I've been very happy with the results of 23 but I've never tried 25 so I cannot offer a comparison i've gotten better velocity out of 26 but the accuracy was so-so also Retumbo is out there but you better be quick on the trigger it won't last long
New .338LM reloading help
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I never tried copper monometal projectiles in my 110BA. Anything under 250gr I used in my 338WM.
Unless you're required to shoot copper, it makes no sense to me to shoot GMX projectiles.
Bullets tried:
Hornady 250gr plinkers / Scenars in 250 and 300gr / Berger OTM & VLD Hunters in 300gr
If cost is a concern, you might want to look into Nosler overruns & blems @ shootersproshop.com
Powders:
RL25 / RL26 / 4000MR / N570 / Retumbo / H870 surplus
Be careful with RL26 and 4000MR - they are higher energy density powders, meaning, for example, 88 grains of RL26 might give you the same boom as 92 grains of Retumbo.
Brass:
Lapua / Hornady / S&B / Black Hills -- Lapua is undoubtedly the best.
For trigger time, I couldn't beat the Hornadys and H870 at less than $1 per round reloaded.
For seriousness, Berger 300 / Retumbo / Federal Mag primers / Lapua brass. N570 is awesome too, but hard to find.
Some advice from loading for a 110BA for years:
[e.t.a.] IMO Savage extractors are like a 4 cylinder engine in a fast car. In two of them, I've replaced the extractors and ejector pins with the offerings from Sharpshootersupply. Dealing with him is kind of odd in the internet age, but it is good stuff.
Unless you're required to shoot copper, it makes no sense to me to shoot GMX projectiles.
Bullets tried:
Hornady 250gr plinkers / Scenars in 250 and 300gr / Berger OTM & VLD Hunters in 300gr
If cost is a concern, you might want to look into Nosler overruns & blems @ shootersproshop.com
Powders:
RL25 / RL26 / 4000MR / N570 / Retumbo / H870 surplus
Be careful with RL26 and 4000MR - they are higher energy density powders, meaning, for example, 88 grains of RL26 might give you the same boom as 92 grains of Retumbo.
Brass:
Lapua / Hornady / S&B / Black Hills -- Lapua is undoubtedly the best.
For trigger time, I couldn't beat the Hornadys and H870 at less than $1 per round reloaded.
For seriousness, Berger 300 / Retumbo / Federal Mag primers / Lapua brass. N570 is awesome too, but hard to find.
Some advice from loading for a 110BA for years:
- Get rid of your tanker brake. Overly loud and obnoxious on a line. I switched to brakes by Nathan Wright at Muzzle Brakes and more. Much quieter, smaller, and IMO just as effective if not more. Also a heckuva lot easier to mount a magnetospeed with one.
- Get a Magnetospeed (or some chronometer). These are essential for proper load development because at distance, ES & SD really matter. Plus, you can really tell when you are pushing pressure limits with MV measurements.
- Get a 1/4"Ø x 36" aluminum rod at Home Depot, because with the 110BA, you will be hammering out some cases.
- Find a range where you can zero at 300. Find a range where you can shoot 600 or farther. The gun has big balls persona on a 100 yard line, but it's like buying a monster truck and only doing city driving. It becomes really enjoyable at 800 and farther.
- Standardize on a powder, 300gr projectile and primer. Stick with them.
- If in your standardization, you cannot get a bullet to shoot sub-moa at any distance, don't hesitate to change the mix. This gun *will* shoot 1/2 MOA or better if you do your job.
- Start with Lapua Brass / 88gr H1000 / your 300gr projectile / your mag Primer, and make up lots of 3 to 5 cartridges for your load development.
- Load to mag dimensions (too lazy to look up my old notebook).
- Caveat : Berger VLD and OTMs have extremely long tangential ogives. Make sure your seater will accommodate the ogive and bullet point, or you'll wonder why your bullets are giving such irregular OAL dimensions.
- increase by .3 or .5 grains between lots.
- The 338LM case is big enough, you can write the load specs on the case with a sharpie. It comes off in tumbling.
- Keep detailed notes.
- There are lots of good articles on long range load development. Read them. If you can understand ladder tests, good for you. I like KISS - the money is in the readings from the chrony. If you can get single digit SD, you're rocking. Only once, in a 7mag, did I find that the fastest load was the most accurate.
- Once you have set on your powder/projectile load, play with COAL. With super-longs like the Bergers, invest in a Base to Ogive measurement set.
- Learn how to anneal your cases if you plan on firing them more than 2x.
[e.t.a.] IMO Savage extractors are like a 4 cylinder engine in a fast car. In two of them, I've replaced the extractors and ejector pins with the offerings from Sharpshootersupply. Dealing with him is kind of odd in the internet age, but it is good stuff.
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That covers a lot of it right there
I agree with the Hornaday brass problem. I keep a 338LM piece of their brass on a shelf, in clear view with a partial head separation after 3 reloading cycles. My rifle didn't care much for Rotumbo while referring H1000. I may give Rotumbo a second look after getting so fed up with the savage "Accu-trigger" and replacing it with a Timney.
I have this same model/caliber rifle and it is a beast. When I purchased the rifle and did the load workup, I found it liked Hornady 285gr A-Max the best, so purchased 1000 rounds of the same lot number with the thought I will probably never shoot all those in my lifetime. I think Hornady has replaced the A-Max with the their ELD line but I still see A-Max around. I use Lapua brass, Federal 215 primers and found a good node at 87.6 gr of Retumbo. Have not been able to find Retumbo for over a year now but was able to find H1000 a couple weeks ago so will need to start load workup again.
As others have noted, brass gets sticky in this particular model/caliber. I don't feel like I'm close to max pressure but I don't like the feel of a sticky bolt and not willing to push it. Good luck and have fun!
I had a Savage HS 338LM that shot the 300gr Berger OTM Hybrids quite well using 89gr Retumbo, Lapua brass, Fed215M. Velocity was 2700, ES 15 FPS. Sample group at 200 yards. Starting loads should be 5% less then shown, work up slowly.
Just had a memory here, and want to stress one important aspect:
It's a good thing the chassis is so stout. Took the rifle home, clamped it up in the vise, and used a cheater bar to lift the bolt.
The primer was pierced, the primer cup welded to the bolt face, brass had flowed onto the bolt face.
Hammered out the case (mushrooming the end of my aluminum rod - had to go to a steel one with electrical tape wrap). I could still read the sharpie marking on the case, which I write immediately after loading the powder into it.
Didn't see it in my notes, but in the order of shooting (load case in order and card marked), I was able to determine that I had loaded 3 grains extra powder into that case but my notes said it was in a specific group.
Then there are the inevitable insights: don't be distracted while reloading, and if you ever have to hammer your bolt open, a compothane dead blow / lead hammer / wood hammer or block of wood is pretty practical.... No, I didn't mushroom my bolt handle.
KEEP DETAILED NOTES
I had one shot out of the 110BA that recoiled a lot harder than normal. Bolt was stuck. No matter how hard I hammered at it, it wasn't coming unstuck.It's a good thing the chassis is so stout. Took the rifle home, clamped it up in the vise, and used a cheater bar to lift the bolt.
The primer was pierced, the primer cup welded to the bolt face, brass had flowed onto the bolt face.
Hammered out the case (mushrooming the end of my aluminum rod - had to go to a steel one with electrical tape wrap). I could still read the sharpie marking on the case, which I write immediately after loading the powder into it.
Didn't see it in my notes, but in the order of shooting (load case in order and card marked), I was able to determine that I had loaded 3 grains extra powder into that case but my notes said it was in a specific group.
Then there are the inevitable insights: don't be distracted while reloading, and if you ever have to hammer your bolt open, a compothane dead blow / lead hammer / wood hammer or block of wood is pretty practical.... No, I didn't mushroom my bolt handle.
Shadowwalker
Well-Known Member
Great decision! DO IT ON A DAY WITH THE BEST CONDITIONS POSSIBLE....Many tests results are inacurate unless shot in zero conditions with every other variable absent. That's why indoor ranges altho not flawless are the only way to test. I know about this as I seriously tested for years with competition bench guns both indoors and out.
Its cool. Maybe I'll learn a little more which I'm absolutely fine with
I also have some RL33 to test. I'll try to remember to post my results
C.O. Shooter
Well-Known Member
I believe RL33 will yield more FPS over H1000. Although, no first hand experience, I have heard RL33 may not be as temperature stable as H1000.
pheerles
Member
Are you using GMX because you hunt in a state requiring leadfree?
I do, so I've developed a load with a 210gr TTSX.
Lapua brass, bumping .003" after full fireforming in my chamber, then trimming to 2.714"
Federal GM215M primer
94.2gr RL-25
COAL: 3.600"
3120fps, average of .5 MOA with a few best of .26 MOA
Have also developed loads for 250gr LRX @ 2850fps (RL-33), and 225gr Shock Hammers @ 3100fps (RL-25). But ultimately, the 210gr TTSX shoot flatter and only need 10MOA elevation at 600y. Not that it matters to all, but it does matter to me. I can't find any ranges that have further distances to verify my drop data, so the point at which heavier bullets start to drop less than the lighter ones gets lost on me.
General disclaimer, you should be careful using load data from other rifles. I'm sure you know this already, I am just trying to point out safety first. Hope this helps.
I do, so I've developed a load with a 210gr TTSX.
Lapua brass, bumping .003" after full fireforming in my chamber, then trimming to 2.714"
Federal GM215M primer
94.2gr RL-25
COAL: 3.600"
3120fps, average of .5 MOA with a few best of .26 MOA
Have also developed loads for 250gr LRX @ 2850fps (RL-33), and 225gr Shock Hammers @ 3100fps (RL-25). But ultimately, the 210gr TTSX shoot flatter and only need 10MOA elevation at 600y. Not that it matters to all, but it does matter to me. I can't find any ranges that have further distances to verify my drop data, so the point at which heavier bullets start to drop less than the lighter ones gets lost on me.
General disclaimer, you should be careful using load data from other rifles. I'm sure you know this already, I am just trying to point out safety first. Hope this helps.
Gert Mcsquirt
New Member
My wife bought me a savage 110BA in 338lm and it did not like 250 gr hornady bullets at all. 7 inch groups at 100. it did like 285 gr hornadys but I wanted a hunting load so after a lot of tinkering, I went with 88.5 gr of H1000 pushing 300 gr accubonds being lit by a cci 250. Best 3 shot group is 2.75" at 500 yards. You can expect em to clover leaf at 100. Its not the hottest load in the world but is a great balance of accuracy and the lapua hits like a dump truck. Ultra deadly on deer.
