300 PRC + 162gr AH

choprzrul

choprzrul

Hammer Time Executive member
Doing load development for my son's 300 PRC. He has been insisting on using Barnes' LRX heavies, and their 208gr LRX in particular. They shoot consistent 1.5" groups up and down the ladder from what I'm seeing :-( The 168gr TTSX will give me right at an inch going 3280 fps average.

After yesterday's trip to the range with it and similar results, he gave me free reign to find a load for it.

I just ordered 50 162gr AH for it.....but load data for that light of bullet in the 300 PRC doesn't show up in the regular places. Using Hodgdon's load data pages, I came up with a list of powders for light bullets in the 300 PRC....along with several others that I gleaned off of a burn rate chart and Quickload:

157 RL26
155 MAGPRO
159 Magnum
140 N555
149 RL23
138 Hunter
142 H4831
125 N550
130 H4350

The leading number is their position on the burn rate chart and it strictly for reference. The powders listed above are in order from fastest fps to slowest per Quickload (3423 for RL26 and 3265 for H4350).

Temperature stability is of concern as he will hunt CA deer in August in potentially 100+ temps and NE deer in November where it can be 10 degrees. Tough parameter right there....

I certainly want as much speed as possible (3600+ ?) as I know he will be pouring over the ballistics tables once I show him a load with the Hammers. On paper, the 208gr LRX is hard to beat....but I say it's immediately disqualified if it won't shoot decent groups. Browning XBolt Pro for reference.

So what say you Hammer experts? He has a pretty good stash of the RL26, and in QL it makes the most speed.....but that's the powder I've been using for the Barnes load development, so maybe that rifle just doesn't like RL26??

The MAGPRO, Hunter, and the Ramshot Magnum powders are probably not temp stable enough for such diverse temperature ranges.

The N555 and N550 look like viable options, but I don't have them on my shelf and would have to find some.

I've got plenty of H4350, but I have to wonder if it's too fast burning? I've also got a single pound of H4831 that I could use for testing.....but I'd need to find more if it were to prove out.

I wonder about Winchester's new StaBall HD....but it isn't in QL so I'd really be flying blind....
 
Oh do I feel for you. I don't like loading for others. Hunting only deer? With Hammers you don't need to go heavier than the 137HH. I shoot a 300 RUM. I'm running H4350. I'm getting 3850 fps with the 137. I can get more, but this is an accurate load. I think 3600 with 162 AH in the PRC will be hard to achieve. The biggest problem in my book is all of the PRC hype. I'm not saying it isn't a good round. I just think it is overrated. It sounds like your son had bought into the Hornady hype. If speed is the only consideration why not just go all the way and get a 30-378 Weatherby? I'm a self confessed speed freak. My next adventure is with the 124 gr HH. I'm looking for 4200 fps. Another consideration is the lighter bullets really do kick a lot less when one is running healthy doses of powder behind them. What are your son's realistic ranges? Hammers are a whole different paradigm. Speed kills! Oh, and I'll be hunting elk with the 137HH with full confidence. I was a big Barnes guy for a long time. Hammers really are a step up! I think you can find a good load for the PRC with H4350. Interesting about the StaBall. I've been thinking of trying the StaBall 6.5 in my RUM.
 
les said:
Oh do I feel for you. I don't like loading for others. Hunting only deer? With Hammers you don't need to go heavier than the 137HH. I shoot a 300 RUM. I'm running H4350. I'm getting 3850 fps with the 137. I can get more, but this is an accurate load. I think 3600 with 162 AH in the PRC will be hard to achieve. The biggest problem in my book is all of the PRC hype. I'm not saying it isn't a good round. I just think it is overrated. It sounds like your son had bought into the Hornady hype. If speed is the only consideration why not just go all the way and get a 30-378 Weatherby? I'm a self confessed speed freak. My next adventure is with the 124 gr HH. I'm looking for 4200 fps. Another consideration is the lighter bullets really do kick a lot less when one is running healthy doses of powder behind them. What are your son's realistic ranges? Hammers are a whole different paradigm. Speed kills! Oh, and I'll be hunting elk with the 137HH with full confidence. I was a big Barnes guy for a long time. Hammers really are a step up! I think you can find a good load for the PRC with H4350. Interesting about the StaBall. I've been thinking of trying the StaBall 6.5 in my RUM.
Click to expand...

I really like the temp stability of the H4350, but QL shows it being the slowest fps out of the bunch.....and I do realize QL is a guide only and real world results may differ widely from what the software says.

I did take a look at RL16 also because of its temp stability and burn rate. I do wonder how fast is too fast of powder for that 162gr AH in a 300 PRC?

Anyway, filtering out the powders that probably aren't temp stable enough for my liking, here is a list and associated max fps and case fill % per QL

RL26 = 3423 fps 101.9%
RL16 = 3338 fps 97.4%
RL23 = 3327 fps 106.8%
N555 = 3324 fps 103.8%
H4831 = 3301 fps 106.9%
N550 = 3295 fps 94.2%
H4350 = 3265 fps 99.4%

I'll probably rule out RL23 and H4831 due to how compressed they are and consequently, will not allow any room to move past max load to find pressure if needed. On paper, the RL26 certainly looks like the velocity king, but one never knows until they actually send rounds down range...
 
Not nearly as experienced as many but I used to have a 300 win mag that I played with the 178 AH and H4831 and I got 3200 from the 24” barrel, that was R-P brass and yes capacity was maxed.

I know it’s not the same but it’s a data point that’s close…
 
Range results from this morning.

300 PRC, 162gr AH, Fed GM215M, RL26, 3.566" COAL, slight roll crimp with RCPS die

83.5gr 3255 fps
84.3gr 3321, 3364; 30.41 SD, 1.45" spread
85.1gr 3346, 3384; 26.87 SD, 1.79" spread
85.9gr 3390, 3403; 9.19 DC, 2.18" spread
86.7gr 3430, 3426, 3450, 3461, 3444; 14.39 SD, 2.12" spread, 1st 3 shots were at an inch, then it opened up
87.5gr 3472; bolt click, slight ejector mark, 0.0005" head growth....stopped here
^^gonna cross post this info for inclusion in the AH load data^^

roughly the same group sizes as Barnes 168gr TTSX and 208gr LRX. I'm starting to think this rifle does NOT like RL26? Kinda unusual for me to take Hammers to the range for load development and NOT find a load that groups under an inch.

86.7gr initially showed potential, but the group fell apart on shots 4 and 5. 3442 fps seems low to me? The Barnes 168gr TTSX is giving me 3289fps average....so I was hoping for 250-300fps over that given it's an Absolute Hammer and and bit lighter. 153 fps is good, don't get me wrong, but I was hoping for more.

What says the experts? I've got RL16, RL23, and Hunter on hand that I can try. Where do I go from here?
 
Good info, the groups are right inline with what I experienced with the 178 in my win mag, I tried a couple different powders different charges and the FCD on either 1/8 or 1/4 can’t remember offhand, I chalked it up to the gun not like that AH Bullet combined with the fact that after a few range trips and almost a whole box of the AH as well as some other ammo I was developing a flinch! Decided to sell the gun and go back to a 243! Not saying you should do that though…

If it were me, I would take the best group and work with that charge weight, I would load them with the FCD 1/4 , 3/8, 1/2, if that doesn’t work you could try the same drill with a different primer. I know your best group has the highest SD but adjusting the crimp with a FCD may very well tighten it up. After that I would definitely be trying a different powder.

Other guys may know better though, like I said I don’t actually have hands on experience with your cartridge.
 
Went back to look at your powder options, I wouldn’t over look that H4350, might not be the speedy powder but I hardly ever hear of a bad load in any cartridge with it. 99% case fill at max is a good place to be, if you pressure out there and not seeing groups you can try a standard primer and still have room for a couple more grains to find pressure again. At the temps you list I would expect it to light well even with a standard primer as long as you have a case pretty well full with a crimp and it’s supposed to be fairly stable powder.

Don’t worry about it being too fast, I used up some imr 3031 in my win mag with 160 cup and cores (yes I had book data to go off) sub moa accuracy and stayed on a 8” plate at 400, I didn’t even drop to a standard primer…
 
3031 in a 300wm…..that probably would have never occurred to me :)

I just picked up some plastigage….gonna check Brownings bedding job
 
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Wouldn’t have occurred to me either cept it was in the book!

Bedding is good to check, mine was steel piller and epoxy bedded.
 
I’ve used plastigage on factory bedded rifles in the past and found clearance of 0.003” inch. I suppose any shrinkage leaves a gap….and any gap at all is the same as not bedded? Worse yet if partial contact in places I suppose.
 
choprzrul said:
I’ve used plastigage on factory bedded rifles in the past and found clearance of 0.003” inch. I suppose any shrinkage leaves a gap….and any gap at all is the same as not bedded? Worse yet if partial contact in places I suppose.
Click to expand...
Anyway, today I decided to check and see if the action really was bedded.....so I got out the Plastigage and reassembled to 40 & 35 in lbs, took it apart, and found there is a gap of 0.003" to 0.006"+ between the receiver and the bedding. The bedding in front of the recoil lug just barely touched the plastigage.

Front Stock.jpgRear Bolt 2.jpgRear Bolt.jpgRecoil Lug.jpg

Looks like the next step is a trip to my friendly local gunsmith....
 
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