a SD of like 5. Another IMR4831 with 180gr Partitions run a flat 3000fps. But it will also shoot 125 gr Barnes, 165 gr Barnes, 180 Partitions, and both the Remington and Winchester 180gr factory loads mixed into a group of just under 2", it is the most forgiving thing I've ever seen.

Thanks Dukescav! I’ll take a look at the forend.