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Well I finally got off my butt and sent in a 338 Federal case to Hornady (for my Stoney Point LOAL gage) - lets see if 1Shots advise about seating out pays off! Using reformed Remington brass (more room for powder) and seating out should give me a few more fps and hopefully, tighter groups. Now if it would just quit raining...
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...difiedCase.jpg
...Now your talking..lol... ;D This 200gr puppy is sitting on top of 46.8grs of H4895 & it's still not compressed.. ;)..comp.is 2.265...
[img width=600 height=449]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v692/sqek/338fed.jpg[/img]
...Have you checked for lands yet..???..lol...
1Shot,
I just finished reforming a bag of new Remington .308 Winchester brass and I'll be checking the bullet jump in the next few days. I've got a stash of CT Ballistic Silvertips and Hornady Interlock Bullets that need testing. The 180 Nosler AccuBond shot so well I pretty much ignored the 200 gr bullets. I think seating out nearer the lands will allow the heavier bullets to finally equal the accuracy of the AccuBonds (in my rifle). It looks like I can seat all the way to the lands and still have plenty of room for magazine fit (thanks to a sensible throat length from PAC-NOR). Really would like to go to a cheaper bullet for hunting pigs and reserve the AccuBonds for something bigger like elk or mule deer.
PB
...The saga continues..lol..Now that you have the primer game over...It's time to hit that .338... ;D...Mine will be tasteing deer this Nov... ;)...
Yep! ;D
Getting the .338 Federal test loads ready for this weekend. Now where are those 200 gr Noslers...
Test load #1
Bullet: Hornady 200 gr. SP Interlock
Powder: Hodgdon H4895 46.5 grs.
Primer: CCI-BR2
Case: Remington .308 Winchester Reformed
LOAL: 2.900 (2.233 base to ogive with Stoney Point)
Comments: Jam length is 2.251 with this bullet (base to ogive with Stoney Point Gage). This LOAL used for 0.018 bullet jump.
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...00gr338Fed.jpg
I can't win for losin'... I got sick on Saturday and it was beautiful outside! Oh, well - I'll just go on Sunday (I'm thinking). OF COURSE IT RAINED ALL DAY! Crap! >:(
...Tell me about it..!!!...Missed 2-days of work & have been sick all week...I feel like I'm going through detox...I think I'm going to have to go in the gun room & open a can of powder so maybe I can shake it off...lol...I don't know what kind of bug it is but it's spreading faster than a bad rumer...Quote:
Originally Posted by pbcaster45
...Well since MikeCTX is closing in on his bug hole..What's up with this .338...lol.. ;)...
I got to smell burned gun powder Sat. Still sick but what else is new here lately...Wifey cought me before I was heading to bed & said there were some crows out in a field down behind the house...She grabbed the range finder to get a reading...217yds. The field was open with no wind...She said well..You gonna throw 1 at them or not..I said why not...Went & grabbed the old .223 with a 50gr. Nosler load..Slid the table chair around for a rest, put a hand towel down on the top to keep from scratching things up...Slid the patio door open alittle & tried to hold her steady...Kinda a fat chance on that 1...Kinda bouncing around alittle...Thought well if nothing else click it off on the bounce...Sure enough..Lit that puppy off & seperated the crows head from his body..lol...He had his back to me..Even had time to see the hit...Conned wifey into walking down to confirm the hit...Told her I'ld take her out to eat.. :)...Hit it in the neck body junction..Perfect..lol...Patted myself on the back..lol..Got dressed & headed to town for some Crown Royal to celibrate.. ;)...I had a nice drink on the rocks...Kicked back in the recliner & took me a little nap...End of a perfect day.. ;D...
[img width=600 height=449]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v692/sqek/TN.jpg[/img]
That is a good woman!
Nice shooting in keeping with the 1shot moniker!
Hope things are getting better for you.
Neal
No shooting for me this weekend, I went bow hunting for deer! It was miserable, wet and cold but I loved it! Saw one buck worth shooting but he didn't come close enough for a clean shot (50 yards for me). Of course he would have been an easy shot with a rifle (an old story I'm sure...)
P.S. After seeing the size of that buck I'm starting to rethink the idea that the .338 Federal might be too much for whitetail! Now I think it might be just right! The 30-06 just took the #2 spot (backup rifle)
..Yep..It's been rainy, windy & in the 40's lately...I know the feeling...The .338 with 200gr. Nos. CT's will get first bid... ;D...Then it's the Win. .243's turn with 85gr Sie HPBT Gamekings....Everybody say's they're the cats meow...We'll see...I know the Nos 90gr. BT's will knock the sauce out of em...lol... ;)...That's the only 1 that gets loaned out to the kin folk, so it needs to do the job...Hope you get a big 1..Be safe...
Almost didn't go shooting this weekend because of the wind - but I'm glad I did. Did see improvement from seating closer to the lands! All five shot groups fired at 100 yards.
My fireforming load:
#1
Bullet: Nosler 180 gr. AccuBond
Powder: Hodgdon H4895 46.0 grs.
Primer: Federal 210
Case: Remington .308 Winchester Reformed
LOAL: 2.810
Groups Size: 0.896
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...untingLoad.jpg
#2
Bullet: Nosler 180 gr. AccuBond
Powder: Hodgdon H4895 47.0 grs.
Primer: CCI-200
Case: Remington .308 Winchester Reformed
LOAL: 2.886 (2.239 base to ogive with Stoney Point)/0.020 Bullet Jump
Groups Size: 0.722
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...grAccuBond.jpg
#3
Bullet: Hornady 200 gr. SP Interlock
Powder: Hodgdon H4895 47.0 grs.
Primer: CCI-200
Case: Remington .308 Winchester Reformed
LOAL: 2.900 (2.233 base to ogive with Stoney Point) 0.018 Bullet Jump
Group Size: 1.065
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...ady200grSP.jpg
#4
Bullet: Nosler 200 gr. Ballistic Silvertip
Powder: Hodgdon H4895 46.0 grs.
Primer: CCI-200
Case: Remington .308 Winchester Reformed
LOAL: 2.960 (2.254 base to ogive with Stoney Point) 0.018 Bullet Jump
Group Size: 0.800
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...cSilvertip.jpg
Much as I like the 180 gr AccuBonds I'm probably going to switch to the Hornady 200 gr Spitzer to cut down on costs...
...Take that 200gr. Nosler load to .015 off the lands & bump that powder to 46.4grs of H4895... ;)
1Shot,
I will, just being conservative! Hey! If anyone from Nosler is reading this stuff how's about bringing back the .338 Cal 180 gr Ballistic Tip! I loved the AccuBond but my wallet doesn't!! ;D
..Yup.. Nosler is soo proud of them on price they should'nt run out... >:(..
It's getting too close to deer/rifle season now - got to back off on the experimenting and sight-in for business. It's a toss up between the Nosler 180 gr AccuBond and the Hornady 200 gr SP. I'll probably go with the Nosler and chronograph the load/sight-in this weekend. Wish I had more time, Hodgdon/IMR is quoting some really interesting velocities with IMR 8208 XBR. That's a powder I'm not familiar with - has anybody else used it in a .308 Winchester family cartridge?
PB
P.S. Well, I guess IMR 8208 XBR isn't available yet - Dang!
..I know what you mean..Just traded for a 25-06...I'll play with it after deer season...Going to make it my groundhog-yote pounder with 75gr V-Max or Nosler 85gr BT's...3700-3800fps should get the job done...lol...I know alot of guy's that liked the old 8082 in their 6ppc's...Quote:
Originally Posted by pbcaster45
I did a little fine tuning with the Hornady 200 gr InterLock and decided the small accuracy advantage with the Nosler 180 gr. AccuBond wasn't worth worrying about. I still need to chronograph the load - I'm hoping to get at least 2500 fps. No signs of excess pressure and the powder is not compressed. I'm at little over Hornady's recommended maximum charge but the Remington cases have a little more capacity than Federals and I'm seating out for 0.023 bullet jump. The blind magazine measures about 2.900 - 2.904 and this gives me a little bit of room for function. I think this will be good medicine for any whitetail deer worth taking.
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...SP100yards.jpg
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)
Comments: Jam length is 2.251 with this bullet (base to ogive with Stoney Point Gage). This LOAL used for magazine fit, 0.023 bullet jump. Five shot group at 100 yards measured 0.842.
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/c...0grHornady.jpg
...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.. :)...
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/c...phsolution.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/c...ad100yards.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!
...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... ;)
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
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/c...ehedropped.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...338Federal.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/c...eExitWound.jpg
..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
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!
...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... ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by pbcaster45