What would be the best .338 cartridge to get if you wanted the most power and velocity you could get from a .338 without being to bad on the barrel? Something to use as a long range target rifle that you could shoot often without burning out the barrel too quickly.

I'd say .338 Lapua.

I like the 338-378Wby.

The longest kill on record is alleged to be in the vicinity of 2651 meters with the .338 Lapua. I know that Barrett's 98B is a 1/2 minute gun out of the box with good ammunition. For my money, it would be the .338 Lapua.

It's a trade off, the hotter the round the shorter barrel life your going to have and the hot 338 can go thru barrels pretty fast...

I like the 338 Win myself, but I like to do my hunting before I shoot. If an animal is 600 yards away then I can cut that range to 300 pretty easy..

338 RUM comes in right at 100 fps slower than the Lapua for about 1/5 of the price.

The 338 RUM will very simply shoot a 250 grain bullet at 3000+ f.p.s. and it literally crushes elk even at 1/4 mile and kills quickly beyond--if your qualified to shoot at that distance. If you are, there is no worry about this cartridge and I've used it that way and KNOW THIS FOR A FACT!

I've been a long time fan and owner of the .338 Win. but my wife got me a .340 Wby two Christmas's ago (I've always wanted a Weatherby), and while I haven't had the chance to use it in the field yet, it gives me the grins when i touch it off at the range.

quote:

Originally posted by lee440:
338 RUM comes at right at 100 fps slower than the Lapua for about 1/5 of the price.

That's why i went RUM. Accurate as hell as well!!

I was in my favorite gunshop today and looked at a Savage in 338 Lapua and it was a very nice rifle then I looked at a box of 338 Lapua for $90+ for 20 and quickly decided I had absolutely no use for one. The Savage had a LOOOONG barrel with muzzle brake and single stack clip. Accu trigger and fiberglass stock. Should make for a practical long distance shooter.

.340 Weatherby Magnum

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I like the 338 Win myself, but I like to do my hunting before I shoot. If an animal is 600 yards away then I can cut that range to 300 pretty easy..

I'm with Ray, if you can stalk in to 300 or closer the 338 Win Mag is all you need, and you should get over 3000 rounds before the barrel is done.

416 Rigby's can be converted to 338 Lapua pretty cheap.

Any of the "hot rod" 338s can certainly take their toll on barrel life when shooting longer strings. Heat the barrel up hot enough, long enough and it will go away on you.

All that said, the 338 Lapua was designed for long range so it has that going for it. The 338-378 Wby is faster yet. Both will cost you in brass pricing.

Take your choice but if a lot of rounds are being shot regularly make sure the barrel you put on it is up to the challenge. I've only known one person that shot out a barrel on a 338-378 and it went away after some 1500 - 1700 rounds. He admits shooting pretty hot loads in longer strings.

If you are looking at long range targets beyond 1000 yds/meters one of the bigger cartridges is probably for you. If it's out to 1000 yds/meters a RUM or 340 Wby might be the ticket. Never sell the 338 WM short either.

Just my 2 cents.

Ken....

quote:

Originally posted by BISCUT:

quote:

Originally posted by lee440:
338 RUM comes at right at 100 fps slower than the Lapua for about 1/5 of the price.

That's why i went RUM. Accurate as hell as well!!

+ 1

I just do not see the "mystique" on the Lapua other than it is military issue. The RUM has identical case capacity and most load manuals shows the RUM beats the Lapua in many instance.

I would ammend by saying "nearly identical velocities and 1/5 the price." -- not only for the rifle but also for the brass. My 338 RUM is a tack driver out of the box even with factory loads, let alone good reloads.

Barstooler

If you're interested in ballistics and energy retained at range, you should check out the .338 Norma Magnum. Delivers more energy with a better trajectory than the .338 Lapua and has less recoil.

Was designed for very long range work against the most dangerous of opponents.

Ive had all of the ones mentioned here except the 338 Norma(Soon to be added)and a cpl others. Ive heard and read great things of the 338 Norma seems to be extremely accurate as well.

To me it all depends on your personal preference and cost to run.

I'll add the 338 edge since it hasnt been mentioned

Aloha,

Dom

My pick would be the 338 Norma Magnum too.

Is 338 Norma Mag a new caliber, I had not heard of it before.

For those of you with the 338 RUMs, what do y'all like to shoot out of them?

i have one on order, it will ship friday. i dont really have any use for it, but i got a great deal on it and i wanted a rifle in 338. i took advantage of nosler's trophy grade ammo deal right now and ordered 2 boxes of ammo and got a box free. that really helped on the per box cost, as the ammo is kind of expensive.

the only offering they had in it was the 225gr accubonds. anyone have experience with these bullets in the RUM?

until i get into reloading, i'm stuck using factory ammo.

also, any recommendations on base/ring combos? i have a minox za5 3-15x42mm scope for it. i'm assuming it will have a "tiny" bit of recoil, i want to make sure i have rock solid stuff.
thank you

quote:

What would be the best .338 cartridge to get if you wanted the most power and velocity you could get from a .338 without being to bad on the barrel? Something to use as a long range target rifle that you could shoot often without burning out the barrel too quickly.

Let's not jack the OP's thread fellas.
The answer to his question is simple: the .338 Win Mag. It has ample velocity for "long range" target shooting (out past 1000 yards anyway, the 300 HPMK is still well above sub-sonic there), fits the "short/fat" cartridge design philosophy better than the others, has manageable recoil (a factor that armchair "long range shooters" usually ignore) and much longer barrel life than the big case .338s.

Differences between the many .338s would be difficult for the average shooter to assess. Yes I know about 'wind drift', but the added recoil at these levels increases gun handling issues for the average shooter - increasing overall dispersion. IMO and IME most shooters will have better luck with long range target shooting (where range estimation is non-existent) with a milder cartridge. Power? Energy at 1000 yards with the 300 HPMK from the .338 WinMag is 2050 fpe.

Accuracy has a lot more to do with barrel quality than cartridge shape/size, but a .338 WSM would have a higher accuracy potential than the big cases - the operative word being "potential".


.

quote:

Originally posted by TX Nimrod:
It has ample velocity for "long range" target shooting (out past 1000 yards anyway, the 300 HPMK is still well above sub-sonic there), fits the "short/fat" cartridge design philosophy better than the others, has manageable recoil (a factor that armchair "long range shooters" usually ignore) and much longer barrel life than the big case .338s.

Differences between the many .338s would be difficult for the average shooter to assess. Yes I know about 'wind drift', but the added recoil at these levels increases gun handling issues for the average shooter - increasing overall dispersion. IMO and IME most shooters will have better luck with long range target shooting (where range estimation is non-existent) with a milder cartridge. Power? Energy at 1000 yards with the 300 HPMK from the .338 WinMag is 2050 fpe.

Accuracy has a lot more to do with barrel quality than cartridge shape/size, but a .338 WSM would have a higher accuracy potential than the big cases - the operative word being "potential".


.

You just perfectly described the .330 Dakota only it does all that and beats the .338 WM in velocity and performs well out of a 24" barrel.

2.5" length with 15 grs more powder capacity that the .338 WM and no pesky belt to deal with. It sits just under a .340 Wthby performance wise on a standard length action and a 24" barrel.

I shoot a M700 LSS 338 RUM.

The same load with the 250 gr PT runs 3024 fps and .6".

JD338

Do you plan on reloading?

If so, 338 Edge or Lapua.

If not, 338 RUM.

"Costs of ammunition" only really occur to factory ammo. Lapua brass is so good, I'm still on my first 100 and it show absolutely no sign of weakening.

quote:

Something to use as a long range target rifle that you could shoot often without burning out the barrel too quickly.

How many pounds is this rife going to weigh? There are a lot of big ideas here but pulling the trigger on those ideas can be very painful.

quote:

Originally posted by 338User:
Is 338 Norma Mag a new caliber, I had not heard of it before.

Relatively, it was introduced in 2008.

I love my 340 Wby. With the accubrake on it is downright pleasant to shoot.

That said an accumark in 338-378 would be loads of fun.

A friend had a 338 that was based on the 378 case shortened a bit in a Mark V action. For the life of me I can't remember what it was called....it was from the 70's or so.

Cooperjd you are going about this backwards. If you are wanting a fast 338 then you need to start reloading first. The difference in cost can be $1 a shot for reloads to over $5 a shot for factory stuff. You will get decent groups with factory ammo but the reloader next to you is going to get itty bitty groups because he tailors his load to that specific rifle. You will have a new found love for firearms when you roll your own and your pride will increase exponentially in your sport. The money you will save will recoup your initial investment in no time and after that new calibers are just a set of dies away. Do yourself a favor and become a reloader......it is a great hobby and you will truly enjoy the flexibility and variety of loads available to you.

As for cartridges I would advise trying a friend's gun first and seeing how you like it before dropping a lot of cash. In my case shooting a new caliber usually just fuels the fire and a new rifle finds its way home. I have looked into the 338's and my preferred cartridge would be the 338 RUM based on cost of cases and the many wildcats based off it. A 200 fps faster or slower bullet really won't make a huge difference at long range because you will be adjusting your scope to your rifle's ballistics. I know deciding on a new caliber and gun can be daunting but in the end you only have to make yourself happy and not someone giving advice or pushing their favorite cartridge. All the one's listed above are fantastic rounds and you will not be disappointed in any of them so you really cannot make a wrong choice.

I would just advise anyone who doesn't reload to get into it. The benefits outweigh any initial investment cost. The people you will meet through reloading are some of the best around. You will find yourself among likeminded folks who are helpful and a sheer pleasure to shoot with at the range or out hunting. They will also be more safety oriented and polite than a lot of the bozos who show up a few times a year just to hear their gun go off. It will pay for itself a hundred times over in a lifetime. It's like I told my wife "I don't go to bars and strip clubs because it takes away time from the reloading bench" I don't know if she buys that line but it sounds good.

Best of luck with your final decision Pez. Whatever you decide on it should be fun.

Apparently y'all haven't been paying attention!

I recently was enlightened that the standard .338-06 far outperforms most other rifles, so I'd have to say you really should study some more data on the internet, and start checking into a new rifle! Nate

338 RUM

338 RUM

quote:

Originally posted by keithv35:
I love my 340 Wby. With the accubrake on it is downright pleasant to shoot.

That said an accumark in 338-378 would be loads of fun.

A friend had a 338 that was based on the 378 case shortened a bit in a Mark V action. For the life of me I can't remember what it was called....it was from the 70's or so.

338-378 KT if I recall.

338 RUM. Accuracy and expense.

The 338 Edge or diablo, both simply necked up 300 RUM cartridges to 338 Caliber. Performance on par or slightly superior to the 338 Lapua and much cheaper to shoot. We just punched a buddies 338 RUM out to the edge because we were having such a hard time coming up with 338 RUM brass. 300 RUM brass is much more readily available and the the slight increase in case capacity is always welcome.

If your shooting factory ammo you can almost shoot 50 big for the cost of lapua ammo. That said there are some very accurate factory loading out there for the 338 lapua.

The 338 RUM/EDGE also fit much better in a reming 700 action and would keep costs down on making a custom rifle in that cartridge.

The 50 cal. BMG case necked to .338 would be the hottest thing around for the long range boys. I have never seen one but for awhile the local Idaho shoot'em from the road at 2500 yards were doing some experimenting with different calibers on that case, then Idaho fish and game passed a law forbidding the 50 caliber BMG in any form...A good law IMO. They walk among us you know...

quote:

Originally posted by akalinin:

quote:

Originally posted by keithv35:
I love my 340 Wby. With the accubrake on it is downright pleasant to shoot.

That said an accumark in 338-378 would be loads of fun.

A friend had a 338 that was based on the 378 case shortened a bit in a Mark V action. For the life of me I can't remember what it was called....it was from the 70's or so.

338-378 KT if I recall.

Yes, it was the 338-378 KT I have 2 of them. It was great even now it has accounted for some amazing things. But the trouble of making cases for it just isn't worth the trouble. Especially with all the 338's available today including the full length version JMHO.

I use a 338 Win Mag but my buddy uses a 338 RUM. It sure shoots and it sure brings a wallop on both ends. I will say his rifle is more accurate than mine at a longer distance with its current barrel, but that is just 2 rifles and loads. He goes through barrels quick though. At least one did not shoot worth anything so it was back to the gunsmith for another barrel.

On a separate note, the hardest kicking rifle I have ever experienced was a Weatherby 378. It is a true big league recoiler from the bench. If I ever go up to that level again I will get a muzzle brake and it will be on for bench shooting. I can shoot my 416 Rem from the bench for a while and it has no brake. But these are in another league when they are loaded fukll house.

I like the .338 Norma mag and I would love to own one in a lighter style rifle. This is a very accurate cartridge.

I shoot a .338 Edge, but in spite of getting great luck with a couple of them am not convinced that it is the way to go.

First off, I question if the saveings of the "Poorman's Lapua" are really there. Any brass that I necked up to .338 had horrendous run-out until fired once. The costs of fire-forming negate the higher cost of Lapua brass.

The number of tweaks necessary to make a 700 into a happy Edge could put you into a custom action at the same cost. Once the custom action door is opened, a Lapua can saunter through with ease.

If I were starting with a clean sheet of paper, I'd go with the .338 Ultra or skip right to .338 Lapua.

quote:

I'd go with the .338 Ultra or skip right to .338 Lapua.

For simplicity and cost the .338 RUM is the sensible choice.