300 AeroMax

The weather today was clear with no wind and starting out at around 37* @7:30; a good day for testing some of Kyle’s new 300 gr. AeroMax bullets. I would have preferred to have my 8x32 Sightron on the rifle but it is out getting some trash cleaned out of it so I am using my 16X Leupold MKIV. No wads were used today and varying amounts of Clays was used as boosters along with either H-4198 or 3031.

Let me start out by giving the following account of a straight charge (92 gr.) of 3031 and a 300 gr. SST………………………It would NOT ignite with two trys. Yes, I know the problem was the fact I am trying to push the flame from my 215 Fed. Mag. primers thru not only Hank’s ¼” long bushing but also a 3/8” long .026” bushing. This was done after some 20 shots were fired today.



OK, so I started out fouling the barrel with some 300 gr. SST’s and a 6/65.8 duplex. Group size unimportant as I was doing some scope adjustments but still, the velocity averaged what I normally get from that load……2756 fps with a 16 fps ES.



Moving to the 300 AccuMax to get a zero, I used 7/66 with 4198 and put two shots at .332” at 2780 fps with 2 fps ES. Then did a scope adjustment and zeroed the turrets.



For the third group I again used the same load at 300 yrds. The av. velocity was about the same at 2781 with a 15 fps ES and a 1.765” group.



In the fourth group I went with the 300 gr. AeroMax and the same 7/66 duplex. Here my best three in arrow was 1.7” with five in 2.485”. I attempted a sixth shot to see if I could get a good three in a row group but the cardboard tube on my scope broke loose and slipped up by the brake and crushed part of it. Hence, I discounted the 6th shot.

The story with the cardboard tube on the scope is to prevent heat mirage which we get shooting from inside a warm building with the muzzle out in the cold. The tape that holds the tube broke from recoil.

What is interesting to note here is the difference in POI? The scope elevation was NOT changed and yet the AeroMax impacted higher.



For the fifth group I went up on the Clays to 8/66 and again shot a group with the AccuMax which came in at 2.1” but still a bit low on the bull.



In group 6, I shot the same load and same scope setting with the AeroMax and it tightened up to .990” and again impacted higher than the AccuMax.



Group #7 was a repeat of #6 with a click down on the scope but it still impacted higher and came in slightly higher at 1.2”. Also, most all of these duplex loads are showing fairly low ES’s.



It was in this slot the straight charge of 3031 was tried!



For the final group of the day I had prepared a duplex using 3031. It was 5 gr. of Clays and 80 gr. of 3031 under a 300 gr. SST and shot at 100 yards. The group was not all that bad, the ES was a little larger and the velocity at 2665. Next week I will go up to maybe 85 gr. of 3031 with the same 5 gr. of Clays. What this is showing me is that a small spark easily ignites the Clays with in turn fires up the 3031. Maybe I will find a combination that exceeds what I am getting with 4198?; and maybe not? Plus, the small bushing hole keeps a lot of pressure from getting to the module. I believe that is why my module was not destroyed when I bulged the barrel.