I am in the process of getting our 338 RUM rifle for some load development.

The rifle we have is the standard Remington 700 BDL. I am going to adjust the trigger and replace the wood stock that came with it. And hopefully do a better bedding job than the factory normaly does.

We have the following bullets:

160 Barnes X
185 barnes X
200 Nosler ballistic Tip
210 Barnens XBT
215 Sierra SP
230 Winchester Fail Safe
250 Sierra SP
275 Speer African Grand Slam
300 Sierra Match King

I will keep you all up to date on our progress.

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saeed@ emirates.net.ae

www.accuratereloading.com

Thanks

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Thanks .... Nick

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Good huntin' and shootin',
RAB

Thank you,
sure-shot

Reduced loads can work to do several things.
1. Increased practice with the rifle without getting the recoil and barrel wear will assist you in becoming familiar with a new rifle.
2. Allow you to hunt game which doesn't need a full power load.
3.Allow you to adjust your load to max accuracy of the rifle.
I'm sure many other reasons.Enough on this subject.

I have been averaging 80-100 rounds a month with my Sendero SF shooting the 250 gr. A-Frames. On a postive note my accuracy with my 454 Cassull has never been better -- seems like a 22LR by comparison.

Has anyone tried using one of those rests that have a support for the butt of the stock? Seems like it might be worth it for load development...

quote:

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Originally posted by Bruce Gordon:
OUCH!!! 300 grain bullets with 100 grains of powder in a 8 1/2 pound rifle off the bench for extended load development. Even with taking a break after each three shots that would have to hurt. My shoulder is hurting in sympathy just thinking about it.

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I have found an H-S Precision stock similar to the one that is on the 300 Ultra we shot earlier.

I will put this one on this rifle.

To answer some of the questions asked by some of my friends here.

I do not have any sabot I am afraid. In fact, if someone will tell me who makes them and where I can get them, I would appreciate it.

Nosler 210 partition. I do not have this one here, and have no idea when we might get some.

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saeed@ emirates.net.ae

www.accuratereloading.com

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Shoot well, and hit hard.

Arild.

The 300 RUM we have has an H-S stock on it, the 338 has teh standard Remington BDL wooden stock.

That is why I am replacing it.

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saeed@ emirates.net.ae

www.accuratereloading.com

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We are using Remington brass and the Federal 215 primers in all our loads, and all groups are 3 shots at 100 yards.

Barnes 160 X and VVN 560

87.0 - 2991 - 2.146
89.0 - 3086 - 1.546
91.0 - 3135 - 1.728
93.0 - 3204 - 1.624
95.0 - 3269 - 2.065
97.0 - 3332 - 1.722
99.0 - 3431 - 1.328
101.0 - 3521 - 2.004
103.0 - 3600 - 2.268

With VVN 165

92.0 - 3099 - 2.354
95.0 - 3228 - 2.135
97.0 - 3327 - 0.543
99.0 - 3443 - 0.414
101.0 - 3517 - 2.139
103.0 - 3594 - 2.635

Barnes 185 XBT and VVN 165

92.0 - 3168 - 4.160
94.0 - 3230 - 2.649
96.0 - 3307 - 4.271

I will keep you posted as we go along.

[This message has been edited by Saeed (edited 09-18-2001).]

Now those numbers match MY experience with the Barnes X in factory barrels!

Too bad you don't have any GS Custom HV bullets to try...

Don

Don

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Shoot well, and hit hard.

Arild.

I am going to get back to shooting this one this week. Sorry about the break.

We have a hunt coming up in a couple of weeks time, and have to get that orgenised.

Maddog,

You will have to wait and see what our results might turn up. But, I would imagine that the 338 RUM will do anything the 340 Weatherby every did - ballistically.

In the real world, I doubt very much that you will find that much difference in their performance on game.

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saeed@ emirates.net.ae

www.accuratereloading.com

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NitroHunter

mike

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Victory through superior firepower!

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Shoot well, and hit hard.

Arild.

[This message has been edited by 460wby (edited 10-02-2001).]

quote:

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Originally posted by 460wby:
Are you out killing again, Saeed??

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Saeed left yesterday for Zimbabwe. He'll be back in a little over 3 weeks. I don't think he had a chance to finish load development on the .338RUM before he left.

We'll just have to wait.

Regards, Canuck

Arild

Mike

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Victory through superior firepower!

I have had exceptional luck using AA3100, a Nosler 200 gr BT & Winchester Magnum primers. 87 grains of powder is a mild load, and gives exceptional accuracy. 92 grains gives about 3180 fps and very good accuracy. This powder gives two accuracy nodes in this rifle. All powder weights tested gave at elast acceptable accuracy which was probably the biggest surprise.

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"If she won't shoot MOA or better... out she goes!"

Here's some data I have for the 250 GameKing and RL-25.

BEWARE!!!

REDUCE THESE LOADS BY 1.5 GRAINS.

THE BELOW DATA WAS FROM AN OLDER LOT OF RL-25, MY NEWEST LOT OF RL-25 IS HOTTER THAN THE PREVIOUS AND I FOUND THAT I NEEDED TO REDUCE POWER LOADS BY 1.5 GRAINS.

Sierra 250 GameKing
Fed 215M
Remington Case
Neck sized once fired cases
Rem 700 action
27.5 inch Pac-Nor barrel
Leupold Vari-X III 3.5x10 M1 Long Range scope
100 yards.

89 grains of RE25, 2883 fps (cold bore shot)
90 grains of RE25, 2864 fps
91 grains of RE25, 2970 fps
92 grains of RE25, 2972 fps
93 grains of RE25, 3037 fps
94 grains of RE25, 3082 fps
95 grains of RE25, 3132 fps slight extractor mark
96 grains of RE25, 3159 fps extractor mark

All rounds fired and plotted onto one target, 4 into .493, 7 into .917 and one (as always) flier. Sweet spot seems to be 92 and 93 grains so I'll go for 92.5 at an estimated 3000 fps.

Here's some for the Sierra 300 MatchKing

More data today, RL-25 data but data none-the-less.

Temp 80
Humidity 100
Wind none
Rifle Tac-Ord 338 RUM
Barrel PacNor Polygonal 27.5 inch 1x8
Scope Leupold Vari-X III M1-LR (3.5 x 10 )
Chrony @ 8 ft
Target Distance 100 yards
Primer Fed 215M
Powder RL-25
Case Remington once fired and neck sized
bullet runout - minimal .001
OAL 3.650 (Same OAL for the Sierra 250s)
Bullet Sierra 300 HPBT

#1 80 grains RL25 2403 fps (Cold Bore)
#2 81 grains RL25 2416 fps
#3 82 grains RL25 2452 fps
#4 83 grains RL25 2491 fps
#5 84 grains RL25 2506 fps
#6 85 grains RL25 2548 fps (slight "extractor" mark)
#7 86 grains RL25 2627 fps
#8 87 grains RL25 2636 fps
#9 88 grains RL25 2673 fps
#10 89 grains RL25 2688 fps

I don't know why I have the "extractor" mark on the 85 grain load, I've examined the other loads and I see ever-so-slight extractor marks on the 87 grain load but nothing on the others (I use a 3x, 5x, and 8x jewelers loupe). There is some cratering around the firing pin on the cases but I believe that's due to the looser fit of the Speed-Lock firing pin I have.

I'm a bit perplexed by the powder requirement when compared to the 250 Sierras. I expected to get nowhere near the starting load of 89 grains of RL25 for the 250 when finishing off the big 300s. I believe I'll load several more cases for the 300 load test, I'll use 90, 91, 92 etc until I feel the need to pull the trigger from a distance with a string.

The 300s sit a fair distance into the case, the boattail is below the level of the shoulder at an OAL of 3.650.

Accuracy.... I nearly wet myself!!! I mentioned to you yesterday how I shoot onto one target and plot the hits in an attempt to limit my range trips for accuracy loads. Well, today I began plotting the hits (1.5 MOA low and .5 MOA right from my established 250 grain zero) and ALL rounds impacted essentially on top of one another, so much so that I couldn't distinquish one hit from another. Final group-- .863inches for all 10 rounds of 10 different powder weights. It's just a round raggity hole, I'm pretty pleased.
BTW, today I shot at my usual spot, a farmers field into a bank for a backstop. Shot from the bipod and sandsock, much more natural and comfortable.

I believe I'll be able to get 2700 without a problem but not much more as I'll be on a compressed load. Perhaps the RL22 is the better way to go for the 300, I could perhaps get another 4 grains of powder into the case if I'm thinking correctly.

I'd guess that the powder quandry is that the RL25 is better suited to the much heavier bullet in the larger .338 bore rifle, although RL22 could offer more usable powder it may cause some pressure curve problems. Maybe I should try the RL22 in the 250s.

Last little bit for the 300 Sierra MatchKing

3
posted 08-14-2001 08:47 PM
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Another load test tonight in the 338 RUM.
Temp 80
Humidity 80%

I tried 90 grains of RL25 over the Fed 215M primers and the big 300 grain Sierra MatchKing. (Load Density 100%)
OAL 3.650 (magazine limited)

Four rounds over the Crony:
2712 fps
2709 fps
2729 fps
2735 fps

Avg: 2721
ES: 26
SD: 12

No pressure signs on any case, first round was cold bore.

I tried the 300 Sierra MatchKing on a crop damage deer at 200 yards, pretty devastating.... it was a bang-flop proposition.

BTW, water capacity for once fired cases, 111.3 grains (water to top of case, primer in backward)

More load data for the 338 RUM is listed on LongRange Hunting

http://www.longrangehunting.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=3&t=000067

[This message has been edited by Dave King (edited 11-18-2001).]