338 ultra load development

[YZEATER]

True. I didn't size them.

I am in the middle of free floating the barrel right now. It had pressure at the tip of the forend and other places.
I picked up some reloader 25 tonight and gonna order some 225 grain AB.

 

[angus-5024]

I have a .338RUM in an XCR. So its a lightwieght too. I free-floated the factory stock until I can buy a nice laminate. When free floating remove alot of material, about 3/16 either side of the barrel. those stocks move a ton. After you've done that epoxy bed it and see how she does. Mine does well with 300 grain matchkings and 210 TTSX's. I would like to try 250 AB's as well.
I use 94 grains retumbo with the 300 matchking and 96grains RL22 with the 210 TTSX. I have found all the Alliant powders I have used to be too temp sensitive for my climate and Im going to switch powders on the 210 load.good luck.

 

[YZEATER]

i full length resized my remaining 17 new cases and shot them today.

here is my best today.

95.0 grain of reloader 25, 250 gr AB, fed 215. 2" aiming point.


only had 4 remaining cases so i loaded up some 225 AB's. i just picked a load, for quick reference. i think i least have a new starting point. there are 4 shots with the 225's.

topshot--- i tried 95 grain of h1000, still a 3" group.

 

[YZEATER]

wow, i feel like a *******.

i think i have my accuracy problem figured out. so saturday i got up early to load up some more loads to try. went and shot them and came up with the same results as before. 1.5 - 2.5" groups. left my buddies placed ready to give up on the gun and go to one of my others. stopped at the in-laws to pick up my wife and was looking for ground hogs across the road with the .338 rum in hand. in sitting there, looking at the rifle i noticed that the lockring for the eyepiece on the scope was about 3/16" of an inch away from the eyepiece. no where near locked down.

i thought about it a bit and put the gun away. thought about it some more sunday and then again before getting up for work today. took the gun to the garage and locked it in the vise and confirmed what i already knew.

at least i only wasted $100 or less on bullets, primers, powder and brass life. not to mention the time, and gas to go to my buddies to shoot.

 

[Good]

As far as stocks McMillan has a new offering for us hunters with sporter barrels that is not in the catalog or on the website. It has a vertical grip which is what I'm looking for. It comes in around 2.2lbs.

 

[YZEATER]

started testing again today. i'm starting over in development. i still have some cases to fire form so i loaded up some 200gr speer SP and 100gr h1000, they didn't work to well. shot some 250 AB's and 95gr re25, and some 225AB's, 96gr of rel25. those didn't fare so well either.

going to start over with once fired cases and 3 different powders.

 

[GNERGY]

What is your OAL. How far are you seating them off the lands. With RL powder the hotter it got outside the hotter my loads got. I think H 1000 is for heavier bullets 250 to 300.
Tarey

 

[YZEATER]

i set the AB's as long as the magazine well would allow. i left the gun at my biddies for him to fire form the rest of my cases. i need to check how far they are off the lands.

 

[JD338]

I am shooting a M700 LSS 338 RUM with the 250 gr AB and 96.8 grs Retumbo.
Rifle is stock, just added a Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad.

JD338

 

[YZEATER]

Mine is no where near that. Retumbo is the worst. H1000 is better but reloader 25 is the best I've tried. Even at that I get 2.5" groups at 200 yards. I have some pics from shooting yesterday.

I need to compare my OAL to yours.

 

[YZEATER]

i have searched pretty much all over. what is the max length of the case before you trim it down?

 

[JD338]

2.760"

jd338

 

[YZEATER]

That's the trim to length? Do you trim to that every firing? I usually let my other calibers go a firing or two before trimming.

 

[D.Camilleri]

Trim to length is 2.750. Your gun could like a longer jump to the lands also. Have you been cleaning the barrel to get all the copper out? I am shooting 98 gr H-1000 with 225 NAB's with OAL of 3.640
I backed off from using REL 25 due to temp sensativity. Also a good idea to chrono your loads and see where you are. My best accuracy is coming at 3150 fps with 225 NAB's and brass life has also improved. I was getting good accuracy with REL 25 and 3250-3300, but primer pockets were getting loose fast. I have also noticed that the new lots of H-1000 are hotter than the lots of a couple years ago. Deburring the inside of the primer hole has helped also. If your cases are too long, all bets are off.