338 edge low velocity

[ekmclendon]

I recently finished my 338 edge build. It is a remington 700 action with 30 inch krieger 1-9.5 twist barrel. I have only tried 300 smk with RL25 . It will shoot very well but it is flattening primers bad with only 84.5 grains of powder. The velocity is around 2600-2650 with this load. It seems like this is pretty low compared to others. My oal is around 3.83. Trying to figure out how to get at least 2750-2850 out of it.

 

[Camshaft]

Try a different powder like H1000

 

[learning]

I would guess your resizing your cases to much and that would cause the flat primer maybe. As far as 84.5 grains of rl 25 you should be well under presure unless you have a very strange lot of powder. On Shawn carlocks web page he shows max at 91 grains and 2833 fps. If your bolt is not sticky I would keep going up in charge wieght.

Your overall length might be to long also. If they are touching the lands your going to get preasure sooner. Try 3.785 oal.

 

[ekmclendon]

I have tried touching them and even jumping them. Both had very flat primers. The shorter oal seemed to be worse. It definitely shot better right at the lands.

 

[learning]

I think your cases are undersized. When you clean it do you get alot of powder fowling? When you shoot does it smoke? I can't imagine you are anywhere near max. I would keep going by half grains until the bolt gets stickey or you get to 91 gr. But the only way I would even bother with staying with rl 25 is if you have some really good reason too. I would switch to H1000 or retumbo and have a better temp sensitivity.

 

[ekmclendon]

I wouldn't say there was excessive fouling. I am shooting through a suppressor so it would be hard to say if it was smoking. I went up to 85.5 and the bolt was sticky. I was just trying the RL25 because I have alot of it since that's what I run in my 408 cheytac. I have alot of Retumbo also I can try it. Do you think the H1000 is a better choice than Retumbo?

 

[learning]

H 1000 is what just about everyone uses. It is not temp sensitive and gives good a good es.

 

[shepardsonp]

Try this sight.

338 Edge Load Information

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

I did quite a few of these in the 90's for elk hunters and never had one that slow. 95% of them shoot between 2750-2850 fps with the odd one at 2700 or 2900 fps. Re 25 was not one of the better powders we used with it but it does work well and better than what you are getting. H-1000 and Retumbo were overall probably the best powders in that cartridge that we tried on my range. The case is just not big enough to utilize super slow burners like H-870, etc. that we always got super results with in the bigger 338's. Without looking at it I don't know what is going on but you should get into the 2700's even with a slow one. Try some different powders and maybe you can find a load. All of my loads are with fed 215 match primers.

I can easily get over 2750 fps out of my standard over the counter rem 700 338 RUM with a 26" barrel. Did they cut your bore to tight and building up way to much pressure. Mic it and see what you have.

 

[ekmclendon]

I tried some H1000 with CCI 250 primers like I see alot of people loading. I started with 85gr. and got 2614fps. I then went to 86gr. and got 2653fps with very light flattening of primers. Then I went to 87gr. and got 2680fps with very flat primers. I hate to go up any more. Someone replied to measure the bore not really sure what is the correct way. I took my caliper and measured in the grooves and got .335. Should it measures .338 or is it common to be a little under sized?

 

[shepardsonp]

I have went to 95g H1000 - blew a primer pocket and backed down to 94g H1000.

92-94g H1000 is where the .338-300 RUM (commonly known as the 338 Edge) shoots best with 300g SMK's or Berger.

I wouldn't think twice about going to this load and being safe on pressure. Inhave shot hundreds of rounds at this load.

 

[pitbull320]

I would say your chamber is not at the right specs I had this happen with one of my rifles and the smith found the the reamer was not at the right specs he got a new reamer and all was good I would have a smith check your chamber before I tried any thing else