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Rifle question

CTELK83

CTELK83

Active member
Joined
Sep 6, 2016
Messages
267
Location
Rochester, NY
Hey all. I'm sure many of you will know about guns than myself so I figured I'd ask you all....
I recently got a Winchester model 70 extreme weather in 338 win mag. I got 2 boxes of ammo to brake in and sight in. Took a shell from the box, shot it and it didn't eject, though it was loose. When I pulled it out it was oddly shaped and I realized something wasn't right. Looked at the box and it wasn't 338 win mag, it was 338 federal. It's a smaller round. I grabbed the 2nd box which was the correct ammo and within 3 shots was in the bullseye. My question is... did I do Anya damage to the rifle? Everything seems ok, but thought I'd ask. I went back to the store I got the ammo, they apologized and gave me the correct caliber.
 
To be safe I'd take it to a gunsmith and have them look it over to make sure that there is no damage to the chamber or the beginning of the rifling.

blacksheep
 
You sent the same bullet down the barrel, fortunately. Was there any blowback or powdermarks around the action after you shot? Rifle should be fine, but check it out.
 
I'm with blacksheep and 3855Win. Have a reputable gunsmith give it a once over. They should be able to tell you if you damaged the chamber or throat.
 
Yikes. That sounds dangerous. Good thing you didn’t get hurt. I’m very surprised you didn’t experience blowback or other overpressure issues.

I’m sure you know this now but there is a big difference between those cases. There are a lot of 338s out there nowadays. But I believe (and no doubt will be corrected if wrong) that the 338 Win Mag is the only one with a belted case. Well, there is a wildcat 338-378 Weatherby but there’s no way that would chamber in your 338wm

So, always double check for that belt. And best of luck with that gun. Will be following up to hear some hopefully good news.
 
AggieOutlaw said:
Yikes. That sounds dangerous. Good thing you didn’t get hurt. I’m very surprised you didn’t experience blowback or other overpressure issues.

I’m sure you know this now but there is a big difference between those cases. There are a lot of 338s out there nowadays. But I believe (and no doubt will be corrected if wrong) that the 338 Win Mag is the only one with a belted case. Well, there is a wildcat 338-378 Weatherby but there’s no way that would chamber in your 338wm

So, always double check for that belt. And best of luck with that gun. Will be following up to hear some hopefully good news.
Click to expand...
The 340 Weatherby is also belted, but should not chamber in a 338 Win Mag. I'm surprised the 338 Federal even fired. Guess the extractor held it tight enough to set off the primer.

Not to sound to much like a jerk, but I'm surprised anyone would get those two confused as they are so very different.
 
AggieOutlaw said:
Yikes.
Click to expand...

Yup, no matter how careful, if you shoot enough you will inevitably have one of those heart pounding "near miss" moments. Mine came years ago while teaching my son to shoot clays and in the process accidentally loaded one of his 20ga shells into my 12ga - when I just got a click I figured I had forgotten to load a shell while explaining something to the boy - so I threw a 12ga shell in the action without checking things out. As I brought the gun up to take the next shot, something in the back of my mind told me to stop and check -- I was a milli-second from pulling the trigger. I unmounted the gun and checked. When I saw that 20ga shell shoved down the barrel ahead of the 12ga shell my heart started racing so fast I could hardly breath. I prided myself on being a "safety first" hunter -- it was a scary reminder that it only takes one small lapse to cause a disaster.
 
VikingsGuy said:
Yup, no matter how careful, if you shoot enough you will inevitably have one of those heart pounding "near miss" moments. Mine came years ago while teaching my son to shoot clays and in the process accidentally loaded one of his 20ga shells into my 12ga - when I just got a click I figured I had forgotten to load a shell while explaining something to the boy - so I threw a 12ga shell in the action without checking things out. As I brought the gun up to take the next shot, something in the back of my mind told me to stop and check -- I was a milli-second from pulling the trigger. I unmounted the gun and checked. When I saw that 20ga shell shoved down the barrel ahead of the 12ga shell my heart started racing so fast I could hardly breath. I prided myself on being a "safety first" hunter -- it was a scary reminder that it only takes one small lapse to cause a disaster.
Click to expand...

Wow, Near catastrophe to not only you but others around (son). To fess up publicly shows you want others to understand that it can happen and it stresses that all of us have to be ever so diligent in all matters related to safety.



CTELK83
Please let us know what your smith says.

Be Safe,
 
I was so surprised it fired I went out the reloading bench and took some measurements. I have a 308 and 300wm. Same brass, effectively.

I can see how it’s possible to fire it if shooting from a bench rest and if you carefully fed the round with the bolt. But yes. They are very different cartridges. I’m a little surprised the chamber sealed enough to launch the bullet through. The more I thought about this, the more shocked I am that no one got hurt.

It also seems like an honest enough mistake for someone new to shooting and the cartridge. Yes. You should know better. But there are a lot of ways to mess up like this in the current ammo market.

My grandfather gave me his pre-64 M70 270. When I went to shoot it the first time, I freaked out and didn’t shoot it because the barrel was stamped 270w.c.f.

I didn’t know what that was. But I know there are a lot of 270s out there and didn’t want to mess it up. Turns out it’s the good ole Win Center Fire aka 270 win. But I knew better than to risk it if I wasn’t 100% confident.

Good lesson learned here. Thankfully no injuries!
 
You should get down on your knees and say thank you to whatever God you believe in. The 338 WIN MAG is considerably larger in diameter and longer in overall case length than the 338 Federal which is based, I believe on the 308 Winchester case. It also operates at a much higher chamber pressure, which likely contributed to your survival. You could have done substantial damage to yourself and to the folks standing around you. It sounds like the bullet went down the barrel without incident, but all of the advice you've gotten so far about seeing a good gunsmith is valid. Had the bullet fouled in the chamber and gotten wedged, you could have blown up the rifle and injured yourself and anyone standing close enough to get hit.
 
I once fired a 7mm Rem Mag out of a .300 Win Mag. The only way I noticed was there was very little recoil and it sounded different. I was very lucky it didn't turn ugly. I always look at the round before I chamber it now. A friend of mine purchased a box of .300 WSM and some how a .270 WSM was put in there.
 
Gun Smith said that the gun looked fine and made reference to a few reasons why he thought it would be ok. Want me to shoot a few more and inspect the casings for any irregularities. Going to shoot this weekend and see. I'm glad everything is ok. I really cant believe I did that.
 
Hey all... quick update. Took the rifle to my buddies range today (still breaking it in) using federal fusion 225 grain for break in... shot 2 - 3 shot groups that were approx 5/8". One of my best shooting rifles. Second only to my 22-250. I love this gun and so glad my mishap didnt fo any damage haha. 8 weeks away from my BC moose and bear hunt!!
 
Any suggestions on ammo for moose? I was going to use 200 grain federal trophy bonded. Thoughts? Yes I will also sight rifle in using those. Just breaking it in with the fusions
 
Another ammo question... broke the barrel.in with fusion 225 gr. Started to site in federal 200 gr and they were hitting 4" high at 100 yards. Would different ammo really be that off? Just seems like a lot... I get the lower grain and "better" quality... but still
 
I shoot an a-bolt .300 WM and even being from the same manufacturer, the factory ammo I shoot moved 4" left using 185gr elk load verses my 155gr deer round.

Don't take my word for it, but I suspect it has as much to do with bullet shape as it does with bullet weight.
 
Got ya. Makes sense. I'm just surprised the amount it was off. I started 2nd guessing the 200 grain ammo. And was thinking maybe I need nosler ammo haha
 
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