More 338 EDGE advice please

[Brambles]

I had my 338 edge built in the spring and right away I found that using a 300 gr berger and a 3.825" MBE-3 box magazine COAL of 3.785" I was gonna have a .313" jump to the lands.

Accuracy is erratic, some phenominal groups under .25" @100 yds and some groups out to 1.5" or so. Unfortunatly more groups out to 1.5 were the norm and seemed to hold true out to 700 yards.

I thought it was maybe a paralax problem so i upgraded my scope/rings and bases. It now wears a Nightforce 5.5-22 NP-R1, Vortex(Seekins) rings and a talley base.

For a proper cheek weld I bought a tactical strap on bag and built up a layerd foam insert until my cheek weld felt good.

None of this helped.

I contacted the company that built the rifle and they said send it back with detailed directions on how exactly I want it set up and they will take care of it no charge.

As i can see it I have many options on how to set this rifle up and possible make it more consistant.

NOT IN ANY PARTICULAR ORDER

1.) Forget the internal box and hunt with it as a single shot
Not my favorite option

2.) Keep the MBE-3 box and have the barrel set back. Set the chamber up for a 3.785 COAL and a .050 jump to the lands.

Not a bad option, I like the stainless double stack box, but with a secant ogive this makes for a short throat an limits future bullet changes. With this COAL most bullets are already pushed deep into the case, a change to a tangent ogive bullet would put the bullet even further in the case. I mocked up a few other brands of bullets and it isn't terrible but they are short.
With the short COAL any jump less than .050 would certainly make it a one bullet wonder IMO.


3.) Install a Wyatt CFE-9 box, a new COAL of 3.99 and try and make a .108" jump to the lands work...

Still no room to work forward if it doesn't improve consistancy.
A little concerned how the rifle will feed and eject, spent and unspent cartridges. Not sure if I can top load with this mag box or have to bottom load the mag.


4.)Install a wyatt CFE-9 3.99" mag box, and have the barrel set back to put a 300 gr OTM tactical touching the lands at the new 3.99 COAL

Probably my first choice and in fact was how I wanted them to set it up in the first place but apparently my directions didn't get passed on to the guy setting the throat, just ran the reamer they had in and called it a day!!!
Will allow for more room for bullet experiment. Lots of room to work back from the lands
A little concerned how the rifle will feed and eject, spent and unspent cartridges. Not sure if I can top load with this mag box or have to bottom load the mag. Don't like the non stainless makeup of the box.

Of course I'm open to other recommendations.

Thanks in advance for your advice

 

[highridge1]

I would run it as a single shot, for long range it is plenty easy enough to drop another round in. It really won't hurt anything and your rounds pushed down into mag often get the bullets tips beat up and deformed. With a single shot this won't happen.

 

[geargrinder]

First thing is to quit shooting at 100 yards. It's pretty well known that these big heavy bullets need some distance to settle down.

 

[snowpro440]

Unless your flinching or a bad shot you should only need one round to do the job , No need for the 2nd shot , One and done . Just use it as a single shot , it will make you concentrate more to make the first shot count. The big heavy bullet will take care of the rest.....

 

[new shooter]

I would shoot singal shot but at .050 off the lands to see how it groups at 200 or300 yds. Then if you hit the sweat spot set the barrel back.

 

[Swamplord]

forget the Berger and switch to the Nosler 300 gr Accubond, a much better hunting bullet and far more accurate... (in my Edge)

 

[Broz]

forget the Berger and switch to the Nosler 300 gr Accubond, a much better hunting bullet and far more accurate... (in my Edge)

This is interesting to me.

May I ask at what distances did you do the testing of these two bullets to determin accuracy?

What did you get for a final BC of the Accubond?

Did you do any expansion testing of the accubond at distances past 1000 yards?

Have you taken game with both of these bullets? and at what distances to determin your data?

Thank you in advance for your answers.

Jeff

 

[Brambles]

Shooting it single shot seems like a cop out or bandaid, its designed to be a repeater and being forced to load it singleshot is my least favorite option. It bothers my that I spent soo much time on the phone talking to the guy, explaining what I wanted and if any questions while they were setting it up to call my cell and I'll answer them immediatly and I get a .313" jump to the lands.

 

[FURMAN]

Shooting it single shot seems like a cop out or bandaid, its designed to be a repeater and being forced to load it singleshot is my least favorite option. It bothers my that I spent soo much time on the phone talking to the guy, explaining what I wanted and if any questions while they were setting it up to call my cell and I'll answer them immediatly and I get a .313" jump to the lands.

I agree. I would have it rethroated correctly with a Wyatt's Box. Making it a single shot would be like having a 4x4 truck with the front driveshaft removed and then saying just stay out of the mud.

 

[highridge1]

Having a single shot long range rifle is no handi cap, who rapid fires long range shots? It is very fast to drop another round in and close the bolt. But I do understand you wanting it the way you intended.

 

[orwapitihunter]

Brambles
With a little tweaking you will be able to load the CFE9 from the top.
It will never be as easy as the staggered box, as you have to force the round between the feed lips. The wider the gap, the easier they go in but too wide and they will pop back out from the spring pressure. It helps if you roll the cartridge as you press down.
The downside of the CFE9 to me is the length of the follower and the size of the opening that can be achieved with BDL bottom metal. There is a bit of a compromise compared to the factory set up.

 

[Brambles]

Well it's been a long wait but the rifle was shipped back to me yesterday, looking forward to shooting it again and getting results.


as per their direction I wrote a letter outlining exactly how I wanted it set up,

-Barrel setback and re throated for a 300 gr Berger touching the lands at 3.97"
Which ment re indexing the barrel for the Holland QD
-4" Wyatt box installed and the necessary work to make it operate smoothly
-Stiller style ejection port milled in.
-clean up some annoying factory machining marks
-re bead blasting
-re engraving cartridge on barrel


MAN I'm getting excited. Still snow at some of my LR shooting spots but I guess load development needs to be redone so no biggie!