338 Edge On the Edge

INTJ1

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Joined
Jun 1, 2011
Messages
133
Location
Idaho
I do a LOT of reading here but rarely post. I figured it's time to pay things back a little.

My first long range (600 yds+) hunting rifle was a 338-300 RUM and had an M-70 Classic action, Wyatt's extended magazine box, 30" Benchmark HV contour barrel, McMillan Prone Stock, Nightforce NXS 8-32x56. It shot fine but weighed 18 lbs and I just wasn't going to take it very far from the truck.

I wanted my second long range hunting rig to be lighter. It is a 338 Edge and has an SS M-70 classic action, 29" Benchmark light Palma contour barrel, Winchester laminated Coyote Light stock, and a Nightforce NXS 5.5-22x50. This second rig weighs about 12.75 lbs. I had it built over two years ago and until last month I only had 14 rounds through it--300 grain SMKs with RL-33 .010 off the lands that didn't shoot well (3/4" 3-shot groups with decent ES).

A friend of a friend wanted to acquire a 338 Edge and was pestering me about selling it. So I took it out to the range again and tried 300 grain Bergers and RL-33 at .010" off the lands--shot 11/16" groups with poor ES. I decided I would sell it and let the next guy sort it out.

Well, my friend pushed on me a little and wanted me to load up some rounds so his friend could shoot it at the ranch. Well, I wasn't going to just pick the best Sierra or Berger load because they both had such long COLs that a loaded round could not be ejected--you had to open the floor plate and fuss with it a bit. This rifle just has a standard length magazine box and I was running it as a single shot.

So I went back to the range to test the known accuracy powder, H-1000, and seated the SMKs deep enough so a loaded round would easily eject. This yielded a COL of about 3.76" and had the bullets .086" off the lands. I loaded up H-1000 with 89, 90, 91, and 92 grains with new Nosler brass. Here is how it shot.

H-1000/89: .625" for 3 at 2778 (ES 14)
H-1000/90: .750" for 3 at 2790 (ES 20)
H-1000/91: .225" for 3 at 2805 (ES 3)
H-1000/92: .287" for 3 at 2823 (ES 15)

So I loaded up 10 rounds with 91.5 grains and will go bust rocks or something. I realize I'll have to tweak the load with the fire-formed brass, but this rifle is a keeper and no longer for sale. It's a sin to sell an accurate rifle, happens to be the 11th commandment............ :)

I had pretty much given up on the idea of long range hunting. I am usually stumbling around the woods and the longest shot I've had to make has only been 435 yds (Blacktail buck last year, clean first shot kill with a 7.5 lb 300 WSM). I prefer a lighter weight rifle for the stumbling around part. However, with as good as this rifle is shooting I am enthused about long range hunting again so I will likely purse it. I even bought an extended magazine box and shortened ejector from Kevin Wyatt so I can use the magazine.

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Very nice looking rifle and definatley looks like a shooter. Congratulations on a sucessful build. Merry Christmas, have a nice day.
 
Thanks. I wasn't really that keen on the Coyote Light stock. My plan was to replace it with a McMillan. However, given how it shoots I think I'll stick with it. It was a pain to bed. All those vent holes had to be filled with Playdoh and it was a mess cleaning it out.
 
As the saying goes, "The only interesting rifles are accurate rifles."

My ideal rifle is a Fierce Arms .300 Win mag Ti Edge version.
-> titanium receiver and bolt
-> carbon fiber stock
-> carbon wrapped barrel
-> 3 lug controlled feed bolt
-> magazine fed
-> guaranteed 1/2 MOA accuracy

This rifle comes in at a little under 5 pounds, just right for a mountain rifle. Add a 3 - 15 X 42 or 50 scope with a 30 mm tube, an aluminum one-piece ring mount on a 20 deg. aluminum rail and it should come in at about 6.75 lbs. (My ideal scope is a Vortex Viper AMG.)

As I age into geezerhood I have the need for the lightest gear, especially above 8,000 ft.

Eric B.

P.S. Oh, yeah, I'm selling two other .300 Win mag rifles to help me afford this F.A. beauty.
1. Rem.-actioned HS Precision W/M-24 stock (everything stainless steel)
2. Browning Stainless Stalker, BOSS system muzzle brake and an extra Browning laminated thumbhole stock
 
I have something similar for deer. Would use it for elk if I do ever "go deep" again. A trued up M-70 Classic Stainless in 300 WSM, with a 24" factory contour Benchmark 1x11 twist three groove barrel, a McMillan Hunter's Edge stock, and a Leupold VX-III in 3.5x10x40 with a B&C reticle in Talley lightweight mounts. The whole rig weighs about 7.5 lbs. It shoots 168 Barnes TTSXs at 3000 fps into about a 1/2" average from a cold barrel, 3-shot groups. Might put a 4.5-14x40 B&C on it.
 
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