Winchester has a new run of rifles out....or maybe these are special order..
Just saw a .338 super express on gunsamerica.

Nice plains game gun.......barrel band swivel, sights etc.

Just my opinion (as is everything all of us ever post) but I would never have a .338 Win with a barrel band swivel. I have one on my Mod70 .416, but I can live with it.

Barrel bands relegate the tight sling to the scrap heap, and since shooting sitting with a tight sling is one of my favorites, it spells bad news for me.

My .416 hits 6 inches low at 200 yards when I shoot with a tight sling.

quote:

Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:
Just my opinion (as is everything all of us ever post) but I would never have a .338 Win with a barrel band swivel. I have one on my Mod70 .416, but I can live with it.

Barrel bands relegate the tight sling to the scrap heap, and since shooting sitting with a tight sling is one of my favorites, it spells bad news for me.

My .416 hits 6 inches low at 200 yards when I shoot with a tight sling.

I was starting to feel lonely here, thinking I was the only one who knew how to use a sling for its true purpose.

Jack O'Connor said that a sling was worth its weight in rubies. I agree.

Okie John

Not all rifles will shoot to a different point of impact when using a sling from a bbl band. Likewise, some rifles shoot to a different point of impact when the swivel stud is on the stock. I have rifles that exhibit both characteristics. Each rifle is an individual, and must be shot from a tight sling to acertain whether or not a sling will change point of impact, regardless of the sling swivel's position on the rifle. Lee Helgeland is going to build me a custom pre-64 in 338 Win Mag, and it will have a bbl band, my personal preference in calibers 338 and above. Necessary? No, my preference. I will shoot the rifle from a tight sling before taking it afield, as anyone should who understands how to properly employ a sling.

quote:

Originally posted by okie john:
Jack O'Connor said that a sling was worth its weight in rubies. I agree.

Okie John

Jack also wrote something like "You should be able to keep your shots under 3 MOA in the field with a sling shooting sitting."

I don't think it is tough to keep them under one MOA; certainly less than 1.25 MOA.

quote:

My .416 hits 6 inches low at 200 yards when I shoot with a tight sling.

I would think that's just about right if you're shot in for 100yds. I guess I don't see the problem, unless you mean 6" lower than the rifle is sighted in for @ 200 yds.

Wow, those sure are pretty! But at $1200 I think my old ugly stainless model 70 will work just fine.

I agree with AZ and others.

I shoot with a sling quite a bit, and I would NEVER, and I mean EVER purchase or order a .338 Win. Mag. with a barrel-band front swivel. It just doesn't kick hard enough to warrant that feature. I wouldn't want a .338 with a 26" barrel, either, but at least that excess can be trimmed back to 24".

I've seen some expensive, crazy, brain-fart-inspired, custom 'art rifles' in chamberings such as .270 Win. complete with purposeless barrel-band swivels, and sometimes even quarter ribs with folding-leave open sights, etc! A rifles needs to be dressed for its proper role, not be turned into something it isn't and wasn't designed to be in the first place.

AD

No barrel band front swivel, my rifles in .338 - .375 H&H have all 21" barrels, the all shoot moa or better, the easy handling and flexibility in multiple situations with shorter barrels is in my humble opinion a must.

Roland

Apparently they come in two versions with a wooden or a synthetic stock. The synthetic stock version has the forward sling swivel in the forearm. Although since that is probably a tupperware stock you'd want to replace it.

Wood stock http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=30635963

Synthetic stock http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=30661638

I much prefer the barrel band swivel but I never need a sling for hunting and have not used one in some 30 years...Don't need it. If I have time to wrap up in a sling then I have time to find a natural rest...

I like the lower profile I get with a barrel band carry, and I know you can carry a gun barrel down, but in a long walk you tend to switch carries in the real world....

quote:

I like the lower profile I get with a barrel band carry, and I know you can carry a gun barrel down, but in a long walk you tend to switch carries in the real world....

My sentements exactly. When I carry with a sling over my shoulder, I like the least amount of barrel above my head. None is best and the only way that happens is with a barrel band.

To bad somebody hasn't work out a quick detach system that a embedded front swivel was on the forend of the stock, and it could shap on to the barrel band. This would pretty much give you the best of both worlds.