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Thread: Reloading .338

  1. #1
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    Reloading .338

    Hi,
    I've just bought myself a .338 accuracy rifle and was thinking of reloading. I was looking at 250gn and 300gn bullets to reload although I will be using factory ammo (till my funds run out). Any advice would be appreciated.

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by sniper3 View Post
    Hi,
    I've just bought myself a .338 accuracy rifle and was thinking of reloading. I was looking at 250gn and 300gn bullets to reload although I will be using factory ammo (till my funds run out). Any advice would be appreciated.
    Just out of curiosity - where do you shoot it?

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by sniper3 View Post
    I will be using factory ammo (till my funds run out)
    That will be pretty quick then!!

    TB.

  4. #4
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    About double what factory 260 Remington is in the UK then.
    If you can find it that is.
    To destroy a people, you must first sever their roots. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

  5. #5
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    The only places to shoot are The Orion in Wales and LLyd (that is if I can get an invitation). I have just secured some Laupa ammo for £3.80 a pop!!!

  6. #6
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    That is why I'm looking for some reloading advice.

  7. #7
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    Not much choice and a bit far to drive to go plinking. You live fairly close to me.

  8. #8
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    Manuals are one thing. NOW experience is another!!!

  9. #9
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    Reloading 338

    Quote Originally Posted by sniper3 View Post
    Hi,
    I've just bought myself a .338 accuracy rifle and was thinking of reloading. I was looking at 250gn and 300gn bullets to reload although I will be using factory ammo (till my funds run out). Any advice would be appreciated.
    What's the big deal? It's just a big "223"; they all reload using the same process. Biggest I have reloaded was for the .55 cal Boys including turning up projectiles, casting projectiles and rough casting then turning projectiles. Was offered a 40mm Bofors to take away and would have reloaded this as well except the bore had been smooth bored for a research project ("idiots"!);best thing back then you did not need a licence for it because it "was not a concealable weapon", ah the good old days! Anyway, back to your problem, you obviously like the calibre/gun so don't be put off, just treat it as a bigger version of the .223. That said, it will cost you a fortune for factory ammo so you need to reload if you want to fire more than "2" shots out of it. And what velocity does factory ammo provide in your gun? Maybe not what they recorded in their gun with the wind blowing in the right direction. Provided that you do NOT exceed safe pressure limits and you are happy with with accuracy/terminal performance work up your own handloads. What is recorded in loading data is only a "guide" which may be good/bad or indifferent in your gun. Here is a personal example:Years ago I built a .378 Weatherby Mag. Improved (yes improved) because I wanted 3200 f/s with a 270 grain projectile (which could not be achieved with the standard 378 (lots of good/bad data in this build-another story). I was shooting it at the range when a fellow approached and asked for a shot, he had a 308 Norma Mag; we swapped rifles, his felt like a .22 rimfire after the 378. When I went to open the bolt I could not. He said "no problem when that happens, just use a cleaning rod down the bore and tap the fired case while you lift the bolt" (next shot might have removed his head). It was a maximum load he had lifted from a very reputable loading manual! So, my point is, start low in charge (recommended minimum) and work up (learn to detect high pressures-if you don't know how ask) until you are happy with the result. AND less than "maximum" loads may shoot better or worse than Maximum loads; you just have to TEST! ENJOY!

    Cheers

  10. #10
    Murphy is offline Cooee! Chase me you naughty boys!
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    I would go with a Walt rather than a Troll.
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  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by tacfoley View Post
    It's now a week since we've had a peep out of Mr Sniper3 and his .338LM reloading request.

    It's hardly the calibre that a noob would pick, nor one that somebody who has never reloaded before would pick either.

    So I'm calling troll [Edit - Walt] on Mr Sniper, who seems to have not only ignored our good advice, but may have gone somewhere else in his efforts to get information on reloading for this exceptional calibre.

    @Mr pjinoz in SE Australia - there are only a VERY small number of ranges in the UK, open to the civilian shooter, where this calibre may be shot. So far, I'm getting a vague impression that our friend the OP has not thought this one through, and how he managed to convince his FEO that he had 'good reason' for this calibre, living where he does, is a mystery to me. One of the questions EVERY FEO asks, at least in my experience, is 'where do you intend to shoot this thing?'

    Soooooooooooo - right now, he has

    1. Nowhere to shoot, or somewhere 350 miles away, maybe.

    2. Limited funds for factory ammunition priced around £4.50 a pop.

    3. No experience of reloading, let alone one of THE major calibres on the world shooting stage.

    4. And lastly, provided no worthwhile or answerable responses to a word we've written.

    tac
    do some research before making judgements

    http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread....98#post6169098

    http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread....Ramshot-Powder

    http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread....enry-reloading

    http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread....izan-308-brass

    http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread....ging-equipment


    or then again he might be buying all the above for his Walt/troll fantasy
    Last edited by bighit; 20-03-2017 at 06:13 PM.

  12. #12
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    AAHHHH!
    I'm back, I do not have time to troll( pardon the pun ),unlike certain so called armchair experts, with exception of Mr Melbourne, I have been shooting and reloading for almost 30 years. This is a stop gap for me since I have had experience to shoot from 22 through to 500 express rifles (and pistols, talk about .50AE) and reloaded most of them, except .55 boys (and boy would I like to shoot that some day before I retire).
    so maybe some of you are right, this post may be too much to take in!!!

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Guesty View Post
    Just spotted this thread in passing, and though I usually wouldn't get involved I feel I have to comment.

    Tac, why are you picking on this guy?
    His questions are perfectly valid. You have no idea of his financial situation nor his desire to travel to shoot this thing. Just because you wouldn't want to travel a long way for plinking doesn't mean that he wouldn't. Incidentally Lydd is only 90ish miles from him and I and most of my buddies drive further than that twice a month to shoot at Bisley. They guys at the 50 cal club come from all over the UK to plink at various ranges.
    Calling him names for not responding to your jibes in a timely manner is simply childish, perhaps he is a busy guy?
    Lastly, he hasn't resorted to bragging about his experience but has the humility to ask questions which is the whole purpose of this forum.
    have you not worked out that bragging is his middle name? He has done it all.

    Paul.
    Not Mr perfect

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Guesty View Post
    Just spotted this thread in passing, and though I usually wouldn't get involved I feel I have to comment.

    Tac, why are you picking on this guy?
    His questions are perfectly valid. You have no idea of his financial situation nor his desire to travel to shoot this thing. Just because you wouldn't want to travel a long way for plinking doesn't mean that he wouldn't. Incidentally Lydd is only 90ish miles from him and I and most of my buddies drive further than that twice a month to shoot at Bisley. They guys at the 50 cal club come from all over the UK to plink at various ranges.
    Calling him names for not responding to your jibes in a timely manner is simply childish, perhaps he is a busy guy?
    Lastly, he hasn't resorted to bragging about his experience but has the humility to ask questions which is the whole purpose of this forum.
    Taken on board.

    tac

  15. #15
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    Thumbs up

    Quote Originally Posted by tacfoley View Post
    Taken on board.

    tac
    Good man. My rant now deleted similarly.
    Now I'm hoping that Sniper might let us have a go on his 338LM which has gotta be one of the coolest toys in the box.

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