Brass selection

[tim629]

I have a 338-06ai that i'm taking to newfoundland this fall moose hunting. my current cases are winchester 270 necked up to 30-06 then up to 338 then fireformed, trimming in there too.

i've had some cracked necks here and there along the way: am i working the case too hard with all of the changes, just something that happens, should i change brands of brass and just go with a 30-06 case and try to find one that has already been annealed to help extend the life even more?

i honestly don't do a great job keeping track of the brass if it has been fired 2x or 4x or more. the rifle was open sights until this spring so I wasn't ever pushing hot loads and still don't plan to. any tips/tricks/advice would be greatly appreciated, haven't shot this gun much the past few years and this year it gets to change

 

[wvbuckbuster]

My son uses 30-06 brass necked up to 338-06. I'd recommend annealing before necking up. Will help with longer case life in regard to the necks. Good idea to try to keep a little better track of your cases as to number of firings. Let us know how it works out for you.

 

[Blkram]

The more you work your case, by necking up, and then reload for multiple firings, without annealing, is going to work harden your brass and make it prone to splitting (but this is not to say that some brass begins life harder from one brand to another make). If you were not necking up brass you may get a firing or few more before it cracks.) And if you are full length sizing each time after it has been fireformed in your chamber vs neck sizing only, you are also working more of the case that will further reduce case life and cause cracking sooner.

Necking up 30-06 brass, or necking down 35 Whelen brass vs using 270 brass will reduce the amount of stress that you are subjecting the brass to, as you are not working it as much, from the original neck size to the desired size.

I would recommend resizing brass closer to the .338 desired size, and annealing to give you longer potential case life.

Unfortunately, I cannot advise further, as I have only used factory Wby 338-06 brass in my rifle to date, since they first legitimized the cartridge, and I have a good supply. It is much simpler for me!

I know that people here in Canada searching for factory brass have a tough finding it, and if they do, it going for close $5/case.
In the US, I would check with some of the alternate brass suppliers to see if any provide properly head stamped brass, such as Quality Cartridge. May not be cheap, but if they have it and spend a little more up front, you may save in the long run by working the brass less, and getting more firings out of a case (dependent if you anneal).

 

[SJB358]

I also shoot a 338-06 but not improved. I use Lapua 30-06 brass, neck it to 358 and size it down to fit snug on the first firing. No need to trim or mess around with that and the Lapua brass is tougher than a woodpeckers lips.

Factory new brass shouldn’t need to be annealed before shooting a few times. At least the good stuff.

 

[tim629]

I also shoot a 338-06 but not improved. I use Lapua 30-06 brass, neck it to 358 and size it down to fit snug on the first firing. No need to trim or mess around with that and the Lapua brass is tougher than a woodpeckers lips.

Factory new brass shouldn’t need to be annealed before shooting a few times. At least the good stuff.

the lapua is what i was eyeing on natchezss, figure already annealed helps me and not a bad price. what is the advantage of going oversize then back, i do have access to some other dies if you see a solid advantage in a neck up then down vs just 30-06 to 338-06.


WVbuckbuster: i will absolutely work on keeping better track of how many reloads, now that i put a scope on this rifle it will get some more use too, i mostly deer hunt in PA where there are antler restrictions so the 280ai got most of the love the past few years, when pa had too many bears I would carry the open sight 338-06 for bear and then if i got a buck i would carry it for a doe but will now spread the love since i was encouraged to take this one for moose this fall

 

[RL338]

what is the advantage of going oversize then back

Creating a false shoulder to hold the case tight while fire forming.

 

[SJB358]

Creating a false shoulder to hold the case tight while fire forming.

Bingo. Lets you form cases without stretching them from the first firing. Minimizes case wear and fatigue as well. Doing that and minimally sizing has reduced my trimming by huge margins. Case life is typically extended as well. Chances are, 50 formed Lapua cases will last a very long time. Well worth the money in my opinion.

 

[frankm]

Another day at to hold case firmly against bolt that PO Ackley used often was to seat the bullet into the lands. Just watch your loading when doing this as it creates more pressure as bullet doesn’t get to “jump” into lands.

Good luck.

 

[Blkram]

the lapua is what i was eyeing on natchezss, figure already annealed helps me and not a bad price. what is the advantage of going oversize then back, i do have access to some other dies if you see a solid advantage in a neck up then down vs just 30-06 to 338-06.


WVbuckbuster: i will absolutely work on keeping better track of how many reloads, now that i put a scope on this rifle it will get some more use too, i mostly deer hunt in PA where there are antler restrictions so the 280ai got most of the love the past few years, when pa had too many bears I would carry the open sight 338-06 for bear and then if i got a buck i would carry it for a doe but will now spread the love since i was encouraged to take this one for moose this fall

You should try your 338-06 on the deer too...as you said to "spread the love"!
It is a thumper on whitetails and you should find that it will create less meat damage than you may expect. Even in some cases where you eat up to the hole. (An attribute that many enjoy; just not sure if this as important to you.)

While a heavier bullet in the larger caliber may not be as flat as one from the 280 AI, the 215 gr SSGK at 2751 fps from my 22" barrel is still going 2218 fps, retaining 2348 ft lbs of energy, and only drops 8" at 300 yards, with a 200 yard zero.
Compare that to the Wby 210 gr Partition ammo at 2750 fps, it is at 2112 fps, with 2079 ft lbs of energy at 300 yards, and has 1/2" more drop due to its lower BC.

Not knowing what bullet/ammo you are using in your 280 AI, or the terrain you are hunting in in PA, but using the ballistics from Nosler's 160 gr AccuBond ammo, the bullet is still going 2430 fps, with 2097 ft lbs of energy, and drops 6.7" at 300 yards with a 200 yard zero. You will still be holding on hair for this range on your targeted deer. No whitetail is going to know the difference between being slain by either if these cartridges when the numbers are so close at 300 yards. But you may see a significant difference in the impact due to the larger frontal area of the larger caliber bullet!

And I know that in most field shooting instances, I am not capable of seeing a difference of 1.3" in flatness of trajectory inside 300 yards, where most game is killed, with my aging eyes and less than steady hands. (Can you?) And you have the additional comfort level of the performance level from the larger caliber for moose and larger bears, packing a rifle that you obviously want to hunt with more!

 

[jimbires]

watch , Peterson brass " I got an email a day or two ago , saying they are having their seconds on sale soon . probably for a forth of July sale .

I just took a quick look , I don't see it mentioned .

https://petersoncartridge.com/

 

[jimbires]

I did find it , starting TODAY .

Peterson Cartridge's Cosmetic Seconds Sale is back, and as one of our newsletter subscribers, you're getting a 24-hour heads up notification before anyone else. Beginning Thursday, July 2nd at 4:00 PM EST, you'll have exclusive first access until 7:00 PM EST, when the sale opens to the general public. Quantities are limited and everything is available only while supplies last, so set a reminder for yourself for the sale kickoff and don't wait if you see a caliber you need. Keep an eye out for our Sketch Specials, featuring select calibers at even deeper discounts. As our way of saying thanks for subscribing, use promo code 1776BRASS at checkout to receive FREE shipping on all Cosmetic Seconds plus 10% OFF all First Quality brass.​ ​

Shop Seconds Sale!

 

[highoctane]

I did find it , starting TODAY .

Peterson Cartridge's Cosmetic Seconds Sale is back, and as one of our newsletter subscribers, you're getting a 24-hour heads up notification before anyone else. Beginning Thursday, July 2nd at 4:00 PM EST, you'll have exclusive first access until 7:00 PM EST, when the sale opens to the general public. Quantities are limited and everything is available only while supplies last, so set a reminder for yourself for the sale kickoff and don't wait if you see a caliber you need. Keep an eye out for our Sketch Specials, featuring select calibers at even deeper discounts. As our way of saying thanks for subscribing, use promo code 1776BRASS at checkout to receive FREE shipping on all Cosmetic Seconds plus 10% OFF all First Quality brass.​ ​

​ Shop Seconds Sale!

​

Cosmetic "seconds", I remember a cosmetic second from many moons ago that I wondered, "what on earth was I thinking". Too much tequila maybe?? LOL ....... Oh, wait a minute, we are talking about rifle cases....

All joking aside, I really don't need any brass but I'll check this "sale" this afternoon to see if there's anything I can't live without

 

[wvbuckbuster]

the lapua is what i was eyeing on natchezss, figure already annealed helps me and not a bad price. what is the advantage of going oversize then back, i do have access to some other dies if you see a solid advantage in a neck up then down vs just 30-06 to 338-06.


WVbuckbuster: i will absolutely work on keeping better track of how many reloads, now that i put a scope on this rifle it will get some more use too, i mostly deer hunt in PA where there are antler restrictions so the 280ai got most of the love the past few years, when pa had too many bears I would carry the open sight 338-06 for bear and then if i got a buck i would carry it for a doe but will now spread the love since i was encouraged to take this one for moose this fall

You will love your 338-06 more when you spread it on some more whitetails. Have wacked some with the 35 Whelan and I love it