If anyone has a 338-378 Wby Accumark, do you know if it has a very long freebore.

Also, has anyone tried one with reduced loads of medium burning powders.

Thank you.

Mike

Check under web site www.realguns.com this guy has allot of info on 338/378... MD

MY DAD HAS SOME INFO ON THAT CAL. YOU CAN GET IT FROM HIM WHEN HE GETS BACK FROM THE BUSH. SPRING BEAR WILL BE OVER SOON..

MORGAN SON OF AK

[This message has been edited by AK-HUNTER (edited 05-04-2001).]

I have one. When I started working up my load, I tried seating a bullet longer than would fit in the magazine and it did not touch the lands. Just before you get to the max length the magazine will take, you cannot eject a loaded round. The bullet tip catches on the receiver ring. Had to remove the bolt to get the round out.

With good loads, I can consistantly get 3/4 inch or better groups with most 250 gr bullets loaded to equal factory ammo velocites (3060 fps). Mine really likes RL-25, but I had decent results with H1000, IMR7828, and H870. H50BMG is too slow for it, but it got great groups at about 2900 fps.

David,

Have you used any the lighter bullets like 200 and 225 grains and in particular with H1000.

Have your results in general been good with H1000.

Mike

Mike375

I have tried the lighter bullets. I have not been able to get 225 gr Nosler Partitions to group as well as the 250gr Partitions with any powder. With the 225gr bullets the groups open up to 1.5 to 2 inches.
I tried, but didn't put a lot of time an effort into 200gr Ballistic Tips. I was able to get velocities up to about 3500 fps with most of the powders listed in my previous post. Groups were about 1 to 1.25 inches.

I had such good results with the 250 gr bullets, I figured I would just stick with them and not burn up the barrel trying to develop more loads with other bullets.

BTW, my load for the 250gr bullets is 109.0 gr of RL-25. I have chronographed this (and others) load with an Oehler 35P and depending on which bullet I use (Nosler, Sierra, or Hornady) I get between 3050 and 3120 fps. The best groups are with the Hornady's. The Nosler Partitions and Sierras are about the same. Point of impact of all three is within a 2 inch cicle. I have settled on the Partition since I believe they are the best hunting bullet of the bunch.

Mike375

Looks like I forgot to speak to H1000. Group size was nearly the same as with RL25, but I didn't have much data to work with and at that time I was not confortable with the amount of H1000 needed to get the velocity up near 3100 fps with H1000. I had to use 111 gr of H1000 to get 3100 fps and groups of about 1.0 inch. ( had to look in my load log for this).

With both H1000 and RL25, the Standard Deviation on most loads was small, some less than 10 fps, most in 15 fps range.

Both are good powders, but RL 25 has the edge in my rifle.

David,

The reason I asked about H1000 is that it is one of the Australian powders that Hodgdon sells.

We don't have Reloader 25 in Australia or IMR 7828.

When you say you were not comforatbel with the amount of H1000 you used with 250s, was that due to pressure signs.

Mike

[This message has been edited by Mike375 (edited 05-05-2001).]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mike375:
[B]David,

The reason I asked about H1000 is that it is one of the Australian powders that Hodgdon sells.

We don't have Reloader 25 in Australia or IMR 7828.

When you say you were not comfortable with the amount of H1000 you used with 250s, was that due to pressure signs.

Mike

Mike375

With H1000, the loads I used to get 3100 fps occasionally caused a slight bit of resistance to opening the bolt during the last few degrees of bolt rotation. I never experienced this with RL25 at the same velocities. I normally neck size only to help extend the life of the brass, especially when I am working up loads. The tight bold happened after the cases had been fired and neck sized 3 or 4 times. I tried again after full length resizing and did not have the probelm with H1000. But there was a difference between H1000 and RL25. I never had any problems with the primer pockets expanding with any of my loads, so maybe I am being over cautious. For hunting, I always full length resize or use new brass.

I have fired about 600 rounds with this rifle, some of the early cases I bought have been reloaded 10 times. I will probably retire some of those early ones, but I hesitate since the cost of replacing them is more than loaded ammo for most other calibers.

David,

Are there any particular things or experience that made you pick the 338-378 over the 30-378.

I am mainly looking at the 338-378 as I think powder choice will be better than for the 30-378.

Would you buy another 338-378 Accumark if you had your time over again.

Mike

I bought the 338 because I am a 7mm fan and feel that if I needed something bigger than 7mm, I would jump up to 338. I was actually looking for a 338 Win Mag, but the gun store had this one on sale for a price I couldn't refuse. I'm not sorry I bought it. Given the same circumstances, I would probably do it again.