Fired my 300 whisper for the 1st time today.

[cr500]

I finaly picked up the new 300 whisper today, built on a Sako Vixen L461 with 18" long barrel. The only loads I have fired are @ 8gns of 2400, behind 165,190 bullets and 8.5gns with 250gn bullets. I couldnt test for accuracy, as I couldnt get enough windage on the scope. Will be taking a file to the bases and mounts to get windage right.
The noise was a bit more than I expected when I fired it, but the owner of the property didnt hear it and he was about 1mile away, so it was definitley quieter than my other rifles. As suppressors are not alowed in my area, I will try to find some quieter loads. Next I might try some Trailboss powder. It is bulky and fast burning, so I,m hoping I can use lighter charges of a faster powder to lower the gas presure at the muzzle. I will post results of faster buring powder tests with 180-250gn bullets.

[Cornholio]

I wouldn't bother with the Trailboss. I'd try Red Dot, if you have any on hand. Six and a half grains should put you in the ballpark with the 165 and 190 gr bullets.

[amafrank]

You need to post some pictures of that rifle. I just bought a Sako action that is made for .222 I think and I can't figure out what model it is....its single shot and going by pics on gunbroker and other sites its either an L46 or an L461 I think.
Its going to be a .300-221 when I'm done but it sure would help find stocks and scope mounts if I knew what model I'm dealing with. I've heard good things about the Sako's and I'm looking forward to getting this one up and running. I'll post a pic of the action once it ships in.

As for quieting down your rifle, I think CH is right. You need a faster powder to make sure pressures and temps have dropped before the bullet exits the barrel. Kind of like shooting .22 LR out of a pistol than a rifle. The rifle is quieter due to lower pressure and temp gasses coming out the muzzle end. Somewhere in there is a happy medium that will have minimum pressures at the muzzle but still get proper subsonic velocity. If you go too fast on the powder you will end up needing too great a charge weight to get the bullet past the drag of the longer barrel.
Make sure you keep track of whether the bullet actually exited the barrel. Its not as hard to stick one in the barrel as you might imagine. I stuck a 147gr tracer in a remington 799 with a 16" barrel using 7.2 gr of H110. Tracers have a long bearing surface so data for the 150gr slugs was not quite enough to overcome the greater drag. I also stuck a 240gr SMK in a 9" SIG 552-300 barrel with 8gr of 4198. This load worked great in the 799 with the longer barrel but I think the gasport in the 552 dumped too much pressure and the drag of the long bullet was too much.

hope that helps
Frank

[Jeff_8]

I also own a Sako L461 in 300 Whisper, it was a 17 Rem. Had it for more than a year now but only used it in the field once. I found that the Sierra 220 grain match kings no good on small and medium game at both sub and super speed, they didn t open up at all. I also tried a supersonic load of 110 grain V-Max with 18 grains of AR2205 and it killed like lightning and was accurate, but it was loud and not what I built the rifle for. I bought a box of Woodleigh 240 grainers at the Sydney SHOT show and will be going away today, hopefully to test them.

Jeff

:sniper:
:machinegu

[cr500]

amafrank. The Sako L461 rifles I have seen have not been single shot. Mine will hold 7 cases in the mag, which is one of the reasons they are popular. I dont know what the single shot Sako would be.
I,m off to the local gunshop now to see what faster powders they have.

[amafrank]

Thanks for the info on the L461....I'm leaning toward the L46 as the best possibility.

We did some informal waterjug testing a couple weeks back and were pretty disappointed with the 240gr and 220gr results. Both of them tended to split the jug but not much and just punched through the whole thing. Sometimes you couldn't even tell you hit the jug....I loaded up some 130gr speer flat points made for 30-30 to take on this adventure too. They blew the jugs up in a most spectacular fashion. I think for hunting use the light bullets are probably the best bet and loaded up to supersonic velocity. Accuracy seems to be fine with the lightweights even with the 1-7.5" twist. The heavy slugs seem to have a niche in the harder targets area. Things like knocking down silhouettes and ringing targets at longer ranges. We tested a rifle and suppressor by firing into an unoccupied forest area. When we looked at the impacts on the trees we discovered that at 200+ yds the 220s and 240s were going through the 8in diameter walnuts and hackberry trees. Maybe thats simple for a rifle but for a subsonic slug to do that its pretty impressive. 9mm luger won't go through one of those trees at 50ft....
In many states you can't hunt with a suppressor so the versatility of the round is a great advantage.
just my opinion of course.

Frank

[Jeff_8]

My Sako only will fit 6 rounds in the magazine. I went away yesterday but only got to shoot rabbits, the 110 grain V-Max was OK, similar to 30 grain V-Max out of the 222, big holes. There wasn t anything bigger to shoot and I should have used the Whisper for the lot as I had trouble with the 222 and 22, and its quieter than the 222 even with supersonics.

cr500, who built your rifle?

Jeff

[cr500]

Jeff 8. The person who built my rifle is on this forum as spmorgan. He did a good job and it looks good.

I will probably work up 3 loads for my rifle. I will make up a subsonic load with 240gn bullets for when I want to keep the noise down. I cant use a suppressor here, but I can at least make it quieter than regular centerfires. My other loads will be 125 BTs for pigs, goats etc and 110gn Vmax for rabbits, foxes etc. Should be pretty versatile. Main thing is I want it to have low recoil and short length so my wife can use it. Low muzzle blast will not scare her as much as well.

[Jeff_8]

You need to post some pictures of that rifle. Frank


Frank,

I thought you might like to see this one.

http://www.quarterbore.net/forums/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=574

[amafrank]

Thanks Jeff,
That helps a lot. I'd say my action is definately not an L461. Its supposed to be on the UPS truck for delivery today so I'll post some pics tonight if it makes it.

Looks like you've got a good bunny face remover there too.

Frank

[amafrank]

Here are side and top views of the single shot Sako action. Any help in identification is appreciated. I need to find a stock and scope mounts for this baby and its nice to know what model ...


http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s71/amafrank/actiontop.jpg

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s71/amafrank/actionright.jpg

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s71/amafrank/actionleft.jpg

Thanks guys

Frank

[kdiver58]

I got my upper from M1S and built a DPMS lower from scratch. I even formed my own brass from cut down .223 which I had annealed the necks. I used Remington UMC .223 brass.
I wanted good fire-formed brass so I loaded all of them sonic so that I could get good case sizes.. I loaded 12.9 grains of H-110 behind a 175 grain sierra matchking bullet.
I was shooting indoors so 25 yards was as far as I shot. But I was able to fire 10 shots through 1 hole .75 center to center.
I hope it gets better as I shoot more.

Next loads will be sub sonic .. wish me luck..

[Jeff_8]

Amafrank,
It looks like an early L461 or L46. The cocking piece/safety is like the early L46, mine is a late one with the A1 type cocking piece/safety. I will try to find out more.

Jeff

:sniper:
:machinegu

[amafrank]

I found some info on a varmint rifle site and it is indeed an L46. I found a company that makes stocks and I'm getting a barrel blank ordered so progress is being made. I even found out that the Finns are using whitworth threads like the old mausers on this receiver.....damn limeys screwed up the whole world with their oddball thread systems....

Thanks
Frank

[Jeff_8]

A bit off topic but the British standardised the threads long before anyone else. Before that there were many threads, almost one from each manufacturer.

Jeff

:sniper:

:machinegu

[amafrank]

admittedly true though there were more 60deg threads out there and the whitworth is 55. Its not a big deal for cutting external threads but internals are tougher because I don't want to screw up an expensive cutting tool for one set of threads...I'll use a standard (current standard) 60deg cutter to thread a barrel holding fixture since it won't need to take much torque.
I'll assure you too that no actual insult was intended to the brits. Having worked with quite a number of them it was customary for us to "slag" each other for failings only we could percieve in the other...mostly good fun. Englanders are ok in my book, they brought us MG, Rover and Aston Martin as well as Elizibeth Hurley and a few other babes.

Having just opened my eyes and noticing you are in Australia I'll also apologize to you for any offense. I spent a good deal of time in surfers paradise for the indy races from '92 til 2004 I think....Did a bit of sightseeing and getting trapped in roundabouts.(gotta watch that inside lane)
I had a friend up at the airbase in Brisbane working on the F111's I used to work on here. They did a neat airshow at the race every year with the Aardvarks and the tudors. Some pretty nice gunshops used to be in the southport area too.
Frank

[Jeff_8]

No need to apologize for any offence I thought I would point it out. As a country that uses metric we wonder why others dont all use it. But it adds still more threads to the large and sometimes baffling choice.

Jeff


:sniper:

:machinegu