ballistics for a 32 inch barrelled .338

[wildcat westerner]

I have purchased a 33 inch unchambered .338 barrel. Having shot a relatively wide example of well made .338 caliber rifles at NRA Whittington I find I shoot the .338 Win. mag the most accurately at distances to 1,000 yards. All this barrel length, using the right powders lead me to believe I can attain near Lapua like velocities with about 20% less powder charge. From an applied physics standpoint this seems pretty unique.
Right now, for some reason ,my Quik Load disc will not activate, so is there anyone willing to take the time and run some data for me to find out which three powders work best in that WIN. case with 85 grains capacity for the .338 Winchester with a finished 32 inch barrel using 200-225 grain bullets? I sure would appreciate finding this out. Also is anyone else having problems with their QUIKload discs?

 

[RockyMtnMT]

tag

 

[wildcat westerner]

steve,
Please bring me up to speed. What does the term "tag" mean on this forum? I believe I am receiving 200 Sledge Hammer 250 grain bullets along with other dies and bullets from a fellow LRH reader.

 

[Calvin45]

I think it just means they're tagging in cuz this is interesting to them…it sure is to me. Tag!

 

[Dmagna]

I assume this is a range gun for paper or steel, so If You plan on using 200-225 gr bullets your BC in a 338 is going to be pretty far below that of a 30 cal at the same weight. You would need to shoot the big boys to make it worth your while. 250-300 grain bullets is where the 338 shines, mostly 300's. I have a 338 lapua and 300 prc I shoot 300 matchking in the lapua and 245 Bergers in the prc. The prc in my uneducated opinion beat the lapua shooting 250s. I don't know if you can fit enough power in the case to attain 338 lapua speeds but maybe.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

steve,
Please bring me up to speed. What does the term "tag" mean on this forum? I believe I am receiving 200 Sledge Hammer 250 grain bullets along with other dies and bullets from a fellow LRH reader.

Yes. It was easier to respond tag than to go find the watch thread button. So just tagging in to see what comes from this thread.

My initial thought is to chamber a bit more horsepower for 338 to the ranges you are talking about working at than the 338 wm.

 

[wildcat westerner]

Thanks for your input. After shooting several 338 caliber rifles, I really realized your talking artillery here when you are shooting 300 grain bullets at the really long ranges. I have seen incredibly flat shooting 6.5's get blown well off of aim despite high BC's and high velocities.
So, my choice was dictated by bullet weight and the fact the wife of the barrel owner's wife tripped over it in his den when it was stored flat on the floor. Thus, after a spirited conversation between the couple it was decided the barrel was coming from Idaho to New Mexico and will be used only for early morning or late afternoon stands where I will be lugging it into place with my biathlon sling which is slung over both shoulders. The 338 Winchester, compared to the newer 338 cartridges seems almost puny. But in terms of efficiency , utilizing 200-225 grain bullets,loses some performance to vastly larger cartridges. I believe some of that performance will be gained back by the longer barrel and if I could get this Quikload cd working I can figure out which exact powders could gain best advantage of that very long barrel.

 

[Dmagna]

Thanks for your input. After shooting several 338 caliber rifles, I really realized your talking artillery here when you are shooting 300 grain bullets at the really long ranges. I have seen incredibly flat shooting 6.5's get blown well off of aim despite high BC's and high velocities.
So, my choice was dictated by bullet weight and the fact the wife of the barrel owner's wife tripped over it in his den when it was stored flat on the floor. Thus, after a spirited conversation between the couple it was decided the barrel was coming from Idaho to New Mexico and will be used only for early morning or late afternoon stands where I will be lugging it into place with my biathlon sling which is slung over both shoulders. The 338 Winchester, compared to the newer 338 cartridges seems almost puny. But in terms of efficiency , utilizing 200-225 grain bullets,loses some performance to vastly larger cartridges. I believe some of that performance will be gained back by the longer barrel and if I could get this Quikload cd working I can figure out which exact powders could gain best advantage of that very long barrel.

Build a 338 edge don't waste time with a 338 win.

 

[Calvin45]

Nice thing with a .338 win is you basically don't have to even think about barrel life compared to the big boys and out of
That long pipe if it does what you need it to do, as opposed to doing as much as can be done (not always necessary), I think this idea of yours makes a whole lot of sense. I like it! But I cannot be silent about the bullet weight. Out of a long pipe at truly long range even the lowly .338 win is going to exhibit far superior performance with 250+ grain high bc bullets. Gravity is static…wind is dynamic…don't limit
Yourself to the 200s if your seriously shooting 1000+ yards.

 

[jimbires]

here is the 338 win , 250 Berger , with73.1 grains of RL26 powder . RL26 gave the highest velocity . 2947 FPS

Cartridge : .338 Win Mag.
Bullet : .338, 250, Berger Elite Hunt #33554
Useable Case Capaci: 67.355 grain H2O = 4.373 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 3.340 inch = 84.84 mm
Barrel Length : 32.0 inch = 812.8 mm
Powder : Alliant Reloder-26 *C

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 2.0% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step Fill. Charge Vel. Energy Pmax Pmuz Prop.Burnt B_Time
% % Grains fps ft.lbs psi psi % ms

-20.0 88 58.48 2338 3034 29045 6317 96.5 1.972
-18.0 90 59.94 2400 3199 31234 6471 97.5 1.914
-16.0 92 61.40 2463 3367 33611 6607 98.3 1.858
-14.0 94 62.87 2525 3539 36195 6725 99.0 1.803
-12.0 96 64.33 2587 3715 39010 6824 99.5 1.744
-10.0 99 65.79 2648 3894 42082 6903 99.8 1.686
-08.0 101 67.25 2709 4075 45436 6961 100.0 1.630
-06.0 103 68.71 2770 4258 49112 6999 100.0 1.575
-04.0 105 70.18 2829 4444 53144 7033 100.0 1.523 ! Near Maximum !
-02.0 107 71.64 2889 4632 57578 7064 100.0 1.473 ! Near Maximum !
+00.0 110 73.10 2947 4823 62469 7091 100.0 1.425 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+02.0 112 74.56 3006 5016 67879 7114 100.0 1.378 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.0 114 76.02 3064 5212 73880 7133 100.0 1.333 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+06.0 116 77.49 3122 5412 80563 7148 100.0 1.289 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+08.0 118 78.95 3181 5616 88029 7158 100.0 1.247 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+10.0 120 80.41 3239 5823 96412 7163 100.0 1.206 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba 110 73.10 3060 5197 79706 6716 100.0 1.315 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba 110 73.10 2767 4251 48756 7540 99.0 1.576



here is the 338 lapua . I set up quickload for my rifle . 116 grain water capacity , 30" bbl . same bullet . N570 gives the highest velocity , 3172 FPS. the win mag is about 225 FPS slower .

Cartridge : .338 Lapua Mag.
Bullet : .338, 250, Berger Elite Hunt #33554
Useable Case Capaci: 93.033 grain H2O = 6.040 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 3.681 inch = 93.50 mm
Barrel Length : 30.0 inch = 762.0 mm
Powder : Vihtavuori N570 *C

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 2.0% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step Fill. Charge Vel. Energy Pmax Pmuz Prop.Burnt B_Time
% % Grains fps ft.lbs psi psi % ms

-20.0 88 79.44 2444 3315 28990 9086 85.4 1.890
-18.0 90 81.43 2514 3509 31128 9429 87.1 1.836
-16.0 92 83.41 2585 3710 33441 9763 88.7 1.782
-14.0 94 85.40 2657 3919 35949 10085 90.3 1.731
-12.0 97 87.38 2729 4136 38670 10392 91.7 1.675
-10.0 99 89.37 2802 4360 41624 10683 93.1 1.617
-08.0 101 91.36 2876 4591 44841 10957 94.3 1.561
-06.0 103 93.34 2949 4829 48346 11211 95.4 1.507
-04.0 105 95.33 3023 5074 52174 11443 96.4 1.455 ! Near Maximum !
-02.0 108 97.31 3097 5326 56361 11651 97.3 1.405 ! Near Maximum !
+00.0 110 99.30 3172 5585 60953 11834 98.1 1.356 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+02.0 112 101.29 3246 5850 65999 11989 98.7 1.309 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.0 114 103.27 3321 6122 71557 12115 99.2 1.263 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+06.0 116 105.26 3395 6400 77699 12210 99.6 1.219 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+08.0 119 107.24 3470 6684 84505 12273 99.9 1.177 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+10.0 121 109.23 3544 6973 92076 12301 100.0 1.135 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba 110 99.30 3353 6241 77115 11438 100.0 1.237 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba 110 99.30 2921 4735 47721 11383 90.4 1.511

 

[wildcat westerner]

Hello and thank you,

I anticipated200-210-225 grain hunting bullets and have them coming, also 200 250gr. Hammers. In that wide span of bullet weights I will let the targets tell me what this unique barrel likes best and shoot that bullet exclusively. Thank you for such specific data which I cannot generate myself. I am surprised at the velocity from the longer barrel in .338 Winchester caliber, and expected more. You have given me data I could not get, would you be willing to run me 200 and 225 grain bullet weight data from this long barrel?
Thank you in advance,

WW

 

[bigngreen]

The issue you'll run into is 338 bullets in the 200 gr class are essentially ballistic bricks, then combine that with the slower end of the launch platforms available and your walking backwards real fast into something that isn't what your looking for. Low BC, low weight and slow speed, that's three strikes for long range!!

 

[Dmagna]

The issue you'll run into is 338 bullets in the 200 gr class are essentially ballistic bricks, then combine that with the slower end of the launch platforms available and your walking backwards real fast into something that isn't what your looking for. Low BC, low weight and slow speed, that's three strikes for long range!!

I don't understand the draw to have a 32" barrel on a rifle shooting hunting bullets. Some people just want what they want.

 

[waspocrew]

I'd go with a larger chambering. My 338 RUM is pretty comfy shooting 285 gr ELDMs at 2940 FPS from a 30" barrel.