Catch-22

Those are Welsh badgers!

Not a .338LM but I do shoot a .338 Norma Magnum. Only 6% less case capacity. I shoot HbN coated 300gn Scenars to good effect with my 27” barrel. Ive used RAMSHOT Mag a fair bit as that’s what the .338NM was originally designed to use with 300gn Sierra match kings. But I found RAMSHOT Mag quite dirty, had poor ES/SD and wasn’t as tight group wise as I wanted. I did find RS80 to be an amazing powder for the heavy 300gn bullets. Very clean, nice recoil impulse, tight groups and low ES/SD. I think my load of 94.5gn RS80 and 300gn Scenar (note...it’s HbN treated) now runs around 2800fps and has an SD of 4-6fps. I bought 10kg of RS80 as I like it so much 😁 It’s also worth noting that RS80 is the same powder as Reloader 33 as marketed in the US. So if you’re looking for data, you can use Rel33 data. In the States, they like Rel33 for the .338NM and .338LM a lot.

Clearly it was 2x to the chest, whereas it should really have been 2x to the head at point blank.

This thread might be a blast from the past, but thought it might be worth adding some data for anyone who’s interested. Gun is a 2017 AW AWM .300wm, 26” barrel 1-11” twist. Case: PRIVI (cheap but surprisingly good) Primer: CCI200 & Murom KVB-7 LR Bullets: 190gn & 200gn MME ‘Wimbledon’ custom bullets and 208gn ELD-M Powders: VV N165, Lovex SO70 & RAMSHOT Magnum Everything shot at Minsterly, weather good, little wind. Gun was on bipod with rear bag. Sadly my Magneto speed is bust, so I don’t have any velocity data. Overall, I think the 200gn Wimbledon bullets with N165 shot the best. I was also very impressed by 190gn and SO7O. Only found pressure with the upper RAMSHOT mag loads and the top end of 190gn with N165. Ive decided to use N165 with the 200gn MME bullets as they’re better and cheaper than the 208gn ELDm. And I’ll also use up my last stock of SO70 (excellent powder) with the 190gn MME bullets. Loads tested: 190gn MME, SO70, 2.9370” o-give 1. 70.0gn 2. 71.0gn 3. 72.0gn (shot the best group) No pressure. 190gn MME, N165, 2.9370” o-give 1. 75.0gn 2. 76.0gn (I recon 76.5gn would be best) 3. 77.0gn 4. 78.0gn (Slight pressure) 200gn MME, N165, 2.9305” o-give 1. 74.0gn 2. 75.0gn (both 74.0gn and 75.0gn best and shot exactly the same) 3. 76.0gn 4. 77.0gn No pressure. 208gn ELDm, N165, 2.8740” o-give (I couldn’t touch the lands but was longest I could load to mag) 1. 72.0gn 2. 73.0gn (best group) 3. 74.0gn 4. 75.0gn No pressure. 208gn ELDm, RAMSHOT MAGNUM, 2.8740” o-give 1. 81.0gn 2. 82.0gn 3. 83.0gn (pressure) 4. 84.0gn (pressure)

I don’t have a permanent loading room/space so have to setup and pack down each time. When I setup, I always make sure I leave the A&D scale on for at least 1hr or more before I start loading, just to let the internals warm up.

What a brilliant setup, facility and competition. Looks really well thought out and run. Im impressed with her muzzle control and footwork. The course looks brutal - well done her.

You’ve got to openly state your prices, it’s not a bidding or ‘enquiry’ sales forum. Love the Cole Tac moddy cover - I’ve got two and they’re great. Good luck with your sale 👍

Perfect - just the trick. I ran my finger up in the die hoping to catch a sharp edge but found none. I took some sandpaper wrapped round a chop stick and did some gentle polishing around the bevelled lip of the die. 2 mins later, sized another case and no issues - no brass being shaved off. Seems there must have been a minute sharp lip the bevel of the die. All good 👍

Can anyone help advise please? I’m trying to F/L size my .300wm brass but the die (Lee F/L die without sizer button as I like to use expander mandrels) is taking a slither of brass off the case, just in front of the belt. See photo. The die is setup correctly per Lee’s instructions (touching shell holder, then further screwed in 1/4 turn to prevent over caming). Case is sized properly. I think as it’s sizing the expansion web ahead of the belt, the side of die is shaving some brass away?!? Ive checked the sized brass with the Innovative Tech (Larry Willis) die. The sized die fits in perfectly without need to use the collect and reduce the ‘waist’ of the case. However the Innovative Tech die says it’s only to be used on already sized brass, hence why I’m using the F/L Lee die. EDIT: it might be worth noting this was all new PRIVI brass, being sized after its first firing. Not sure if that makes a difference or not? So...is my brass now scrap? Or is it normal for a F/L due to ‘shave’ some excess brass away? Never had this issue with non-belted cases before. Thoughts welcomed!

Tbh, they had me at “Get a GBPRA hook and loop patch and vinyl sticker” 💪

😂

Couldn’t agree more. If you want a ‘true’ low bore axis and ‘true’ straight back recoil impulse, buy a tube gun chassis. My AWSM (.300wm) is surprisingly soft shooting with a moddy. But my Defiance/Eliseo tube gun (.338NM) is not far off due to the very efficient brake and straight line recoil. Feels more like a ‘push’ then a thump.

I use a MAE Super Compact BL all stainless steel on my .300wm AI AWSM. Lovely moddy. Mine attaches to the muzzle brake but you can get them to attach direct to the end of the barrel. https://www.sportingservices.co.uk/collections/rifle-suppressors/products/mae-super-compact-sound-moderator-up-to-30cal

I have both the cheap as chips Lee Auto Prime and the Rolls Royce of hand primers, the 21st Century Handprimer tool. I favour a hand primer as sadly I don’t have the space for a permanent reloading bench 😭 The 21st Century is stunning. It is so easy to use and I can use the thing all day long, even for priming large 338 cases. It is silky smooth, induces no fatigue and the tight tolerances prevents any hiccups. The Lee on the other hand is just a pile of crap. I got it for batch priming pistol cases and thought i’d give it a go, as it was the same cost (but more obtainable) as the .44mag 21st Century shell holder. Crazy thought that! Anyway, the Lee is just so ergonomically awkward. It’s painful to use, impossible to grip properly, is not smooth, constantly induces miss feeds and chokes priming. Just last night I primed around 300x .44mag cases and had to call it quits as my hand basically looked and definitely felt bruised. Whereas priming 300x 6.5x47 cases in one sitting with the 21st Century hand primer was a doddle.

Not tried with fluorescent lights but the A&D scales are very sensitive. They come with wind guards, worth using. I also use a line conditioner on the power supply. But the main thing to be aware of (I think it applies to all scales, not just the A&D) is being near a window or in a space that will warm up with the sun. I find if reloading during the middle of a warm day I notice the scales wander just a bit, I assume as everything warms up and the air in the room warms. It doesn’t wander much, perhaps about +0.02gn to +0.04gn (which is around 1 to 2 kernels of N140) not much, but something to note. You won’t be disappointed with the A&D, especially if you hook it up with the Autothrow and Autotricker combo...it’s just so quick and very reliable.

Do you anneal your brass? If not, that could very well be the cause of a sudden shift in your ES/SD as the brass becomes increasingly work hardened. I believe the presence of a carbon ring, at the throat/neck junction, can cause increased pressure spikes, affecting ES/SD.

Good question. It was always written as a condition on my FAC, that I could not purchase ‘expanding and explosive ammunition, including sabot, and missiles’. However this no longer appears listed on my FAC since a recent renewal. Despite it no longer being stated as a condition, I believed sabot still wasn’t permitted. Apologies if that’s not the case.

But not really as we’re not permitted sabot rounds in the U.K. without special license. So again, not really relevant. Theres one thing not liking brakes, which I can understand. I own and use brakes on my own rifles but have/do experience concussion from others rifles when shooting near others. But hey, it comes with the territory. If you choose to engage in a sport who’s primary output is a massive bang and shockwave, then you’ve gotta expect you’re going to experience it. With appropriate hearing protection (I double up, with in ear plugs under my MSA electronic muffs) it’s not a big deal. I think a previous suggestion to simply ask politely those with brakes be moved to one end is sensible. Using a brake isn’t wrong. It’s nothing to try and shun. Everyone has a right to shoot and we’re all in it together to enjoy our time on the range 👍😎

https://www.accurateshooter.com/cartridge-guides/6mmppc/

That’s interesting. I use Redline CV2 extreme pressure moly grease for barrel shanks and muzzle threads when swapping out my barrels and attaching brakes and direct thread mods. I’ve found the Redline works well, everything comes loose quickly and without effort. The grease is still there even after the barrel/brake gets hot. However Ive only recently bought a MAE mod for my AI AWM and that’s got the O ring bushing to seal over the AI brake. I intend to put some Redline on the O ring and I’ll see how that performs. But your suggestion to use a higher temp grease, like MolyKote P37, might come in handy. Thanks!

Delightful! Good luck with the sale 👍

This may or may not be of help, but when I tumbled, I used walnut media. I found it cleaned a bit better than corn cob as I think it’s a bit harder. However, I gave up on all the tumbling stuff because I really disliked all the fine powder, carbon and other chemicals floating around and breathing in when you open the lid and empty the cases of media. I switched to Ultra sonic cleaning. Only cost £50 of eBay and so far it’s been brilliant. Cases much cleaner than before and I feel it’s safer than before. If you go the U/S route, just apply some lube to the inside of the necks before seating a bullet. I use HbN powder and works a charm. You could also use graphite or whatever.

Couldn’t agree more. The thumb hole stock on my AWM sucks ass - even with spacers it’s crap. Definitely agree the thumb hole is too small. A former rifle that had a Manners GAT thumb hole stock was much better. And my MPA chassis, with vertical grip, is simply 1000x times better than the AI.

Yep, good point. I always make a point of dabbing some moly grease on barrel threads (chamber & muzzle ends) and brakes/mods. I too learnt my lesson the hard way once.