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Went to the range this afternoon to test some hand loads on my 300 wm. As I show up I hear a sharp bang, a good bit louder than your average rifle. As I walk by the guy shooting he touches another one off. Even with ear plugs it was painful. Apparently it was painful for him too, as I noted that after every shot this guy would get up and rub his shoulder while "walking it off". I set up at the 200 yd line, then walk back to ask the guy when he might be ready for a break so I can hang a target.
"Any time! Here, let me flip the red light for you."
I thanked him, and asked what kind of a beast he's shooting? "Oh, it's a .243 win"
I had to blink a few times to process what he just said. A 243? As in a necked down 308 launching 90 grain bullets? I noticed his ammo was in a plastic box just like what I use for my handloads. My next question opened a can of worms, one that got worse every time I peeled back a layer.
"Are you shooting hand loads?" "Yea, my buddy was teaching me how to load."
I reach down and pick up one of his brass. The primer is flat with a sharp edge, and I can see a faint ejector mark on the brass. I notice two of his brass have the primers blown right out.
"I don't mean to criticize, but you're shooting WAY over pressure. See this, it's a sign that your load is too hot." "No, it's what the book said we could do." "You mean this is the max load published in the book? You know that's only a guideline, and their rifle is not always exactly the same as yours." "Yea, I think these are going at 4000 fps." "Oh, you've chronographed them?" "No, we don't have a chronograph. That's just what we figured based on the charge."
I pull up the Nosler load data on my phone. "Nosler says max load for that powder is 3254 fps on a 24" barrel. You have a 22" barrel, so it should be slower, not faster. Are you sure you put in the right powder charge?" "Yea, my buddy has one of those powder things you pull the handle and it gives you powder." "You mean a powder hopper?" "Yea, that." "And did you trickle charge each load or just confirm a charge on the scale?" "No, he says scales are a gimmick. He just adjusted the powder hopper by using the numbers on it."
If it weren't for the blown out primers, the unusually loud report, and the obviously sharp recoil, I would have thought this guy was trolling me. "Scales are a gimmick???" I asked "You mind if I throw my chrono on there and we see what you're getting?"
4 shots, none of them blow out the primer. 2 showed signs of high pressure. My chrono still has the numbers stored in it.
1) 2960 fps
2) 3056 fps
3) 3276 fps
4) 2870 fps
A 406 fps extreme spread, and keep in mind two of his charged loads were so hot they vaporized his primers. I can only imagine how fast those were.
"Any time! Here, let me flip the red light for you."
I thanked him, and asked what kind of a beast he's shooting? "Oh, it's a .243 win"
I had to blink a few times to process what he just said. A 243? As in a necked down 308 launching 90 grain bullets? I noticed his ammo was in a plastic box just like what I use for my handloads. My next question opened a can of worms, one that got worse every time I peeled back a layer.
"Are you shooting hand loads?" "Yea, my buddy was teaching me how to load."
I reach down and pick up one of his brass. The primer is flat with a sharp edge, and I can see a faint ejector mark on the brass. I notice two of his brass have the primers blown right out.
"I don't mean to criticize, but you're shooting WAY over pressure. See this, it's a sign that your load is too hot." "No, it's what the book said we could do." "You mean this is the max load published in the book? You know that's only a guideline, and their rifle is not always exactly the same as yours." "Yea, I think these are going at 4000 fps." "Oh, you've chronographed them?" "No, we don't have a chronograph. That's just what we figured based on the charge."
I pull up the Nosler load data on my phone. "Nosler says max load for that powder is 3254 fps on a 24" barrel. You have a 22" barrel, so it should be slower, not faster. Are you sure you put in the right powder charge?" "Yea, my buddy has one of those powder things you pull the handle and it gives you powder." "You mean a powder hopper?" "Yea, that." "And did you trickle charge each load or just confirm a charge on the scale?" "No, he says scales are a gimmick. He just adjusted the powder hopper by using the numbers on it."
If it weren't for the blown out primers, the unusually loud report, and the obviously sharp recoil, I would have thought this guy was trolling me. "Scales are a gimmick???" I asked "You mind if I throw my chrono on there and we see what you're getting?"
4 shots, none of them blow out the primer. 2 showed signs of high pressure. My chrono still has the numbers stored in it.
1) 2960 fps
2) 3056 fps
3) 3276 fps
4) 2870 fps
A 406 fps extreme spread, and keep in mind two of his charged loads were so hot they vaporized his primers. I can only imagine how fast those were.
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