Introducing the THR10-51 aka 40-308

[rda72927]

I would belive that any Savage model with a .473 bolt will work. I have a 112 that is in 22-250. It is a long action, but I could put a 243 or 25-06 barrel on it.

[BT Sniper]

40 cal 225 grain bullet made from 9mm brass recovered in 7th milk jug after smashing threw the first 6. Recovered weight was 200 grains!






Here is a look of the shoulder of the fired case. Everyone seems concerned but it has been "Good To Go"! I polished the one on the left to see if it took better pic?



Good shooting and Swage On!

BT

[BT Sniper]

Spoke with my custom reamer shop. I think I'll have a reamer made for this 40-308 very soon! Probably even get a FL sizing die reamer made so I can offer reloading dies for this caliber as well.

We shall see!

BT

[BT Sniper]

Deer hunting season is a little over a month away and I was brousing the thread here and got to thinking. I allready figured I was going to possibly use my 40-308 for this years season and I took a look at the load data I got. I was able to push a 300 grain bullet over 2000FPS! Don't exactly know how fast just yet but I'm sure it is no more then 2200FPS at best, well my family has been hunting NE Oregon mule deer for years using the trusty old M94 Sweed 6.5x55. I have taken a few myself with it. You know it doesn't push a 140 grain bullet more then 2500FPS. Hummm????? 300 grains at 2200FPS or 140 grains at 2500 fps?????? Yeah I know the .264 bullet has better SD and BC but when most shots are under 100 yrds? Well now........ the 40-308 looks pretty good.

Hopfully I'll get some time to go out and practice with her a bit and keep you all posted.

Good shooting and Swage On!

BT

[MIBULLETS]

Go for it BT! That cartrige should be an excellent short to medium range deer/elk thumper.

[lukewmtdew]

May I'm just used to pistols but why is the crimp grove seem so low on the bullet?

[BT Sniper]

My thinking was to lock the core in place without bonding it. Check out the pics.







And it actually isn't seated very deep either

[lukewmtdew]

Those are sweet

What tool do you use to get the cross section?

The dies I have setup for 40 would work for that correct? I would just need a bigger core and it looks like you have a round nose what else needs to be changed on the dies I have?

I spose setting up a 243 wouldn't be too bad for that caliber how much would a gunsmith charge to put on a different barrel you spose?

[BT Sniper]

Lets see.....

1. I used the mill to cross section. Before that it was a hand held grinder with the bullet ina vise and a lot of sand paper.

2. I used CH dies and a round nose punch, not perfect but good. I really think a simple flat point would work well too in the 40-308. I used a 158 grain .358 core and got a 225 grain bullet.

3. The 243 is simply the 308 necked down and the 40-308 is the 308win necked up, all the same case just different caliber.

I don't know about GS fees but I do know owning a Savage rifle is fun, you can swap the barrels yourself, if your smart enough to swage bullets you can swap a savage barrel. A good custom barrel could be as simple as $250 it is the chambering that is the trick. There are not any 40-308 chamber reamers out there...... yet

I think it is a heck of a cartridge with a lot of potential. The bullets are certainly easy to make as we all know

BT

[lukewmtdew]

So I'm correct in assuming its just a barrel switch? Like going from 10mm to 9x 25 dillon or 40 to 357 with just a barrel change in a semi auto pistol but in a bolt action rifle? Can you switch your savage back and forth? Which savage? My buddy just bought an axis seems like not too bad a rifle for 300 scoped I think there's a model with the accu trigger for aroun 400 scoped?

[BT Sniper]

Yes with the savage it is just a matter of switching the barrel as long as you have the same bolt face for the caliber you are shooting. The bolt face swaps easily too. You still have to set the proper head space for the cartridge and have a decent barrel wrench and/or a action wrench. A few additional tools to add to anyones shooting colletion but it adds a bit more satisfaction and pride when you put the barrel on yourself and then it shoots well too.

Go with any of the savages with a barrel nut on it, IMOP Skip their cheap axis or edge versions. Even a Stevens works well. The Stevens action is simply the older Savage 110 or 10 actions. Three digit identifiers like teh 110, 111, 114, 116 etc are all long actions and teh two digits are short action. Look for a short action with the 40-308 like the savage modle 10, 11, 12, 14, 16 etc. any of those would be a good donor action for teh 40-308, The stevens as well though I don't think they number the modles the same.

You could get any caliber to start with but teh .473 bolt face of teh 308 family would be the best to start with ie. the 243, 260, 6.5-285, 284win, or 308win. Get one in a callliber you will also like to shoot some day so all you have to do is swap the barrel back and forth. I got a Savage model 11 243 win for my 40-308 and a stevens 300wm long action for the 400 BTS MAG.

It's all a lot of fun. A few more dollors but it's a hobby, there are worse things we could spend or money on.

BT

[sly mantis]

Wow this is very cool. How long before you think you'd have a the reamer to be able to cut these barrels? And do you have any accuracy results, id like to see how these can do out a bit farther (farthest range around here is 300 meters)

Found these 40cal barrel blanks for $33, wonder how much it would cost to have it machined and threaded for a savage action.

http://www.gmriflebarrel.com/barrelb...l-blank-1-x-20

Also what's the cost of one of the one step 40cal swage dies?

[rockrat]

BT, don't forget you can also get barrels for a Remington action, setup to use a Savage type nut. They call it a Rem-age setup.

Jut put a 24" varmint weight, 300 Blackout barrel (Mcgowen) on a Rem 700 action and set headspace. Took me all of about 10 minutes at the most. Only drawback, is that you have to open up the stock a bit, for the Rem-age nut.

[b52fizzle]

Wow this is very cool. How long before you think you'd have a the reamer to be able to cut these barrels? And do you have any accuracy results, id like to see how these can do out a bit farther (farthest range around here is 300 meters)

Found these 40cal barrel blanks for $33, wonder how much it would cost to have it machined and threaded for a savage action.

http://www.gmriflebarrel.com/barrelb...l-blank-1-x-20

Also what's the cost of one of the one step 40cal swage dies?

Been very interested also in this, think BT is working on loads it will kinda of be up to you for load development no big name mullah goin into this like the 300 AAC Blackout.

And I don't believe those barrels will.work already thought about it, only 1" od not enough for threads, believe it is for pistol cartridges and not sure if 20" will finish out long enough for a rifle.

BT has a sticky with his pricing and products.

[BT Sniper]

Went out shooting. Got some good numbers.



46 grains RL-7, LC brass, CCI large Riffle primer, my 223 grain (not pictured) ballistic tip!

2360 FPS average

4 shots went .8" @ 100yrds 5th shot took it out to 1.5"

50 yrds it is a one hole gun

160 yrds it did 2.5" for me

I ran the numbers for my bullet in the JBM balistic calculator

here is what I got.

BC .210

sighted in at 100 yrds

2784 ft/lbs of energy at muzzel
2404 ft/lbs at 50yrds .3" high
2066 ft/lbs at 100 yrds 0"
1767 ft/lbs at 150 yrds 2.2" drop
1505 ft/lbs at 200 yrds 7.0" drop
1278 ft/lbs at 250 yrds 14.4" drop
1084 ft/lbs at 300 yrds 25.0" drop

Seems like this will be an good short to medium range small to medium game round. Within 200 yrds should do very well and could probably stretch to 300 at max.

Now to practice!!!!!

Pictures to share soon.

Good shooting

BT

[BT Sniper]

Found out it may actually be easier and possibly better to make the 40-308 cases from 30-06 size brass. I'll post pics later but the process is easier and requires no fire forming. Ofcourse you have to trim/cut the brass to length but that is easy! Far easier then fire forming 308 brass unless you allready have a lot of loaded 308 rounds.

I posted some pics of my latest range trip in my "new hunting bulelt thread"

Good shooting and Swage On!

BT

[Thetraveler]

that is a sweet round BT. Would be an exceptional brush bullet for bear hunting as well I think. I do love my Marlin 444 for that stuff. 30-06 does sound easier, I don't have any 30-06 around anymore are they long enough that the cut is fully below the shoulder?

[BT Sniper]

Depending on how long the GS cuts the neck in the chamber, the 30-06 cut right at the shoulder gives you a 40-308 case the same length as a necked up 308win case.

Looking threw the reloading manual trying to find a round the 40-308 most closly matches in performance, shooting a 225 grain bullet at 2360FPS, the 444 marlin is a pretty close match numbers wise. Not bad from a 308 size case I guess. Yes it would seem like a good brush gun for bear as well.

BT

[Thetraveler]

I like the Hornady 265 Gr for my 444 only 44 bullet designed for the 444 specifically and a damn good hunting bullet. some of the earlier stories from when the 444 came out is the jacket separating from the core on some of the 44 bullets due to the higher velocity of the round. Not sure if that still applies as I only shoot the 265 in mine.

Einar

[BT Sniper]

Here is the recovered bullets from this weekend's range trip. 223 grains @ 2360 FPS Recovered from wet newspaper 15-18" of penetration recovered 150 grains average weight.