Re: Reload .338 LM
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: godofwar</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ranger1183</div><div class="ubbcode-body">[
My recommended load is 88.0 +/- 0.5 grains (this means 87.5 - 88.5) of VihtaVuori N-165 powder using 250 grain Sierra Match King bullets and LAPUA (<span style="font-weight: bold">and ONLY Lapua</span>) brass. Shot some of the best groups of my life using this load and an off the shelf, unmodified SAKO TRG-42.
</div></div>
Why?
The Lapua are better than Norma?
For me Norma are more expensive than Lapua but my buddy says that Norma are better. </div></div>
I have had much better brass life and overall accuracy using Lapua brass and resorted to just getting rid of the Norma brass.
This picture is of five progressively larger loads of VihtaVuori N-165 and 250 grain SMK's. Load group 1 is 87.0 grains, load group 2 is 87.5 grains, load group 3 is 88.0 grains, load group 4 is 88.5 grains and load group 5 is 89.0 grains. The 88.0 grains (+/- 0.5 grains) of N-165 is the sweet spot for that particular rifle (SAKO TRG-42).
By the way, these groups were fired a 600 yards at Cascade Rifle and Pistol Club in Ravensdale, Wa. The wind was gusting to the point that the shooter next to me was firing 16" groups (with his accurized Remington 700 PSS .308) instead of his normal 3 inch groups. The only other rifle that shot well that day was a 6mm XC shooting 115 grain DTAC's.
Still, this .338 LM load fired the best of all the rifles out there that day.
Hope this helps.