.338 lapua need bullet advice

[Weston]

I bought a savage rifle a few months ago the one with the HS stock, and I have been trying to work up a load for it, I have only shot the berger 300 grain OTM bullets so far, with limited success I can get the gun to group about 1.5-2 MOA at 300 yards with just about any load I put through it, I have tried a bunch of different charge weights of both retumbo and H1000 but cannot get any better groups than this, I have changed as much ad 5 grains in each powder in .5grain and .3 grain increments, I am thinking that it might be because the OAL that fits in my magazine wont allow the bullets to be close enough to the lands .053" off, I think I need to try a different bullet that has a shorter length from the ogive to the lands in order to load them in the lands. I am fairly new to reloading but have had great success in loading sub MOA rounds for my other rifles. I picked up a box of 250 grain Sierra game kings to try but have not shot them yet, does anyone have any other suggestions on what I should try? I am looking for a solid 1000 yard gun, more would be nice but if I can shoot a 15" group at 1000 I will be happy, this gun will be used to hunt elk and black bear mainly.

 

[mhiltz]

Try this, seat 3 at 3.600" 3 at 3.620", 3 at 3.640", ect until you are at 3.680". My personal experience is that they don't like being close to the lands. I am not trying to have a ****ing contest here, just sharing what works for me in my rifles.

 

[green 788]

that barrel will need at least 100 rounds to break in. such it is with factory barrels. Savage uses good barrels--they are button rifled--but they still need some break in, as they're not hand lapped or anything like that.

My 110BA began to really shoot great, consistently, at around the 150 round count.

Lots of guys will get new rifles and try one powder and bullet combo, and come to the wrong conclusion that "my rifle hates H1000", or "my rifle hates the Sierra 250 grain Matchkings..." when in fact, they were simply shooting those rounds during barrel break in and if they'd just go back and try those bullets and that powder that their rifle "hates" then they'd likely find it doesn't hate 'em so much after all.

You don't mention what brass you're using... I'll assume Lapua.

The 89 to 89.5 grain area with Retumbo and 300's should work well. I'm shooting 89.3 grains of Retumbo behind Sierra's scarce as hen's teeth 300 grain Matchkings (awaiting more to be made, the distributors say)... ...and that load shoots really great, running 2700 fps so it's not killing the brass and the throat.

My barrel quit coppering up at around 100 to 150 rounds. Up to that point, there was a fair bit of copper coming out after only 20 to 30 shots. It runs pretty clean now, just crossed over the 200 round count last week.

So I'd say give it a little more time. The 250 grain Matchkings should shoot well, but I don't know what powder charge to suggest. Somewhere upwards of 94 grains of Retumbo, most likely.

The Savages have really tight chambers... you will probably find that you can barely--if at all--slip a new bullet into the case neck of a fired case. So pressures will run higher then they will with other .338LM guns on the market. For that reason, I wouldn't advise working too close toward Hodgdon's max charges... probably try between 94 and 95.5 grains of Retumbo with the 250's and see how things look. That is in Lapua brass, by the way. Bump those charges up a grain for Hornady brass...

Dan

 

[Weston]

Thanks for the replies I am using lapua brass, and the rifle has close to 100 rounds through it now, just getting ready to order the vortex razor to throw on top, I drew a pretty good elk tag this year and need to start getting in gear!

 

[kaseyfied]

i am shooting 88.5 grains h1000 through my lapua mag.. with the berger 300 grian otms. you should know that 1.5 inch groups at 300 yards is very very good. I have my bullets seated at 3.810 overall col.. with bug hole accuracy at 200 yds.. you should try using the berger deatikng depth chart that len made up.. it works great.. but again I would be very happy with 1.5 inch groups at 300.. especially with such a big rifle

kasey

 

[Korhil78]

i am shooting 88.5 grains h1000 through my lapua mag.. with the berger 300 grian otms. you should know that 1.5 inch groups at 300 yards is very very good. I have my bullets seated at 3.810 overall col.. with bug hole accuracy at 200 yds.. you should try using the berger deatikng depth chart that len made up.. it works great.. but again I would be very happy with 1.5 inch groups at 300.. especially with such a big rifle

kasey

He isn't shooting 1.5" groups at 300 yards. He is shooting 1.5MOA groups at 300 yards which is approx. 4.7" groups at 300 yards

 

[barnesuser28]

i am using the 280 grain Barnes LRX in the same rifle with Lapua brass and 85 grains of retumbo and i am getting 2737 avg velocity at .100 off the lands. they are shooting about .75 MOA but i am still playing with the powder charge a little to try to tighten those groups down to .5MOA or better.

 

[orch]

300 gr Sierra MK would be my recommendation.... Although if you can't get your hands on some you should be able to find some hornady 285hpbt's

I started messing around with them and they were showing some potential accuracy wise being pushed by about 91.4 gr retumbo...

Orch

 

[bigry26]

I am using 300 grain bergers with 90.5 grains of retumbo oal is 3.740 which is magazine length in my savage. My 100 yard group is under 1/2 inch and my best 1000 yard is 3 3/8 inch. Ryan

 

[wolverine99]

bigry,
how far off or in the lands are you?

 

[bigry26]

bigry,
how far off or in the lands are you?

I am .120 off of the lands Ryan

 

[dino foss]

I am using 300 grain bergers with 90.5 grains of retumbo oal is 3.740 which is magazine length in my savage. My 100 yard group is under 1/2 inch and my best 1000 yard is 3 3/8 inch. Ryan

Whats you MV on that load.