I've started a few topics on this and got some good answers. I'm looking how they compare with maximum loads from those who own the giant .338's I'm really interested in the tactical rifle side of things but any input is useful. Reloading manuals have the cannons loaded mildly, I've seen the .338-.378 Weatherby struggle to beat the .338 Lapua and even fail to do 3000fps with a 250 grain. But the I've read some (exaggerated) sources say it can do 3500 with that bullet. A-SQUARE champion both of theirs and so does Lazzeroni what do people who own .338 cannons think of them?

Also here's a great article on it:
http://www.gunsandammomag.com/gun_columns/33_0624/

Several years ago, before I retired, the U.S. military experimented with the .416 Rigby case necked down to .338. Intent was to develop an antipersonnel rifle that exceeded the range limits of the .308 Win. The only detail I recall was that when the weapon was made heavy enough for recoil to be acceptable, it was far too heavy to be suitable for intended use. All this led to the adoption of .300WinMag and the development of the A191 cartridge.

Yeah the .338 Lapua project was supposed to have started like that, but in the end it was based on a new case. They reckon it can be used for sniping at 1500 metres, but at 1200 it becomes subsonic. I know I posted it twice sorry about that.

I don't have any of them, but a simple rule is that more powder equals faster bullet, assumng you have enough barrel to burn it.
So if you put a 40" bbl on a 338 Lap Imp, you'll get higher speeds than same length barrel RUM.
I've seen lots of reload data for the two in 26" bbl, and they're about the same. Right alongside (incidentally) the 330 Dakota, with much less powder room than either of the other two.
No secrets, just light the fire and give it a place to burn.

It sounds like your question is, "how fast will it REALLY (safely) go?"

Pressure tested data from an independent source can be had from Guns and Ammo, the December 1999 issue. With a 26" barrel, maximum velocities with a 250 gr. bullet (Sierra, Hornady, Nosler), and three different powders ran between 3059 and 3143 fps. Last time I checked, factory ballistics were a 250 gr bullet at 3050 fps. I refuse to exceed 3050 fps, and it does it just fine, over and over again.

I shoot two .340's and a .338 Lapua. I strive for the most accurate load possible, regardless of speed. My accuracy .340 loads are 240 grain and 250 grain bullets at 2950 fps. My accuracy loads for the .338 Lapua are 240 to 250 grain bullets at 3050 fps. I can get more speed from each, but not with the pin point accuracy I require for hunting loads. By far my most accurate bullet for both is the 240 grain North Fork, ironicaly with the .338 Lapua the Barnes X and Swift A-Frame are nearly as good. Good shooting.

Check out www.longrangehunting.com

tons of great information there on the big 30's and 338's.

cheers

I think the 338/378 loaded properly would outclass the Lapua by a fair margin. I bought a 30/378 Mark V the first year they came out, and then had it rebarreled in 338/378 by Shilen 3 years later and it's a shooter. I think the factory rifles will push the 250's over 3200 fps. Anyone that says 3500 fps. is either lying or they're talking about a really long barrel. I've got a 29" barrel on mine with no muzzle brake, and it'll push the 250 gr. MatchKings to 3200 no problem, but yes, this is with 3" more barrel, however you can feed more powder to factory rifles with the Weatherby freebore, and that my help them catch up with me. My rifle will push anything in the 200-210 gr. range to 3500 fps. with a fair amount of ease. It's definitely a heavy rifle, at around 12.5 lbs. or so, but it's still definitely man portable and I lug it all over the place on hunting trips and it doesn't bother me, plus the weight helps keep the recoil down... not much though. With a Harris bipod and 6x-24x Burris scope with target knobs my gun has a fairly tactical look to it, and could certainly be employed as such.

I hope I addressed the question/matter at hand, maybe I missed it completely. Who knows.

Check out the Weatherby TRR Magnum rifles in 338-378 for that tactical thing, also the Sako TRG 42 or the AI versions in 338 Lapua. Basically all these arguments can be boiled down to case capacity plus barrel length equals the fastest 338 around. I don't know of anyone chambering a tactical rifle in 338 Excaliber (the A-square hotrod, basically a 338-416 Rigby improved, I believe) but for enough money I'm sure you could get anything built. Anyway, in order of case capacity, from smallest to largest; 338-08, 338 X 57, 338-06, 338 X 62, 338 Win Mag, 338 X 64, 340 Weatherby, 330 Dakota, 338 RUM, 338 Lapua, 338-378, 338 Excaliber, 338-50 BMG. FWIW - Dan

I forgot about the TRR. The bad thing about the Wby's, speaking from experience here, is that the price on those babies is outrageous! It's nuts how much they want for those things these days. I bought my Accumark in 30/378 when they were brand new and were trickling out of the factory only a few at a time, and I think I gave $1100 for it then. I thought that was fair at the time. Compared to the "suggested retail" of $1700 for the regular Accumark now, I definitely say that's fair. The TRR is a whole different animal all together. All it is, is an Accumark with a different stock, and ugh, $2500 or whatever they're asking for that thing now. Good grief. They had the TRR in 30/378 on the cover of G&A a few months ago, with the Desert camo stock and I really wanted to get one so I called Weatherby and they want $1000 just for the stock! Bell and Carlson makes the stock so I talked to them and they said that's the only stock they make for Wby that they're not allowed to sell to the public. No big mystery there. It's because the custom shop wants to make $800 profit on every stock. Weatherby needs their head checked.

Yeah decent rifles go for too much. The higher you put the price tags the better it looks and the retailers won't complain. One strange thing, the TRR is going for $2215 here in AUS (GUNS& GAME Oct-Dec pg 67) and as you may know the Aussie dollar is worth as much as a beta VCR. For example the Remington 700 VS goes for about $1700 here. Any ways thanks Kingfisher and Dan Belisle, that was pretty much what I was after. .338-50BMG?. The problem is that i havent seen them loaded to compete with each other in any loads that really show their performance. People may remember my ideal .338 I mentioned a few weeks ago, Remington 700 Sendero in .338 Ultra rechambered to the Lapua case I 've guessed that it will need to a barrel change, suggestions, anyone?

It wouldn't need a barrel change, all they'd have to do is ream the chamber for the new case since the 338 Lapua is bigger all the way around, where you'd need work is in the bolt face and you're probably going to have to remove too much to get the Lapua case to fit... and for what? The Lapua is only marginally better than the RUM if at all. If you buy a 300 RUM then leave it the way it is and get it accurized, i.e. get it bedded, swap the trigger out for a Shilen, get everything lapped and trued up, etc. That's the way I'd go about it anyway.

Yeah what I meant was the 26 inch barrel won't give good enough velocities to justify the money. The .338 Lapua project is years down the track. At the moment I'm going for a first rifle (.223) I'll go for a heavy varminter. The .338 Lapua is like an ideal rifle. It would be such a dream to have a .50 BMG. That is still years away if ever. In the meantime I'm going for a rifle that has one purpose, shooting, no custom gunsmithing, an out of the box type just plinking, crow shooting, rabbiting, fox whistling, maybe taking a pig. etc. Once I hit 18 I'm going for a .308 for deer and pig shooting. and then I'd look at rifles as projects. The .338 is such a project, and like I said a .50'd be great but by that time total gun control could be a possibility in Australia, about 10 years down the track.

I use "a lot" of H50BMG with 300-grain Match Kings to get 3014 FPS out of my custom-built .338/378 Weatherby Magnum with a 30-inch barrel. I'm sure you could push 250-grainers at a pretty good clip.

I sure wish I had that particular rifle of mine with me in my current situation. Haji wouldn't be getting away with quite as much as he does now.

When I get home, I'll be working up loads with Retumbo. I expect to get a hair more velocity without as much pressure.

Russ

I picked up a used 338 Asquare w/dies on the cheap about 4 years ago. The working loads I use are composed of H1000 and either 225 Barnes X or 250 Partition Golds, and I can load them to 3.7" OAL.

I get 3120 on the x bullets and just over 3000 on the partitions, from a 25" barrel. This rifle has a long throat, but still shoots very accurately.

I have not tried to max this thing out. Quickload indicates that my loads are safe, and they are plenty enough for me.

The ASQ factory loads for the 200 gr. Nosler Ballistic tip chrono'ed about 300 fps slower than advertised. I loaded some of my own using their data, but still didn't get close to their published velocities with that bullet. They must have had a really fast lot of H4831, or mine is way slow.

The rifle gets pretty damn hot after three rounds, so one should be careful not to burn out the throat during extended shooting sessions.

I am not a tactical shooting kind of guy, but I don't think the 338 is where I would go if I was so inclined. My inclination is to either move down in caliber (300 wthby or wm) for long range shooting, and save the larger bores for large or dangerous game that doesn't have thumbs.

Steve

Ok these are good figures now I'm taking a better look at the .338-378 in the Weatherby TRR. Price doesn't worry me too much after all the TRR costs the same as a 700 Sendero and that's without gunsmithing. OK what would the barrel life be like if you keep groups short.