New .338lapua AI
- Thread starter bradtothebone
- Start date
I have a Rock 5R barrel in .308 1:11.27 and it's the cat's ass like mentioned times before.
Rock isn't the only player in the .338 game though. Kreiger, Lilja, Barney Lawton, and Bartlien Barrels are all excellent choices when available in Canada. Lawton and Bartlien have earned a solid reputation for .338 bore shooters.
Well, have you begun load development yet? If not, that would be a first step. I'd put a few rounds at 100 yds. just to get a basic "rough" zero and then concentrate at 200-300 yds. for accuracy testing and load development.
Do you have a lot of experience in reading wind & environmental conditions at long range? You never mentioned your level of shooting experience here but the question you asked above would suggest you're just new to it, correct?
If so, don't burn up a lot of money in components and barrel life trying to chase the wind. Invest in some home made range flags and post them at various range intervals where you intend to shoot. That way you can see the effects of multiple winds over your given area.
If there are online tutorials or shooting software you can buy, it would be a wise inventment and an inexpensive way to get your mindset into shooting. There's a good training program available from these guys, http://www.shooterready.com/index.html . Try the online version to see if it's worth your while. There are no doubt others that are available, this is the one I am familiar with.
A good mini weather station and ballistics calculator (which you have) can be a great asset but will only get you close. You'll have to record and shoot in those conditions to create a decent range card to see how the rifle is going to shoot.
Great rifle! Have a blast shooting it.
Rock isn't the only player in the .338 game though. Kreiger, Lilja, Barney Lawton, and Bartlien Barrels are all excellent choices when available in Canada. Lawton and Bartlien have earned a solid reputation for .338 bore shooters.
Well, have you begun load development yet? If not, that would be a first step. I'd put a few rounds at 100 yds. just to get a basic "rough" zero and then concentrate at 200-300 yds. for accuracy testing and load development.
Do you have a lot of experience in reading wind & environmental conditions at long range? You never mentioned your level of shooting experience here but the question you asked above would suggest you're just new to it, correct?
If so, don't burn up a lot of money in components and barrel life trying to chase the wind. Invest in some home made range flags and post them at various range intervals where you intend to shoot. That way you can see the effects of multiple winds over your given area.
If there are online tutorials or shooting software you can buy, it would be a wise inventment and an inexpensive way to get your mindset into shooting. There's a good training program available from these guys, http://www.shooterready.com/index.html . Try the online version to see if it's worth your while. There are no doubt others that are available, this is the one I am familiar with.
A good mini weather station and ballistics calculator (which you have) can be a great asset but will only get you close. You'll have to record and shoot in those conditions to create a decent range card to see how the rifle is going to shoot.
Great rifle! Have a blast shooting it.
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"Except for the builder, all of the stuff is US produced"
Actually, so is the builder. - dan
Actually, so is the builder. - dan
Mystic Precision
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Summerland, BC
Another suggestion, do your load work up using a solid (concrete) bench, quality front pedestal rest and rear bag. Unless you have shot from a bipod alot, this will make it very hard to do load development.
You want everything to be as solid and repeatable as possible so you can tune your load, not your shooting technique.
Jerry
You want everything to be as solid and repeatable as possible so you can tune your load, not your shooting technique.
Jerry
Are you shooting 175gr SMK or 168gr SMK? If you're running the 175gr what brass are you using and what velocity with what powder? My custom action is on the way and we're going to be running the same barrel in a 1:10twist I think to accommodate the 175gr but with a 20" - 22" barrel max.
It's going to be more of a tactical rifle the a long shooter but the heavier bullet should compensate to some degree for the shorter barrel, I'm hoping.
.338AI loads
I have the load already, Rick and I do believe Glock have done the work for me already, i bought this turnkey, with petload data and all....Picked up powder and 500 300smks on the weekend along with the rifle...
I was wondering about the exbal program/nightforce program as I would like to try out the reticle calculations that exbal spits out, and wanted an opinion on how close the calculators are.......
On my barnard .22-250AI from rick (of course)I am going to give the reticle a go also for the longer shots.
This is the first go round for me on the long range shooting, but from the help i get here/and help from rick i am hoping with a bunch of practice to become somewhat proficient.....
I am going to load up another 50 rounds tonite, give her a crack on Sat....
If I get time Ill go to genesee and see what i can do up to 700....But otherwise i'll go to the regular range and shoot 300m...
I have the load already, Rick and I do believe Glock have done the work for me already, i bought this turnkey, with petload data and all....Picked up powder and 500 300smks on the weekend along with the rifle...
I was wondering about the exbal program/nightforce program as I would like to try out the reticle calculations that exbal spits out, and wanted an opinion on how close the calculators are.......
On my barnard .22-250AI from rick (of course)I am going to give the reticle a go also for the longer shots.
This is the first go round for me on the long range shooting, but from the help i get here/and help from rick i am hoping with a bunch of practice to become somewhat proficient.....
I am going to load up another 50 rounds tonite, give her a crack on Sat....
If I get time Ill go to genesee and see what i can do up to 700....But otherwise i'll go to the regular range and shoot 300m...
Mystic Precision
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Summerland, BC
brad, No two barrels are exactly alike. With large case high intensity rds, it is always prudent to work up your load even with 'pet' loads. Start 2gr below the pet load and move up in 1/2gr increments and go 1/2 gr past.
You have a load value to work from, it might even be THE load but changes in components, barrels can lead to some real excitement if you go over pressure. Be safe.
Once you have confirmed the load for your barrel at 300m, it is very easy to go further.
Ballistic programs will get you close if you know the velocity but will always need to be tweaked to your exact rifle/scope/rangefinder combo.
I have written articles for longrangehunting.com - link in my sig line that will give you info on working up your load and getting your scope dialed in.
If you can, fireform your brass before working up your loads unless you plan on using a FL sizing die. Then check your loaded ammo for concentricity. You want no more then 4 thou on the bullet vs the case shoulder/neck.
I expect you will get very good accuracy right off the bat. Getting BR quality accuracy will take some tweaking. Changes in load amount as small as 2 tenths can have an effect on your LR accuracy.
Ideally, we want a rig that can put our group into an 6 to 8" target at 1000yds. Good luck with your quest.
Jerry
You have a load value to work from, it might even be THE load but changes in components, barrels can lead to some real excitement if you go over pressure. Be safe.
Once you have confirmed the load for your barrel at 300m, it is very easy to go further.
Ballistic programs will get you close if you know the velocity but will always need to be tweaked to your exact rifle/scope/rangefinder combo.
I have written articles for longrangehunting.com - link in my sig line that will give you info on working up your load and getting your scope dialed in.
If you can, fireform your brass before working up your loads unless you plan on using a FL sizing die. Then check your loaded ammo for concentricity. You want no more then 4 thou on the bullet vs the case shoulder/neck.
I expect you will get very good accuracy right off the bat. Getting BR quality accuracy will take some tweaking. Changes in load amount as small as 2 tenths can have an effect on your LR accuracy.
Ideally, we want a rig that can put our group into an 6 to 8" target at 1000yds. Good luck with your quest.
Jerry
s??
The pet load is for this exact rifle, rick did all the work on this rifle (if i am mistaken step in glock) including shooting it, as glock said
"This particular rifle was build with even the length of barrel taken into close consideration and tested in increments to achieve the results it has."
Rick has already done the testing for loads, it came with fireformed/fired brass,even some loaded rounds, the whole works, he took off his 8x32 nightforce and i put a brand new one on.....In fact i do believe he took this rifle to a shoot against some accuracy international rifles......
Took some of the guesswork out for me.....
The pet load is for this exact rifle, rick did all the work on this rifle (if i am mistaken step in glock) including shooting it, as glock said
"This particular rifle was build with even the length of barrel taken into close consideration and tested in increments to achieve the results it has."
Rick has already done the testing for loads, it came with fireformed/fired brass,even some loaded rounds, the whole works, he took off his 8x32 nightforce and i put a brand new one on.....In fact i do believe he took this rifle to a shoot against some accuracy international rifles......
Took some of the guesswork out for me.....
I was surprised to see while working with Rick on load developement, that even after 110.5gr of US869 powder, all the way to 114gr, there were NO signs of pressure but the harmonics of the gun became very apparent. It also seemed that 2/10th of a grain when dealing with 110gr of powder had NO affect either and this was while doing load developement with fireformed cases at 200yds. Rick's gun followed the exact same pattern while doing load developement as well.
Interesting though, long seating the bullets 1/8" - 3/16" made roughly 85 - 100fps difference and it showed ever so slightly in the amount of MOA it took to get out to the same distance but I agree with Mystic that for yourself, tweak the load for you be it long seating or mag seating, go up and down from the suggested load knowing full well you won't damage anything or blow up the gun with even an extra grain or two above suggested load as part of your do diligence.
Interesting though, long seating the bullets 1/8" - 3/16" made roughly 85 - 100fps difference and it showed ever so slightly in the amount of MOA it took to get out to the same distance but I agree with Mystic that for yourself, tweak the load for you be it long seating or mag seating, go up and down from the suggested load knowing full well you won't damage anything or blow up the gun with even an extra grain or two above suggested load as part of your do diligence.
