needing some advice on my .300 sendero

NavajoNecktie · December 6, 2010, 09:18 PM

im seting up my .300 winmag Sendero. for now i have a 6x18x40 VX2 Leuplod scope, after hunting season is over i will send it off to get Target knobs put on. but right now im short on money and need to get a decent factory load til my dad gets all his reloading gear set back up. it is a first generation Sendero with a 26in bullbarrel non-fluted and a 1-10 twist. i have a box of 165gr hornadys and it will not group whatsoever. i had shot 3 extra rounds of 185gr hornadys and they had about a 1/2 group. i need some advice from an experinced Sendero owner please. my furthest shot on the hunting ranch should be no further than 300-400yrds, but mainly round 100yrd. please help

WestDivide · December 7, 2010, 12:21 PM

I'll check when I get home tonite on some of the loads I used in my Senderos. I shot a few 165's, but mainly 190 Hornadys and some 180's.

What kind of powder choices do you have?

Most Senderos are decent guns, and take a lot of pain out of shooting the heavy cartridges.

You need to ensure a good rest, and make sure the gun is really stable in the bags. I presume you're shooting from a bench.

More tonite, -West

NavajoNecktie · December 7, 2010, 12:33 PM

yes i had it on our "Bench". not sure wat kind of powders my dad has. i think he said last night that they are all junk and need to be thrown away. my parents travel trailer burnt down last summer all he lost all of his reloading equipment. we should be up for reloading our own loads after christmas, we gettin him the rest of wat he doesnt have. i read on Tony rogers that he shoots a 200gr Sierra MatchKing? i think.. any advise u have would be great or since u have way more experince than we do with this type of gun, pointers would be awesome as well thanx alot

700sage · December 8, 2010, 12:43 AM

Try some federal premium rounds with 180 grain Nosler Accubonds. Should give you the accuracy and power you need until you get reloading.

700sage · December 8, 2010, 12:50 AM

Also my reloading data says:

180gn Ballistic Tip ahead of 69.0gns of H4350 produces 3094fps and half inch groups.

As always start below this point and work up. Your gun may have a different load that it is more accurate with.

WestDivide · December 10, 2010, 12:44 AM

Navajo:

I had two Senderos in the mid 90's; both 300 WM's. The first one went away in a break-in; and the second one got sold after a couple years in a fit of broke, sigh...

I checked some old notes I had from the 2nd Sendero I had. The best shooting load for it was a medium load, 68 gr IMR 4350 under a Hornady 165 btsp. That load is almost max in the new Hornady book, altho' it's low in the Lyman book. Obviously, start lower and work up to it as your gun permits.

Another 300 I have now, albeit a custom barrel, does well with 71 grains of IMR 4831 under a Hornady 190 btsp. I'm using standard large rifle primers in it, while I think the older 4350 loads used Win LR mag primers. Needless to say, I've not much experience with the fancy bullets, i.e. Nosler, Berger, etc. I guess I'm a cheapskate...

Probably the best thing I liked about the Senderos was the fact that the weight made shooting the magnums tolerable. I still have a Rem "pretty sendero" in 7 mm Rem that does pretty good. They're not bench guns, but are pretty accurate for a hunting gun.

Sierra makes a 200 grain btsp in the Gameking series. I believe the 200 gr Matchking is a hollow point. Not sure you'd want to use that for a deer, though.

And of course, the usual caveats about quoting loads over the internet...
Use them at your own risk. In fact, were it me starting over, I'd go spend $25 bucks on a Lyman No. 49 loading manual. Or, a 48 or 47 if you find one at a gun show or shop. They're among the better loading manuals going and almost never go out of date, save for the fancy new cartridges.

On the powders: If you can smell a solvent, i.e. ether, acetone, etc when you first open the can/bottle, they're still fine. Also, spoon some out with a white plastic spoon, watching for a fine, brown powder or residue left on the spoon after you spoon some around. That will be degrading powder, with increasing nitric acid. But, most powders are stabilized with different amine compounds to prevent/inhibit such degradation, so unless the powder is really old, I'd imagine it's fine. If you do find some with a definite acrid, sharp odor(not solvent) and brown residue, it's fine for the lawn...! I've never had the acrid odor, but did have some red-brown fines in some 3031 once, it was about 10 yrs old. It shot OK, though. There are lots of descriptions of 30-40 yr old powder, though, that is good and shoots fine.

Anyway, good shooting and enjoy the Sendero! -West

kdog70 · December 10, 2010, 10:10 PM

How about a Nosler accubond the heaviest you can find then push it as fast as you can handle, its a tough bullet for the 100 yard shot and they shoot well enough out of most gun to easily make it to 400 yards. If you wanted to target shoot or practice and extend your range go right to the 210 Berger VLD , 208 Hornady Amax if you can find them, 220 Sierra SMK are all great bullets. I shoot the 208 and 210 to a mile out of my rig.

Retumbo, Rl25,H1000 are the powders I have used. I worked up loads and they are all over max by the book but seem to be safe in my rifle as I have 7 firings in my brass with no problems yet.

bigbird34 · December 11, 2010, 05:14 PM

Be sure to check the trigger pull on the rifle,some can be heavy .....my sendero is 2.5lbs of pull ....and it's a 7mmRmag,not a 300...so I can't offer any reload data....but I can get a MOA at 200 yards...Jim

December 6, 2010, 09:18 PM	#1
NavajoNecktie Junior Member Join Date: December 6, 2010 Posts: 2	needing some advice on my .300 sendero im seting up my .300 winmag Sendero. for now i have a 6x18x40 VX2 Leuplod scope, after hunting season is over i will send it off to get Target knobs put on. but right now im short on money and need to get a decent factory load til my dad gets all his reloading gear set back up. it is a first generation Sendero with a 26in bullbarrel non-fluted and a 1-10 twist. i have a box of 165gr hornadys and it will not group whatsoever. i had shot 3 extra rounds of 185gr hornadys and they had about a 1/2 group. i need some advice from an experinced Sendero owner please. my furthest shot on the hunting ranch should be no further than 300-400yrds, but mainly round 100yrd. please help

December 7, 2010, 12:21 PM	#2
WestDivide Member Join Date: May 23, 2004 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 20	Navajo: I'll check when I get home tonite on some of the loads I used in my Senderos. I shot a few 165's, but mainly 190 Hornadys and some 180's. What kind of powder choices do you have? Most Senderos are decent guns, and take a lot of pain out of shooting the heavy cartridges. You need to ensure a good rest, and make sure the gun is really stable in the bags. I presume you're shooting from a bench. More tonite, -West

December 7, 2010, 12:33 PM	#3
NavajoNecktie Junior Member Join Date: December 6, 2010 Posts: 2	WestDivide yes i had it on our "Bench". not sure wat kind of powders my dad has. i think he said last night that they are all junk and need to be thrown away. my parents travel trailer burnt down last summer all he lost all of his reloading equipment. we should be up for reloading our own loads after christmas, we gettin him the rest of wat he doesnt have. i read on Tony rogers that he shoots a 200gr Sierra MatchKing? i think.. any advise u have would be great or since u have way more experince than we do with this type of gun, pointers would be awesome as well thanx alot

December 10, 2010, 12:44 AM	#6
WestDivide Member Join Date: May 23, 2004 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 20	Finally getting back... Navajo: I had two Senderos in the mid 90's; both 300 WM's. The first one went away in a break-in; and the second one got sold after a couple years in a fit of broke, sigh... I checked some old notes I had from the 2nd Sendero I had. The best shooting load for it was a medium load, 68 gr IMR 4350 under a Hornady 165 btsp. That load is almost max in the new Hornady book, altho' it's low in the Lyman book. Obviously, start lower and work up to it as your gun permits. Another 300 I have now, albeit a custom barrel, does well with 71 grains of IMR 4831 under a Hornady 190 btsp. I'm using standard large rifle primers in it, while I think the older 4350 loads used Win LR mag primers. Needless to say, I've not much experience with the fancy bullets, i.e. Nosler, Berger, etc. I guess I'm a cheapskate... Probably the best thing I liked about the Senderos was the fact that the weight made shooting the magnums tolerable. I still have a Rem "pretty sendero" in 7 mm Rem that does pretty good. They're not bench guns, but are pretty accurate for a hunting gun. Sierra makes a 200 grain btsp in the Gameking series. I believe the 200 gr Matchking is a hollow point. Not sure you'd want to use that for a deer, though. And of course, the usual caveats about quoting loads over the internet... Use them at your own risk. In fact, were it me starting over, I'd go spend $25 bucks on a Lyman No. 49 loading manual. Or, a 48 or 47 if you find one at a gun show or shop. They're among the better loading manuals going and almost never go out of date, save for the fancy new cartridges. On the powders: If you can smell a solvent, i.e. ether, acetone, etc when you first open the can/bottle, they're still fine. Also, spoon some out with a white plastic spoon, watching for a fine, brown powder or residue left on the spoon after you spoon some around. That will be degrading powder, with increasing nitric acid. But, most powders are stabilized with different amine compounds to prevent/inhibit such degradation, so unless the powder is really old, I'd imagine it's fine. If you do find some with a definite acrid, sharp odor(not solvent) and brown residue, it's fine for the lawn...! I've never had the acrid odor, but did have some red-brown fines in some 3031 once, it was about 10 yrs old. It shot OK, though. There are lots of descriptions of 30-40 yr old powder, though, that is good and shoots fine. Anyway, good shooting and enjoy the Sendero! -West

December 11, 2010, 05:14 PM	#8
bigbird34 Senior Member Join Date: September 21, 2007 Location: N.W.Vermont Posts: 291	Trigger Be sure to check the trigger pull on the rifle,some can be heavy .....my sendero is 2.5lbs of pull ....and it's a 7mmRmag,not a 300...so I can't offer any reload data....but I can get a MOA at 200 yards...Jim

December 8, 2010, 12:43 AM	#4
700sage Member Join Date: November 28, 2010 Location: Rio Rancho Posts: 90	Try some federal premium rounds with 180 grain Nosler Accubonds. Should give you the accuracy and power you need until you get reloading.

December 8, 2010, 12:50 AM	#5
700sage Member Join Date: November 28, 2010 Location: Rio Rancho Posts: 90	Also my reloading data says: 180gn Ballistic Tip ahead of 69.0gns of H4350 produces 3094fps and half inch groups. As always start below this point and work up. Your gun may have a different load that it is more accurate with.

December 10, 2010, 10:10 PM	#7
kdog70 Member Join Date: September 18, 2008 Location: Marquette,Mi Posts: 89	How about a Nosler accubond the heaviest you can find then push it as fast as you can handle, its a tough bullet for the 100 yard shot and they shoot well enough out of most gun to easily make it to 400 yards. If you wanted to target shoot or practice and extend your range go right to the 210 Berger VLD , 208 Hornady Amax if you can find them, 220 Sierra SMK are all great bullets. I shoot the 208 and 210 to a mile out of my rig. Retumbo, Rl25,H1000 are the powders I have used. I worked up loads and they are all over max by the book but seem to be safe in my rifle as I have 7 firings in my brass with no problems yet.