M70 Alaskan 338 Win Mag

[SJB358]

Well, for about a year now I have been fighting my Alaskan to shoot the 225 PT. Really like the bullet a ton, and it does well, most of the time, but I kept getting a random flier out of a group. Thought it was the bedding, redid that.. Still shows up. SOOOO, I loaded up some of my old loads with the 200 AB, 76.5 grains of RL19, CCI250's and WW cases, I haven't shot any of them since I put the McMillan on the rifle.. I shot the first three, no bug hole sorta group, but seemed consistent, well I let the rifle cool down and shot three more.



All of them clustered around the same POI and I thought to myself, there ain't nothing wrong with the rifle. I know the PT's will shoot, but I think I need to rework them a little. Might try a 225 Swift and see what happens with it.

I had a couple of the 200's leftover, I was hot, tired and ready to get home, but I decided to sling up over my pack and see what they did at 200..



Hmmm, sometimes I wonder why I fight myself so much.. :lol:

It's not like the 200 grain load is anemic, it runs them out around 3050 and I am sure no elk could tell the difference. Either way, when your rifle tells you it wants something, my best advice is to listen.. :mrgreen:

 

[DrMike]

I'd say you might have an elk load on your hands. Nothing wrong with that! Good stuff, Scotty.

 

[LD375]

Dead meat Scotty! ..nice brother!

Lou

 

[wisconsinteacher]

I am trying to listen to my rifles but sometimes they speak a different language. You on the other hand are able to talk to them and listen to what they want. That will do the job on any elk the west has to offer.

 

[Guy Miner]

A .33 cal, 200 gr AccuBond at 3,000+ fps? Yeah, that's an elk load I'd think...

 

[Anonymous]

A friend of mine has a Kimber Montana in .338WM... hard a hard time getting several bullets to group well.

Except the 180AB- which shoots great.... in the .338WM it makes for one flat shooting death ray. He wasn't happy about a bullet that light until he flattened everything in it's tracks.

Pretty sure the 200AB is gonna be just fine!

 

[jimbires]

nothing wrong with that .

 

[truck driver]

Well, for about a year now I have been fighting my Alaskan to shoot the 225 PT. Really like the bullet a ton, and it does well, most of the time, but I kept getting a random flier out of a group. Thought it was the bedding, redid that.. Still shows up. SOOOO, I loaded up some of my old loads with the 200 AB, 76.5 grains of RL19, CCI250's and WW cases, I haven't shot any of them since I put the McMillan on the rifle.. I shot the first three, no bug hole sorta group, but seemed consistent, well I let the rifle cool down and shot three more.



All of them clustered around the same POI and I thought to myself, there ain't nothing wrong with the rifle. I know the PT's will shoot, but I think I need to rework them a little. Might try a 225 Swift and see what happens with it.

I had a couple of the 200's leftover, I was hot, tired and ready to get home, but I decided to sling up over my pack and see what they did at 200..



Hmmm, sometimes I wonder why I fight myself so much.. :lol:

It's not like the 200 grain load is anemic, it runs them out around 3050 and I am sure no elk could tell the difference. Either way, when your rifle tells you it wants something, my best advice is to listen.. :mrgreen:

Heck if that's the best it will do I'd rebarrel it or get rid of it but then I for got it was a present from the wife so your stuck with it. :roll: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :mrgreen:

 

[BretN]

Sometimes we want a certain bullet to group well, but the gun just is not having it. I almost have up on the 140 gr AB's in my 280. Then I tried the load Nosler said was most accurate, RL19. Shot into the .36", also had the bullet backed off the lands more than I had been. Sometimes we gotta listen to the book too.

My Tikkas, whose magazines won't allow OAL to be much over saami spec, are teaching me that's OK too. One less variable. Load it to book length and head to the range.

Pretty sure those 200's will mow down most every animal in NA and most in Africa. Well done.

 

[bbearhntr]

Nice shooting Scotty. I was fighting my .338 for a while. I put it down for a year. You have stoked my flame to pick it back up and brush the dust off. Thanks bud.

 

[Vince]

I still love the .338 and mine likes the Barnes 210 grain TSX.
I'm thinking of trying a 180 grain load for grins and giggles. The barrel will tell you what it likes. My Winchester 25-06 loves 87 and 100 grain flat base bullets so that's all I load for it.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk

 

[nvbroncrider]

Man it would be tough not to load a bunch of those 200's and just run with it. It really makes you appreciate that 7MSM with as well and as easy as it shoots. I have been down that road myself.

 

[257 Ackley]

Pretty good groups Scott. Have you tried playing around with the torque on the action screws since you put the Micky stock on? Barrel harmonics are a strange thing, and this barrel might not like something in the shape or weight of the 225.

 

[JD338]

That will work just fine. Pleantly of horse power.

JD338

 

[pre6422hornet]

Yeah that will work just fine Scotty. Tons of downrange energy to put meat on the ground.

Nicely done.

 

[Horsethief]

Lookin' good.

I'll take accuracy over speed and a lighter bullet that is more accurate than a heavier one is OK since it wont make a difference when dropping big game.

 

[DON]

Nice shooting Scotty, that will be a hammer on Elk. The 200 AB shoots really well for me in my 300 RUM. Have you considered the 225 AB in .338 ?

Don

 

[preacher]

I would shoot a bison with that 200AB, just based on what I saw the 180AB do a big Aoudad from a 338RUM! Of course, the old 250NP is a hammer. I saw a huge 6pt bull elk ( just guessing, it was way over 5
00 pounds!) a guy had taken in Minturn, Co with that set up in his 338WM. He shot him head on, around 200yd, if memory serves,in the brisket and found the bullet back in the ham! DRT. I was impressed, as was that bull! ha

 

[SJB358]

I wanted to do a little work and see if I could tighten up my 200 AB groups. These are all measured using a .338 comparator.

I figured these would be a decent example of how seating depth work usually comes to fruition for me.

3.670



3.655



3.640



3.630



3.615



This specific rifle and load came together fairly normally. At 200 yards I was very happy to see the 3.640 and 3.630 shoot so close. Sort of shows me a window the bullet will shoot well in.

I believe I will run the 200 AB this fall. Didn't chrono them, but they have ran 3050 or so most all other times. Load is 76.5 grains of RL19, CCI250's and WW brass.

 

[DrMike]

Marked differential. You hit the jackpot with that 3.630-3.640 range. Can't see much escaping that load; it'll hunt.