Has anyone tried the new 230 SMK in 300 Win Mag, or any other 30 calibre, and is it better than a Berger?

[Saracen7]

😑

[ruger7717]

Not seen any available in this country yet, but the septic tanks like them in the .300NM😉

[Saracen7]

' Septic tanks' 😂😂💦😎👌.... Cheers. I bought some from SPUD 1967. I'll probably wait until a have a faster twist barrel installed, as they need a 1 in 8. 

[Saracen7]

As an update, should anyone care, I've had some very positive looking groups with these 230 SMK 's loaded as follows:

RWS brass. 

FEDERAL 215 primers. 

67 5 grains of RL26. 

94.9 OAL ( about 0.25 mm off of the rifling in my 1 in 8 twist Lothar Walther barrel). 

A little under 1/2" groups at 120 yards under field conditions. I'm convinced they group better than this, but I wasn't shooting them under ideal conditions. 

I've not chronographed them yet, but will do, and no, I don't shoot ladders, as I regard the exercise as pointless. I'll randomly work my way up to what I regard as my maximum load, using single shots, and achieving a rough zero in the process (in half grain increments in this calibre), then fire a four  shot group, having already made the OAL close to touching the rifling. Check the group, and if its its got room for improvement I'll back off half a grain ( I only do jumps this big on a large capacity case like 300WM). Once the powder charge is optimum, I'll have a play with the overall length. 

These look promising, and a BC of 0.8 is very beneficial. 😁

[John MH]

225 Gain Hornsby ELD Match works well in my 300 NM, 89 grains of RS80 gives 3100 FPS

[Saracen7]

I've yet to try those, but I'm very keen to check out the new Hornady 245 grainers with the aluminium tips. 

I nearly bought some Hornady 225 ELD-X ' s, but not done so yet. The 225 ELD-X' s would fit the bill for a UK deer legal bullet ( designed to expand). I may get round to trying both soon, or possibly Nosler 220 partition / Acubond. Ideal for varmints 😂😂.