My 338 Sherman Shortmag

[bigngreen]

This will be a hunting rifle and my first build. I am not to concerned with weight, Just something different from the normal ho hum. I was going to go with the 338wm, but after reading your post and checking your website, decided to go with one of yours. I really like how you engineered all the performance possible without going to the extreme. Beginning to look like 6.5SS will be next.......see what you started!

and btw.....that's not a complaint

If your wanting to be a little budget minded, like Rich mentioned the Kwik Klip from Cabelas works so awesome for doing the Max in a long action and they are a little over a $100 and all metal. I've been using them for years running mid length chambering in Rem 700 long actions, the mag is flush so it hunts nice. You can take a step up in quality and price and do a HS Precision mag which is just super sweet for hunting.

 

[elkaholic]

View attachment 143596 View attachment 143597

I love it!! That Logo is amazing against the back color

 

[KMG]

Finally got some finishing touches on my 338ss completed. I'm running load work up with ADG & some Norma brass for a comparison. All were fireformed with 215m, 55grs of RL17 & 285 eldm's @ 3.082" coal. Sized & bumped .003" w/.420 guage trimmed to 1.930" w/ .360 bushing.

First round of load work up running Varget & RL17.

#1. ADG Brass- 240 Bulldozer, Varget, 215m
59 grs 2754'- 59.5grs 2783'- 60grs 2812'- 60.5grs 2836'- 61grs 2842'- 61.5grs 2877' 62grs 2902'
Got a slight swipe on the case @ 62 grains with the primers starting to flatten but no stiff bolt lift & easy extraction.

#2. Norma Brass- 240 Bulldozer, RL17, 215m
62grs 2806'- 62.5grs 2838'- 63grs 2855'- 63.5grs 2888'- 64grs 2906'- 64.5grs 0? 65grs 2956'.
Did not pressure out yet with RL17! Wow, but great velocity! I used a 4" drop tube to settle the last two powder charges. Crunching kernels, quite compressed but didn't push the bullet out at all. Will try to fit 66grs in next time out to top 3000' with the 240 Bldzr'.

#3 ADG Brass- 285 ELDM, RL17, 215m
58grs 2530'- 58.5grs 2569'- 59grs 2584'- 59.5grs 2609'- 60grs 2635'- 60.5grs 2624'- 61grs 2661'- 61.5grs 2676'- 62grs 2693'-
Primers starting to get flat @ 61.5 & 62 but no swipe, no bolt lift at all. Will load another grain, grain & a half to pressure out next time.

#4. Norma Brass- 230 ELDM, RL17, 215m
Ran 4 at 64 grains for group & three more to 65.5 grains to see if I pressure out with the 230. 2792, 2795, 2795, 2794 @ 64grs RL17. 65.5grs was not max yet at 2892'! Quick note on the 230's. I had these seated out real far & they still were jumping almost 80 thousandths.

 

[ruby76]

I'll be getting back to mine soon. Waited until I had a new scope, wasn't confident the one on there was holding zero. I just picked up a zeiss conquest v4 6-24.

 

[elkaholic]

Finally got some finishing touches on my 338ss completed. I'm running load work up with ADG & some Norma brass for a comparison. All were fireformed with 215m, 55grs of RL17 & 285 eldm's @ 3.082" coal. Sized & bumped .003" w/.420 guage trimmed to 1.930" w/ .360 bushing.

First round of load work up running Varget & RL17.

#1. ADG Brass- 240 Bulldozer, Varget, 215m
59 grs 2754'- 59.5grs 2783'- 60grs 2812'- 60.5grs 2836'- 61grs 2842'- 61.5grs 2877' 62grs 2902'
Got a slight swipe on the case @ 62 grains with the primers starting to flatten but no stiff bolt lift & easy extraction.

#2. Norma Brass- 240 Bulldozer, RL17, 215m
62grs 2806'- 62.5grs 2838'- 63grs 2855'- 63.5grs 2888'- 64grs 2906'- 64.5grs 0? 65grs 2956'.
Did not pressure out yet with RL17! Wow, but great velocity! I used a 4" drop tube to settle the last two powder charges. Crunching kernels, quite compressed but didn't push the bullet out at all. Will try to fit 66grs in next time out to top 3000' with the 240 Bldzr'.

#3 ADG Brass- 285 ELDM, RL17, 215m
58grs 2530'- 58.5grs 2569'- 59grs 2584'- 59.5grs 2609'- 60grs 2635'- 60.5grs 2624'- 61grs 2661'- 61.5grs 2676'- 62grs 2693'-
Primers starting to get flat @ 61.5 & 62 but no swipe, no bolt lift at all. Will load another grain, grain & a half to pressure out next time.

#4. Norma Brass- 230 ELDM, RL17, 215m
Ran 4 at 64 grains for group & three more to 65.5 grains to see if I pressure out with the 230. 2792, 2795, 2795, 2794 @ 64grs RL17. 65.5grs was not max yet at 2892'! Quick note on the 230's. I had these seated out real far & they still were jumping almost 80 thousandths.




View attachment 143606

Those are some impressive numbers from the "little case that could"

 

[WiscGunner]

View attachment 143596 View attachment 143597

More info on your build please. Love the logo on the barrel! Wish my 7ss had that.

 

[Akmtnrunner]

Hello,

I am completely new to the idea of the Sherman cartridges but I am very interested and impressed so far. I have read through all of the pages here to try to wrap my head around it but I still feel in the dark, as I am a novice when it comes to piecing together rifles for wildcats. If I may enter the conversation, I am wondering how I can get set up with a 338 SS in a simple and cost-effective way.

For background, I have been strategizing a 338 caliber Tikka to shoot 225 gr Barnes TTSX as my do everything rifle in Alaska. I like the 338-06 and 338 WM and prior to learning about the 338 SS, I was decided on going the WM route by simply reboring a T3x stainless from 7mm rem mag to 338 win mag by JES Reboring. I already have a mesa precision stock to fit the Tikka, which should handle the higher recoil nicely. Besides the stock, I could buy a new Tikka and turn it into a 338 WM in a few weeks and around $1100 total.

How would setting up the 338 SS compare? Can the factory action, bolt, and barrel be used to build a 338 SS? Which factory chambering would be best to start with? It sounds like the SS route just means adding the reaming step so not a big cost increase but please correct me if I am wrong.

I love the idea of getting 338 win mag performance with less powder and I like to load my own but I have other interests too that I would rather spend my time and money on. So, I would like to know how much more involved the process is than what I outlined above for the win mag.

By the way, I think there would be a ginormous market for this line of cartridges in the backpacking hunting community. Specifically, if there was a well-groomed and nonintimidating path with factory Tikka's.

 

[elkaholic]

I think you would be better off selling the Tikka barrel and using the rest for the build. Im not sure if you have enough meat in the shank or not? MAYBE
The ss is quite a bit shorter than a wm so the chamber, when recut would require the shank being cut back around 3/4" and rethreaded.
I would consider the barrel switch and get what you want since the bolt, magazine, etc would all work. I would at that time consider going with the 338 max over the SS since the Tikka has plenty of length to do it. The Max should run a 250 Berger North of 2900' with a 24" barrel. check out my website and call if you want
shermanwildcatcartridges.com

 

[Akmtnrunner]

Thanks for the fast response!

I think I would still prefer the Short, as I really don't need the extra velocity. Heck, for a long time I was planning on going to the 338-06 because it could do what I wanted but in the end, I'd rather have better case life with a magnum loaded modestly.

Would a 300 WSM factory Tikka be a better fit to start with?

 

[elkaholic]

Thanks for the fast response!

I think I would still prefer the Short, as I really don't need the extra velocity. Heck, for a long time I was planning on going to the 338-06 because it could do what I wanted but in the end, I'd rather have better case life with a magnum loaded modestly.

Would a 300 WSM factory Tikka be a better fit to start with?

You cant go wrong with the ss if 2800-2860' makes you perfectly happy! Just throwing out options since you will have the length. The wsm would also fit but it isnt as efficient and there is no quality brass to compare to ADG in the ss or max. Lots of options

 

[bdlesh]

Will the 338 Max still work with a short action?

 

[elkaholic]

Will the 338 Max still work with a short action?

not as efficiently with the high b c bullets because of the mag length required.
It would with most spitzer style bullets though (i.e 250 accubond, etc)

 

[bdlesh]

Just wanted to know before I purchase an action. I might as well go to the Max.

Thanks Elkaholic!

 

[elkaholic]

Just wanted to know before I purchase an action. I might as well go to the Max.

Thanks Elkaholic!

you bet. let me know when I can help