225 AB .147" to lands!

[jmad_81]

Was geting ready to redo some loads for my 338 WM tonight and came across something that might explain why I'mn having such a hard time getting it to shoot the 225 AB. I have .147" from the bullet to the lands, thats alot of jump! The longest I can go in my box it 3.360" and to reach the lands I have to be 3.507". I'm going to try to get them to shoot with some RL-19, but if I can't what would you guys do. I'm looking at having a wyatt extended box installled, or would you have the action trued and the barrel set back? I'm thinking the nice thing about the box is that it will set the bullet farther out of the case, giving me more case capacity. But if I go with setting the barrel back I get the action trued, and don't need the longer box.

Help me think this through.

 

[JD338]

Have you tried seating the bullet deeper? Many times there are two sweet spots.

JD338

 

[jmad_81]

I have tried 3.340 and it wasn't very good either.

 

[Jerry 919]

jmad_81

I would try seating the bullets real long, say .025" inch of the lands, and try shooting them as a single shot to see if the barrel likes the AB. Perhaps it does not like the AB. If they shoots a group under an inch then have the barrel set back. Many E-Tip shooters are reporting great results with jump similiar to what you report with AB. Another option would be the 210 Partition. Good Luck.

Jerry 919
Bend, Oregon

 

[R Flowers]

This is just an off the wall suggestion, but try using some Barnes TSX bullets in that gun. As mentioned, maybe your gun just does not shoot well with the AccuBond. My 338 Win Mag does not shoot them well at all. In fact, I had to try the Nosler AccuBond in 5 different .338 caliber rifles (from 338 Win Mag to 338 RUM) to find one that would shoot them any good at all.

The Barnes TSX bullets LIKE a long jump. I am not sure you can seat them too short in some guns. Due to magazine length issues in my two 300 WSM rifles, I seat the 168 TSX much shorter than conventional wisdom says you should to make them shoot. I seat them a good deal over the 0.05 inches off the lands that Barnes suggests for a starting length. As I recall, without going and checking my data, both guns have a jump of over 0.100 inches to the lands and they both shoot 3/4 inch groups.

 

[jmad_81]

This gun does shoot the 225 TSX well, but they get spendy for as much as I like to shoot. The 225 AB 2nds are a great buy. I might have to give the 200 ET another shot. I had them shooting half decent (1.5") with out a bunch of load work. I just really like the 225 AB. Might even have the 225 SST. I know some guys that have used them in 300 WM and the 7 RM and they both were very hard on meat. The one bull was shot with the 7 RM @ 400 yards and it still did a bunch of damage. Dead is dead I guess. I don't know, just thinking out loud. Different bullet would sure be cheaper!

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

Jmad. Let me share some of my experience with the 225 AB with you.
I'm shooting them in a Winchester Model 70 Classic in .338 Win Mag. It took me awhile to get them to shoot.
I was loading H4350, and finally settled on 71.5 grains, with Win Brass, and WMPR.
With Winchester primers, they would group about 3/4", but with Fed primers groups were 3 inches.
The real breakthrough came when I started adjusting overall length. I started at magazine length, and came in at .05" increments. It wasn't until I tried 3.330 that they really started to shoot. At 3.330 it will reguraly put them all in one ragged hole. I now use this length for all bullets in my .338 with this nose profile. Thid OAL also works with H4831. The point is, you can't just try one or two different lengths at random. You have to methodically work in, until you find the sweet spot.

 

[jmad_81]

AS, Thanks. Point taken. H4350 is on my list to try and I'm using the winchester mag primers as well. I'll try the 3.330 and see. I just thought that they like to be seated really close to the lands. Didn't think that farther off would be better unless I was shooting mono bullets. Thanks for the advise. I'll be sure to give it a try as I'm shooting a Win M70 as well.

 

[JD338]

Jake,

As AS, RF, and Jerry have indicated, seating deeper might hit pay dirt for you. Load 3 rounds of different seating depths, in incerements of .005" and try them. Your rifle may have a different sweet spot than AS.

JD338

 

[DrMike]

Jake,

It is not uncommon that each load (case, powder, primer and bullet) will have two nodes determined by seating depth. It is somewhat unconventional to seat deeper, especially with lead core bullets. However, it can yield surprising results in some instances. Until you are intruding into the case to such an extent that you are actually significantly decreasing pressure potentials, seating deeper is worth trying. I remember a 270 WSM that didn't seem to want to shoot (up to 2.5 inch groups) until I was actually seating 0.25 inches off the lands. Then, voilà, 1/4 inch groups. When magazine depth and/or intrusion into the powder space proscribe adjustment to seating depth, then changes in primer and/or powder are used to adjust for accuracy.

 

[RiverRider]

Ya gotta wonder how many times you gave up on a bullet too soon. I have learned to accept poor results as being useful data, but maybe I have given up too soon a time or two. I don't think I've ever kept searching until I was 1/4" off the lands, but maybe I should have. I have a tendency to want to find the best seating depth somewhere between .010" and .050" off...so maybe I need to modify the way i approach this. Could be I have missed some killer accuracy loads!!

 

[DrMike]

RR,

It was desperation. I can't tell you how many combinations had been tried before that, and the customer was adamant that he wanted that rifle in the particular configuration.

 

[SJB358]

Good luck Jake. Give the SST's a try, they shot pretty well in my 338's and were pretty quick with RL19. Scotty