338 Edge, 250 SMK and a short barrel?

[ZebDeming]

Wondering if anyone out there had a load they'd like to share using the 250 SMK, most of the loads I found are for the 300 grain SMK. I'll probably be using H1000 because it's what I have, but if something's better I don't have to. Right now I'm using 98 grains of H1000, I haven't had much time to do load devolpment yet, but would like to have a decent place to start. Hogdon lists that as max load fot the 338 RUM. Another question, my barrel is only 17.75" long and maybe a faster powder would be better, the muzzle blast with what I'm using is pretty awesome and I think it's causing me to flinch a little, I'd give up a little velocity for reduced muzzle blast. Maybe I should just order a longer blank and rebarrel

Thanks
Zeb

[davewilson]

i know there has to be a story here, so i'll ask. how did you end up with an 18" barrel on an edge? i don't think it will matter what powder you use, you'll have a bunch of muzzle blast! i shoot 97 gr of 1000 with the 250's, but my barrel is 11" longer than yours. i would consider using the 160 gr barnes bullets or something much lighter and faster powder.

[ZebDeming]

Yea story there is. I had 338 used Lawton barrel with a real heavy profile (1.35 breach for 6" tapering to 1" muzzle 28" long) with the intentions of rebarreling a savage 110 to 338 Edge. I do all my own work, but my lathe is a smaller Logan 820 with only about .78 through the headstock, and about a 30" bed length. So not enough to put it through the headstock and not enough length to fit the whole barrel with the muzzle in the chuck and the breach on the steady and still have enough room for the reamer to be fed in, that is unless I cut the barrel down to 17.75. So it was either "borrow" another lathe, hire it done (I'm not one to wait), or chop the barrel down. Believe me, it gave me shivers, but the barrel was cheap and used, so off to the bandsaw it went. I can fit what most makers call a #4 profile most of the way through the headstock and support the breach on the steady rest for threading and chambering, it ain't ideal, but it's what I've got and I've had great luck with it so far. I'm going to rebarrel it using a better barrel, probably a Lilja #4 as they keep that barrel in stock (I did say I don't like the wait that seems to be status quo in this hobbie) I've just been kinda playing around with this barrel
Thanks for the info davewilson.

Thanks
Zeb