Posted By: RedSnake
My latest build - 338 Sherman / Ruger M77 - 08/14/19 03:41 AM
Well I drew a Wyoming Bull Elk tag for Oct rifle season. Thought it’d be cool to shoot my first elk with the rifle I shot my first WT with. So I decided to breathe some new life into my 1980s tang safety Ruger M77 originally chambered in .270 Win. and had it rebarrelled to a 338 Sherman.
![[Linked Image]](https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/pics/userpics/2019/08/full-20237-196751-d08966eb_cb64_4347_974c_8211f7613fb4.jpeg)
Build Specifics
* Action: Ruger M77 tang safety
* Caliber: 338 Sherman (LA)
* Original wood stock (refinished)
* Pillar and full length bedded
* Benchmark light palma 1:9.4 finished at 24”
* APA Little Bastard brake
* Factory trigger reworked
* Cerakote midnight blue
* Leupold 34mm rings
* NF ATACR 4-16
For those not familiar with this round, Rich Sherman based his design for the 338 Sherman using the .270 Win as the parent case and pushed the shoulder forward and blown out to 40 degrees. This yields a H20 case capacity between 76-79 gr depending on brand of brass. Compare this to 68 gr for the 338-06, 70-72 gr for 338-06AI, and 86 gr for 338 WM.
270 brass necked up to 338 (left) and fully formed 338 Sherman (right)
![[Linked Image]](https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/pics/userpics/2019/08/full-20237-196752-dd20d868_da36_48e3_90a4_5afeda10aacf.jpeg)
Fire forming loads with Hornady 250 gr HPBT over a middle of the road 338-06 charge of Varget shot remarkably well.
I’m still working up loads using the Rocky Mountain 250 gr ULD and Varget. Initial testing maxed out at mv of 2760 before I got signs of excessive pressure. Folks have been pushing the 338 Berger 250 gr over 2800fps with RL-17.
![[Linked Image]](https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/pics/userpics/2019/08/full-20237-196757-ec449657_ec96_4b6a_828a_3a55dcb7cb80.jpeg)
One of the drawbacks of the ruger action is the limitations it puts on OAL due to the short (3.40”) mag well. To allow a longer OAL to feed, I lengthened my action posteriorly with a Wyatt’s cut (which included milling away the center floor plate screw). I fabricated an extended mag box from two factory boxes spliced/welded together. The bolt stop was moved posteriorly about 0.25” by tapping/drilling a new retaining screw hole and the window for the stop was enlarged. I am now able to feed rounds up to 3.600.
![[Linked Image]](https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/pics/userpics/2019/08/full-20237-196754-8acbd0f2_d055_4b7c_ad69_bad889616aa9.jpeg)
![[Linked Image]](https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/pics/userpics/2019/08/full-20237-196755-aeeb0394_9579_4582_ac4c_2675d65356b2.jpeg)
Refinishing the stock took me months. ... stripped the crappy 30 year old chipped poly coat, sanded, stained old school way with Alkanet oil and then hand-rubbed a million and a half coats of finishing oil comprised of Boiled Linseed Oil, Carnuba Wax, Turpentine, and Venetian Turpentine. One final top coat of diluted TruOil for durability. Leather wrapped recoil pad and Dakota arms grip cap inlaid with English cow horn to spice it up a bit.
![[Linked Image]](https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/pics/userpics/2019/08/full-20237-196756-00970b64_f42d_42a3_8347_827b33cc9619.jpeg)
Build Specifics
* Action: Ruger M77 tang safety
* Caliber: 338 Sherman (LA)
* Original wood stock (refinished)
* Pillar and full length bedded
* Benchmark light palma 1:9.4 finished at 24”
* APA Little Bastard brake
* Factory trigger reworked
* Cerakote midnight blue
* Leupold 34mm rings
* NF ATACR 4-16
For those not familiar with this round, Rich Sherman based his design for the 338 Sherman using the .270 Win as the parent case and pushed the shoulder forward and blown out to 40 degrees. This yields a H20 case capacity between 76-79 gr depending on brand of brass. Compare this to 68 gr for the 338-06, 70-72 gr for 338-06AI, and 86 gr for 338 WM.
270 brass necked up to 338 (left) and fully formed 338 Sherman (right)
Fire forming loads with Hornady 250 gr HPBT over a middle of the road 338-06 charge of Varget shot remarkably well.
I’m still working up loads using the Rocky Mountain 250 gr ULD and Varget. Initial testing maxed out at mv of 2760 before I got signs of excessive pressure. Folks have been pushing the 338 Berger 250 gr over 2800fps with RL-17.
One of the drawbacks of the ruger action is the limitations it puts on OAL due to the short (3.40”) mag well. To allow a longer OAL to feed, I lengthened my action posteriorly with a Wyatt’s cut (which included milling away the center floor plate screw). I fabricated an extended mag box from two factory boxes spliced/welded together. The bolt stop was moved posteriorly about 0.25” by tapping/drilling a new retaining screw hole and the window for the stop was enlarged. I am now able to feed rounds up to 3.600.
Refinishing the stock took me months. ... stripped the crappy 30 year old chipped poly coat, sanded, stained old school way with Alkanet oil and then hand-rubbed a million and a half coats of finishing oil comprised of Boiled Linseed Oil, Carnuba Wax, Turpentine, and Venetian Turpentine. One final top coat of diluted TruOil for durability. Leather wrapped recoil pad and Dakota arms grip cap inlaid with English cow horn to spice it up a bit.
