20 May 2002, 11:56
<Jim Lawrence>A touch up
Hello Friends: I have enjoyed this forum for a while and sometimes get some good help here. I have a pre WWII M70 Win. that I finally shot the barrel out of. It was a 30/06AI. It is at the gunsmiths now getting a complete overhaul, stock, trigger adj., barrel etc.. It will come home a 338-06AI. The Ackley stuff is about the kindness to brass it offers not an effort for velocity. I have very little information on powders to try with this caliber. I will be using 210 grain Noslers mostly. If any of you folks can offer some advice I'll sure take it. Take care and shoot straight

21 May 2002, 02:52
<eldeguello>IMR 4320 seems to be close to an optimum in the regular .338/'06. It might be a bit fast in the improved; maybe not. But powders in the 4350 range should work, particularly with 250 grain and heavier bullets.
21 May 2002, 05:20
<Don Martin29>Starting with the cheapest load data you could download the free program "LoadBase" that you will find here. It uses the Powley formulas which are freeware.
Then consider getting a chrongraph and just reading pressure signs. The maximun loads will be specific to your gun anyway.
You could just start with 30/06 data for a starting load if the powder is in the 4320 burning range.
Also buy the book "Wildcat Cartridges" from Wolfe. It has a cartridge in there called the .338 HGT which is a 40 Degree .270 Winchester case for a basis. With the 250 Sierra for a bullet 4350 was filled to the base of the neck and 4831 was compressed from the top of the neck for maximum loads.
Hope this helps.
I find that the standard 30/06 cases last forever but if I was doing a .338 on that case I would improve it also for the capacity.