New Barrel, New Brass, have questions.

[FingerBlaster]

Haven't done a load development cycle in a while and when i did i was not using new gear. I have a new 338 barrel for my DT SRS, and i am going to purchase some Lapua brand brass.

• Generally speaking how many pieces of brass do you think i should buy? I'd like to get enough to last the life of the barrel plus some extra.
• How many rounds should i put down the barrel to "break it in"? I've seen numbers from 20-100
• While i'm breaking it in, just pick a "middle of the road" recipe?
• When doing load development should i do it with new brass or 1x fired brass?

 

[spife7980]

I like to do a super quick ladder test just for a crude load but I can tell isnt in a scatter node and I will then fireform the rest of my brass wit that load while breaking in the barrel and then do actual load development once they are all done. Typically thats 100-150 pieces or so.

Now as far as how many pieces you should get depends on how long a 338s barrel life is and the number of firings brass can take on average for something large like that and I dont have a clue as to the answer.

 

[Juggerxxx]

Haven't done a load development cycle in a while and when i did i was not using new gear. I have a new 338 barrel for my DT SRS, and i am going to purchase some Lapua brand brass.

• Generally speaking how many pieces of brass do you think i should buy? I'd like to get enough to last the life of the barrel plus some extra.
• How many rounds should i put down the barrel to "break it in"? I've seen numbers from 20-100
• While i'm breaking it in, just pick a "middle of the road" recipe?
• When doing load development should i do it with new brass or 1x fired brass?

I agree with Spife. When I broke in my new 338LM desert tech SRS barrel I just did load development during the break in. It was good practice for the real deal after break in and brass had been fired. When I went back for the final development the nodes weren’t that much different in regards to where the velocity’s finally settled in. Don’t forget about trying some seating depth tests if you need to send a few burners down the tube or fire form some brass.
You can still look for pressure signs during break in as well. This may be the most import thing to help you determine what range of charge to start with too.

 

[BLDTYLRY]

I have a DT SRS A1 338LM and 300/pcs of brass. Barrel doesn't need any break in just run your normal load development; 10 sighters/fowling shots before I start running a OCW. New, 1x fires, whatever you have as long as it chambers. I normally full length size them neck/shoulder bump thereafter.

 

[FingerBlaster]

Awesome, think i'll just shoot some fowlers through it, do a load development and then, after all my brass is 1x fired (i full length size, bump the shouler back .003), i'll run through it again just to confirm.

I have a DT SRS A1 338LM and 300/pcs of brass.

300 pieces of brass seem good to you? For my DT 308 barrel i had bought it with 500 pieces of mostly once fired lapua.

 

[BLDTYLRY]

At the price and recoil of 338LM you won't be shooting it as much as your 308Win.