Last Range Date of the Year

RL338

Handloader
Mar 23, 2017
3,242
5,228
For late December it is down right balmy today. 40* today but had to deal with fog and mist in the air. Took 3 rifles with me 338 WM , 35 Whelen , and 375 Wby. First up the 338 WM with 210gr TTSX in the 2880s for velocity. Only had a few loaded up with them.
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This rifle is struggling in the accuracy department. I’ve been fireforming the brass with Speer 250gr GS and it hates them. At least the Barnes are showing promise.

Second up is the CVA 35 Whelen. I also tried some 180gr Barnes TTSX with fairly good results.
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This rifle has had disliked for the 250gr Hornady SP but today fired behind the Barnes it was that bad.
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3rd was the 375 Wby , I brought it along to finish fireforming the rest of the 375 H&H brass I had loaded with a cast bullet load with Blue Dot. I took a box of 270gr Speer BTSP and fired a couple group afterwards. I haven’t clean the barrel since firing 100 powder coated cast loads and those Speers still shoot.
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I didn’t want to over do it to my repaired stock as I’m still waiting for my H-S Precision stock to ship.
 
Great shootin!

We thought it was going to be too cold here, recently. Today, it was 62 and a bit damp.
 
Any of those loads will work, given the opportunity. Some fine riflery there.
 
Ow! My shoulder hurts from just reading what cartridges you were shooting. Looks like you could any of those loads hunting. Good shooting.
 
Nice shooting buddy. You have several options for next year!

JD338
 
Thanks guys for the positive comments.
The 338 WM has been a challenge for me. When you buy a used rifle sometimes you receive another one’s headache. I started out with 250gr GS and shot poorly. Then I tried some 185gr Barnes X bullets that I had HBN coated for the 340 Wby. They shot really good. Then I tried HBN in the 250gr GS , no improvement over noncoated. So I decided to try some TTXS and they seem to work. Scoping the bore reveals a really chattered up barrel. It looks like some of the Savage barrels I have , but they shoot. I’m thinking this spring it will get a Tubb’s fire lapping.
 
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