338 EDGE freebore needed?

[Varminator 911]

If one were building an EDGE, or any 338 for that matter, and using the 280 gn Al bullets, do you need some freebore? These bullets are about 1.855 long with a bearing surface about 0.7 inches long. If you seat the bullets with 0.3 inches of bearing surface into the neck, that will leave 0.4 inches outside. Will this require more freebore than using the 300 SMK? Do you even call that amount of bearing surface outside the case freebore? How much of the bearing surface is outside the case on a 300 SMK setup?

This also leaves one with a COL of about 4.15 inches. Is that strictly a single shot setup?

Thank you!!

 

[Varminator 911]

Refine my ??

After thinking about this for a while, I guess any setup could be considered "freebore" with a bullet that you cann't seat out close enough to the lands. I understand with a custom build you could set up the throat to shoot any bullet you want. The gunsmith could figure that out for me. But what if I bought a normal factory chamber in say 338 RUM, how far back would I need to seat the 280 AL tipped bullet? What if I bought a 338/378 Weatherby which has some "freebore"? Would I be close enough to the lands in that case?

Thanks again!!

 

[Pdvdh]

I think 4.15" OAL will require single shot loading in most actions being used for the 338 Edge. Which isn't that big of a deal, in my opinion. I live and hunt in Alaska and there's a need to have the magazine full of ammo in case of close range encounters with bear with an attitude. I load Nosler Accubonds or Barnes TSXs in the magazine while packing and walking around. I switch out to Berger VLDs or other long range bullets of choice when setting up for the long range shot, and I load those rounds single shot style. If the animal is 600 plus yards away, loading cartridges singly isn't generally going to pose a problem, and it keeps the bullet tips from being damaged or the bullets from being set back in the case under recoil in the magazine.