338 lapua MV

[4xforfun]

Because that was the starting load I had decided on after doing a lot of reading on what was working in other peoples guns rather than just a number I pulled out of thin air. I did use 92 grains but dropped it down to 91 because I was getting craterd primers and 91 was more accurate and consistant anyways. My question was whether or not that stated velocity seemed right or not, and judging by what others have posted on here it isn't right which is what I had wanted to know.

Not to be rude, but your "starting" load is max book in two of the manuals I looked into!!! Now, I am the LAST person on the earth to be preaching about max book issues, as I exceed them regualary. BUT......I start well below max and work my way up. More than once, with both custom and factory guns, have I reached the end BEFORE the book did.

Just food for thought.

Good luck....I am still waithing for my "FREE" bullets.....I won a pile of stuf at the last 1000 yard shoot.....among them , 300 Berger Bullets!!! I decided to get the new 300 grainers.

 

[ken snyder]

Honestly guys if you feel the need to work up to a max load shouldn't you be shooting a larger cartridge and exceeding your velocity expectations with modest loads. Express 91 grains as safe and 92 grains as unacceptable in a percentage of reduction and that very small difference is non existant The difference between any cartridges velocities from mid range to over the border is laughable. There are only two types of velocity addicts: Those with a Brain and those without

 

[4xforfun]

Honestly guys if you feel the need to work up to a max load shouldn't you be shooting a larger cartridge and exceeding your velocity expectations with modest loads. Express 91 grains as safe and 92 grains as unacceptable in a percentage of reduction and that very small difference is non existant The difference between any cartridges velocities from mid range to over the border is laughable. There are only two types of velocity addicts: Those with a Brain and those without

Well, obviously you are not an accuracy addict....probably not even a reloader. If you were you would know that that "very small difference" might be the difference in a 50% reduction in group size. NO ONE HERE is sugjesting shooting loads that are "over the border". Not that I have read, anyway.

And another thing.....who said 91 gr was "safe"...Shure's hell wasn't me....There is a reason the reloading manuals have a STARTING load. "Safe" in your gun is ONLY safe in your gun...I don't give a krap what the manuals say is "safe".....It may be several grains below the listed "max" book, it may be several grains above!! I honestly believe that every reloader should find out what the end is with every gun that they load for. It helps you become more sensitive and accurate in finding the "tells" of high PSI.... every gun is a little different....makes you a better loader. Also, if you don't know the max of your gun and you happen to take it out when it is warmer than you tested, you could be asking for trouble....from ruined brass to sticky extraction to stuck bolt. If you knew that you were close to the edge to start with you just might head off trouble.....Just sayin!!

You best be excercising your brain before you post!!!

 

[ken snyder]

A little bit might make a 50 percent difference in accuracy? I sure am glad I wasn't drinking a glass of milk when I read that. The 338 LM has a very large sweet spot it is not measured in a few feet per second it is measured in hundreds of feet per second. If a little bit can actually make a difference then something major has gone dreadfully wrong. Everybody get out a tape measure and measure a small difference but dont tell me how much smaller that little bit of difference is, tell me how much is left that it didnt make a difference to. I have no qualms with people getting a large enough cartridge that the velocity will make a difference. Learn the basics of shooting and reloading and quit announcing to the world that you have diaper rash

 

[4xforfun]

A little bit might make a 50 percent difference in accuracy? I sure am glad I wasn't drinking a glass of milk when I read that. The 338 LM has a very large sweet spot it is not measured in a few feet per second it is measured in hundreds of feet per second. If a little bit can actually make a difference then something major has gone dreadfully wrong. Everybody get out a tape measure and measure a small difference but dont tell me how much smaller that little bit of difference is, tell me how much is left that it didnt make a difference to. I have no qualms with people getting a large enough cartridge that the velocity will make a difference. Learn the basics of shooting and reloading and quit announcing to the world that you have diaper rash

So baisicly, you are going to lecture me about everything reloading, especialy accuracy?

Good one.

 

[bman73]

A little bit might make a 50 percent difference in accuracy? I sure am glad I wasn't drinking a glass of milk when I read that. The 338 LM has a very large sweet spot it is not measured in a few feet per second it is measured in hundreds of feet per second. If a little bit can actually make a difference then something major has gone dreadfully wrong. Everybody get out a tape measure and measure a small difference but dont tell me how much smaller that little bit of difference is, tell me how much is left that it didnt make a difference to. I have no qualms with people getting a large enough cartridge that the velocity will make a difference. Learn the basics of shooting and reloading and quit announcing to the world that you have diaper rash

50% of 1" is only half an inch and I had easily that much of an improvement dropping down to 91 grains from 92. I went even further down to 90 and 89 (well actually I shot the lower charges first, I'm not suicidal or retarded) and my groups opened up considerably. I changed nothing other than powder charge, same coal,same primer, same shooter. As this is a brand new gun I can assure you that nothing has "gone dreadfully wrong". To say that changing grain charge in small amounts makes no difference is flying in the face of most every reloader on here. If it makes no difference why are scales set up to measure within 1/10th of a grain? I appreciate the fact that you posted on this thread in an attempt to help but in this case I have to disagree with your statement.

 

[4xforfun]

Me too...especialy the "diaper rash" thing. I looked in four different manuals for the term "diaper rash".....couldn't find it anywhere. Is it a technical term, or one made up by yourself? I am just wondering what it is and how I got it! Is that what I had or used on myself, my gun , or my realoding components during a few of the competitions I shot in this year?? Cuz it seemed to do OK!!

 

[bman73]

Not to be rude, but your "starting" load is max book in two of the manuals I looked into!!! Now, I am the LAST person on the earth to be preaching about max book issues, as I exceed them regualary. BUT......I start well below max and work my way up. More than once, with both custom and factory guns, have I reached the end BEFORE the book did.

Just food for thought.

Good luck....I am still waithing for my "FREE" bullets.....I won a pile of stuf at the last 1000 yard shoot.....among them , 300 Berger Bullets!!! I decided to get the new 300 grainers.

I appologize for the confusion in my statement. After re-reading my post it did kind of sound bad that way, I was aiming to use 92 grains but I did start out loading at 89, shot 5 of and went up 1 grain for each group till I hit 92. I saw the cratered primers at 92 and went back to 91 which like I said shot better anyways. I was in no means advocating people use a near max load right of the bat, should of been more clear on this and once again I apolgize for the confusion. But my OP was really more about the dicrepencies between what was posted on the Hodgson page and what I was seeing for other peoples posted MV's for this load combination

 

[4xforfun]

BMAN,

Exactly right......there will be dicrepencies as long as there are guns, loaders . and computers. Like I said. No two guns are alike. I had two different 30-378 WBY Accumarks..(I know, not a 338, but just to make a point)... I was loading for. TOTALY DIFFERENT GUNS. I think I even ended using different powders in them....same for the 338 Lapuas I have loaded for ....50/50 split...H1000 and RL 25. Probably could have been more, but those are the powders I had/tested. Anyond using Retumbo in them. I baught a bunch for one of 300 WBY's. Wild, wild stuff in that particular BBL!!!

 

[orch]

Hey Bryan,

In my 110ba:

300 gr Sierra mk
89.2 gr retumbo
Oal 3.702"
2755 fps
(shooting very well out to 1000yrds)

300 gr Berger hybrid
89.2 gr retumbo
Oal 3.758"
2700 fps
(just started tinkering with this bullet... Reduced speed compared to smk likely because I had to load a lot further off the lands to fit the magazine)

285 gr hornady hpbt match
91.4 gr retumbo
Can't remember oal off hand
2822 fps
(showing very good potential

Re:retumbo

 

[MMarshall]

I shoot a McMillan TAC 338 Lapua and have developed three great shooting repeatable loads. A 300gr Berger over Retumbo at .015 off the lands shooting 2720fps isn't setting speed records but it is very accurate.

The 285gr TSX over Retumbo shooting 2840fps is a great shooter, my best 500 yard group was 1.6", the others are very close but have superior BC's for better long range shooting. I worked up the TSX load for an upcoming Elk hunt.

Another good shooter is the 250gr Lapua Scenar over RL-25 shooting 2905fps. all loads are three shots touching at 100 yards with plenty of speed to get the job done.

The TSX and Scenar are loaded at a length that will feed from the magazine. The Berger is fed one shot at a time. All loads are in Lapua brass and CCI-250's.gun)

 

[PAOERS]

I have a 30" Rock Creek ABS carbon wrapped barrel and 92 grains of H-1000 in Lapua cases lit by Federal 215M primers gives me 2800 FPS. 94 grains gives little velocity increase and leaves shiny spots on the case head indicating excess pressure

I'd like to know more about your rig. I'm interested in the carbon wrapped barrel, especially in the .338 LM. Please share.

Weight of rig (everything on it)?
Recoil?
Maker?
Performance (accuracy)?

email me at [email protected] if you don't mind.

Thanks.