.300WM Christensen Arms Load Development

[lancetkenyon]

Well this has a new barrel on it, so I hope I won't have those issues....great info though. I had heard nightmares about the earlier ones as well.

[Zeke-BE]

Let me know what you think about those ELDs. They seem more sporadic for me. Once you find one you like they shoot great, but compared to bergers seem like most of them shoot tighter groups while load development. Also on my 300 win mag they like being farther off the lands.

[lancetkenyon]

I tried 10 in my .300RUM @ .100" jump with the same charge weight that works great with 190 HVLD, 175 SMK, 200 LRX, 210 SMK, 210 HVLD, 215 Hybrid with great results, and the 212 ELD-X was no beuno.

[Zeke-BE]

I tried 10 in my .300RUM @ .100" jump with the same charge weight that works great with 190 HVLD, 175 SMK, 200 LRX, 210 SMK, 210 HVLD, 215 Hybrid with great results, and the 212 ELD-X was no beuno.

That's what I've been seeing. Everyone loves how the old AMAXs performed on game. I haven't heard of one horror story with them. But they don't perform as well as bergers

[Zeke-BE]

 

I tried 10 in my .300RUM @ .100" jump with the same charge weight that works great with 190 HVLD, 175 SMK, 200 LRX, 210 SMK, 210 HVLD, 215 Hybrid with great results, and the 212 ELD-X was no beuno.

That's what I've been seeing. Everyone loves how the old AMAXs performed on game. I haven't heard of one horror story with them. But they don't perform as well as bergers

"Perform as well as bergers" meaning accuracy

[lancetkenyon]

Got out this morning and shot the rifle.....

Conditions in the desert were about as perfect as you could ask for.

 

50°, very slight winds, from dead calm to 2.2mph per my Kestrel, almost directly in my face and overcast.

[300RUM]

I got to waste the beautiful morning doing yard work.

 

So, how did the rifle do?

[Big Browns]

Come on Lance, stop teasing us!!!!

[lancetkenyon]

Sorry. I had almost the entire writeup complete and hit the back button on my phone.....

[lancetkenyon]

So I got out early, and set up. I wanted to make sure I warmed up on another rifle. So I set up at 100, and broke out the 7 Rem Mag.

 

Cold bore, cold shooter. 7RM pushing a 180 Hybrid at 2998fps. Dialed down .3 MIL from my 200 yard zero.

 

 

Then I sent 3 down to verify on another target. Put down one of my best groups ever. If someone draws and elk tag this year, watch out.

 

 

Moved back to 200 to send a few from the .300RUM. These are some lighter loads for shooting steel. 210 HVLD @ 2960fps. They shoot just a touch right compared to my hunting loads.

 

 

Feeling really good about my shooting, I moved back up to 100 to foul the .300WM Christensen. Went from hero to zero in about 10 minutes.

 

Shooting some of the factory loaded Winchester w. 185 HVLDs, my hopes and dreams were dashed against the rocks.

 

The rounds varied in speeds from 2906 to 2980 across 5 shots. Not real conducive to accuracy. I was quite disappointed with a 2" group at 100 yards.

 

 

Wondering what the HSM loads would do, after experiencing their potential in other rifles, boy was I in for a rude awakening. 5 shots at 100 yards were pathetic. And WAY too hot. 185 HVLD between 3120-3180fps. Signs of pressure, flattened and cratered primers, sticky bolt lift on 3 of the shots.

 

A 4"+ 5 shot group at 100 yards! Don't mind the small holes, I was using previously shot targets to warm up.

 

 

So with less than optimistic hopes, I moved back to 300 to shoot a ladder test with the 190 Berger HVLD hand loads.

 

Now I used to shoot one, and walk up and mark after each shot. The new Meopta spotter sure helped save some boot leather. I took am photo of a fresh target, and can mark shots on my phone, then walk up and mark each shot n in order on the target.

 

The rifle sure shows a lot more promise with the hand loads. Over 12 different charge weights, from speeds ranging from 2900 to almost 3100, I still shot a similar total group size at 300 than the factory HSM loads at 100. Crazy. I will be looking around shots 4/5/6/7. 2980-3040.

 

 

 

 

So I went ahead and shot the 212 ELD-X ladder test while I was out there.

 

 

I might try the higher loads, 8/9/10 with these. I think they were right around 3000-3030fps.

[CraigK]

Wow! Great groups with the 7rm and 300RUM.

[Kingzero]

Nice shooting. I've got some 178 ELD-X's loaded up for testing tomorrow out of my new gasser. Varget didn't shoot like I hoped so trying some IMR 4064. Got some 168 BTHP's to try aswell.

 

Keep up the good work.

[300RUM]

You mentioned after the rifle was re barreled it was returned with a test target. Is the load used noted on the target? If not would it be worth contacting Christensen to see what the test load was? It might be interesting to try the same load they used. Just a thought.

[Big Browns]

I was told the factory test loads are shot from 50 yds. If so that's very misleading to the accuracy of the gun!

[Coues Sniper]

I was told the factory test loads are shot from 50 yds. If so that's very misleading to the accuracy of the gun!

Don't think this is the case - they had a 100 yard range that they dug a trench in the ground to get out of the wind that they use. I actually shot in it on one of my 3 (yep, three) forays there trying to get my rig sorted out. That was several years back though.