Sierra Bullets publishes a load for their 215-grain .338 Gamekings in the .338-06, which I would love to try: 65.8 grains of Reloder 19. Sierra says this is the MAXIMUM load for that bullet; and it is their recommended hunting load. The problem is that even with compression, I can't seem to get more than about 60.5 grains into the case and still seat the bullet! (And I have the Ackley Improved version of the cartridge, which should give me one or two grains more capacity than the "standard" .338-06.) I e-mailed Sierra about it with the details; and they think I must be bonkers. Here is my e-mail to Sierra, and Sierra's response. Have any of you tried Reloder 19 in the .338-06? If so, am I doing something wrong; or is Sierra mistaken?

MY E-MAIL TO SIERRA:
I have a question regarding the published loads for Sierra's 215-grain .338 caliber bullets in the 338-06 cartridge. I am hoping you or someone at Sierra can provide some enlightenment. Sierra's published loads indicate that the best loads are with Reloader 19, and the recommended hunting load with this bullet is the maximum of 65.8 grains of that powder. However, even with severe compression of the load, I cannot get anything even remotely like 65.8 grains of that powder into a 338-06 case, and still seat a bullet on top of it. I have tried everything, including using a drop tube, tapping the filled cases and vibrating them. If I use all these techniques and severely compress the load, I can get 60.5 grains into the case. And my cartridges are the Ackley Improved version of the 338-06; so they have a grain or two more capacity than the standard 338-06 case that Sierra's load data is based on! Maybe the magicians at Sierra can cram 61 grains into one of the standard 338-06 cases and still manage to seat that bullet; but I am pretty certain that it is physically impossible to seat a bullet over a higher load than that. Did the tech wizards at Sierra actually fire these loads in a rifle, and if so, how in the ever-lovin' world did they manage to do that? I doubt that it is physically possible to do it even if the bullet is seated with such a long OAL that the cartridge would not cycle through any normal magazine. Did they crush the stick powder into fine dust in a mortar and pestle before charging the cases? If you can advise how this can be done, I would love to try that load.

SIERRA'S RESPONSE:
We actually used Winchester cases which are known to be more spacious that say Remington or Federal and particularly Lapua. We actually did shoot all the data presented in the 5th Edition Reloading Manual we just didn't point it at California. I'm sure there was some compression involved but the guys who did shoot the data said that they didn't remember specifically but didn't recall anything out of the ordinary when loading this cartridge. Frankly, I'd expect an Ackley version to hold 65 grains of RL19 without running over. Could it be that you have misread your scales or used a very heavy lot of brass?

Switch to RL-15. It will make you happy.

Yeh BB, I think you are right. I can't get much more than 61gr in my .33-06 using WW brass. I load RL15 under the 210grNP & it is very accurate & repeatable. I am trying RL19 w/ the 250gr Speer GS & 3250grNP. I have shot several good groups under 1MOA w/ 60.5gr RL19 & RPLRP.

I agree that the Sierra load would be difficult, if not impossible, to get into a standard .338/'06 case. I don't know how much more the improved version would take, but note that the Stower's book shows 61 grain of RE 15 as a max load for the 200 grain bullet in the .338 Gibbs, which holds a little more powder than an AI case.

I am using RE 22 in the 7X57mm Mauser case, and it is full at 54 grains. I once used Norma N205 and MRP for the 7X57 load, and these two occupied less space than RE 22.

[ 07-22-2003, 15:51: Message edited by: eldeguello ]

I think the Boys at Sierra better recheck that data. I just tried 60gr of RL 19 in my 338-06 standard and it filled the case half way up the neck.I am using Lapua brass but 65gr is a reach even with a change in brass. I like 55 gr of VV N150 with the 215 Sierra at 2700.

I managed to get 65.8 grains of RL19 into a new W\W reformed '06 case with about 1\8th inch of room left in the neck. I didn't try to seat a bullet as I don't use the 215 Sierra but IMO it would be severely compressed, maybe to the point that in time the bullet will be forced back out of the case.

My chamber is of the improved 40 degree version also. Don't get hung up on RL19.
RL15, H-414, WW760, VV-N550 work great as does the all-time favorite, IMR 4320.

We actually did shoot all the data presented in the 5th Edition Reloading Manual we just didn't point it at California. I'm wondering if this dig is the result of your somewhat acerbic e-mail or their past home in Santa Fe Springs, CA?

I concurr with The Gentleman from PA.

This intrigued me, so even tho it is 11;00 oclock, at night I went out to the old reload bench and put 66 grains of RL 19 into a new Reformed winchester case ( formed from 270 not 30/06). There was about an 8th of an inch left to the rim. I would not be concerned about compression of RL 19 tho.

Although a lot of the popular powders were listed, my favorite has been H 380. 60 grains of it will give me 2600 fps out of a 24 inch barreled Winchester Model 70. 63 grains with the 215 Sierra gave me 2870-2890 according to my chronograph record book. 65 grains of course broke 2900 ( 2925 to be exact).

60 grains of H 380 also gave 2460-2475 with the old Speer 275 grain SSP.

H 380 gave me my best accuracy also, and less standard deviation on the chrony. As a powder it is real easy to work with also, in any caliber.

My second most favorite is 4064. The main reason is that 50 grains of it, gives about 2500 fps, with any bullet from 200 grains to 250. So if you shoot different bullets in your 338/06, with the similar velocities, you will not have to re zero your scope much.

Thanks for your comments, guys; they were quite helpful

Some very interesting results in the .338/'06 also. Must be a fine cartridge!!