338 WM Finding The Sweet Spot-3 Shot Group

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Finally got out to the Range to sight in My New Sako 338 win mag
I've been doing a lot of reloading starting with the OAL just off the Lands and working down. I was quite surprised when the groups really started to tighten up at 3.357 and when I got to 3.365 this is what it looked like. As this is actually just over my lands measurement I'm afraid to go out anymore. What you think Gurus? :D

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Ah!!! A fellow Sako guy! Technical data would help with your question! Powder charge, primer, bullet. I shoot a 338 Gaillard in a Sako AIII and here is the target & data on mine! Oh I am off my land quite a bit due to the fact I don't have the length in the box!

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The top left target was some 416 Rem Mag brass I was fireforming with 225 Hornady Interlocks. 85gr IMR 7828 & CCI 250 primers. 2967 FPS (Low), 2995 FPS (High). I also notice that that target should have been rotated 90 degrees CCW as that is how it was at the range.

The top right target was the last 3 rounds left from my 1st 338 Gaillard that I had. They were loaded with 250 Sierra HPBT, 340 Fire Formed Norma cases 89.5gr RL25 and CCI 250 primers.
2887FPS (Low), 2959FPS (High).

The lower left target is a 5 shot group of Barnes 225gr ###. These were Fire Formed 8mm Rem Mag cases with 86gr IMR 7828 and CCI 250 primers. 3054 (Low), 3077 (High).

The lower right target was an experiment. 200gr Nosler Ballistic tips with Fire Formed 8mm Rem Mag cases with 88gr RL22 and CCI 250 primers. Nosler does not make a ballistic tip in 200gr anymore, only the Accubond. I figured I'd try these before I used my Accubonds. I must say I was impressed!
3249FPS (Low), 3271FPS (High).

Your group is looking pretty good though!
 
Ahh you put me to Shame VERY NICE SHOOTING but thats what I'm looking for.
My group was shot with 225grn Hornady Spire points over 72.5 grns of H4831
I've still got room in the box will lenghting out more tighten my group?
 
I assume you are shooting either a Sako 75 or 85 and they have lots of room to seat your bullet out to the lands. I would suggest seating your bullet as close to the lands as possible and work back from there. 225gr Hornadys shoot very good in my rifle, so you may be able to improve on your group a bit. A simple primer switch may do or a 1/2 grain up or down may do it also, so you may want to try that. When you get in the range you are at, it might just be a shooting technique also. The groups I have posted was a good trip to the range. Some days my groups are no better than yours. That is just me though! You have good days and bad days at the range. A good way to check this is to have someone elso shoot the same loads in your gun. I once shot a 1 ragged hole 3 shot group out of a friends 280 AI when that same day with the same load he was having trouble shooting a MOA. Bottom line you have good days and bad days at the range! If you seen the groups with the same rifle and the same loads the day before that, you would of laughed at me! I couldn't shoot a MOA to save my soul that day! My $.02 }:)
 
My SAKO is an L61R, but I have really good luck with 72.5 gr. of RL19 and 225 gr. bullets. I have to be a bit careful with this one; it has a very short throat, and I can be 'in the lands' pretty easy if I don't pay close attention to OAL. I usually have to stop well short of published maximum loads.

The beauty of a .338 is that you can throttle back to the point of best accuracy and still have plenty of rifle for anything in Canada. There's absolutely no need to load a .338 'balls to the wall'. All that does is needlessly eat up brass and raise hell with the rifle.
 
That's a pretty good group as is (fine for hunting). You can try seating .010 away from the lands (unless you there already).If that is your best group with that powder than maybe try something a little faster ? My 338 has been shooting very well with IMR-4831

I havent even bothered with seating lenght on my Sako, Ive used the Canulure as guide and havent even needed to play with it yet.

If you want to plink with the 338 I recommend starting loads with lighter bullets. 62 Grains of IMR-4831 with 200 grain interlocks is accurate and kicks like a .270.
 
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if I was you I would call load development done. Any animal you shoot at with a 338 will have quite a bit larger vital zone than the size of the paper target you shot at.
 
yes I'm pretty happy with the group of my Sako 85 certainly lives up to the Sako guarantee.
I more or less came upon it accidentally after starting with OAL off the Lands now some say to make em as long as fit's in the Mag?
I'm thinking the greatest affect on accuracy is OAL and do I go up or down to tighten the group?
 
Sako 85-338 Win. Mag.
More load development from the range today.--- 100 Yards
Closing the Group with 69.0-grn's of H4350 -- OAL-3.365
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YES I'M STOKED.
Waited a long time for a rifle like this and to have developed my own reload that shoots a group like this dosen't get any better.Like catching a Trout on your own tied Fly.
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