338 Norma Reloading Data

[SheepShapeAK]

Well, I got out to the range and was able to shoot 15 out of 20 rounds over the labradar. Then it died.....apparently AA's don't do well in it with the blue tooth on. I'll have to run my power pack next time with the usb chord.

Anyways, this was my first time using a labradar, and the first chrono I've ever owned, so I'm not sure if I had it set up 100%, even after following the directions. Reading comprehension can be hard sometimes for jarheads.

Here were my results. They seem to be much slower than everyone else's and I did have some faint ejector marks, but no flattened primers. Hopefully the barrel speeds up a hair once I get more rounds through it. These were the first 20 rounds down range. I also feel I'm no where near max after looking at everyone else's results.

275 grain BD II's
Peterson Brass Unfired
GM215M Primers
COAL- 3.752"

H1000 and IMR 7828SSC ladders.

H1000- Velocity/ FPS
83 - 2585
83.5 - 2616
84 - 2653
84.5 - 2654
85 - 2655
85.5 - 2692
86 - 2696
86.5 - 2704
87 - 2729
87.5 - 2747

IMR 7828 SSC - Velocity/ FPS

80 - 2645
80.5 - 2627
81 - 2629
81.5 - 2658
82 - 2694
82.5 - dead batteries...............
83
83.5
84
85.5

 

[WeiserBucks]

Your H1000 velocity looks good, considering it's a new barrel and virgin brass. The Bulldozer's also pressure up sooner than conventional bullets so I wouldn't be stressed out about the velocity at this point. How was the accuracy?

 

[SheepShapeAK]

Your H1000 velocity looks good, considering it's a new barrel and virgin brass. The Bulldozer's also pressure up sooner than conventional bullets so I wouldn't be stressed out about the velocity at this point. How was the accuracy?

I didn't even attempt to get on paper since I was running the ladder. Just stuck a target down there to aim at with the Labradar and the rifle. I'll load a bunch up right in the middle of that H1000 node at 84.5 grains and maybe some at 86 grains and then sight in the scope.

Plus I will be zeroing at 200 and the range I was at only had a 100 yard mark.

On another note, are you guys starting to see primers and powder down there in the lower 48? It is slim pickings up here and the primers I did come across were CCI small rifle and they wanted $90 for 1000 in the shop.

 

[codyadams]

Components are getting better, but still scarce. I got some cci small rifle mag primers the other day for $6 per 100, but there was a 2 pack limit.

 

[SheepShapeAK]

There are a few stores that limit what you can buy, and some don't care. Just gotta know how many people to bring with you in order to get out of there with enough components to last you a while.

 

[SheepShapeAK]

Got the last of my first 50 cases loaded up.
84.5 gn of H1000 in all of them.

Seated 15 rounds at 2.930" to the OGIVE then went back and measured my mags again and did the last batch of 14 at 2.947" to the OGIVE. This is as much as I can stretch them in the mags.

Might head to the range tomorrow and get the scope sighted in and run these all across the chrono. I'll be sure to bring a fully charged battery pack this time.

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

Components are getting better, but still scarce. I got some cci small rifle mag primers the other day for $6 per 100, but there was a 2 pack limit.

Cody
$90 per 1K is a deal in AK or anywhere, but getting $60 per 1000 of CCI SRM in Wyoming - That's probably about what CCIs were going for 2 years ago! Even if you could only get 200 at a time $12 or $0.06 a piece. I would bring my shooting friends and family to pick up some.
Thanks for the info
Been getting most powders and a lot of bullets off of the web or LRH, but no primers here in GA.
Looks like things are looking up for us all!
Like I said a while ago - Wait out the SCALPERS! The market will bring prices down.
BTW nice picture of the 338Norm cartridges. You must have spent some time polishing them! Always like to see pictures like this-could be a Promotion advertisement!
I know when I have a good looking cartridge - chamber it- and let it fly- it always hits the center X!
Thanks
Len

 

[SheepShapeAK]

Cody
$90 per 1K is a deal in AK or anywhere, but getting $60 per 1000 of CCI SRM in Wyoming - That's probably about what CCIs were going for 2 years ago! Even if you could only get 200 at a time $12 or $0.06 a piece. I would bring my shooting friends and family to pick up some.
Thanks for the info
Been getting most powders and a lot of bullets off of the web or LRH, but no primers here in GA.
Looks like things are looking up for us all!
Like I said a while ago - Wait out the SCALPERS! The market will bring prices down.
BTW nice picture of the 338Norm cartridges. You must have spent some time polishing them! Always like to see pictures like this-could be a Promotion advertisement!
I know when I have a good looking cartridge - chamber it- and let it fly- it always hits the center X!
Thanks
Len

Len,

they come this shiny from Peterson.

 

[SheepShapeAK]

Went to try and find a new area to shoot near the house so I didn't have to drive so far to the free 100 yard range. It was a bust. They had the trail blocked off with poles buried in the ground, so only wheelers could get down it.

Figured I would at least get the scope on paper and run some loads across the chrono.

I'm going to have to just take a whole day and make the drive to our 1000 yard range so I can zero at 200 and get some groups in at 600.

Also, I made a dummy round to get my COAL touching the lands and after some measurements, to load them as long as I can and get them in my mag, I'm still starting out at .093 off the lands. So,
We shall see. I will load some longer than the mag and just single shot them to see how they compare.

I'd like to get at least 70 pieces of brass fire formed so I can mess with the powders even more. Wasn't happy with the 84.5 grains of H1000 after I ran 11 loads over the chrono. They jumped around too much for my liking.

It started raining, so I didn't get to shoot the 10 I had loaded with 7828.

50 yard groups don't mean much, but here are some pictures anyways. Scope still needs to come to the right a hair, and I wasn't going to touch the elevation at the 50 yard mark.

Been digging through this thread for some data and came across this link.

Long Range Load Development for F-Class « Daily Bulletin

This article was written in 2014 for the Sierra Bullets Blog. It describes one method of load development that is commonly used. There are other methods that can work also. Some guys first isolate seating depth and then fine-tune velocity with charge weights.

bulletin.accurateshooter.com

Figured I'd bring it to the front. I'm going to give this ladder test a try. Seems a lot better than me just burning up powder to get speeds to find a node. Especially since my ES with the batch of 84.5 H1000 that I loaded was too much for my liking.

 

[SheepShapeAK]

Has anyone tried IMR 7977 yet for their Norma?

 

[billcaldwell]

I've heard from guys locally the 7977 is a good powder for the 338 Norma. I, however, have never tried it. My rifle likes 97.0 grains of Reloder 33, .081 off the lands, for 2772 fps, and is a 1000 yard grouse gun.

 

[SheepShapeAK]

Gave in an paid the extra money to renew my membership at our local private range. Longest range only goes to 330 yards, but it's better than nothing.

Shot the ladder at the 200 yard line and have two grain windows I'll be shooting for groups here shortly.

I'll make time to get to the longer range eventually, or just drag some steel plates into the mountains to shoot.

Here were my results. I used a spotter and kept track of my results on a target at the bench. I only marked the first few after walking down when a new shooter came to the line and had to setup.

26" Bartlein 5R 1:9.3
H1000
GM215M Primer
Pterson Brass - 2nd loading
275gn BD II Bulldozer bullet
2.940" to ogive

grain - velocity
84.3 - 2644
84.6 - 2645
84.9 - 2668
85.2 - 2686
85.5 - 2685
85.8 - 2709
86.1 - 2696
86.4 - 2717
86.7 - 2754
87 - 2764

I am going with 85.4gn and 86.9gn of H1000 when I go to shoot some groups. I am also going to run up a little more to see when I start getting pressure signs. I feel like I should be able to push the 275 BD II at least 2800 FPS.

 

[SheepShapeAK]

I've got some other powders I want to try. US869, IMR 7977, IMR 8133 and Accurate MagPro. Still trying to locate some starting loads, but data is far and few between.

 

[SheepShapeAK]

So after looking at the speeds for the Lapua, for the powders I wanted to load for, I'm just going to do 869 and 7977. The NM case has about 7% less capacity than the LM, so I'm going off that for my powder starting weights.

275 Grain BD II

US 869 (92-96.1 grains +.3 grain increments)

IMR 7977 (76-80.2 grains +.3 grain increments)