ligonierbill
New member
OK, I didn't have one. In fact, I didn't have any "magnum length" cartridges. And this one has always intrigued me. Craig Boddington likes it (Elmer didn't), and I found an old TFL thread with some love/hate views. Anyway, I bought a Remington 700 BDL circa 1986 in this round.
I like old and forgotten cartridges, so I was not too surprised to find brass is pricey. OK. Dies are readily available, and though the selection is smaller than 308 or 338, bullets are also. Stuff is on the way: Sierra's 220 GameKing, Barnes' 200 TSX, and 20 rounds of Nosler ammo loaded with their 200 Accubond. I will be interested to see how the commercial ammo does, as all that I've read indicates it under performs. But the real test for me will be how my loads compare to my 338 Win Mag. Accubond 225s go 2,800, and TTSX 210s go 2,860 from my Savage 116. Published data indicates I should be able to beat those numbers substantially.
No, I'm not thinking of replacing the 338. Although Woodleigh makes a 8mm 250, it's kind of ungainly, unlike the sleek GameKings I favor in the bigger bore. And Swift does not make a 275 grain A-frame in 8mm. The two calibers to me are more different than some writers seem to think.
In any case, I will give this a try. Not that I need to invite opinions from this crowd, but of course all views are welcome.
I like old and forgotten cartridges, so I was not too surprised to find brass is pricey. OK. Dies are readily available, and though the selection is smaller than 308 or 338, bullets are also. Stuff is on the way: Sierra's 220 GameKing, Barnes' 200 TSX, and 20 rounds of Nosler ammo loaded with their 200 Accubond. I will be interested to see how the commercial ammo does, as all that I've read indicates it under performs. But the real test for me will be how my loads compare to my 338 Win Mag. Accubond 225s go 2,800, and TTSX 210s go 2,860 from my Savage 116. Published data indicates I should be able to beat those numbers substantially.
No, I'm not thinking of replacing the 338. Although Woodleigh makes a 8mm 250, it's kind of ungainly, unlike the sleek GameKings I favor in the bigger bore. And Swift does not make a 275 grain A-frame in 8mm. The two calibers to me are more different than some writers seem to think.
In any case, I will give this a try. Not that I need to invite opinions from this crowd, but of course all views are welcome.