I recently bought a Remington 700 Medium-Long Range Police Rifle chambered in .338 Lapua. 1-10 twist barrel. Now, about me a little....I shot on the Michigan Army National Guard Rifle Team for 9 years, I have gone through Sniper School, and shoot in long range competition. BUT, this Lapua is driving me crazy. I am trying to figure out the "best recipe" for loads that this gun likes. I just can not get the gun to group GREAT groups. With my .308 I can shoot 10 shots that you can cover with a dime at 200 yards. This Lapua, shooting a 3-shot group, I can get 2 shots to, touch, but almost always get a flier about 1-2 inches out. I am using Retumbo for powder, 94 grains. I am using Lapua Scenar 250 grain bullets, and have tried Sierra Match King 250 grain bullets. Also Berger OTM 250 grain. I get the same results with all those bullets. The gun was purchased brand new, and there is only about 300 rounds fired through it. I am also getting horizontal groups.......5 shots in a horizontal line measuring about 1.5- 2 inches long. I have a Night Force Bench Rest 16-42 Power Scope with a Night Force 20 MOA steel base and steel rings. All lock tighted down. I just can not figure out why I can not get a 3-shot one hole group.....like I can with every one of my other sniper rifles. Any suggestions as to here to look?
- Thread starter sfcmark
- Start date
I had similar issues with my 338 LM that were driving me nuts, trying to figure out why. I could routinely put 2 through the same hole and then have one removed by 3/4 inch. I finally took the suggestions of some hide members to have the action bedded. After all my trials at trying to correct the problem, bedding the action turned out to be the correct remedy. The difference was immediate and obviously corrected my problem. I'm not saying that is what is causing your issues, but thought I'd throw it out as something to consider.
Is it happening on your first group or all groups? I have found that if you don't allow that bore to cool a bit between shots on that big boy, even with some heavier barrels, it can affect your poi. My poi is about 3/4" high and right on coldbore at 100, then it settles into a group for about 5 shots, then things start to go wherever they want to unless I let the barrel cool. Try firing 2 shots to warm up the barrel, and then do a 5 shot group waiting about 2 minutes between firings. Without knowing about your reload methods, that would be where I would start. Obviously you have a lot of experience shooting so I apologize if this is old news to you but I noticed this on my .338 as well.
I appreciate all the replies so far! To answer some of the questions:
-I hand load every round, trickle every powder load, weigh every case, bullet and primer. Every case gets checked for length after each reload. I am not crimping. Bullets are seated so they are just touching or maybe a thou. off the lands.
-The rifle has been bedded already
-This match I shoot in I will not have the luxury of waiting 2 or more minutes between shots to let the barrel cool. We get 5 minutes to shoot 5 shots. But then moving to the next yard line the barrel does get a chance to cool.
-This seems to happen with almost every group, and there is no pattern at all. I even brought out my .308 and shot that just to make sure it was not me.....put 10 shots in the same hole. Some people may blame recoil.....There is a compensator on the barrel, and I have a limbsaver pad on the stock. So recoil is really not an issue at all. These are prone matches shooting with a bipod and sandbags, so there is a nice steady platform.....zero movement when the shot is taken.
In talking with a gunsmith, he said he remembered reading an article a couple years back that said that Remington started to get their steel used in making their barrels from CHINA!!! and a lot of people were complaining about this very same issue. Can anyone else confirm this?
-I hand load every round, trickle every powder load, weigh every case, bullet and primer. Every case gets checked for length after each reload. I am not crimping. Bullets are seated so they are just touching or maybe a thou. off the lands.
-The rifle has been bedded already
-This match I shoot in I will not have the luxury of waiting 2 or more minutes between shots to let the barrel cool. We get 5 minutes to shoot 5 shots. But then moving to the next yard line the barrel does get a chance to cool.
-This seems to happen with almost every group, and there is no pattern at all. I even brought out my .308 and shot that just to make sure it was not me.....put 10 shots in the same hole. Some people may blame recoil.....There is a compensator on the barrel, and I have a limbsaver pad on the stock. So recoil is really not an issue at all. These are prone matches shooting with a bipod and sandbags, so there is a nice steady platform.....zero movement when the shot is taken.
In talking with a gunsmith, he said he remembered reading an article a couple years back that said that Remington started to get their steel used in making their barrels from CHINA!!! and a lot of people were complaining about this very same issue. Can anyone else confirm this?
You have more experience than I do shooting LR. So a grain of salt here....
First thing that jumped out at me is your 250gr projectiles. I was having grouping problems with them and switched to 285gr BTHP from Hornady and have liked the results.
First thing that jumped out at me is your 250gr projectiles. I was having grouping problems with them and switched to 285gr BTHP from Hornady and have liked the results.
Shooting a .338 LM is new to me......I was told by various "Experts", and I use that term VERY LOOSLY, that the 1:10 twist barrel can only handle up to the 250 grain bullet. I tried some 300 Lapua Scenar's, and got darn near the same results as the 250's. So I just don't know. In 40+ years of shooting, I have never hard this hard of a time finding a load that a gun likes. I am starting to think there is something wrong with the gun.
My DT barrel is also a 1-10 twist. It will most certainly stabilize a heavier bullet than a 250.
There's a 338 load thread on here that is very helpful. I'll see if I can get you a link.
http://www.snipershide.com/shooting/snipers-hide-reloading-depot/495-loads-338lm-50-cal.html
There's a 338 load thread on here that is very helpful. I'll see if I can get you a link.
http://www.snipershide.com/shooting/snipers-hide-reloading-depot/495-loads-338lm-50-cal.html
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Hey man, look what I found. If this is your rifle then you might be right about something being wrong with the gun. Go to last page, there is a happy ending.
http://www.snipershide.com/shooting...remington-700-police-338-lapua-rifles-23.html
http://www.snipershide.com/shooting...remington-700-police-338-lapua-rifles-23.html
No disrespect but is it possible to be a reloading /powder issue. Have you tried to shoot a box of factory loads through it. My thought being perhaps the powder is more sensitive and could be case lube potentially still in case. Due to the large size perhaps
Seth
Seth
Hi,
I think your OAL may be part of the issue. If you have some rounds in the lands and some off then you will get different pressures. I suggest you bring them all back to 5 thou off to ensure that none are in and see how that does.
Ewen
I think your OAL may be part of the issue. If you have some rounds in the lands and some off then you will get different pressures. I suggest you bring them all back to 5 thou off to ensure that none are in and see how that does.
Ewen
