I was thinking of overbore cartriages,and then it hit me why overbore, Is there ever gonna be a 338 WSM. with the succes of the 338-06. could the 338 WSM be ballistically and more efficently superior to it's larger full size counterpart?????????.

i have a different line of thought..

IF one makes a 338 wsm, is should be from the 7wsm, as it is LONGer then the 300... and a grain or 2 more capacity... and could NOT be shut in a 300 wsm chamber with a jackhammer

case capacities, for what ever it's worth

300 wsm 81
300 jamison 82
308 norma 85
338 win 86
338-06 69
338 jamison 83

remember the jamison line is basicly the same as the wsm

jeffe

One of my custom Xp-100's is chambered for the 338 WSM which uses the 300 WSM as a parent case. Out of the 15" Lilja barrel it will dive the 180 gr Ballistic Tips to +2950 fps and the 200 gr Ballistic Tip to +2800 fps.

The 180's will run in the 1/2 to 3/4 moa range at 100 yards.

I am not sure if I understand your post accurately, do you think that the 338-06 is a higher performance round then the 338 WSM?

This could hardly be farther from the truth, in fact the 338 WSM will run closer to the 338 Win Mag then the 06 round.

It is a great round, and is amazingly efficient, as are most 338 cailber rounds.

I will be building a light rifle using a Ruger short action with a 24" Lilja chambered for the 338 WSM. I already know the round is a great one out of a handcannon, will only be better in a light weight rifle.

Good Shooting!!!

50

Fiftydriver-I am doing a bit of work with a 338 WSM.

I am using R19 and the 225 Accubonds-21" Schneider tube is running it at 2600. That is quite close to the ceiling with my rifle. Just for comparison my 338/06 with a 23" tube will run the 250 SAF's at 2600.

I am curious what you are using for a powder with the 180 and the 200's ? Also what type of starting charge do you suggest I try?

Thanks for your time.

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dogz

My gunsmith here,just built 2 338-06 based on remington pump actions,and both guns shooting 180gr BSTP's chronoed at 2950-3000fps avg with more than acceptable pressures. This is exceptional speed out of the small case capacity equal to the 300 win mag. I thought that the 338 wsm shooting a 225gr bullet should be capable of at least 2900fps.

My Dad has a 338/300 WSM, and he is getting better than 338 WM velocities by about 75-100 fps, but he is using a 27" 3 groove Pac-Nor.

He built his on a LA 700 and had it throated for the 300gr SMK, which he's getting 2500 fps with.

The Win. brass has been loaded 6-7 times now and is still holding primers tight.

Ballistically, it's a SA beltless 338 WM...

I'd like to try the 416 WSM myself.

Mark,

Live in good old Bozeman, went to college there, great town, great hunting town as well.

Anyway, my XP-100 is set up specifically to fire rounds in the 160-225 gr weight as I really did not have a need for the heavy 250 and 300 gr class bullets out of the handgun, especially for the game I intended to hunt.

If a 225 gr Partition will not take an elk out of this handgun, the 250 will not either.

I wanted this handgun set up for speed so I had Dan Liljasend be the 15" barrel blank with a 1-12" twist which he recommended for accuracy more then speed.

Also the chamber is throated as to allow the 180 gr Ballistic Tips to be seated to an over all length of 3.075" which gives a good deal of case capacity.

Along with that, after the barrel break in period, I switched to coated Ballistic Tips which to my suprise added 45 fps with same loads. In previous load testing, the addition of a coated bullet with the same powder charge actually reduced velocity about that same amount. Perhaps it was a faster lot of powder that caused the increase.

Which brings me to my powder of choice. When I started doing load developement for my 338 WSM there was not data anywhere but there was a similiar round on the market already. That was the Lazzeroni 338 round, forget the fancy name. Anyway, he lists data on his web sight and from doig some measuring I found his case to have roughly 1.5 grains more capacity then the WSM in 338.

All I did was use his starting loads reduced by 2 grains and worked them up until I got to my max load. From his data it was clear that RL-15 was his powder of choice as it produced the best velocities of all the powder for the lighter weight(sub 225 gr) bullets.

I believe I started at 64.0 gr with a CCI-200 primer and the first group through the handgun cut a 3/8" clover leaf. Working up a grain at a time I topped out at 70.0 gr with an average velocity of 3011 fps with the coated 180 gr B.Tips. Groups were running in the 3/4 to 1 moa area which was fine but primer pockets were getting loose after a couple firings.

I dropped the load back one full grain and a ten shot string averaged 2970 fps and shot the following groups: 0.445" ctc, 0.580" ctc and 0.402" ctc(four shots).

That was the last load testing I have done with the round and have taken 5 big game animals since with as many shots at ranges from 70 yards to 317 yards.

When Nosler released the 225 gr Accubond, it really peeked my interest and I have a few boxes sitting on the shelf over in the shop just waiting to give them a try. If that bullet had been on the market when I had my handgun built, I would have gone with the 1-10" twist to make sure they would be stabilized in the handgun. As is, the 1-12" may not do the job, this spring, or winter after big game season, I will find out.

I will look up the data and let you know for sure where I started. It is a great little round.

Good Shooting!!!

50

Mark,

Here is the starting load data I used, with a few different powders and bullet weights. Like I said, I started and ended with Rl-15.

200 gr Ballistic Tip 2.800" oal
58.0 gr Rl-15
68.0 gr H4350
70.0 gr Rl-19

225 gr Partition 2.780" oal
55.0 gr Rl-15
63.0 gr H4350
65.0 gr Rl-19

250 gr Partition 2.780"
52.0 gr Rl-15
58.0 gr H4350
60.0 gr Rl-19

All these loads are two grains less then the starting load for the LAzzeroni 338 short action magnum and will work fine with the 338 WSM

Start there and work up.

Good Shooting!!!

50

50-thanks for all the info this will be tons of help!! I ordered some of the new Barnes Triple Shocks for the 338 today, a 185 Bt and a 225 flat base.

If I can get that 185 to shoot, (which I am sure it will) and the speed to a acceptable level. Then I will beat up on a lot of stuff with the gun in 2004!

I'll get back to you tomorrow-it's late and it is time to hit the rack.

Thanks again

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dogz

50-a couple of quick last questions.

first off do you use standard primers or mag's?

Second off do have you done much clock work with the 160 X?

Thanks

"GTTH"

Dogz

[ 11-20-2003, 08:53: Message edited by: Mark R Dobrenski ]