Reloading for a brand new Accuracy International AX338MC

[torrentuser]

Good Day!

I recently purchased an AX338MC with a 27inch barrel and live in Silicon Valley, CA. I plan to shoot 800-1600 yards. I intend on building a ladder for myself during load generation. Here are my details:
8lbs. of RL33
Lapua Brass, 100count
Sierra Match King 300gr, 500 count
CCI Large Rifle Magnum Primers #250

According to the RL33 site:
Alliant Powder - Reloader's Guide
338 Lapua Magnum 300 gr Sierra Match King Lapua 3.68 24 Fed 215 Reloder 33 97.5 2,748

97.5 grains should be good. What is strange is they don't have a safe and a max grain count. I think I should treat 97.5 as the max and reload up to it. Am I right?

I was thinking of doing a ladder of the following:

93.5gr
94.5gr
95.5gr
96.5gr
97.7gr
(5 rounds each) [Expensive huh!?]

Is that nuts? I have a controlled 200 yard range that I was planning on using, but I'm afraid I'll just be putting them through the same hole and not see any widening / contracting of my groups. What distance would you recommend building a ladder on? Any greater and I'll need to go out in the wilderness (BLM Land). It won't be controlled and I probably shooting prone instead of on a bench.

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What to do with my brass? So these are brand new... I opened the box and could smell Finland. Do I full length size these? Do I just shoot them, assuming they are in spec out of the box, and get them fire formed to my barrel? What case prep is required for brand new Lapua brass?

You guys are the authorities! Big thanks in advance!

-torrentuser

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Assuming the necks aren't dinged in these days, you can just load them up with a light charge and fire form them to your chamber and then prep them, trimming them as needed. I uniform my primer pockets and deburr my flash holes and call it a day.

Don't discount the 250s either, at those ranges. I exclusively shoot the 250s and haven't tried RL-33, so I'm no help there.

H-1000, VV-170, VV-N570, RL-25, Retumbo and US-869 might also be powders you'll want to fiddle with. 300gr Scenars and Bergers, as well. Even the Hornady 285gr HPBTs.

Have fun.

Chris

 

[torrentuser]

The AX338MC Twist rate: 9 3/8s : 1 so I think it was really designed to push the 300gr pills.

I have the: Die Set 338 Lapua - Full Length Sizing & Ultra™ Micrometer Seater Dies - Forster Products

They only make a full sizing die. May be good for the first shot but afterwards, with my fire formed brass, wouldn't I want a neck bump die? Does everyone full size after every shot? I understand that is pretty stressful on the brass.

-Torrentuser

 

[ChrisGarrett]

The faster twists were created to help stabilize the longer, heavier bullets.

You can shoot the 250s, or the 285s in that twist and they may actually shoot well for you, cost you less money and recoil less, but do what makes you happy.

Neck sizing vs. FL sizing...people's opinions vary. I do both, but mostly I just neck size my 338LM brass, because I find that by FL sizing my older cases, I can actually get them to lengthen and be too tight, length-wise, for my chamber. Weird, but that's the way it is until I break out some new brass.

I had just about every 338LM reloading die back in '06 when I started and I now use the Forster MicroSeater and the Redding Type S bushing sizing dies, either their neck die with body die for shoulder bumps, or the FL sizing die for when I need to maybe speed things up.

Anyhow...

Chris