300wby 15 the 180 gr tsx or mrx on top of 84gr of rl22 would be good for anything in north america just woork up to that load to be sure it is safe in your rifle. good shooting and hunting.
Hunter, you're dead on with the work up part of things. I don't know if the original post quoted above has been edited, but it does actually say to work up to be sure it's safe. Beyond that, 300Wby15 is pretty sure of what he believes (regardless of the facts in some instances) and generally behaves like the 15yr old kid he is. On the flip side, he learns a bit here and there, too, like most 15yr old kids do. Don't take any of the conversation too seriously. I don't have the Barnes manual (either #3 or #4) so I can't speak for their data with RL22, but looking at the manuals I do have, I'd say 84gr is pretty darn close to a max load with any rifle, as every current manual I have shows no more than 82.5gr of RL22 with any kind of 180gr bullet (and that's no fewer than five current manuals). I do have one older manual (two printings removed from what's current) that shows 84.5gr to be a safe max charge, but the bullets in this manual have a relatively short bearing surface, where the Barnes has a longer bearing surface, and would generate more pressure. In more modern testing, the max load from that company's current manual shows only 82.5gr of RL22. If it were me, I'd sure as crap work up with a good manual, and start at the start charges. I don't care who the gunsmith is, if he said that load was "safe" in your rifle, without going through load workup, he's a dangerous individual and will get someone's eye put out or hands blown off before he's done. I've been handloading for nearly 20yrs, and I've loaded and shot literally thousands of rounds, through dozens of guns (mine and other's), and I'm not willing to say any load close to max is safe in any rifle I haven't worked it up in. I've had instances where start charges were all I could run in a rifle - the second charge step flattened primers and put ejector marks on the case head.
Be safe. With people loading for you and advising you like it sounds like you have, 300Wby15, you're in more danger from your counsel than the bears and such you wish to be prepared for. Be safe. Learn what you're doing before you do it. Handloading is not all about experimenting to see what happens.
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