I am not new to load development, only new to loading for .338 Lapua. I have been having a bit of difficulty working up a good load for it, and time is getting down to the wire, so I need some help.
I am taking Gunsite's ELR class in the beginning of October, which means I have less than a month to work up a load that will be 2,000 meter proficient.
The rifle I am using is a brand new Sako TRG-42, with a 1 in 10 twist barrel. Unless a 10 twist won't shoot 300 grain bullets, I have no interest in shooting 250 grain bullets.
I bought new Lapua brass, as well as some Berger 300 grain Hybrid bullets and some 300 grain Scenars. I would prefer to run the Berger bullets because they have the highest BC of commonly available 300 grain bullets. I also had on had about 8 pounds of RL-25, so I would prefer to use it, though I will buy an alternate powder if need be.
I have been doing load development at 230 yards and 600 yards. The 230 yard range is more convenient to me and easier to get a chronograph set up, but obviously 600 yards is a better indicator of long range proficiency.
Now comes the issue: I have been having an impossible time getting any load I have tried to shoot well with any level of consistency. I thought I had a decent load with the 300 grain Bergers, using 87.0 grains of RL-25, as upon initial testing, it shot a 1 inch 5 shot group at 200 meters with an average velocity of 2600 FPS and an acceptable ES of around 20FPS over 5 rounds.
Further testing at 600 yards produced one good group of about 3 inches at the original seating depth of 3.745" OAL, which is about the max the magazine will handle, and crappier groups of around MOA at any shorter seating depth.
Thinking I had found my load, I tested it again over the chrono at 230 yards, and while the velocity was consistent, the accuracy was poor. One good group and the other two terrible. I also tested a couple loads using 300 grain Scenars over 86.0 grains and 87.0 grains of RL-25, and the accuracy was very poor.
So, this post is a bit information overload but I didn't know how much time I'd have to come back and check it during the day so I wanted to fill in as much as possible.
Any advice will be appreciated as I am getting desperate- I don't have much time before I need to load about 250 rounds and ship them out to Arizona.
Thanks,
-Bob
I am taking Gunsite's ELR class in the beginning of October, which means I have less than a month to work up a load that will be 2,000 meter proficient.
The rifle I am using is a brand new Sako TRG-42, with a 1 in 10 twist barrel. Unless a 10 twist won't shoot 300 grain bullets, I have no interest in shooting 250 grain bullets.
I bought new Lapua brass, as well as some Berger 300 grain Hybrid bullets and some 300 grain Scenars. I would prefer to run the Berger bullets because they have the highest BC of commonly available 300 grain bullets. I also had on had about 8 pounds of RL-25, so I would prefer to use it, though I will buy an alternate powder if need be.
I have been doing load development at 230 yards and 600 yards. The 230 yard range is more convenient to me and easier to get a chronograph set up, but obviously 600 yards is a better indicator of long range proficiency.
Now comes the issue: I have been having an impossible time getting any load I have tried to shoot well with any level of consistency. I thought I had a decent load with the 300 grain Bergers, using 87.0 grains of RL-25, as upon initial testing, it shot a 1 inch 5 shot group at 200 meters with an average velocity of 2600 FPS and an acceptable ES of around 20FPS over 5 rounds.
Further testing at 600 yards produced one good group of about 3 inches at the original seating depth of 3.745" OAL, which is about the max the magazine will handle, and crappier groups of around MOA at any shorter seating depth.
Thinking I had found my load, I tested it again over the chrono at 230 yards, and while the velocity was consistent, the accuracy was poor. One good group and the other two terrible. I also tested a couple loads using 300 grain Scenars over 86.0 grains and 87.0 grains of RL-25, and the accuracy was very poor.
So, this post is a bit information overload but I didn't know how much time I'd have to come back and check it during the day so I wanted to fill in as much as possible.
Any advice will be appreciated as I am getting desperate- I don't have much time before I need to load about 250 rounds and ship them out to Arizona.
Thanks,
-Bob