Reloader 23 in 338 RUM

[Alaska]

Has anyone tried RL 23 in 338 RUM with 225gr

 

[fwood]

I have not, but I am a 338 rum guy. retumbo and rl 25 have been my go to powders. Don't want to Hijack your post but if anyone has any data that they are getting good results with Berger 250"s please share!

Jon

 

[Alaska]

I have been using RL 22 with the 225 Swift A Frame
I have some Hornady 230 ELDX on back order to try this summer.

I have heard good things with RL 26 and 250 Bergers.

Most here use the two powders you mentioned RL 25 and Retumbo with 250's.
Kinda like the 225 bullets notice a reduction in recoil

 

[fwood]

Dr. Mike can you run some numbers for RL 26 and RL 23 for Berger 250g Elite Hunter bullets in the 338 Rum.

I have been talking with Berger and they Don't recommend Retumbo, and RL 25 is not really their favorite either. So I have RL 22 on hand and have data for that but not the other two. The problem seems to be the length of the bullet and seating depth, compressing the load.

Thanks

 

[DrMike]

Cartridge          : .338 Rem Ultra Mag
Bullet             : .338, 250, Berger Elite Hunt G7 #33554
Useable Case Capaci: 92.310 grain H2O = 5.994 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 3.600 inch = 91.44 mm
Barrel Length      : 26.0 inch = 660.4 mm
Powder             : Alliant Reloder-26

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 2.0% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step    Fill. Charge   Vel.  Energy   Pmax   Pmuz  Prop.Burnt B_Time
 %       %    Grains   fps   ft.lbs    psi    psi      %        ms

-20.0   77    70.40   2337    3031   30798   9458     98.5    1.782
-18.0   79    72.16   2395    3184   33055   9656     99.2    1.735
-16.0   81    73.92   2453    3340   35490   9828     99.6    1.689
-14.0   83    75.68   2510    3498   38117   9973     99.9    1.640
-12.0   85    77.44   2567    3657   40954  10089    100.0    1.587
-10.0   87    79.20   2622    3818   44018  10188    100.0    1.536
-08.0   88    80.96   2677    3979   47332  10284    100.0    1.487
-06.0   90    82.72   2732    4142   50863  10377    100.0    1.440
-04.0   92    84.48   2785    4307   54645  10466    100.0    1.395  ! Near Maximum !
-02.0   94    86.24   2838    4472   58704  10553    100.0    1.353  ! Near Maximum !
+00.0   96    88.00   2891    4639   63065  10635    100.0    1.311  ! Near Maximum !
+02.0   98    89.76   2943    4808   67754  10714    100.0    1.271  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.0  100    91.52   2995    4979   72801  10789    100.0    1.233  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+06.0  102    93.28   3046    5152   78239  10860    100.0    1.196  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+08.0  104    95.04   3098    5327   84106  10927    100.0    1.161  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+10.0  106    96.80   3149    5504   90446  10989    100.0    1.127  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba     96    88.00   2991    4966   78265  10237    100.0    1.208  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba     96    88.00   2736    4155   48511  11212     99.9    1.454

Cartridge          : .338 Rem Ultra Mag
Bullet             : .338, 250, Berger Elite Hunt G7 #33554
Useable Case Capaci: 92.310 grain H2O = 5.994 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 3.600 inch = 91.44 mm
Barrel Length      : 26.0 inch = 660.4 mm
Powder             : Alliant Reloder-23

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 2.0% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step    Fill. Charge   Vel.  Energy   Pmax   Pmuz  Prop.Burnt B_Time
 %       %    Grains   fps   ft.lbs    psi    psi      %        ms

-20.0   81    67.68   2313    2969   32095   8568     99.7    1.762
-18.0   83    69.37   2365    3105   34359   8710     99.9    1.716
-16.0   85    71.06   2417    3242   36788   8829    100.0    1.671
-14.0   87    72.76   2468    3381   39395   8936    100.0    1.620
-12.0   89    74.45   2518    3520   42179   9041    100.0    1.571
-10.0   91    76.14   2568    3660   45123   9143    100.0    1.524
-08.0   93    77.83   2617    3801   48255   9243    100.0    1.479
-06.0   96    79.52   2665    3943   51594   9340    100.0    1.436
-04.0   98    81.22   2713    4086   55153   9434    100.0    1.395  ! Near Maximum !
-02.0  100    82.91   2761    4230   58951   9526    100.0    1.355  ! Near Maximum !
+00.0  102    84.60   2808    4376   63005   9615    100.0    1.317  ! Near Maximum !
+02.0  104    86.29   2854    4523   67335   9700    100.0    1.280  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.0  106    87.98   2901    4671   71963   9783    100.0    1.245  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+06.0  108    89.68   2947    4821   76916   9862    100.0    1.211  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+08.0  110    91.37   2993    4973   82220   9937    100.0    1.178  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+10.0  112    93.06   3039    5126   87907  10009    100.0    1.146  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba    102    84.60   2888    4631   76246   9313    100.0    1.226  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba    102    84.60   2685    4002   49827  10057    100.0    1.443

 

[fwood]

Thanks Mike, RL26 is seems to be a pretty good powder. I just have to see if I can find any?

 

[jmad_81]

I have been running RL-26 in my RUM with the 250 VLD for a few years. It works great and I am getting about 3,000 fps and very good groups. I would start at 87 gr and work up to 89 depending on brass/rifle. Mine shot best at 88.5. Please work up.

I haven't played with it much with the 225 AB, but I would be willing to be that it would work great. There is plenty of case capacity for it.

 

[Alaska]

Thanks Mike for the data, I still trying to find some RL 26 for my 338 RUM.
My current load has been RL 22 @ 91.0 with 225gr A-Frames

I just received some 230gr ELDX to try?

 

[Alaska]

I have been running RL-26 in my RUM with the 250 VLD for a few years. It works great and I am getting about 3,000 fps and very good groups. I would start at 87 gr and work up to 89 depending on brass/rifle. Mine shot best at 88.5. Please work up.

I haven't played with it much with the 225 AB, but I would be willing to be that it would work great. There is plenty of case capacity for it.

I just picked up some RL 26 and 250 Berger EH to try in my
Rem 700 in 338 RUM. Thanks for sharing your data.

 

[Charlie-NY]

I have a semi-custom Rem 700 in 338RUM with a 26" Broughton bbl. I've had very good results with 89.0 gr RE26 under the 250gr Berger EH bullet. I'm using Nosler cases and Federal 215M primers. Velocity is right at 3,000 ft/sec. There is no indication of excess pressure and the cases have been reloaded several times. Groups just under 2" at 400yds are pretty much the norm. I have only shot paper with this bullet.

I use the same load with the 250gr AccuBond which shoots slightly larger groups @ 400yds. The terminal performance of the AccuBond was excellent on the two bull moose that I took in Newfoundland.

 

[Alaska]

What COAL did you end up with using 250 Berger’s EH ?
I also had pretty good luck with RL 26.

 

[Charlie-NY]

What COAL did you end up with using 250 Berger’s EH ?
I also had pretty good luck with RL 26.

I do not record the OAL of my loads but do keep records of how far off the lands the bullets are. The 250 Bergers shot best at .120" & .220" off the rifling. Magazine length probably limited my ability to get closer to the lands, however, the rifle shoots great with a significant amount of jump anyway. The long jump may also be helping to keep pressure down.


In all likelihood I could load a bit hotter without pressure issues but never saw the need to try.