My first long range (600 yds+) hunting rifle was a 338-300 RUM and had an M-70 Classic action, Wyatt's extended magazine box, 30" Benchmark HV contour barrel, McMillan Prone Stock, Nightforce NXS 8-32x56. It shot fine but weighed 18 lbs, and I just wasn't going to take it very far from the truck.

I wanted my second long range hunting rig to be lighter. It is a 338 Edge and has an SS M-70 classic action, 29" Benchmark light Palma contour barrel, Winchester laminated Coyote Light stock, and a Nightforce NXS 5.5-22x50. This second rig weighs about 12.75 lbs. I had it built over two years ago and until last week I only had 14 rounds through it--300 grain SMKs with RL-33 .010 off the lands that didn't shoot well (3/4" 3-shot groups with decent ES).

A friend of a friend wanted to acquire a 338 Edge and was pestering me about selling it. So I took it out to the range last week and tried 300 grain Bergers and RL-33 at .010" off the lands--shot 11/16" groups with poor ES. I decided I would sell it and let the next guy sort it out.

Well, my friend pushed on me a little and wanted me to load up some rounds so his friend could shoot it next month at the ranch. Well, I wasn't going to just pick the best Sierra or Berger load because they both had such long COLs that a loaded round could not be ejected--you had to open the floor plate and fuss with it a bit. This rifle just has a standard length magazine box and I was running it as a single shot.

So I went to the range two days ago to test the known accuracy powder, H-1000, and seated the SMKs deep enough so a loaded round would easily eject. This yielded a COL of about 3.76" and had the bullets .086" off the lands. I loaded up H-1000 with 89, 90, 91, and 92 grains with new Nosler brass. Here is how it shot.

H-1000/89: .625" for 3 at 2778 (ES 14)
H-1000/90: .750" for 3 at 2790 (ES 20)
H-1000/91: .225" for 3 at 2805 (ES 3)
H-1000/92: .287" for 3 at 2823 (ES 15)

So I loaded up 10 rounds with 91.5 grains and will go bust rocks or something. I realize I'll have to tweak the load with the fire-formed brass, but this rifle is a keeper and no longer for sale.

Will I long range hunt big game with it? I don't know. I am usually stumbling around the woods and the longest shot I've had to make has only been 435 yds (Blacktail buck last year, clean first shot kill). I prefer a lighter weight rifle for the stumbling around part.

Regardless, I do NOT sell accurate rifles. That is the 11th commandment..................

I've found prescribed seating depths don't always pan out. I start at .010" and go back in .010" or .030" increments depending on how it shoots at .010" and what bullet I'm using. My last three load work-ups with VLD bullets left me at .040" and two at .060" jump to the rifling but stellar precision.

My next barrel will be a .338 RUM or Edge. I just need to decide which.

That's how I usually do it as well for a hunting rifle. Start at .010 or .020 and work back in .005" increments, expecting to find best accuracy between .030 to .040. That said, with good brass prep and good loading practices, I frequently find more jump isn't a detriment to accuracy.

The reason I went with the Edge over the 338 RUM is brass availability. I think there is 6 grains more capacity in the Edge which might be worth 30-40 fps tops. However, even during the Obama scare I could find 300 RUM brass where 338 RUM brass was very hard to find. One could make 338 RUM from 300 RUM brass I guess, but I have always lost some cases when pushing the shoulder back that far.

Thanks for sharing your results! I built one of these on a R700 and found that the way it groups depended a lot on how I held it. Even changing the recoil pad seemed to significantly shrink groups somehow. Was there any significant difference in your shooting position, rest, technique, etc. between your earlier results and now? Have you tried shooting it without the brake?

I was using 106gr of 860 with 300gr sierras. That got around 2750 in a 25" tube, but ES was pretty bad. What are you using for primers?

I have shot all groups from the same setup, a Bald Eagle front rest and a Protektor rear rest. My limited experience with these guns has been that when shooting off a preloaded bipod and rear bean bag, it shoots about the same as from the bench.

I agree it's important to maintain consistency in your shooting position and I was especially aware of that when I shot 1000 yd BR. how the gun recoils does affect long range groups.

I am using Fed 215 GM Match primers, and I even found 3000 at the local Sportsman's Warehouse about two weeks ago.

Shawn Carlock of Defensive Edge is the guru of the 338 Edge and he lists 90 grains of H-1000 as the load with 300 grain SMKs. If you search an it and talk to folks who have messed with the Edge, almost all list 90-92 grains of H-1000 as the accuracy load. RL 33 and Retumbo seem to give a little more velocity but not the good ES. That has been my experience and it seems to track with what others have said.

91 gr H1000 seems to be magical in the Edge; it is what mine shoots as well, only with 285 AMAX bullets (soon to be ELDs).

Actually, 91 gr H1000 is my 300 RUM Sendero load; my Edge load was 88.5 H1000 with a 285 AMAX. But I am in the process of switching to ELDs since the AMAX is discontinued. 88.0 H1000 plunked into a 3 shot 1.25 inch group today - at 500 yards prone with a bipod. It has been shooting almost everything into less than 1/2 MOA, but I think this is the load for me.

I do like the LM; I think it is easier to load than the Edge, but one thing I like about the Edge is the standard magazine instead of the detachable stack mag used with LMs.

quote:

Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:
91 gr H1000 seems to be magical in the Edge; it is what mine shoots as well, only with 285 AMAX bullets (soon to be ELDs).

How do you think fire formed brass will affect the load vs new brass? On one hand the effort to expand necked up 300 RUM brass takes energy, but on the other the case capacity will increase a little due to the different shape of the Edge chamber. I guess it might not change anything.....

I picked up about 2gr of capacity iirc, so I could fit a little more powder with fired cases. With h1000 though, the case isn't completely full anyway, right? So I suspect you won't see much difference.

91gr of h-1000 is where mine shoots, ridiculously well.

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That seems to be the magic powder.

I agonized over the Edge VS the LM question quite awhile. Silly as it may seem, being able to buy all of the 338 LM brass I wanted from Bruno's was the difference.

That said, the Edge is a stone killer out a long ways...

I modified my comment above

Actually, 91 gr H1000 is my 300 RUM Sendero load; my Edge load was 88.5 H1000 with a 285 AMAX. But I am in the process of switching to ELDs since the AMAX is discontinued. 88.0 H1000 plunked into a 3 shot 1.25 inch group today - at 500 yards prone with a bipod. It has been shooting almost everything into less than 1/2 MOA, but I think this is the load for me.

I do like the LM; I think it is easier to load than the Edge, but one thing I like about the Edge is the standard magazine instead of the detachable stack mag used with LMs.

I ended up getting better performance with equal accuracy using Retumbo in my 300 RUM. Not sure on the Edge, I pulled that barrel to make the RUM.

What kind of barrel life can one expect from the 338 Edge?

I would expect 1200-1500 rounds. I am assuming it will be about like a 300 Winny. However, an Edge will not likely get abused (say like a 1K BR rifle) so it may go longer.

Retumbo does make more sense for the 300 RUM as it is more overbore.