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I just Can't help it, 338-06 AI er ?
- Thread starter Bobcatter
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Wow and then some! I have a 378 BEE for that grizzly's brother! A double shovel caribou.
All that chicken fried elk steak and bar-b-qued backstrap. Here is to many more years of having to worry about freezer space. Thanks for the pictures. All of us here at LRH are happy to share your hunts vicariously.
All that chicken fried elk steak and bar-b-qued backstrap. Here is to many more years of having to worry about freezer space. Thanks for the pictures. All of us here at LRH are happy to share your hunts vicariously.
It is a small world!! Send me a PM john, I can't seem to send you one.
It won't let me send one either
Bob from Delphos Matches. Hope you had a great Christmas, and best New Year ahead ever!! Most of all, stay healthy!!
I'm with you on the lighter for deer, not much difference in trajectory but the 180 grain Nosler Accubonds I have ordered for my first load workup, planning on this bullet for anything up to Mule Deer. I am trying to find Swift 210 grain Sciroccos for everything larger. Doubt I ever hunt dangerous game or African Bovine, but if I did, the 250 Swift A-Frame would be my go to. I ordered the Hornady 200 grain for breaking in and fireforming. Even use the 200's for plinking,,, if that's possible with this little mid bore?
I lucked out on the barrel. Ken from Brux called me Thursday to tell me my 257 barrel was shipping for another build I'm finishing up. So I had to ask, "how soon you gonna run another batch of 338 barrel"? he instantly replied, were setting up the tooling today, by tomorrow we will start drilling them! I instantly said put me down for a #4 contour, this is as light as they will go for the 338 calibers, and make it a 1-10! I will have it in a couple week, first time I'll have a barrel and not be waiting on it when my action and stock work are done.
But now I'm contemplating my last purchase for this rig,,,, the reamer! I'm second guessing myself if I want the straight 338-06 instead of the Ackley? I really don't think there is a nickel's worth of difference in performance between them. But I'm thinking the Ackley is probably better for standing on those heavier 225 and 250 grain bullet loads, probably less bolt lift, and case maintenance. But I'm thinking maybe the standard 338-06 would feed better?
Anyone have hands on with both cases, and if there is any difference in feeding from the magazine? either case will do everything I could need. Any information is appreciated!
thomasbangs
Well-Known Member
I do not have any problems with the feeding of my fire forming loads or my standard hunting loads in my 338-06 AI and mine is a 98 Mauser action. I use Redding standard 338-06 AI dies. For fire forming I used Winchester 30-06 cases and seat the 200 gr. Speer sp out to where when I close the bolt it seats the bullet another. 010 back and makes sure the bullet is against the lands and case is centered and the fired case fills the chamber as I do not use a reduced load, I use 56 grs of IMR 4350 for my fire forming, not too hot but not a reduced load either. Be careful when necking up if using 30-06 brass, I lube the inside of the neck, a tapered expander button helps. You might be better off using 35 Whelen brass and necking down. I see that it is available now. There wasn't any 35 Whelen commercial brass when I did mine. I forgot to add that Redding, makes 338-06 Improved dies with 2 different shoulder angles 25 degrees and 40 degrees, mine are the 40 degrees as that's what I had built.
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thoughts on 338 weatherby rpm?
Feeding the AI case is my question?
I'm with you on the Tapered mandrels. I use the .323 then the .338 expanding mandrels from K&M that are made for prepping for neck turning. I use Lapua 30-06 brass for this 338 neck up. Easy Peasy. But for my Xx57 cases, I turn to Lapua 8x57 Mauser brass. Taking it down, and doing that I end up needing to turn the necks, as the brass being necked down has to go somewhere, and in this case it results in thicker side wall in your necks.
But for any case I'm planning on standing heavily on the loads, which is most, I try and stick with the Lapua case, and try and satay away from Hornady, Win, and Rem. even federal are softer than I like and don't seem to last for me. It might take a little more work making it for some cartridges, but the rewards latter are worth it.
I really don't care for any Magnum calibers, belted or other. I prefer the more efficient cartridges. I also years ago found that they destroy more meat than a larger caliber with moderate velocity. If I want to kill better, more speed ain't my answer. A bigger bullet is, and I will have less blood shot meat and bone fragments to pick thru when I'm done, along with the quicker kills.
Now for a varmint rig, I could care less, but I still find any of the magnums, very inefficient, and from 25 yards to 1000, there are better choices.
I misread the cartridge, the 338 RPM looks quite similar, but access to the best brass available would turn me to the 30-06 case. To old to change these day. The cartridge don't look to bad, but I would still use the Remington action, SS the main reason. I will check into cerakote and possible do the barrel and action in OD matte green?? But I'll be using the same stock Weatherby makes for their Backcountry 338 RPM. I doubt I would ever cut the barrel that light though, and am looking like 22" is probably as short as I will go.
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NikiskiDave
Member
71 here and my heavy rifle is a 280AI. Mid rifle is a 6.5 Creed. 243, 223, 22mag and a 22 long rifle. These are working guns. The safe queens are getting wittled down
It has begun. Long way out but put a couple loads together with Varget, Max 338/06 load for fire forming. This puts the powder just above the shoulder, with a quick funnel dump, good fill for the 200 grn SST Interlock. My plinking bullets. Probably find that in the improved cases with the lighter 180 grain accubond I'll run outa powder space? But I am also going to try some N135 with those bullets when the time comes. Not expecting top speeds with it, but good accuracy around 2800 fps will make for good plinking rounds, as I have plenty of it.
I'm not a big fan of running bullets with a lot of jump! I like to have at least the caliber dia, in seating depth of bearing surface in my case. I don't want a long throat and jumping the Swift Scirocco is what I'm seeing most having success with are having to do? So I've been debating my choice for heavier big game, and the Nosler AB is where I think I'm leaning. I just been trying to decide on that 200 or maybe the 225?
Most today glorify anything you use even if they only used it once, so when it comes reviews I only look for the nea's! Many won't even mention success with components, but they all quickly make sure everyone knows when something don't work! Even if it did 4 or 5 times, one bad experience, even if it were their fault make sure everyone hears about their displeasure! I don't hear anything negative about the 200 or 225 AC.
Good to hear your experience with the AB, I have heard a lot of good about the 200 grain in the 06 and 338 WM both. The AB's seem to be easy to find accuracy, and not one complaint on terminal performance with it from 3200 fps to 1800 fps, I've not heard one negative on them.The problem I have with Partition is blood shooting entire side of an animal, because of the front portion coming unscrewed. I used them once and never again. I do use Nosler BT & AB and they have done a great job for me over a great many years. They have been very accurate in my rifles. They don't seem to create much in blood shot meat either. I do push them at velocity of 3200+ fps in the rifles I uses. That at close range out 500yds. My brother love Partition bullets. So each there own. With all copper bullets you need a faster twist rate, than what had been used in older rifles. My 220 Swift I wouldn't use anything but 55grs bullets in it. It's dead on and a bug hole rifle. I have a 6mm/280AI, and building a 25/280AI presently. Just about got to get my reloading shack finish to laod for them. Getting close, but not finish yet. I had to come with a plan and alot of it is done by looking at how I am going to lay it out on the bench and store the reloading equipment. Adjusting my thinking how I plan to use the area. Most of my equipment is going to be setup InLine plates, so I don't need as much of a bench space. Storage of the equipment become the big item to deal with. Take a lot of room for those items. Several presses Dillion, P. Warren, Rock Chucker Area 19, and other setups. Scales, powder measures (4) presently and will probable will add to those. Not say the lease of components. Storing those item has become the headace inside the building. Planning, Planning. Where I had other building or a garage left me with lots of room and took up a lot of room at the same time.
Hell getting old, and taking all night to do what you could do all night.
I'm not a big fan of running bullets with a lot of jump! I like to have at least the caliber dia, in seating depth of bearing surface in my case. I don't want a long throat and jumping the Swift Scirocco is what I'm seeing most having success with are having to do? So I've been debating my choice for heavier big game, and the Nosler AB is where I think I'm leaning. I just been trying to decide on that 200 or maybe the 225?
Most today glorify anything you use even if they only used it once, so when it comes reviews I only look for the nea's! Many won't even mention success with components, but they all quickly make sure everyone knows when something don't work! Even if it did 4 or 5 times, one bad experience, even if it were their fault make sure everyone hears about their displeasure! I don't hear anything negative about the 200 or 225 AC.
It's a done deal, I found em in stock, Redding 3 die deluxe set, got the dies for 338/06 AI. So now it's just order the 338/06 A square AI reamer and I'll have everything. Spent the money for the upgraded bottom metal and magazine components for the BDL type stock I got on order. Gonna be a long 2 1/2 months! Hope with the remington I have the same result you are? Time will tell, but you give me hope!
med358-boise
Well-Known Member
Congrats! Rather than two loads of deer vs elk consider the Barnes 210 TTSX for everything H414 is good performing powder for that bullet.
I have heard more complaints from hunters using solid copper bullets than anything else. Mostly because they have such a narrow velocity spread for optimum use. But Like I said, Copper is out! for accuracy and ease of loading, with the widest working velocity spread I've seen over the years, there are only two jacketed, non-partition bullets I will consider, Accubonds, or Scirocco's.
I am almost positive the Accubonds have my vote of confidence. from antelope to. African plains game, I hear the least, nearly zero complains on their performance. As I already said, I don't put much faith in reviews stating how great they are, to many variables get left out on why they worked that time. But you will always hear about any failure with anything from components to equipment. I don't hear complaints on the performance of the Accubonds. Neither terminal performance, or accuracy. I want to know that they will perform at 3000 fps- to 1800 fps, the bonded bullets have been very reliable in that range.
My only decision will be, 200 grain,,, or 225. If I ever hunted the largest most dangerous game with this rifle,, it will be using either a 250 grain Swift A-Frame, or a Nosler Partition, in that order.
