REVIEW: VE-LOADS - Caliber .338

As already mentioned in the article, our friends from MAJOR FINDING received two packages of projectiles from the company VE-LOADS for testing. One package in 6.5 mm and one in .338.

We have already achieved a good load with the 6.5 mm projectiles and the result was very good. At the end of the article, you will find a direct link to the test report if you want to read more about it.

Last weekend it was time for the .338 projectiles. Again, we loaded a ladder to see what would yield the best results. In this case, we used N570 powder from Vihtavuori, CCI large rifle primers, and PPU brass.

Just like with the 6.5mm projectiles, we also coated the .338 projectiles in a tumbler with HeBoFill® 400 to reduce friction in the barrel.

Once again, we used a Ritter & Strak SX-1 MTR as the test platform, equipped with a 27-inch barrel and a 1:10" twist rate. This combination is hard to beat.

We loaded the ladder between 93 and 95.5 grains and after a few shots, it was clear where the optimal range lay. The loads with 94.5 and 95 grains yielded the best results. With 94.5 grains, the 8-shot group looked promising, but with 95 grains it was almost perfect with the 8-shot group practically forming a single hole. The velocity averaged 920 m/s.

Conclusion from MAJOR FINDING: In the end, it was shown that the .338 projectiles performed very well, with copper bullets performing just as well as lead-core bullets. If the opportunity arises to test more projectiles, we will examine performance at 300m, 500m, and beyond.

If you need more information about the products used, you can find everything here:

HERE is the link to the test report on the 6.5mm projectiles on SPARTANAT.

Bullets: www.ve-loads.de/bullets

Powder: www.vihtavuori.com/powder/n570-high-energy-powder/

Primers: www.cci-ammunition.com/reloading/primers/aps_rifle_primer/6-87.html

Projectile Coating: www.henze-bnp.de/produkt/bornitrid-powder-hebofill-ll-sp-050

VE-LOADS online: www.ve-loads.de