Best/Biggest 30 cal

[Tim N]

Hi All,
Just wondering what the best(not meaning to start any arguments )or biggest 30 cal is that can be used in F open? If recoil and barrel life are not a consideration.

[Brad Y]

Hi Tim

There is a discussion on an overseas shooting forum about it at the moment ( I started a bit of a disagreement it looks like- typical me )

The 300WSM looks to be the one to beat at the moment.

However Shiraz Balolia has written up his experiences on shooting one:

"Imagine two people standing over you. Every time you take a shot one guy whacks you on the head with a baseball bat (that's the .300 big bang effect). The second guy stomps on your shoulder with his rough soled, steel-toed boot (that's the kick). Other than that the .300 is easy to work with

Seriously, though, with the .300 I think the match adrenaline keeps me going during the day, but when I get back to the hotel room I cannot even lift my arm up, and after that its Ibuprofen city. By contrast the .284 Shehane is very pleasant to work with and has very decent performance. A lot less recoil and deadly accurate."

Im personally not built for it I dont think- will be trying some big boomers soon to see but I reckon the 284S is going to be my limit.

The argument I started on another forum was basically one guy was dropping points with his 6 dasher so wanted to go to a 30 cal to get higher scores. When I recommended he learn to read wind that didnt go down well but I stand by it, miss a decent wind change and your going to lose points. Sure good BC and velocity will help minimise it and I understand that is the beauty of FO but you dont want to be losing points in the first place. Im sure every shooter in the world doesnt have equal wind reading ability (me included
) so I feel that should be an area to work on more so than trying to let the caliber do the work.

Interesting to see for those who are going to try out for it, the next FCWC in canada, those shooting 300WSM's may have to load down a little to get under the velocity/BC ratio for that range. Looks like 284S in high nodes and maybe 7RSAUM around 2950-3050 fps will be about the limit. Someone wanting to run 230gr hybrids in a 300WSM wont be allowed to do so.

In terms of the biggest, most ranges have a limit of 8mm so how big a case can you go? A shooter at my range has a 30-338LM but he doesnt shoot it much more than 12 shots a day due to the sheer recoil and muzzle blast factor. Some ranges are now starting to put in place velocity and muzzle energy limits too I think so you will probably want to check with your range first.

[Paul Janzso]

Hi Tim
I first started F Class with a 30-284 with 190gn Sierra MK's.
It would have been good if all the money I had spent on that gunsmith had chambered it straight
I then went to 300 WSM. The first barrel was a heavy varmint profile, that is what this other gunsmith said everyone was using. It ended up being way under weight for that caliber and chambering so purchased my own reamer and asked a well reputed gunsmith to fit a straight profile barrel I purchased from SARA.
I quickly found a load with 2209 and Berger 210gn VLD's . They weren't going real fast, 2860fps but case life is great and a 10kg F Class open rifle is a breaze to shoot.
I also chambered a barrel in 30 BOO BOO that particular barrel really liked the Berger 190g VLD's and was easy to shoot but when I tryed the 210gn VLD's I realised a lot of consentration got used up on the recoil side of shooting and often wind changes were missed thinking about " am I holding the rifle correctly "
But also I have just built a Barnard F Class open rifle chambered in 300 Win Mag and it is very accurate. I purposely built it for the 230gn Berger Hybrid projectiles. They are hard to find at the moment so I will be trying lighter projectiles as well for comp shooting.
The recoil from this rifle is very manageable only because it weighs 10kg and I have tryed a "limb saver" recoil pad. They really soak up the recoil.
Well they are the chamberings I have had and use.
I hope this info helps.
Cheers
Paul

[Brad Y]

Paul

Would love to pick your brains- how much more recoil do you actually feel compared to say a 308 FS gun? Personally I end up with slight hand shakes the after shooting a couple of strings of 308 in FS with the appropriate weight gun for that class. My 6.5mm in 9+kg is a joy to shoot as you would expect.

[Paul Janzso]

Hi Brad
The shaky hand may be from when you are laying on the mat your nerves in your elbowes are getting constricted. I just shake all the time.
What sort of recoil pad do you have on your rifles? I have always used Pacmyer Decelerator but I have just tryed the Limbsaver and they realy soak up the sharp recoil and turn it into a shove.
Cheers
Paul

[Brad Y]

Honestly actually the 308 doesnt have one. The stock was too long so I took it off and put it on the 6.5mm haha.

One thing I see common in WA though is because we tend to shoot alot of 6 and 6.5mm guns, the rifles arent build right up to 10kg. That is my main goal when building a gun so like you I went for a straight taper barrel. 7mm will be the same. Would love to have a go with a heavy 300 just to say Ive done it. Maybe one day someone here will build one.

[Norm]

.300WSM may be ideal in .30 cal and I would really like to try one.

But as I don't have an action with the correct bolt face. I am going with a case that I have designed to suit the action I have.

This is called the .300NSM and it runs on an action with a 0.640" bolt face.

[Paul Janzso]

A NORM SHORT MAGNUM!
What is your parent case Norm?

[Norm]

A NORM SHORT MAGNUM!
What is your parent case Norm?

.375 Cheytac aka 505 gibbs.

[Paul Janzso]

Keep us in the loop with your development of the NSM Norm.
I was going to have a go with the 375 Ruger necked down to 30 cal.
A few guys in the US sent me reamer prints but I lost interest when Paul at SARA last December said he had a new 300 Win Mag reamer on the shelf with Noslier brass and Redding Type S dies, too easy I thought. That's how I ended up with the Win Mag.
But your project sounds great as I said keep us informed.
Cheers
Paul

[Norm]

Here is a print of the 300nsm. Some details have been left out.

I got the idea I needed a bigger calibre after my .284 ran out of legs in the 1500 yard shoot at Coonabarabran. Thought I needed something that would make the distance but did not want to build a rifle just for this event.
So a switch barrel using another rifle I had was a compromise solution. The reamer and dies are being made at the moment.

Just think of this calibre as a 6mmBR on steroids...

[Paul Janzso]

Looks good Norm.
What pills will you be using?
The case looks very straight with that magic 35 degre shoulder angle.
Cheers
Paul

[Tim N]

Any thoughts on the 300 ultra mag?

[Norm]

Any thoughts on the 300 ultra mag?

Tim,

Peter Vanmeurs was using a .300 RUM in long range benchrest for a while. But they can use a brake!

Paul,

I hope to use the 230gn Berger target pill at about 2850 to 3000fps depending on how it shoots. Should give similar performance to a .300 Win Mag but not sure how the short fat case will effect efficiency and accuracy in the single shot Stiller 408 action.

[Steve N]

Hope it is ready by the end of this year so I can have a shot at Moe when I come down.
Steve.