Billy: I'm playing with a Howa 1500. I restocked this rifle last year and had some bedding challenges. I'd run to the range over lunch, fire three to six rounds, examine the target and then go home to problem solve. I finally full length bedded the Howa in a Boyd's laminated JRS stock. Curiously, this rifle seems to prefer full length bedding to free floating. Go figure.
After gathering up all my empties from various places (once fired), I realized I must have upwards of 150 rounds of brass. I've run them through the "Sidewinder" and wiped them down. Now I'm ready to work.
I think (since these have already been fired once and presumably conform to my chamber) that I'll try neck sizing on a few rounds first to see how that works. (I take Tim's point that establishing a false shoulder before the first firing would prevent that first stretch, but the horse is already out of the barn with the brass I have). The three rounds I've prepared all drop into the chamber with just a tiny bit of bolt hesitation on the end of the cam stroke. Feels right. We'll see.
The best group I got last year was 1 and 1/8th inches center to center, 3 shot group @ 100 yards using H4831 and 250 gr. Nosler partitions. The relatively heavy Boyd's laminate stock matched with a Sorbothane (sp?) butt pad really civilizes this .338. I don't mind getting pushed around a bit, but I'm not into pain.
