338 Norma Reloading Data

[bamban]

Tagging in for load data. Hope to join you guys shortly. Krieger 9.35 blank is chucked up, dialed in. Will build it heavy, fluted, and melonited.

Thank y'all for the load data. Hope to see more 300 grains SMK combination. Have LRT, N570, H1000 to play with. Also 215Ms, CCI 250 and Lapua brass.

 

[Mike D Texas]

Tagging in for load data. Hope to join you guys shortly. Krieger 9.35 blank is chucked up, dialed in. Will build it heavy, fluted, and melonited.

Thank y'all for the load data. Hope to see more 300 grains SMK combination. Have LRT, N570, H1000 to play with. Also 215Ms, CCI 250 and Lapua brass.

I may need to switch from H1000 to N570 with the 300 Berger OTMs. I was shooting N570 with the CE Lazers and ABLRs. Was just trying to use a cooler burning powder for fireforming.

 

[bamban]

I may need to switch from H1000 to N570 with the 300 Berger OTMs. I was shooting N570 with the CE Lazers and ABLRs. Was just trying to use a cooler burning powder for fireforming.

Have you tried the 300 SMKs? We're building 3 rifles. My buddies will use my lathe after I finish barrel. Rifles will be just for range work. One of the reasons for looking for any 300 SMK load for my starting guide.

 

[Mike D Texas]

Have you tried the 300 SMKs? We're building 3 rifles. My buddies will use my lathe after I finish barrel. Rifles will be just for range work. One of the reasons for looking for any 300 SMK load for my starting guide.

I have not. I'm setting this one up for an elk hunt. Not that I don't think the SMKs would work, I just have no experience with them on game.

I've been wanting to try the Lazers so since they were so easy to tune this may give me the excuse. If not as good as the ABLRs shoot, I will give them a try.

 

[moses42ak]

Have you tried the 300 SMKs? We're building 3 rifles. My buddies will use my lathe after I finish barrel. Rifles will be just for range work. One of the reasons for looking for any 300 SMK load for my starting guide.

I've had good luck with the SMK's. 87.0 grains of 7977 (gotta switch powder soon as I'm running out) at 2730 fps, .040 of the lands. I haven't shot it at 100 yards as I use a 300 yard zero. At 300, if I'm doing my part it'll hold a 5 round group right at one inch. I should probably try it off a bench and see if it'll tighten up some more.

 

[bamban]

I've had good luck with the SMK's. 87.0 grains of 7977 (gotta switch powder soon as I'm running out) at 2730 fps, .040 of the lands. I haven't shot it at 100 yards as I use a 300 yard zero. At 300, if I'm doing my part it'll hold a 5 round group right at one inch. I should probably try it off a bench and see if it'll tighten up some more.

What powder would you switch to? Around 1/3 MOA is awesome. Braked? Suppressed?

 

[moses42ak]

She wears a brake, an MBM Beast. I have the usual suspects sitting the shelf but past experience says that VV N570 will be a good replacement. Should be able to match the velocity pretty easily. I've tried RL33 and got good velocities out of it but I don't have any more on the shelf. Retumbo may not yield the velocity but seems to be steady as well as H1000. I'm also going to revisit LRT but I think it's a little on the slow side. Having said that, I played with it early on and my barrel finally settled in so I'll give it another look.

 

[RH300UM]

Well I didn't have any luck with the 250 SBD-2 Badlands
I'm trying the Cutting edge MTH 265 max and the 275 max next in my 338. Trying R26 and N565 to start out. Find pressure and go for accuracy after that

 

[KH_Outdoors]

Well I didn't have any luck with the 250 SBD-2 Badlands
I'm trying the Cutting edge MTH 265 max and the 275 max next in my 338. Trying R26 and N565 to start out. Find pressure and go for accuracy after that

Did you try the regular 250 BD-2's at all? I have a box of the 250 SBD-2's to try still. My rifle got along really well with the 225 BD-2''s.

 

[RH300UM]

Did you try the regular 250 BD-2's at all? I have a box of the 250 SBD-2's to try still. My rifle got along really well with the 225 BD-2''s.

No I didn't try them. I wanted the BC

 

[SheepShapeAK]

Well I didn't have any luck with the 250 SBD-2 Badlands
I'm trying the Cutting edge MTH 265 max and the 275 max next in my 338. Trying R26 and N565 to start out. Find pressure and go for accuracy after that

What powders did you try?

H1000 worked well for me.

 

[RH300UM]

What powders did you try?

H1000 worked well for me.

R26
H1000
Retumbo
LRT
Magnum
N565
N570
Also tried different neck tension from 1 thou to 3 thou
Seating from 5 off to 50 off
150 rounds worth

 

[KH_Outdoors]

R26
H1000
Retumbo
LRT
Magnum
N565
N570
Also tried different neck tension from 1 thou to 3 thou
Seating from 5 off to 50 off
150 rounds worth

I experienced the same with the BD-2 's until I tested seating depths from .025-.125" off in .025" increments. .075" jump is where it came in for me with multiple powders. I started with a charge weight ladder up to pressure at .050" off, working up in .5 gr increments. I know of two others that have tuned the badlands at .070-.080" jump as well.

 

[SheepShapeAK]

R26
H1000
Retumbo
LRT
Magnum
N565
N570
Also tried different neck tension from 1 thou to 3 thou
Seating from 5 off to 50 off
150 rounds worth

What twist rate and barrel length?

I've started running my seating depth tests at .003" increments.

What was the best group size you got during your testing?