reloading .338 lapua magnum data

3

338coyote

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Minuteman
Feb 3, 2013
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#1
hi guys, new here but i engaging in my first attempt at reloading:

SAKO TRG 42
Dillon 550B press
redding dies
Hodgdon H1000
Lapua Brass
Lapua 250 gn Scenar

so here is what i am doing:

i used the 550 to neck size the brass (lapua), and seat the primer (Federal 215).

i then remove the primed brass, and put it on a scale and set it to zero, and put the primed brass back into the press, and load the powder.

i then remove the brass with the powder loaded and weigh (i want it between 94-95 if its not i throw the powder back and do it again), i then write the charge weight on the side of the brass with a magic marker.

then i put a 250gr lapua senar into it and seat it so that the entire round sits at ABOUT 3.65 to 3.652

i write the seating depth on the brass as well


and that is how they say...that.


please tell me how you feel about my charge/ seating depth

i feel like i might be over doing it by 1-2 grains on the charge.

please give me your feed back if you have expereience with the h1000 + 250 scenar combination

heck, give me your feed back even if you dont.
 
#2
Re: reloading .338 lapua magnum data

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 338coyote</div><div class="ubbcode-body">hi guys, new here but i engaging in my first attempt at reloading:

SAKO TRG 42
Dillon 550B press
redding dies
Hodgdon H1000
Lapua Brass
Lapua 250 gn Scenar

so here is what i am doing:

i used the 550 to neck size the brass (lapua), and seat the primer (Federal 215).

i then remove the primed brass, and put it on a scale and set it to zero, and put the primed brass back into the press, and load the powder.

i then remove the brass with the powder loaded and weigh (i want it between 94-95 if its not i throw the powder back and do it again), i then write the charge weight on the side of the brass with a magic marker.

then i put a 250gr lapua senar into it and seat it so that the entire round sits at ABOUT 3.65 to 3.652

i write the seating depth on the brass as well


and that is how they say...that.


please tell me how you feel about my charge/ seating depth

i feel like i might be over doing it by 1-2 grains on the charge.

please give me your feed back if you have expereience with the h1000 + 250 scenar combination

heck, give me your feed back even if you dont. </div></div>

I have a TRG-42 in 338LM.

I load the 250 Scenars, 250 LockBase and 250 SMKs.

I've used H-1000 before, with good results, but it was only for 20 rounds worth.

I don't think that I've ever seen somebody weigh a primed case, jot that weight down, then fill the case up with powder, subtracting the case weight from the total scale reading, before.

Try to buy one of the better reloading manuals and read it a couple of times.

You seem to be taking extra, unneeded steps that are costing you time, not to mention creating possible catastrophic results due to an error in math computations.

As for your seating depth, seat out as far as your magazine will allow. I think I'm going out to 3.680", while still feeding from the magazine.

Chris
 
#3
Re: reloading .338 lapua magnum data

ah thank you, good idea with the magazine


as far as data:

i prime the brass, weigh it, zero my scale, and load the charge.

then i weigh it again (the scale will read out the change in weight)

i jot the weight down ON the brass just for record keeping in the field

how many grains of h1000 did you use with the 250 scenar ?
 
#4
Re: reloading .338 lapua magnum data

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 338coyote</div><div class="ubbcode-body">hi guys, new here but i engaging in my first attempt at reloading:

SAKO TRG 42
Dillon 550B press
redding dies
Hodgdon H1000
Lapua Brass
Lapua 250 gn Scenar

so here is what i am doing:

i used the 550 to neck size the brass (lapua), and seat the primer (Federal 215).

i then remove the primed brass, and put it on a scale and set it to zero, and put the primed brass back into the press, and load the powder.

i then remove the brass with the powder loaded and weigh (i want it between 94-95 if its not i throw the powder back and do it again), i then write the charge weight on the side of the brass with a magic marker.

then i put a 250gr lapua senar into it and seat it so that the entire round sits at ABOUT 3.65 to 3.652

i write the seating depth on the brass as well


and that is how they say...that.


please tell me how you feel about my charge/ seating depth

i feel like i might be over doing it by 1-2 grains on the charge.

please give me your feed back if you have expereience with the h1000 + 250 scenar combination

heck, give me your feed back even if you dont. </div></div>

I would get a good reloading manual and read it a couple of times as well. It will tell you the min and max amount for powder. As for your charge, I would start lower than you currently are, as depending on your rifle you might get pressure signs. Start low and work your way up for saftey reasons.

I would also agree that you are doing some unneeded steps in your reloading process. No need to weigh the case, add powder and remeasure. Just measure the powder on it own.

Never cope someone elses load data because it's for their rifle, most recommend if you do, start with 10% less powder and work back up.
 
#5
Re: reloading .338 lapua magnum data

max charge for a 250gn projectile is 98gn (got the data from the hodgdon website

i felt that 94-95 grains was probably safe

no one has any powder in stock anyway...so i have to be precautions
 
#6
Re: reloading .338 lapua magnum data

By taking extra steps you are adding a variable potential in the method being used to weigh the charge, as you know variables are always a bad this in this context. Zero your scale, use the same empty pan to weigh each charge, this is the most consistent way to accomplish this.

You are asking for charge weights, every single barrel is different, there is no safe answer for you. You need to start at the manufacturers recommended start point and work up to achieve an accurate and safe load in <span style="font-weight: bold">your</span>rifle.
 
#7
Re: reloading .338 lapua magnum data

As stated above get a manual or two or three. More info will help you make good decisions. Max is different for every gun. I've had guns with same load vary by over 200fps. I've had rifles that would not get to max charge before showing pressure signs. I also own the 550 and would never trust it to throw that much powder accurately(I use a lot of grain powder). I would suggest using the powder drop to get you close then dumping it in a pan and using a trickler the rest of the way. There so many things you can do in the reloading process to make accurate but safe loads. I've also loaded for the 338AM and its a rush to put that lead on target at 1000 yards. Just remember that its a bomb next to your face and reload safely. Get a manual.
Manuals I have: Berger, Sierra, Hornady, Viht, Nosler, Barnes, Speer and every free one I could find from powder companies.
 
#9
Re: reloading .338 lapua magnum data

338Coyote, I have Sierra, Nosler, Hornady, and Speer reloading handbooks, as these are the major brands of bullets that I use. I got them from my reloading supplier. I also use Quick-Load, and like it, but I find that many times Quick-load is a little conservative when compared to the Book in terms of max-Loads.
I try to find a happy medium, or do a work-up.
 
#11
Re: reloading .338 lapua magnum data

I think your on the right track as mentioned above you should just weight the powder pan and not the charge it would be fine to weigh the empty brass to make sure they are consistant before you start but Lapua brass is abuot as good as it get and is usualy very consistant. You should also try some Retumbo with that weight bullet. I use H100 on .300 grains but I have a 30" barrel. Measure the inside of your mag and load a tick inside that OAL. you will know it when you have pressure signs the bolt will be hard to lift and the primers will start to flatten.
I have several books and one of my favorite is the new Lee reloading manual it had allot of loads listed for .338.

Good Luck and be safe
 
#12
Re: reloading .338 lapua magnum data

you guys are a huge help.

i will measure the magazine and seat the bullet .01in short

my barrel is 27" (sako trg 42)

i was looking through the hodgdon reloading data and they have min load as 90gn, and max load as 98gn for a 250gn hornady soft point.

hopefully my presumption that a 250gn lapua scenar will perform similarly is not (crazy)

and i also presumed that since min charge was 90 and max charge 98, smack in the middle would be safe.

hope my presumptions dont get me in trouble
 
#13
Re: reloading .338 lapua magnum data

I agree with what has been said above. Your method of powder measure scares the hell out of me, the Dillon 550 is also less than ideal. You are stacking up some inconsistent tolerances in my opinion.

My setup of choice is a redding turret press, Redding s bushing neck sizing die set and an RCBS chargemaster.
Also be advised that the TRg 42 I load for has a chamber that is a bit on the large side of the spec so if I were to full length size brass life would likely be very short. (not sure if they are all that way, just my observation).


I highly reccomend Zeldiker publishings "Reloading for competition". There is some great info in that book and there are ao a few good tips on some equipment that won't break the bank.
http://www.zediker.com/books/handloading/hlmain.html
 
#14
Re: reloading .338 lapua magnum data

i dont understand why you guys are saying you are scared, after EACH time the powder is dropped into the brass, i take it off the press, and weigh the unit, making sure the charge is between 94gn and 95gn

maybe i am missing something here, but i am sure each charge is between 94-95, not like it will accidentally go to 97...i weigh it each time
 
#15
Re: reloading .338 lapua magnum data

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 338coyote</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i dont understand why you guys are saying you are scared, after EACH time the powder is dropped into the brass, i take it off the press, and weigh the unit, making sure the charge is between 94gn and 95gn

maybe i am missing something here, but i am sure each charge is between 94-95, not like it will accidentally go to 97...i weigh it each time </div></div>

You're just using an unconventional method. There are millions of reloaders in the world and you're probably the only guy that's zeroing out a case on the scale and adding powder to it.

If anything, if not conventional, it's probably slower.

Most scales will be accurate to +/- .1 of a grain, so a .2 grain spread. Being between 94gr and 95gr, means a possible spread of 1.1gr and that's a bit much, especially if you're loading to the upper limits of case pressure.

Chris
 
#16
Re: reloading .338 lapua magnum data

Chris Garrett, are you meaning that most scales are accurate to +/- 1%? because if you really mean they are accurate to +/- 0.1 grain, then that is only an extreme spread of 0.2 grains, not over 1 whole grain. If you mean +/- 1%, yes, this is close to 2 grains extreme spread.
I believe they are actually guaranteed to be accurate to +/- 0.1%, which at 94 grains is 0.18 grains extreme spread. That should not be enough to be dangerous, as most people I have read tend to increase their loads by 0.2 grains at a time at least.
 
#17
weighing the case is unnessary, you can weigh your bullets before loading as some bullets are a bit different in weight, which will allow for difference in performance.
as far as the case goes, like said by someone else, if you have lapua brass, your brass will be close in weight and does not make a difference, just weigh your powder
each time and put that amount in the brass.
good luck and enjoy
 
#18
While I'd certainly use a progressive 550b press for pistol and small rifle, it's just not designed to efficiently handle big magnum rifle cases and it seem that you're trying to make the best of it,... good for you,... but like others here have said, the procedure you've developed to 'make due' with the set up you have has introduced a number of potential process errors and appears to be FAR slower and more complicated than it should be. Go get yourself a standard single-stage or turret press for reloading your rifle cases (I like Hornady's Lock-n-Load). You can probably single-mount that powder measure in some way (not sure how, but Dillon might make an accessory kit to do it), so you can put your pan on the scale and zero it ONCE. Then you can simply dump powder from your powder measure into your scale pan, weigh it, and trickle in the last few grains with a cheap powder trickler,... no rezeroing or math required,... wouldn't that be easier? Then fill your case with a funnel, and seat your bullet,... that's what the rest of us are probably doing. Just a thought,...

Ry

PS - I'd also try to find an experienced reloader in your area who can give you some pointers in person. You haven't mentioned anything about the 250gr Scenar you're using and what your comparator measurement is for that bullet and how far you're seating it off the lands,... if any of this sounds new to you,... you really need to find yourself a mentor to show you or at least invest in a quality reloading text or manual and read the chapters on reloading from beginning to end.
 
Last edited:
#20
ChrisGarrett said:
The Dillon 550b loads 338LM just fine. A single stage press isn't mandatory.

Chris
Click to expand...

If it works, then fine. I figured the only reason he was going through all the cart-wheels is because he was running into some hang-ups running those big cases through the progressive,... I guess I 'could' run my 338LM loads through my progressive, but it's way more trouble than it's worth and I wouldn't be as confident in the results. If that's not the case, then I don't know how he arrived at this particular method of weighing out charges,... seems to introduce extra potential for error and wasted effort :)

I guess if he's not confident in the throw of volume his powder measure is giving, then I'd personally just pull the filled case from the progressive, dump it into a zero'd pan on the scale, verify it hits your goal, trickle-in/scoop-out as necessary, and then dump it back in the case and put it back in the progressive at the appropriate stage and proceed,... screw weighing out each case, zeroing, and refilling.

Ry
 
#21
blurry6 said:
If it works, then fine. I figured the only reason he was going through all the cart-wheels is because he was running into some hang-ups running those big cases through the progressive,... I guess I 'could' run my 338LM loads through my progressive, but it's way more trouble than it's worth and I wouldn't be as confident in the results. If that's not the case, then I don't know how he arrived at this particular method of weighing out charges,... seems to introduce extra potential for error and wasted effort :)

I guess if he's not confident in the throw of volume his powder measure is giving, then I'd personally just pull the filled case from the progressive, dump it into a zero'd pan on the scale, verify it hits your goal, trickle-in/scoop-out as necessary, and then dump it back in the case and put it back in the progressive at the appropriate stage and proceed,... screw weighing out each case, zeroing, and refilling.

Ry
Click to expand...

Well, in my mind, the Devil is in the details when it comes to reloading.

Unless a press is messed up 'mechanically', or 'geometrically' and doesn't load straight ammunition, there's no reason why a single stage press 'should' build more accurate ammo vs. a progressive press, as far as I can tell?

Unless you're using OneShot when doing a mega-batch, which doesn't have to be tumbled off before proceeding to the charging stage and everything is trimmed up just right, we use progressive presses as single stage (or semi-single stage) presses, more often than not, at least when building rifle cartridges.

As far as the part in blue goes, I agree. It either throws within a +/- .2gr spread, or it doesn't. If the OP wants 'nuts on' consistency, go spend a couple of hundred dollars on a better scale and hand weigh things.

I've got the magnum powder bar, but I've never used it, so I don't know how accurate it is. I guess if one were to use something like H-4831sc, or a ball powder, it would work acceptably, much like the small/large bars do, but I have a ChargeMaster 1500 and I've used that for seven years for my target grade rounds.

The press itself works quite well. In fact, I just annealed eighty 338LM cases last night that have finished either their twelfth, or thirteenth cycle, so things are peachy.

I read all of the time, people saying that in order to load pimpy ammo, they have to load on a single stage and I always try and ask them why?

Chris
 
Last edited:
#22
I've loaded about 6K rounds of 338LM- EVERY charge is weighed even though my Harrel's powder measure is consistent. I think +/- 0.2 grains is good-more accuracy is hard to get with stick powders. Remember the 338LM case can hold 100grains-going up in increments of .2 grains is a waste of time. I've had good results with changing no LESS than 0.5grains.

As far as seating length goes-338LM can build pressure very quick seating into the rifling. I load to my max magazine length. I've found that getting 10-15 loads from a Lapua case is very possible-provided you don't overwork the brass and aren't afraid to anneal about every 10-12 loads.

I've also always used Fed 215magnum primers. H1000,Retumbo, US869 and VVN170 with 300gr. bullets VV560,RL25 for 250gr. bullets.

DON'T try to develop long range loads by how well they group at 100 yards. For me I use 300 yards for development and had good results out to 1500yards. Chris Garrett is GTG and has alot of 338LM experience. Read the 338LM loads in the Load Depot forum. Its an easy cartridge to load. Good Luck 338coyote.
 
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