To a point this is true, but why buy a 300winmag & run it at 308 vel for pure accuracy? Just get a 308, but then you might load that down to a 30-30.
Agree, get a bigger gun instead of making your smaller gun unsafe trying to make it a bigger gun. I bought a 10mm to run max loads; 200gr bullets at 1200fps+. If i wanted to run 180gr @ 1000fps, i would just shoot a longer bbl 40.
You are right, but perhaps we're missing the point of not going full out maximum. I don't load my rifles to maximum either, but that doesn't mean I download them heavily. I never ran my 220 Swift loads to full balls out power, but then again, I never downloaded them to 223. My 25-06 loads were never trying to break records, but then again, they weren't 257 Roberts grade plinkers, either. I think the problem here is the either/or logical fallacy, there is a miscommunication that if I don't push my 375 H&H to 53,000 CUP, I must be shooting lead bullets at 18,000 CUP turning my Safari rifle into an overgrown 38-55, without a broad spectrum in between.
Comes down to the fact that a less than max 300 Winchester Magnum is still way hotter velocity wise than a .308. You don't need to scrounge every last bit of performance to have a great performing load in some cases, and in some people's estimates, they will get better accuracy out of their loads by backing off a tiny bit. Running a 300 Win Mag with loads around 48,000-50,000 CUP instead of 54,000 doesn't mean you are trying to turn your magnum into something else, perhaps its where your guns are shooting best, perhaps you don't need the last bits of velocity, or other reasons.
There's nothing wrong with running safe max reloads, and I remember you saying you've had good success with both accuracy and case longevity before, Mr. fredj338, and on that you are absolutely right. Beyond that, its best to tell the new reloaders to not be brave and test the waters, or else they might get to 'smart" for their own good, and do something they will regret. Being cautious is not a bad thing in reloading, and especially for those who don't need the performance, shying away from max is not a terrible thing. The last issue would be the fact that reduced loads can lower pressures enough to help extend the life of brass, no matter how good or bad your reloading setup is on them.
Working up max loads is not bad, but it is something that people should do after they know what they are doing, know why they want the performance, know the dangers, the benefits, and everything else. Surgeons don't just jump into heart surgery the first day they hit medical school, and taking cartridges to limits is something that someone with their first rock chucker and box of primers and powder should not be worrying about, when there is so much to concentrate on learn on first.
