338 Thunder II

[goodgrouper]

A good friend of mine from Wyoming just built the second 338 thunder and we got out to test it finally.

He built this gun as a switchstock rig for benchrest and for hunting elk and everything else in Wyoming. He used my gun last fall to kill an antelope at 1086 yards and just had to have one.

I lent him my reamer and dies and we found some interesting things in load development. Despite having a totally different lot of powder, his gun liked the same load and shot nearly identical speeds. This cartridge has something to it as we have now fired 6 different loads in his gun with the largest standard deviation being 12. Most of the other loads are in the 2 or 3 fps range!! My gun was like this too. I believe it is the 40 degree shoulder that is doing this and the right powders.

Anyhow, back to his gun. It is built on a Stiller Predator action, Lilja barrel, Mcmillan stock, Jewell trigger, Leupold scope, and Vias muzzle brake. Smithed by a guy here in Utah.

Of the loads we tried in our one and only range session, the biggest group went .75" and the smallest being .272". THIS GUN SHOOTS!

Powder was RL22 and the bullet is a 225 grain Nosler Accubond (yes we realize the 300 grain MK has a higher bc as does the 250 grain Scenar but we want this gun to actually KILL something) and the primer was a Fed 215 gm.

With any luck, this gun will kill a heap of game this year. My friend has two cow elk tags, one bull elk tag, three antelope tags, one deer tag, and he is a fox hunter the rest of the year for bounty.

Here is some pics of the hardware:

 

[Eaglet]

GG,

That's awesome! That's nice! Congratulate him for me!

I do remember him! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[blygy]

Sooo... what it the 338 Thunder?????

Thanx

 

[jwp475]

Improved 338 RUM...............

 

[Fiftydriver]

GG,

Nice looking rig, What length and diameter barrel is that on the rifle and how did he have that Stiller bedded. Looks like a 1.250" straight cylinder pipe to me.

You ever consider trying the new 265 gr AL RBBT bullets from Wildcat Bullets. I have been testing them alot lately and have been really impressed so far for prototype bullets.

As far as BC, lets just say they appear to be offering around a 0.100 jump over the 300 gr SMK AT LEAST!!!

With the aluminum tip for expansion and the very heavy 30 thou thick jacket, I would think they would be about perfect for your Thunder class of round.

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[Bigcat_hunter]

"Powder was RL22 and the bullet is a 225 grain Nosler Accubond (yes we realize the 300 grain MK has a higher bc as does the 250 grain Scenar but we want this gun to actually KILL something) and the primer was a Fed 215 gm."


Why do you say that? Have you had bad luck using the 300g SMK?

 

[davewilson]

i'll give Ric a call! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[goodgrouper]

That's the guy!

We'll do. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[goodgrouper]

Kirby,

The barrel is a straight 1.25" barrel and was bedded using pillars in the standard way.

I would be all about trying out some AL tipped wildcats. What twist would the 265 grain require? I have a 9.5" twist. How do I get some to try? And have you tested the terminal performance of them yet on phonebooks or other media?

Would use them on a moose next month if they turned out ok. Going for 1500 yards or perhaps a 1 mile kill.

 

[goodgrouper]

The 300 grain MK and the 250 MK gave very inconsistent results when it came to terminal performance in my testing. The 250 Scenars had no terminal performance! Could have loaded them back up almost. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Accubonds have not let me down yet. They always expand and they make a big hole.

 

[Slopeshunter]

GoodGrouper, how did your friend do this past fall with his Thunder?

 

[rtv900]

Eaglet,

Thats one long shot. Those are some really cool looking rifles and it works. As they say the proof is in the pudding. That was one long shot. I hope to be able to do that some day. Way to go!!

 

[Bigcat_hunter]

Where did you get the scope ring with the level on it?

 

[goodgrouper]

GoodGrouper, how did your friend do this past fall with his Thunder?

Well, he killed three antelope, two elk, a deer, and several coyotes. His farthest was a doe antelope at just over 1500 yards. Hit her with a 300 grain SMK and it went from butt to chest and exited. She was drinking out of a pond when the bullet struck and she dropped right into the water and probably drowned before she lost all and I mean all of her blood. Exit wound was grapefruit sized!

His farthest coyote was around 900 yards if memory serves and it almost cut it's head off.

One of the elk was under 20 yards in a self defense situation and the 225 Accubond went in the chest and out the rear and the elk skidded to a stop on it's belly so close that he touched the nose with his muzzle!
A quick bugle in the pre-dawn light set this bull off into a full on charge.