More crap I don't need - 8.6 Blackout edition.

[JayHHI6818]

Whispers are definitely fun to shoot! I have a 338 Whisper 14 inch T/C Contender barrel made by SSK. I shoot metallic silhouette with it loading the Nosler 300 gr HP competition bullet @ 1040 fps. From pigs to rams it sounds like you hit targets with a hammer. Spotter laughs at rainbow trajectory!

 

[LVLAaron]

Love it. I looked at the whisper. Went 8.6blk just because I could get reamers/barrels/etc immediately. Can't wait to lob some 500 yard shots. I probably need to get a 40 MOA rail

 

[JayHHI6818]

I used Burris Signature Z rings and used the +/- 20 inserts for 40 MOA!

 

[Konocti's Wigwam]

Whispers are definitely fun to shoot! I have a 338 Whisper 14 inch T/C Contender barrel made by SSK. I shoot metallic silhouette with it loading the Nosler 300 gr HP competition bullet @ 1040 fps. From pigs to rams it sounds like you hit targets with a hammer. Spotter laughs at rainbow trajectory!

That's pretty interesting. My conclusion is that 338 whisper is a subsonic cartridge primarily. I rather like the fact that you can go either sub or super on the 8.6 blackout. There are at least 4 companies making dies for 8.6 blackout. Good selection of bullets available also. On supersonic, it seems that 338 Federal was intended for supersonic loads. It seems that 8.6 blackout brings with 338 Whisper and 338 Federal together in a single cartridge. Does this matter for me? I have no clue... @JayHHI6818 do you use a suppressor?

As Aaron, the reamers and die availability convinced me also.

The last thing that pushed me over the edge of 8.6 blackout was that PTG lists the reamer as a custom reamer, but it is listed as SAAMI, which is kinda odd, as I was under the impression that 8.6 blackout wasn't SAAMI spec yet. If you go to SAAMI.org, there doesn't seem to be anything listed in regard to 8.6 blackout. Since the Redding dies were available, that was encouraging to give a look at it, even though in early stage. I have been shooting 300 blackout for about 10 years and it just keeps getting better. I went ahead and got the Redding dies and PTG reamer. I had been using Hornady dies prior to that. Both work ok for me, but knowing that PTG has in the past supplied Redding with reamers for their dies, it seemed safe.

Now here is one odd thing. The 338 Whisper doesn't use a 1:3 twist, and neither does 338 Federal. Me and Aaron exchanged some info and he felt a 1:6 twist could work. I don't know, Brittingham has been working on this cartridge for at least 2-3 years and they seem pretty insistent on the twist being 1:3. I have no idea how it would vary with a 1:6 twist, I'm just not in a financial position to test it.

It was pigs that drove me to 8.6 blackout as well as knowing that I wouldn't want to run into a black bear wtih 300 blackout. I think it could handle a bear in close range, but bears are quick and not paying attention could cost you your life...especially these days as bears are getting very aggressive. There is one cartridge between 300 blackout and 8.6 blackout, that being 6.5 Grendel. Those are my current 3 cartridges I'm currently testing for pigs. Fact is I have a great shooting 308 that could function well for the game I am intereseted in. I'm just looking for something shorter, lighter and hopefully I'll be able to use a suppressor one day.

KW

 

[LVLAaron]

1:3 twist is pure and complete marketing wank from the cartridge designer. I believe anyone that sells their "8.6 blackout" design has to sell it in a 3 twist.

6.5 twist should be more than enough to stabilize (all the other subsonic 338's run 6.5) - 3 twist just means you're blowing up jacketed bullets because... 500,000 rpm

 

[JayHHI6818]

@Konocti's Wigwam

I dont have a suppressor. I stopped by JD Jones shop long time ago and he showed me the 338 Whipser and I knew I had to have one. Couldn’t believe one I found one on an auction. JD’s load data shows Nolser 200 gr @ 2100+ fps from 14 inch barrel is no slouch. 250 gr @ 1900 fps.

 

[RandyB]

I've done this by using a 338 Federal reamer run short to 1.5 case length. 338 Fed dies cut down accordingly and used a 1x6 twist barrel, Remington 22/250 brass was the perfect choice as it was thin enough to give me numbers I wanted with capacity and neck clearance with minimal work. I called it 338-1.50. I loaded 160gr to 300gr up /down and sideways and was amazed at the top velocities obtained and very accurate. I wanted this to be subsonic so spent a lot of time with that and never could get the vertical out. Sure enough got busy with work and put it in the safe and there it sits. Waiting on me again.

 

[D-mon]

I just chambered an 18 inches barrel this week on a tikka, with a 1 in 9 twist .
a mate of mine was shooting 300 grain SMK in 338br with a similar barrel , subsonic,and they were stabilising fine. He even pushed them up to a 1000 yrd at the local range. The guy in the target pit who was doing the marking, was describing the sound of those projectiles as very loud bees flying above his heads.
another mate has a 338 federal barrel with the same 1 in 9 twist.16 inches Long.
and although he mainly shoots supersonic, he has managed to shoot accurately 300 gr Berger subsonic in that rifle.
I have a local guy casting 310 grain projectiles with gas checks , which should make things pretty cheap to run and run well in such a twist.
i ll keep you posted. I have a lot of necking up and neck turning to do in the next few weeks.

 

[Konocti's Wigwam]

1:3 twist is pure and complete marketing wank from the cartridge designer. I believe anyone that sells their "8.6 blackout" design has to sell it in a 3 twist.

I don't agree, but that's ok. There are a few different aspects that need to be considered which change things with the twist.

6.5 twist should be more than enough to stabilize (all the other subsonic 338's run 6.5) - 3 twist just means you're blowing up jacketed bullets because... 500,000 rpm

I'm only loading copper projectiles. Not sure if you know or not, but copper monolithic bullets will shed the petals and have 4 x 42g petals each doing damage.

Subsonic is yet another story and the petals will not shed, but a large fracturing projectile will act much like a blender when it hits the game.

I can see why you used the subject you did on this thread. You do seem pretty bitter about building it. Surely there must be a cartridge that would provide you with some pleasure. Seems you might prefer building a 1:6 twist barrel as listed in the classifieds. It's not that much, you should buy both and compare them.

I dont have a suppressor. I stopped by JD Jones shop long time ago and he showed me the 338 Whipser and I knew I had to have one. Couldn’t believe one I found one on an auction. JD’s load data shows Nolser 200 gr @ 2100+ fps from 14 inch barrel is no slouch. 250 gr @ 1900 fps.

I feel pretty good about the 8.6 blackout. I'm planning to use the PTG reamer with the Redding dies.

I've done this by using a 338 Federal reamer run short to 1.5 case length. 338 Fed dies cut down accordingly and used a 1x6 twist barrel

That seems to be the case (no pun intended) for both 338 Federal and 338 Whisper. I believe this is why Aaron is so negative on the 1:3 twist. Because I don't want to do too much of my own testing with twist rates, I'm sticking to what Brittingham laid out. Would be an interesting test to use 1:3 twist on either one of those cartridges to see how it effects it also...but I'm just not flush with enough coin in my pocket at the moment, so need to play it safe.

 

[paperpuncher]

@Konocti's Wigwam

I dont have a suppressor. I stopped by JD Jones shop long time ago and he showed me the 338 Whipser and I knew I had to have one. Couldn’t believe one I found one on an auction. JD’s load data shows Nolser 200 gr @ 2100+ fps from 14 inch barrel is no slouch. 250 gr @ 1900 fps.

JD knew how to twist up those contenders

 

[Konocti's Wigwam]

@LVLAaron

You can get a 1:6.5 twist barrel from Mos-Tek. If you look on the bolt action barrel page, you can select 1:3 or 1:6.5 for the same price. The barrels are chambered AFAICT so they cost close to 2x the cost. I bet Aaron at Mos-Tek could swap out your 1:3 blank for a 1:6.5 blank if you called him.

Bolt Action Premium Stainless Barrels

Custom Bolt Action Premium Stainless Barrels. MÔS-TEK INNOVATION. PRECISION. QUALITY FIREARMS AND BARRELING.

mos-tek.com

 

[LVLAaron]

Mos-tek can make you a blank in 6.5 twist. They just don't have them in stock like they do the 1:3


I ordered a cut rifled mcgowan in 6.5" because their lead time is only a few weeks.

 

[Kurz]

From Mos-Tek:

 

[LVLAaron]

I got told 12-14 over email... but yeah... The 1:3 blanks they sell are what they make all of their prefits and AR barrels from, so they always have truckloads of them.

 

[Konocti's Wigwam]

Mos-tek can make you a blank in 6.5 twist. They just don't have them in stock like they do the 1:3


I ordered a cut rifled mcgowan in 6.5" because their lead time is only a few weeks.

Will be watching to see how it works out. Please post when you get it. I sent my Faxon back and will have my Mos-Tek 25" blank shortly, maybe tomorrow or Friday. I need my machines and tools setup in the new shop before I can do much though, unless I do it at my home.

 

[LVLAaron]

Well, it wouldn't be a winter holiday if I didn't get the coof, so I have the next few days to myself.

Got the tenon cut and chamber pre-bored.

Gotta say, with a 338, I didn't need to drill anything... just a quick boring bar job

 

[Judd]

Bolt and safety are on the wrong side, that thing will never shoot

Seriously, I hope you get to feeling better.

 

[Loudenboomer]

338's 300's are for Lapua's! . My sons and I were looking for a big bore we could run sub or super on a AR platform. We considered the 8.6 Blackout. I guess I was having trouble getting my old school mind to warm up to the 1-3 twist. We decided on the (potentially crazier still).458 SOCOM I liked the idea of running up to 600 grain cast. Anyway we have 3 458 SOCOM's were sorting out.
Good luck on your project Aaron looks like a good one.
Merry Christmas

 

[LVLAaron]

Got up at 3:30 to empty my sinuses and cough up a lung. Figured I'd spend some time in the shop before the dogs get up.

Chambered. Cut to length. Attached my barrel extension, and did the muzzle end. 3/4-24 thread.

After a nap I'm going to think about how to set it up to get some taper in it.

 

[LVLAaron]

I'd rather step on a Lego than profile barrels.