Ok, my first time out at the range with my new Tikka Whitetail hunter in 338 winmag. I loaded some ammo with 180 grain ballistic tips on new winchester brass with Rem M primers. Used 78 grains of R22 which I had to compress slightly when seating the bullet. I shot 2 rounds of 5 shots each, each at seperate targets at 100 yards. First group had 3 within an inch of each other and 2 nasty fliers, one about 3 inches to the right and 2 inches high and the other about 5 inches straight to the right of my group. Secound group of 5 had 4 within 1.5 inches of each other and 1 flyer about 3 inches outside the group. I didnt have much time so I quit at that but jeez those flyers bug me. Maybe Im just that bad of a shot, but I dont really think so. I seated the bullets so they were just starting to get marked by the rifleing when I chambered the rounds but they didnt stick at all when I ejected them with the bolt, it just marred the surface of the bullet. Is that right or should they not touch the front of the chamber at all? Im really new to this whole reloading thing and I dont have anyone that I know to really guide me so Im getting all my information from the net and my reloading book. What do you guys think?

Stinkers:

I would have to say I think you are jerking the trigger.

The load info seems fine to me. I can't imagine the Finns, screwing up their manufacturing. Finland in general has excellent quality control, it is where craftsmanship, vs a tricky accountant, means something in business.

Tikkas are fine rifles.

Sounds like a flinch and shooting a 338 Mag no matter how often you shoot one, is easier to do that shooting a 22/250 or something like that. Happens to the best of us.

could be, I guess if the powder wasnt consistent it would be high or low, not left or right. That was my first time shooting a 338 ever and I was shooting it with no sandbags or anything to rest on. I think I need to take some pillows or something to support the barrel at least.

I shot the 180 BTs in my 338 - and sort of gave up on them -mine much prefers the 210 NP or 225 gr GS or Accubond. Also I kind of stop at three shots - the barrel gets hot and things are going to shift unless you wait plenty long time between shots - wasn't clear when your fliers showed up so maybe its just the barrel heating up. Also I kind have found that IMR 4350 was a good powder for the 180s.

I would recommend you go with 3 shot group vice 5. In my view 5 shots is asking a lot out of a rifle, particularly in magnum calibers where the barrels heat up considerably. If your rifle is shooting 3 shot 1" groups be happy! and foret the other two shots. jorge

I agree with the other guys, most likely the load is fine, you just need a better rest and to get used to the rifle.

Get a Bulls Bag, or some sort of sand bags and take your time, the groups will improve.

In the event they do not, my first suggestion on the load would be to try varying the primer. I have a very nice bull barrel varmint rifle chambered in 6mm Remington. It was driving me crazy putting four of five bullets in darned near the same hole, but always a flyer. I tried a couple different primers and the flyers dissapeared.

Finally, while having your bullets kiss the lands might give the best accuracy, I feel it is not to be recommended for hunting ammunition. Sooner or later you will not seat one deep enough and will stick the bullet in the throat if you try to unload the rifle. That is an absolute mess. I watched a friend darned near to have a fit when he did that on a prairie dog trip. He was busy cleaning his rifle action while the rest of us shot dogs. Not a happy man!

Good luck with the .338 Win Mag, it is a great cartridge.

R F

I shoot the 225 gr Hornady, Nosler Partition or Barnes X bullet in my Tikka and get groups that hover around 5/8 inch with either 72 gr of IMR-4350 or a max load of RL-22. (But work up to this in your rifle.) I find that the light bullets shed velocity faster and so I stick to the 225 to 250 gr bullets.

FWIW--MY 340 wby hates the 180 class bullet. Doesn't mean yours does necessarily but it is the smallest of the .338. YOU MUST SHOOT FROM A GOOD REST TO GET ACCURACY. Pillows or ANYHTING under the barrel is going to give poor results. I had a friend that was going elk hunting. He called me about 5 days before the hunt and said his gun wasn't shooting. He brought it over and we got all the copper out and it should have been at it's best. He takes it home and calls me an hour later. Says he's shooting 12" groups at 200 yards. I grab my 257 wby and go to his place where I find he's shooting off a foam pillow on the hood of his truck. I plop my wby on that pillow and can't keep the cross hairs from doing 6" circles. Out comes my sandbags--his gun becomes and instant shooter and mine is doing 2" groups at 200yds. ALSO--I have a tikka whitetail in a 30-06. The recoil pad is about the thinnest on any gun I own. I can only imagine what the .338 feels like.

Hi Stinker- I do not see from your post that you tried any other powder charges. Is this true? If so, you might want to check your loading manual and try varying the charge weight slightly. Sometimes a small change in the powder weight can make a large difference in your groups.

For heavy recoiling rifles, I agree with the above posters and use three shot groups. Good luck.