338 Edge/ABS break in/development.

[Michael Eichele]

I deceided a couple days ago to start breaking in the ABS barrel in 338 Edge. While doing so, I have also been working up to find my safe pressures. I have not yet hit max and after finding a great load with the 250 SMK @ 2866, I dont feel the need to explore any further. This is a very mild accurate load with minimal ES. So far the accuracy potential seems good (sub .5 MOA to .5 MOA). It is hard to really get to see the potential when youre shooting one and cleaning, but I am now to the point where I am shooting 3 and cleaning. A couple times I have fouled once, shot three and cleaned. I think I am about done with the break in as she is becoming pretty easy to clean. I was a bit worried about fouling after the first couple shots but I am pleasantly suprised after the break in. All in all, I have 34 rounds down the pipe and after bore scoping the barrel, it looks perfect. So perfect it doesnt look like it has ever been fired. That is more than I can say for my first ABS barrel in 300 RUM which the throat was severely cooked in 65 rounds. Mike D. still doesnt know what the heck happend there but I appreciate his looking it over and replacing it due to some defects in the riflings.

I know this can be improved, but it is promise. I cant wait till I get some 300 grain pills.

250 SMK 88.0 H1000 @100 yards

250 SMK 88.0 H1000 @ 100 yards

2nd 300 yard group

 

[AJ Peacock]

Good to see the barrel is working out. How long is it?

That really is a light load you're shooting. I'm going to be working up a load with some 250gr Accubonds and hope to get to around 3000fps in my 28" barrel. (maybe flirt with 3100??)

AJ

 

[Michael Eichele]

BBL is 28"

Yes, it is light, but I just dont feel like pushing them hard. I definately have lots of room to grow though. Pressure is nill.

 

[Coyboy]

Michael, When you get the 300smks try 89 grains of H1000, It's a good mid-level load, that has shot in the .3 with the both guns I tried it in. Velocities were in the 2750 range so there is room to go up a bit. This load is my brake in load and they shoot it into cloverleafs right off the bat.

 

[AJ Peacock]

Michael, When you get the 300smks try 89 grains of H1000, It's a good mid-level load, that has shot in the .3 with the both guns I tried it in. Velocities were in the 2750 range so there is room to go up a bit. This load is my brake in load and they shoot it into cloverleafs right off the bat.

Coyboy, what chrono did you use for that? that is the velocity I get with 92gr in a 28" barrel.

AJ

 

[Michael Eichele]

Thanks for the recipie Coyboy. I think I possibly will need to be a wee bit lower than 89.0 due to the VERY short throat in this barrel. With the 250 SMK I am loading them to 3.725 and am only a few thousandths off the lands. Most guys are running a much longer OACL. My target velocity is right at your sweet spot though, 2750.

I am pretty sure the break in is done. I just came back in from the garage after cleaning it since the last few shots today and cleaned up VERY fast and easy. Among the fastest and easiest I have ever done.

 

[Coyboy]

AJ, Pro-crony, yea I know but it's all I got. I had a friend over who was running 94.5 and using his brass once!! at 2930fps, 30"

One had a 28" barrel running right at 2700- 2710 with the other being a 30" at 2750. The 30 inch gun is my own and I believe my current load is 2780's fps with 90 grains

But the difference between us could be chaulked up to ; crony, powder scale, barrel manf., powder lot, who knows what else. 2750 does seems a little slow to me with 92 grains, but what the heck if she is shooting whats a few fps.

 

[Michael Eichele]

With cases this big, it has been my experience that it doesnt take much lot to lot varience, chamber demension differences or throat differences to make HUGE changes in velocity from one rifle/load to the next.

When one guy uses X grains of X powder, and another uses the exact same load and they get 2 totally different velocities, the lot of powder used, chamber dimensions, throat length, how far into or off the lands their running makes a HUGE difference in velocity. Hence the reason equal velocities arent always found with the same powder charges.

I guarantee you guys that with my short throat and tight chamber, if I were to run 92-94 grains of H1000 under the 300 SMK, I would be in serious trouble. Now if I lengthend the throat and increased case capacity by seating the bullets further out, I would be in buisness.

Hence the statement in every reloading manual. Start low and work up. It doesnt seem to be near as critical nor as dangerous with smaller calibers such as the 308 winnie and such but the bigger mags are very tempermental and show there tempers when little things are different.

 

[AJ Peacock]

AJ, Pro-crony, yea I know but it's all I got. I had a friend over who was running 94.5 and using his brass once!! at 2930fps, 30"

One had a 28" barrel running right at 2700- 2710 with the other being a 30" at 2750. The 30 inch gun is my own and I believe my current load is 2780's fps with 90 grains

But the difference between us could be chaulked up to ; crony, powder scale, barrel manf., powder lot, who knows what else. 2750 does seems a little slow to me with 92 grains, but what the heck if she is shooting whats a few fps.

Thanks, just curious. Dogdinger's rifle shoots a higher fps than mine with 92gr and is on the edge of being sticky, mine seems like nice gentle pressure. Every rifle is certainly unique.

thanks,
AJ

 

[MontanaRifleman]

Michael,

Thanks for sharing your break-in and load development. Must be a lot of fun getting a new shooting stick on line.

Why did you opt for a short throat?

-MR

 

[Michael Eichele]

Michael,

Thanks for sharing your break-in and load development. Must be a lot of fun getting a new shooting stick on line.

Why did you opt for a short throat?

-MR

I can always make it longer!

I cant ever make it shorter without setting the barrel back.

I may opt in the near future to lengthen it but I will wait a few rounds and see how it holds up. the 300 RUM throat cooked very fast and I want to be able to clean it up a touch a few times need be. So far all looks good.

 

[sambo3006]

Michael,
Glad to hear the Edge is a shooter and easy to clean. Your horror stories about the 300 RUM are making me want to look at the throat on my Remington factory tube (or maybe I don't want to look!) I got it used but I doubt there were many rounds through it and I put about 50-60 rounds through it last fall. So far it is an excellent shooter with the 200 gr AB. I'm way off the rifling due to mag length restrictions, wonder if that makes any difference in throat wear?

 

[Michael Eichele]

I would let the chony tell you whats going on before you scope the bore. If your day to day velocity is reasonably close AND your accuracy is the same, I wouldnt sweat it. When your day to dayvelocity average starts to creep up, then get it looked at.

My opinion is that it isnt as critical with factory sticks. They are "rougher" than custom barrels and tend to "smooth" out over time buying you some more time. A factory barrel will actually improve with some time. When you start with a perfect smooth mirror bore with perfect tolerences, it has no where to go but downhill. In my case it was down hill fast and caused alot of extra friction and pressure shortly after the initial development.

From everything I have gathered, what I experienced was NOT the norm. Yes the 300 RUM is a barrel burner but it seems like mine cooked exceptionaly fast and for no apparent reason. The barrel was rockwell tested and came back perfect so who knows why.

My old Lilja barrel did show me all the same signs as my ABS just at a MUCH slower pace. I have nearly 1100 rounds down the bore and while I had to drop my loads some like I did the ABS it has been consistent since I did. It still shoots groups nearly as good as day 1.

 

[davewilson]

your load/speed does seem very low to me. i've shot the 250SMK's out of my edge the last couple years and go about 3050 with 97 gr of h1000 powder. mine has a 29" barrel. i'm building a lightweight edge and planning on shooting the 225ttxs with it. will be an interesting rig.