.338x.284 Win Project

j0e_bl0ggs (deceased) · April 01, 2022, 09:24:29 PM

Keep telling ya, do the bamboo thing!

gitano · April 01, 2022, 10:35:16 PM

If I weren't involved with a serious project, I would be working on the bamboo stock. Can't do it til I get back from fishing in Missouri.

gitano · April 02, 2022, 06:06:00 PM

Beginning to feel a little snake-bit on this thing.

Seeing as how this rifle wasn't going 'off somewhere' for inletting a new stock, I was looking forward to doing some precision reloading and shooting while working up a load for it. Did my normal 'thing' and took precise measurements of the chamber, including length from breech to lands. Hmm... Kinda short.

I told the people at PacNor specifically what bullet I would be using in this rifle: The Accubond 225 with the shank seated 1 caliber deep. Since I don't have any of those 225s that aren't in either the .338 Win Mags (Ruger and Sauer) ammo, or the .338 MAI ammo, I was going to use the Nosler 200-grain E-Tips for sighting in and load workup, of which I have "plenty".

At 1.427" nominally, the 200-grain E-Tip, while "lead free" and therefore longer than the same 200-grain lead core bullet, is still shorter than the 225-grain Accubond at 1.550". Therefore, it should 'fit' the chamber with room to spare, when seated a caliber deep. Au contraire. :frown The chamber is about 65 thousandths too short. That in itself is too much to 'live with', but it's also created another problem. Even if I wanted to seat the bullet as deep as the chamber requires, I couldn't, because the case's shoulder hits the bullet seating die's internal shoulder before the bullet can be seated that deep. :angry: That's with the seating plunger screwed ALL the way into the die.

So...

I've ordered/rented, a .338 throating reamer. $44.85 including shipping TO me. (A new one purchased from Pacific Tool and Gauge is $180 plus S&H.) At least I'll get it EXACTLY the way I want it for the 225-grain Accubond.

Nevertheless, I'm a little disappointed that I have to wait some more to load and shoot this rifle. I'm hoping there aren't any more surprises.

Paul

gitano · April 11, 2022, 10:31:48 AM

I had to cancel the rental, as they weren't going to ship it until I was already in Missouri. However, that turned out to be a good thing because I checked Manson reamers, and they sell new, unused, throating reamers for $50. So, for $61, (including shipping), I can own it. Not that I need another reamer

, but I have done business with that specific reamer rental business before, and l don't really like them. So...When I get back from fishing, the reamer will be waiting, and shortly thereafter I'll be working up loads and shooting. :D

Paul

gitano · July 01, 2022, 09:32:05 PM

Three .338 cartridges I have recently come to really appreciate.

Paul

sakorick · July 02, 2022, 12:17:27 PM

Not sure what I just read but "Gone With The Wind" comes to mind. You suffer from living in Alaska and expect it to be like Missouri and it just ain't gonna happen. What happened to the 338-06 Ackley in that line up? I'm getting 40'/sec faster speed which doesn't sound like much, however, the cases last forever and in that Mauser action the bullet chambers slick as can be. Didn't we find some 338 Accubonds while you were here?

gitano · July 02, 2022, 05:30:34 PM

If you're referring to the reamer post with your "Gone With the Wind" comments, that was back in April.

With respect to the .338-'06, I think I have a barrel for a Savage chambered for that cartridge. It's a done deal. However, the '06 case is a little long for the Mauser action. Not necessarily TOO long, but "long". In the No.1, case length is not relevant. I don't have a desire for more velocity, don't have an issue with case life in the MAI, and I am sure it won't be an issue in the Swiss or .284 cases.

I kinda don't care for Ackley cartridges any more. They cost me money. Money for powder to fireform before working up a load. Money for A LITTLE more velocity MAYBE, (depending on timing) at the cost of more powder for more velocity I don't care about. Since I'm not chasing velocities and case life isn't an issue in these smaller cases, powder usage (grains of powder per foot-pound of delivered energy - sometimes called "efficiency"), is more what I'm interested in optimizing.

The .338-'06 is a great cartridge, but I don't need its "extras", including cost, when the smaller cases do 'just fine' out to ranges I'm willing to shoot.

Paul

PS - You should go to this post http://www.forum.thehunterslife.com/index.php?topic=20892

Paul

sakorick · July 03, 2022, 03:37:23 AM

I read that one. The double set trigger Zavodi actions were chambered for magnum length bullets. I would say in a standard M98 action some rail tweaking would be in order.

gitano · July 03, 2022, 08:08:16 AM

1) Rail tweaking for the Ackley shoulder, and 2) very little room, (if any), to seat a 'long' 225g bullet, "out" due to the length of the case relative to the magazine. If I'm going to have to seat the bullet deep(er) and take up powder space, then I might as well use a shorter case.

Paul

gitano · July 07, 2022, 04:27:38 PM

Among the little things that have come up with this project is the fact that the necks on the Swiss brass, once necked up to accept a .338 caliber bullet, are so thin that they don't get sized small enough in the resizing die to grab the bullet appropriately. They're very close, but I can twist the bullets with my fingers and with a little effort, push them in or pull them out of the case. Unacceptable. Fortunately, I ordered a "bushing neck sizer" from CH4D. Unfortunately the factory-supplied bushing is too large at 0.363". Fortunately, I can make the necessary bushing on my lathe.:D It only needed to be 0.004" smaller, (0.359") to get a great bullet fit. I find it interesting that the fire-formed .284 Win brass does not have the problem. The Swiss brass is just thinner. Which is reflected in the ever-so-slightly-larger case capacity of the fire-formed Swiss cases.

On a side note, 0.359", (23/64ths), is a STANDARD DRILL SIZE! However, after attempting to use a 23/64ths drill unsuccessfully, THREE TIMES, I just 'bit the bullet' and used a boring bar followed by a 23/64ths chucking reamer. Now, like I said above, the 'bullet grab' is just about perfect. Unsuccessful attempts on the bushing were: Off center hole, out of round hole, and too large a hole. Drills of the length found in a regular drill index are just too long to make precisely-sized holes. At least by me on my gear. The boring bar and reamer did the trick.

Paul