Here We Go 1Shot/.338 Federal Hunting Load (Hunting Results)

[pbcaster45]

Looks like the weather is going to cooperate for once and I should be able to chronograph my loads before this weekend. I'm still trying to decide if I should bump up the charge of H4895 to 48.0 grs. I'm not seeing any pressure signs and 47.5 grains is not a compressed load in Remington cases. I did a weight comparison of .338 Federal factory cases and Remington .308 Winchester reformed and this is what I got. Cases were trimmed to 2.007 and the flash holes deburred with a Sinclair tool.

Federal Factory

#1 176.6 grs.
#2 175.4 grs.
#3 175.9 grs.
#4 176.3 grs.
#5 176.7 grs.

Avg: 176.18

************************

Remington Reformed

#1 163.9 grs.
#2 164.9 grs.
#3 164.9 grs.
#4 164.4 grs.
#5 164.5 grs.

Avg: 164.5

Oh, well. I decided to be conservative and loaded up 5 test rounds with 47.8 grs of H4895. Prior to seating I held each case again a tumbler to settle the powder charge. Still no signs of compression but it’s getting close to the base of the bullet. :-\



http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc265/pbcaster45/Seated200grHornady.jpg

[1Shot]

...Try setting your seating depth to .015 off the lands.. ;)..Looks like the bbl. is in a diff. node..Your powder bump is in the right direction..lol.. :)...

[pbcaster45]

I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself! Gorgeous conditions at the range today - 67 degrees and almost no wind! Almost didn't get to do any velocity work - I left my chronograph tripod at home! What to do? ???

Improvise!

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc265/pbcaster45/Chronographsolution.jpg

I would have been happy to get about 2500 - 2550 fps (the Federal 200 gr Fusion load clocks about 2644 fps from my barrel). Federal uses "special" powders to get those high velocity numbers, right? Boy, I did good!

Load #1
Bullet: Hornady 200 gr. SP Interlock
Powder: Hodgdon H4895 47.5 grs.
Primer: CCI-200
Case: Remington .308 Winchester Reformed
LOAL: 2.895 (2.228 base to ogive with Stoney Point)
Avg. Velocity: 2637.80 fps
Spread: 46.41
Std Dev: 17.86

Load #2 (THE LOAD!)
Bullet: Hornady 200 gr. SP Interlock
Powder: Hodgdon H4895 47.8 grs.
Primer: CCI-200
Case: Remington .308 Winchester Reformed
LOAL: 2.895 (2.228 base to ogive with Stoney Point)
Avg. Velocity: 2636.69 fps
Spread: 20.63 fps
Std Dev: 8.48

Load #3
Bullet: Hornady 200 gr. SP Interlock
Powder: Hodgdon H4895 48.0 grs.
Primer: CCI-200
Case: Remington .308 Winchester Reformed
LOAL: 2.895 (2.228 base to ogive with Stoney Point)
Avg. Velocity: 2665.86 fps
Spread: 30.57 fps
Std Dev: 10.95


100 yard group with load #2 (0.634 inches)

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc265/pbcaster45/Hndy200SPHuntingLoad100yards.jpg

With the components I'm using I consider 48.0 grs a safe maximum in my rifle. No signs of high pressure, I'm getting good velocity and I'm satisfied. I've checked my scope and mounts, torqued the stock to 30 inch pounds, verified good feeding from the magazine - I'm ready to go hunting!

[1Shot]

...Got to test those Nosler 200gr CT's out today...Took a doe at around 50yds facing me..Put the cross hairs on the middle of her neck & squeezed off..Her legs folded like a lawn chair..lol..DRT...Dressed her out & seen it hit the front ribs & neck spine junction..No exit hole was seen.. :D...Just what I wanted to see...After I skin her out I'll give her a close look over...Coarse a neck or rib shot I know would be a pass through...Have to wait for that shot... ;)

[pbcaster45]

Well, I'm hitting the woods this weekend and I've got to get some venison! My friend's wife promised she'd bake me an apple pie for Thanksgiving if I brought back some deer meat! Talk about pressure! Her scratch made pies are AWESOME! ;D

[pbcaster45]

Bagged an 8-point whitetail Saturday afternoon here in Oklahoma. I got to my 12 ft tri-pod stand about 3 p.m. It was sunny, 60 degrees with a 10-20 mph wind. I was just inside some trees overlooking several wide open fields of waist high grass. About 4:25 p.m. a whitetail buck just stood up nearly right in front of me, slightly to my left! He was about 80 yards away and wasn't in any rush to go anywhere. He'd been bedding there the whole time! He walked towards my right and looked away. While he was doing that I got my rifle in place, took off the safety, put the crosshairs on his heart and pulled the trigger. He stumbled when the bullet hit and went maybe twenty yards (heading for the trees) and then his back legs collapsed. He slid down towards a dry stream bed until he came to a stop between two small trees. The bullet took out both lungs and blew off the top of his heart. Total time about five seconds from the bullet impact until he came to a stop. I'm guessing he weighed about 150 lbs. The Hornady 200 gr Interlock performed perfectly!

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc265/pbcaster45/Wherehedropped.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc265/pbcaster45/Whitetail338Federal.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc265/pbcaster45/RibCageExitWound.jpg

[1Shot]

..Now you can get that pie..lol...Look's like you hit it alittle low but still got the job done... ;)...Those 200gr CT's make alot bigger hole..lol..about grapefruit size... ;D...Well, steaks on the table... :D

[pbcaster45]

That was some of the best apple pie I've ever had, and the mincemeat pie she baked was good too! I went hunting this weekend but all I saw were bucks and my buck tag is already filled (I can still take one with a bow). I had what I thought was a nice doe in my crosshairs but it turned out to be a young 4-point - I just watched him through my binoculars after that. I really had a good time, don't have to kill anything to feel the hunt was worth it. I think that eight point I took last week will go a long way toward removing the tarnish from my nickname "One Shot Johnny". Earlier this year I missed a lone hog out of a herd of 20 - 30 pigs and the guys at work still love to bring it up. It was an easy 130 yard shot but I got a little flustered by that many hogs and rushed the shot. The slug went low and thankfully the hog got away unharmed. Learned a lot from that one - like keeping my mistakes to myself!

[1Shot]

I really had a good time, don't have to kill anything to feel the hunt was worth it. I think that eight point I took last week will go a long way toward removing the tarnish from my nickname "One Shot Johnny". Earlier this year I missed a lone hog out of a herd of 20 - 30 pigs and the guys at work still love to bring it up. It was an easy 130 yard shot but I got a little flustered by that many hogs and rushed the shot. The slug went low and thankfully the hog got away unharmed. Learned a lot from that one - like keeping my mistakes to myself!


...lol...Ya talking smack sometimes will bite you..lol...I like to go hunting just to see what kind of critter I'll come across..I was sitting next to a tree & a box turtle came crawling right into arms lenght before he decided to turn up the hill...I've had a squirrel come up on the same tree I was leaning against & I could've swatted him with my hat..lol...Just like being out in nature to calm the nerves & clear the mind... ;)