Recipe help

[rabiddawg]

First of all I would like to introduce myself. My name is Kevin, forty years young and I live in Lafayette, LA. I all but quit hunting ducks about 12 years ago when I got my own deer lease. I have been reloading for about 5 years.

Last Sunday I went to the new Cabelas in Gonzales LA and picked up some 150 gr. MRX bullets for my 300wsm (wanted 165 but no luck). I hunt almost exclusively on wrp/crp land that is extremely thick so penetration is important (blood trail needed). I had previously tried some X bullets but to get them to shoot accurately I had to reduce the load to where the trajectory was like throwing a rock. So I am going to try the mrx along with some of the tricks that have been discovered over the last couple of years.

I have searched high and low for a recipe for the 150 gr. mrx, RL-19. I have found some here for 165/168's but no 150. After paying Barnes for the bullets, I refuse to pay a subscrition to a website for the info.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Calif. Hunter]

I haven't tried the MRX, but I would try any .300 WSM load for a 150 gr bullet, starting at the midpoint between minimum and max, and work up. My experience loading a lot of TSXs is that they run at lower pressures than most bullets of the same weight.

 

[Gunner46]

You're going to be safe using the same charge with the 150's as you used with the 165's. Just work up from there. But if the RL-19 isn't giving you the umph you're looking for with the 165's, why are you still hooked on it? You won't find a great improvement in vol. with the 150's.

The burn rate of RL-19 is somewhat on the faster end for a large capacity cartridge, but not far. That is what I use in my 7mm/08 for heavier bullets. You may just need to go to something with a slower/different burn rate: RL-22, IMR 4831, or H-4831.

Just my $0.02

 

[danr55]

If you lock yourself into using only one powder, your loading is going to suffer. Not every bullet/case/primer/powder/rifle combination works. I've found that for 300WSM and 150 gr. bullets, IMR 4350 usually gives better velocity/accuracy combinations than most anything else for my rifle.. (Sako Finnlite). If you are having trouble try using a slightly faster powder or change to a cooler buring primer.

 

[rabiddawg]

I haven't tried the MRX, but I would try any .300 WSM load for a 150 gr bullet, starting at the midpoint between minimum and max, and work up. My experience loading a lot of TSXs is that they run at lower pressures than most bullets of the same weight.

Thanks, that is probably what I will do. I just wasn't sure if it would be prudent without hearing it from someone else.

 

[rabiddawg]

You're going to be safe using the same charge with the 150's as you used with the 165's. Just work up from there. But if the RL-19 isn't giving you the umph you're looking for with the 165's, why are you still hooked on it? You won't find a great improvement in vol. with the 150's.

The burn rate of RL-19 is somewhat on the faster end for a large capacity cartridge, but not far. That is what I use in my 7mm/08 for heavier bullets. You may just need to go to something with a slower/different burn rate: RL-22, IMR 4831, or H-4831.

Just my $0.02

I have never used any 165's. I wanted to buy them but the store was out so I bought the 150.

I am not locked in on one powder so I will take your advice and try one of the ones you mention above. Thanks.

 

[rabiddawg]

If you lock yourself into using only one powder, your loading is going to suffer. Not every bullet/case/primer/powder/rifle combination works. I've found that for 300WSM and 150 gr. bullets, IMR 4350 usually gives better velocity/accuracy combinations than most anything else for my rifle.. (Sako Finnlite). If you are having trouble try using a slightly faster powder or change to a cooler buring primer.

Trust me, I know. I went thru a box of 50 X's before I gave up on them. The RL19 has proven very good in my gun with the 150sst so I thought I would start there with the 150mrx. I think I have some H4350 so I can try that too.

 

[rabiddawg]

Went to the range Friday with my kids. I only loaded three of the 150 mrx with 72.3 gr of RL19 and a fed 215 primer. The col of 2.839" was .050" off the lands. I have to admit that not having any definate data on the 150mrx had me very nervous about pullin the trigger, but all was well. Recoil was noticable as the rest was kind of low for me personally. I do feel that I flinched big time on the second shot due to the amount of time I waited (in shooting ready position)for the wind to lay a bit, the sun was in our eyes and residual nerves (my excuse and stickin to it). After waiting a few minutes I fired the third shot and wound up with shots 1 & 3 about 3/4" apart and shot 2 off to the right and low.

Assuming it was me and not the gun or load I think this recipe is a good enough start to play with. I am going to load some more and wait for a less windy day. If they stay in the 1' or less group I guess I will have stumbled on a winner.

Thanks to all who helped.

 

[snake river rufus]

Just a note; Barnes normally recomends seating 0.050" off the lands.

 

[rabiddawg]

I knew I was confused about how to denote thousandths. I would make a terrible machinist.

Help me out here Snake. If I see .050" this is thousandths and if I see .05" this is hundredths. I think I see now, to the right of the decimal you can't ignore the last 0. Is this correct?

I am not trying to be a smarty; just trying to see if I forgot a rule from elem. school.

 

[snake river rufus]

I knew I was confused about how to denote thousandths. I would make a terrible machinist.

Help me out here Snake. If I see .050" this is thousandths and if I see .05" this is hundredths. I think I see now, to the right of the decimal you can't ignore the last 0. Is this correct?

I am not trying to be a smarty; just trying to see if I forgot a rule from elem. school.

0.050" is 50 thousandths
0.05" is fifty hundreths
the two are exactly the same length, just expressed in different units of measure

 

[rabiddawg]

I think I remember the measurment of the cartridge being 2.889" on the lands, so I backed down to 2.839". I think I am good; just didn't know how to say it.

Thanks.

FWIW, these mrx's shoot much better in my Browning A-bolt than the old x bullets.

 

[Calif. Hunter]

0.05" is fifty hundreths

Isn't that 5 hundreths? .50 would equal 50 hundreths (or 1/2)...

 

[Gunner46]

"Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader"

 

[rabiddawg]

Gunner, I wouldn't insult todays fith graders by saying that I was.

 

[Big Stick]

In 300WSM,the 165/8 is the cutoff betwixt '19 and '22. I shoot the 168TSX and 168A-Max with the exact same charge,though differing COAL's(due to ogive location). That in a S/S Classic 70 and a s/a 700 wearing a #5 fluted hart and HS DBM...both at 24".

They track superbly in accordance,downrange. I like them at 3200fps,via '22 and kiss X's in everything,excepting Wby freebores.

X's love to nestle lands and my 700 will toss the 168 into the .3's..........................