338 Lapua Load help

[Nellej12]

I have a 338 lapua on the way and would like some input on the load direction.

needed info on:
Best Powder: RL33 or H-1000 or Retumbo
Powder amount: ?? (Yes I know every rifle is different but just looking for a ball park amount so I don't waste a bunch of ammo/$ testing)
Best Primers: ??

I will be using a rifle with a 26" barrel, Berger 300gr Elite hunters, Lapua cases and possibly CCI No250 large Mag primers. I'm open to a different primer.
Main use for the rifle will be hunting out west.

Thanks,

Jeff

 

[brentc]

I have a 338 lapua on the way and would like some input on the load direction.

needed info on:
Best Powder: RL33 or H-1000 or Retumbo
Powder amount: ?? (Yes I know every rifle is different but just looking for a ball park amount so I don't waste a bunch of ammo/$ testing)
Best Primers: ??

I will be using a rifle with a 26" barrel, Berger 300gr Elite hunters, Lapua cases and possibly CCI No250 large Mag primers. I'm open to a different primer.
Main use for the rifle will be hunting out west.

Thanks,

Jeff

I've ran all of them and settled on Retumbo. 89.3 grains with a 300 EH .001" off the lands and a CCI250 in Lapua brass. It's easy on brass and it regularly prints in the .3s beyond 300 yards. I run them at 2765 fps in a 28" tube. I'd expect yours to end up at 2700 with a similar load.

 

[gohring3006]

H1000 works well for me and the 285 ELD.
I didn't have any luck with it and the 300 grain Hybrids, and that was with a Berger seating depth test. But I do know some people have very good luck with it.
I was able to hold 1 Moa at 400 yards, and after switching to the 285 I was holding about .3-.4 Moa consistently.

 

[Sig21]

RL33 works great for me....all my rifles I start with seat depth testing then move to powder charges, and has always worked for me. I know this is what you stated you don't want to to... Then I would stick with factory ammo,,,,jmo....

On my 338lm 3 shots of at lands- .035 off every .005... For my rifle i found .015 was the best group ( the powder charge started at min..90gr)

Then started at the min of rl33 90gr and worked my way to 98gr(max wtas94gr) 3 shot for every half gr. 98gr was near 3000fps and was about .6moa settled for 95gr which produced a 3 shot group of .182 at 100yds

This is the load for my custom rifle


Bat model m
Hart 28" 1.25 straight
Jewell trigger
McMillan a5


Lapua brass
215m primers
300 Berger otm
Rl33 95gr

 

[C.O. Shooter]

Tagging in. I'm in your same boat. Looking at starting with 88 grains of H1000 w/215M primers and 300 grain Berger Elite Hunters.

 

[Rymart]

H1000 is my go to powder for 338 LM. Never had an issue finding an accurate load with it. Seems like current reloading manuals and online guidelines are pretty conservative on charge weights. I'd start somewhere around 85 grains and work up watching for pressure.

In my rifle, 91.5 gr was the ticket with 300 gr SMK's and the 300 gr Berger Hybrids. 92.0 + grains actually shot better, but pressure was too much. Seems like with the 300 class bullets and H1000 the high node is right at/over max pressure. This is with Lapua brand brass, Fed 215 primers, ~ 0.025" jump.

Still testing the 285 gr ELD-M's with H1000, but so far with Lapua brass my node looks to be at 92.7 gr, pushing 2880 fps in a 27" barrel.

With RWS brass, it's 91.4 gr at 2860 fps.

This is with a Bartlein 5R barrel. Not sure if a factory barrel will get these velocities.

 

[Nellej12]

I don't mind doing load development for my rifles. Getting a little push in the right direction never hurts to narrow down the powder amount to with in a grain or 2 is what I'm looking for. The books and any info from the powder manufactures has a big spread in powder amounts.

thanks,

Jeff