Does anyone shoot the 338 Lapua Magnum?

[DrRansom]

fencer, if you want to step it up a notch but not get ridiculous, take a look at the 6BR family, and maybe consider a wildcat built from that. You can crazy accurate rifles out to crazy distances, but still get great reloadability, barrel life, value, etc. If you want to spend a few bucks, get a custom action and cut-rifled barrel, and put some nice glass on it.

That's my next step, anyway. I've had my 5R for quite a while, and the 6mmDasher is my next rifle. Remmy's are ok, good starter rifles, but despite what everyone says, you can and will hit the limitations of the rifle quite quickly. Especially for reloaders.

I've got about $1600 in the barreled action so far, and have high expectations. These are the rifles that the 1000yd BR competitors are using (and winning with) right now.

Lapua brass are about $80/100, but with annealing they'll last quite a few firings. Bullets, for Bergers (top shelf), are looking about ~.40 each.

 

[GunGrey]

No but i wish i did

 

[DrRansom]

Also, for what it's worth, my father-in-law can't hear out of one side of his head because he hunted with a .338WM with a brake on it.

 

[Beecher Tool]

I am thinking of picking up another bolt rifle and the 338 Lapua has got me thinking.

Does anyone have one that can offer an opinion? What rifle do you have it chambered in?

My scoped rifle now is a Rem 700 SPS in 308 and I love it but would like to pass it down to my son soon and pick up a new rifle for myself.

I've shot .270, 308 and 30-06 but never anything with more umph.

Thanks

I shoot .338LM very regularly...with an interesting platform. I own a Savage Model 111 Long Range Hunter in .338 LM...its a $1200 rifle not a Barret MRAD....the glass on top of it is a Schmidt Bender PMII - 5-25x56 with an H2CMR reticle which is a piece of glass that costs roughly 3.5x what the rifle did. I load my own ammo using Laupa brass, Sierra Match King BTHP 300 grain projectiles, and 90 grains of Vihtavuori N-170 powder....my all in cost is roughly $3 for brass, 89 cents for projectiles,and roughly 70 cents for powder and primers. I am using a Redding Ultramag Press and the Redding Titanium Carbide Competition dies [the dies were roughly $310 for the set]. Where I located its a half hour to a 300 yd range and two hours to get to 600 yards....but it is certainly worth it.......the .338LM bolt gun is a vastly different experience from my primary rifles which are an FN SCAR 16 [5.56x34] and SCAR 17 [7.62x51].

My view is that the .338LM rounds out a core collection which IMO ought be a .22 rifle, an AR, a 7.62x51, a home defense shotgun..in my case a Benelli M3, and a bolt gun. Given that my SCAR 17 with an Elcan Specter DR2 1.5-6X if easily good at 300 yards....the .338LM was a logical step up for a bolt rifle. I also have a hunting rifle...which is a Browning A-Bolt in 7MM Remington Mag...but, it doesn't hold a candle to the .338LM......I am very impressed with the Savage as a "poor man's .338".

 

[K7500]

I have a savage 10ba 308. It's sweet. Just didn't want to pay for 338 ammo. So bought the poor mans real 338

 

[American 1]

My father used 338 noslers in Alaska on Brown Bear hunts...with much success. 750 yd kills...if you are interested ...I can get you more info




QUOTE=fencer;1760732]Yeah, I should have mentioned the purpose for the rifle. I have a buddy that has been ihe lumber business for years and takes three or four hunting trips a year in Canada. Black Bear in New Brunswick, Caribou in Quebec, Elk in Northwest Canada, and I have been invited to go. I figure 308 is fine for Black Bear but he was saying that the Caribou hunts take place north of where the paved roads end. They fly to the hunting camp in a small bush plane that seats five plus the pilot.

The Caribou hunts are literally on the tundra. He took his last Caribou at about 600 yards with a 30-06. I am not sure that I would be comfortable taking a shot like that with my 308 and for sure nothing further.

With Elk they shots are usually not as far, but it is a big ole critter and there are lots of bears out there. I am figuring that 308 is not the right rifle for that hunt.

My buddy is 62 and these trips could be the chance of a lifetime.[/QUOTE]

 

[jarhead66]

I am thinking of picking up another bolt rifle and the 338 Lapua has got me thinking.

Does anyone have one that can offer an opinion? What rifle do you have it chambered in?

My scoped rifle now is a Rem 700 SPS in 308 and I love it but would like to pass it down to my son soon and pick up a new rifle for myself.

I've shot .270, 308 and 30-06 but never anything with more umph.

Thanks

Are you going to the next Holbrook shoot? I will have a .338 Win Mag there if you want to try it. This will do everything you ask for elk, deer or bear. I have used it in Africa and have had no problems. I will also have a .375 H&H there if you want to try it.

 

[PatMcD]

Are you going to the next Holbrook shoot? I will have a .338 Win Mag there if you want to try it. This will do everything you ask for elk, deer or bear. I have used it in Africa and have had no problems. I will also have a .375 H&H there if you want to try it.

How is the felt recoil difference between the .338 and the .375? I know the .375 has more, but always felt it was soft/heavy. I always hated shooting a .300 because it was a hard feeling recoil. Never fired a .338.

 

[Baystatesuks]

I can't justify the cost of a higher end 338 LM when for a bit more I can go up to .50 BMG. I'm not gonna use the 338 LM for hunting (seems like 375 H&H, 416 Rigby or other traditional calibers would work better for hunting large game). So, might as well step up to the .50 BMG. I understand that at extreme distances the 338 LM may have better ballistics, but c'mon, it's a .50 BMG.

 

[jarhead66]

How is the felt recoil difference between the .338 and the .375? I know the .375 has more, but always felt it was soft/heavy. I always hated shooting a .300 because it was a hard feeling recoil. Never fired a .338.

The .338 Win Mag is a sharp jolt with more than a little muzzle jump. The .375 H&H is more like the whole gun rocks you back with a push that twists your shoulder a little. My .338 does have a muzzle break and the .375 doesn't. Both are belted magnums, but, I'm not sure the belt on the .338 does much as it is still chambered on the pronounced shoulder at the bottle neck and the .375 is more of a slight taper. The .375 H&H chambers on the belt. This might have something to do with the felt recoil.

 

[DrRansom]

Are you going to the next Holbrook shoot? I will have a .338 Win Mag there if you want to try it. This will do everything you ask for elk, deer or bear. I have used it in Africa and have had no problems. I will also have a .375 H&H there if you want to try it.

Have you used the .338 on local whitetail? Does it shock the meat? Seems like too much power for a little deer like that, but I haven't tried it myself.

 

[jarhead66]

Have you used the .338 on local whitetail? Does it shock the meat? Seems like too much power for a little deer like that, but I haven't tried it myself.

No I haven't used it on whitetail. A shot through the lungs would probably be O.K., but, if you hit one broadside in the front shoulder I would fear you would lose both front shoulders. The NRA once rated the .257 Weatherby as the best thin skinned American game gun. I bought one. I shot a whitetail in the neck at about 180 yards. I did this to save some meat. The little high velocity round hit the neck bone took a 90 degree turn, blew out both back straps and one hind quarter were ruined. Granted it was a smaller doe, maybe 120 pounds or so, but I was shooting for the meat and got basically crap. I sold that gun shortly thereafter.

My whitetail gun is an old Marlin 336 in 35 Remington. I call it my meat gun. I have a savage 99 in .308 too, but, there is just something about the Marlin that just works for me.

Over on the hunting forum there are some pics of a Wildebeest and some Warthogs that I shot with the .338. If you look close you can see the through and through on the Warthogs. The amount of blood shown in the Wildebeest will give you an idea of damage. There was a ring of probably 10 yards all around it that was sprayed pretty heavy.