Been hunting and reloading for years, and have reloaded and hunted with some stout loads in a Marlin 45-70. I prefer a milder recoiling cartridge for most of my needs, but for some dang fooled reason I had to have a 338. No, I didn't lose a critter and look for a bigger gun, but I did want something to hammer our larger than average black bear, should the chance present itself.
Anyway, I lucked up (?) and got a really good deal on a nice older Abolt in 338 Winmag, stainless and synthetic with the BOSS. It came with everything except the manual, and 115 rounds of 225 grain Hornady SST's. I mounted a trusted Leupold scope and started shooting it.
I've fired somewhere around 50-60 rounds mostly target practicing, and have noticed accuracy to be erratic, at best, getting pie plate sized 3 shot groups. I have tried getting a friend to load the magazine for me, sometimes on a fired case, to see how much factor flinching is for me with this rifle. While there is some flinch, it's not as bad as I expected or have seen in other shooters. There is some flinch, but little enough that I'm all but writing that off as being not the problem or a small part of a bigger problem. 3 shot groups running 6" at 100 yards are not uncommon. On the same day with other rifles I have shot nice, normal groups, so I don't think it's wind, range conditions, etc.
I've cleaned the barrel. Played with the boss settings quite a bit. Made sure the boss and everything else was 'tight'. I took it apart and 'improved' the factory (I think) bedding job by bedding more of the back section of the barrel, and free floating the fore end ahead of the bedded area. I've also changed scope bases. Current bases are Talley. The scope is a Leupold 3-9x50 mm. I know that sometimes a 50 mm scope gets beat to death on top of big magnums.
I'm about to start handloading for it, using some Sierra 225 GK bullets. Probably play with Imr 4350, Re 19. I also have some H4831SC and Viht N160 I could play with. While I can handle about 15 to 20 rounds at a bench session, any more and I start getting pretty fatigued, honestly. Any suggestions as to a good starting point loading this caliber would be appreciated, but I think the IMR 4350 and bullets seated fairly close to the lands should do me fine.
I'm still concerned about the current groups. It seems to want to go from 2" groups to 6" groups and then back again sometimes. I'm wondering if I'm letting the barrel heat up too much, or the scope's going bad, or what's going on. I can get guilty of shooting a little fast when I get focused. With a lighter recoiling rifle I don't mind keeping playing with it a bit, but it's disappointing to shoot something that kicks this much and not getting decent groups.
I've also added a limbsaver pad, and a mercury recoil reducer, and these seem to help with recoil quite a bit, the pad probably more than the recoil reducer.
Thoughts, suggestions?
Anyway, I lucked up (?) and got a really good deal on a nice older Abolt in 338 Winmag, stainless and synthetic with the BOSS. It came with everything except the manual, and 115 rounds of 225 grain Hornady SST's. I mounted a trusted Leupold scope and started shooting it.
I've fired somewhere around 50-60 rounds mostly target practicing, and have noticed accuracy to be erratic, at best, getting pie plate sized 3 shot groups. I have tried getting a friend to load the magazine for me, sometimes on a fired case, to see how much factor flinching is for me with this rifle. While there is some flinch, it's not as bad as I expected or have seen in other shooters. There is some flinch, but little enough that I'm all but writing that off as being not the problem or a small part of a bigger problem. 3 shot groups running 6" at 100 yards are not uncommon. On the same day with other rifles I have shot nice, normal groups, so I don't think it's wind, range conditions, etc.
I've cleaned the barrel. Played with the boss settings quite a bit. Made sure the boss and everything else was 'tight'. I took it apart and 'improved' the factory (I think) bedding job by bedding more of the back section of the barrel, and free floating the fore end ahead of the bedded area. I've also changed scope bases. Current bases are Talley. The scope is a Leupold 3-9x50 mm. I know that sometimes a 50 mm scope gets beat to death on top of big magnums.
I'm about to start handloading for it, using some Sierra 225 GK bullets. Probably play with Imr 4350, Re 19. I also have some H4831SC and Viht N160 I could play with. While I can handle about 15 to 20 rounds at a bench session, any more and I start getting pretty fatigued, honestly. Any suggestions as to a good starting point loading this caliber would be appreciated, but I think the IMR 4350 and bullets seated fairly close to the lands should do me fine.
I'm still concerned about the current groups. It seems to want to go from 2" groups to 6" groups and then back again sometimes. I'm wondering if I'm letting the barrel heat up too much, or the scope's going bad, or what's going on. I can get guilty of shooting a little fast when I get focused. With a lighter recoiling rifle I don't mind keeping playing with it a bit, but it's disappointing to shoot something that kicks this much and not getting decent groups.
I've also added a limbsaver pad, and a mercury recoil reducer, and these seem to help with recoil quite a bit, the pad probably more than the recoil reducer.
Thoughts, suggestions?