338-300 Norma Improved 35 degree

[Jud96]

Now that I have used the last of my Broughtons I am on the hunt for the next best .338 barrel. Have some different ones on order for testing. The volume on the Broughtons was perfect for the 300s.

Have you tested any Bartlein or Lilja .338 barrels?

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Not yet but Bartliens on order and Lilja in the shop.

 

[Jud96]

Not yet but Bartliens on order and Lilja in the shop.

Good deal!

 

[Ledd Slinger]

That will be an awesome rifle for bucking the wind at long range when hunting over east.

 

[tom]

That will be an awesome rifle for bucking the wind at long range when hunting over east.

Brandon if you've stuck your head outside today then you know what it's doing. Today is one group each 20 or so minutes, with just the spin drift dialed in! My 6mm had 6 inches of windage in a 15 second ladder run!

Tom

 

[Darwin]

Nice shooting. Since this a hunting rifle I am curious what the trigger is set at.

 

[Northridge]

Back out today and she's finally speeding up some, with some erratic velocities like we see during speed up. Sort of a late bloomer, as this was rounds 90-110. Although I saw a hint of it on the last range trip.

Started today at 110 rounds, fired 2 foulers in the dark and shot a few groups in the high node.... then shot the same 3 groups but with federal 210s.... hmmmmmmm, lol

View attachment 1223380

I think I'm about done shooting paper, it can only get worse! The way I set the lab radar up is making me wonder if there's not a bit of error in some of the more erroneous readings as well.

Tom

just let it chew, just a breezy Saturday..

Shawn Williams

 

[tom]

Nice shooting. Since this a hunting rifle I am curious what the trigger is set at.

About 4 ounces lol. It's just enough I can fiddle with it and change my mind. Different kind of hunting rifle, such as you drop the bolt when you decide it's time. Good news it's timed up beautifully, as always and stays on the dot when you drop the bolt into battery.

Tom

 

[tom]

Ok guys, I thought I would consolidate everything on this broughton barrel since every shot on paper is right here!

One thing I will say I'm seeing, and y'all can look to your own notes on vit 570. I run 20 count boxes of brass, so other than day one, where I needed to sight the rifle, I've put only 2 foulers in the dirt each day. I believe in all my trips, the first group has almost always, if not always, been kind of a turd. It's got my attention at leat to keep an open mind that this combination "might" like a few more fouling shots. The rifle is just heavy enough, I don't believe I'm just being a tard on setup on group one....although lol!

Day one..


Day 2....2 photos

Tom

 

[tom]

Day 3...



Day 4...2 photos






Tom

 

[tom]

Day 5...





Day 6...




And this brings us up to date this evening. First day out I sighted, zeroed my scope and have fouled 2 shots into dirt on all days since. Using my applied ballistics app, entering what I "predicted" to be the velocities for each day, no "sighters". It's probably about done since it's not a bench rifle, and looks like it will work well for what it's for. Cody and I will eventually be out tuning our 2,000 yard rifles at our 2,075 yard spot, and at that time I will take this one and see what it does. I don't expect it to maybe quite compete with my target 338, since I wound up testing different "tip profiles" with that rifle that helped her out dropping into those target velocities.

Happy New Year everyone,

Tom

Oh, and here's a photo of our 2,075 spot from last May.

 

[tom]

covered line and all!


Tom

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Just need to hang the target on a trolley cable across the canyon with a motor and pulley for retrieval and you’ll be set.

 

[tom]

Just need to hang the target on a trolley cable across the canyon with a motor and pulley for retrieval and you’ll be set.

But instead we set it up in a tick nest lol.

Tom

 

[Ledd Slinger]

If you drink enough beer, the ticks will get drunk on your blood and just fall off. Lol

 

[taylorw]

Day 5...


View attachment 1223498


Day 6...

View attachment 1223499


And this brings us up to date this evening. First day out I sighted, zeroed my scope and have fouled 2 shots into dirt on all days since. Using my applied ballistics app, entering what I "predicted" to be the velocities for each day, no "sighters". It's probably about done since it's not a bench rifle, and looks like it will work well for what it's for. Cody and I will eventually be out tuning our 2,000 yard rifles at our 2,075 yard spot, and at that time I will take this one and see what it does. I don't expect it to maybe quite compete with my target 338, since I wound up testing different "tip profiles" with that rifle that helped her out dropping into those target velocities.

Happy New Year everyone,

Tom

Oh, and here's a photo of our 2,075 spot from last May.

View attachment 1223504

Excellent thread Tom.. I really appreciate you guys posting your load development in such detail.
Did the ~94.0 load not pan out? I noticed in your day 6 post that you went up in powder charge?

Not trying to get off track but the thing that stood out in your thread was primer testing. I feel like most are close to a decent load but change up to early with a powder/bullet combo, when sometimes all thats needed is a primer swap. I have found that certain barrels are very picky with primers but omce it’s found, can shoot multiple powders well.
An example would be a 7saum that I wrestled with for a while.. My starting load was RL23, 180VLD’s, & 215’s. Couldn’t get RL23 to shoot so I tried H4831, H1000, RL26, N565. The rifle wouldn’t hold better than 5” of vertical at 600yds, so I did a full primer/powder test with 3 more (BR2’s, 210Ms, & 250’s). BR2’s were the clear winner. My vertical dropped to less than 1.5” at 600yds and has been very consistent in different conditions with all the powders listed above except N565. I guess the barrel just didn’t like that one...

Another example that’s a little closer to your results was a load worked up for a friends 7STW.. we tried 215’s & 250’s With retumbo/168vld’s with less than good results. Switched to 210’s and the load became very accurate and forgiving but the key to finding the correct primer is starting low in powder charge and working up again, instead of shooting different primers with a single powder charge.

Excited to see more posts from you, Alex, GlennK, etc.

 

[tom]

Excellent thread Tom.. I really appreciate you guys posting your load development in such detail.
Did the ~94.0 load not pan out? I noticed in your day 6 post that you went up in powder charge?

Not trying to get off track but the thing that stood out in your thread was primer testing. I feel like most are close to a decent load but change up to early with a powder/bullet combo, when sometimes all thats needed is a primer swap. I have found that certain barrels are very picky with primers but omce it’s found, can shoot multiple powders well.
An example would be a 7saum that I wrestled with for a while.. My starting load was RL23, 180VLD’s, & 215’s. Couldn’t get RL23 to shoot so I tried H4831, H1000, RL26, N565. The rifle wouldn’t hold better than 5” of vertical at 600yds, so I did a full primer/powder test with 3 more (BR2’s, 210Ms, & 250’s). BR2’s were the clear winner. My vertical dropped to less than 1.5” at 600yds and has been very consistent in different conditions with all the powders listed above except N565. I guess the barrel just didn’t like that one...

Another example that’s a little closer to your results was a load worked up for a friends 7STW.. we tried 215’s & 250’s With retumbo/168vld’s with less than good results. Switched to 210’s and the load became very accurate and forgiving but the key to finding the correct primer is starting low in powder charge and working up again, instead of shooting different primers with a single powder charge.

Excited to see more posts from you, Alex, GlennK, etc.

I think with the late speed up, there would still be a "low node" around 2900 I'm sure. I just had a hunch it was about to come into the high node, and you know how humans are....bigger/faster just has to be better lol. Who knows, this node is definitely on up in pressure, so it will be a good test of the brass/sizing/chamber fit for sure.


Tom

 

[tom]

My 2,000 yard rifle just got fitted with a 30 caliber version of this case.....looks like the 338 just went back burner lol.

Tom

 

[MTlager]

My 2,000 yard rifle just got fitted with a 30 caliber version of this case.....looks like the 338 just went back burner lol.

Tom

I new I should of sold that thing while it was sitting here in my gun room. Stimulus money !!

 

[GlennK]

I new I should of sold that thing while it was sitting here in my gun room. Stimulus money !!

I'll give you 600 dollars for it