I am thinking of a new project. i have a old encore barrel that i am thinking of making into a pistol. it will have to be 15" long to meet the DWR rules of hunting. it is chambered in a 338x300 wm . first question is will the T/C muzzle brake be good enough of will i need another kind? next is scope i am thinking burris 3x12. and loads for this think light bullets like the 200 gr or the heavy ones like the 300 gr. i was thinking hornady 285 ELDX. and third do i need to buy insurance for broken bones. I am hoping the Ernie will chim in it looks like he is the all knowing of big handguns. thanks Allen
new build help
- Thread starter allen y
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
I am not a fan of the magnum head size/boltface in the Encore.
If I was starting from scratch, I would rather start with a 280AI as is and or neck up or the 35 Whelen and neck down and improve/fire-form.
Since you already have this barrel though...What is the MV with different weights and what is the current length? Guessing you will lose around 300 fps compared to the rifle length.
I am not the all-knowing FWIW.
What animals do you have in mind and at what distances?
I have never used the the TC muzzle brake.
I am a big fan of Holland's Radial Baffle, especially for this class of cartridge!
You are going to have to be careful and not run the pressure as high as you can with a bolt rig, since you have the magnum head size (regardless of barrel length) as you will get more action flex than you would with a .473 head size at the same pressure...Which means more case stretch/growth and the possibility of case/head separation taking place sooner than what would happen in a bolt rig.
Holland brake at work with a 7mm Dakota and 180's. Holland Radial Baffle
Heavier contour 7mm Dakota with 175's. Holland Radial Baffle
26 Nosler with 147's...Holland Radial Baffle
If I was starting from scratch, I would rather start with a 280AI as is and or neck up or the 35 Whelen and neck down and improve/fire-form.
Since you already have this barrel though...What is the MV with different weights and what is the current length? Guessing you will lose around 300 fps compared to the rifle length.
I am not the all-knowing FWIW.
What animals do you have in mind and at what distances?
I have never used the the TC muzzle brake.
I am a big fan of Holland's Radial Baffle, especially for this class of cartridge!
You are going to have to be careful and not run the pressure as high as you can with a bolt rig, since you have the magnum head size (regardless of barrel length) as you will get more action flex than you would with a .473 head size at the same pressure...Which means more case stretch/growth and the possibility of case/head separation taking place sooner than what would happen in a bolt rig.
Holland brake at work with a 7mm Dakota and 180's. Holland Radial Baffle
Heavier contour 7mm Dakota with 175's. Holland Radial Baffle
26 Nosler with 147's...Holland Radial Baffle
animals i would like to hunt.. should draw a buffalo tag in the next couple of years and a deer tag next year. other then that maybe some long range plinking. i was not think of running it to max more to the low side. with the heavy bullet around 2100 and on the light side maybe 2300 still gives me around 2000 flbs at 300 yards. the barrel started life as a 338 wm from T/C custom shop could not get it to shoot under 3" sent it to Mike Bellm and the chamber was off he rechambered it to 338x300 to get a clean chamber. it shot good when fire forming the brass did not go any further then that got tired of messing with it. then tried to sale it got burned on that to. so it has been setting around for a long time. now all my other projects are done in needed something else so here we are
I would probably go with the 225 grain or the 250 grain Nosler Accubond bullet.
Never hunted bison, but if you needed more of a tougher bullet, the Swift A-Frame.
I used the 265 grain LR AB for my Stag this past summer...624 yards.
Never hunted bison, but if you needed more of a tougher bullet, the Swift A-Frame.
I used the 265 grain LR AB for my Stag this past summer...624 yards.
Of course the Hornady 270 grain ELD-X or the 285 grain ELD-M will work great for deer.
It is just when you keep adding a heavier bullet, the recoil is going up quite a bit.
I know in my 338 Lapua Improved center-grip XP-100, the 250 grain load was like nothing while the 300 grain load had a lot more recoil.
It is just when you keep adding a heavier bullet, the recoil is going up quite a bit.
I know in my 338 Lapua Improved center-grip XP-100, the 250 grain load was like nothing while the 300 grain load had a lot more recoil.
If it was a XP-100, I would be using a rifle scope for sure with a Holland Radial Baffle brake.
My 338 Lapua Improved XP had a rifle scope as well
I know a Hazer that used to live North of Gillette, but I do not remember his last name. I had not seen him for quite awhile.
I know Hazer. I have not seen him in a long time. I don't think he is building guns now...not sure though.
