I've got a chance to get a SS/plastic stock mdl 700 NIB for $500 flat. I do not need it. I elk hunt with a ss/syn 300 win. I'd don't see myself heading out after Kodiak bears. The price is about $100 less than I would expect to pay. Is it a good enough deal to buy and leave in the box in the safe. If I was crazy enough to punish myself with it, how much worse is it than 180 grain bullet full house 300 Win loads.

I had one. I hated the plastic stock. Also after recrowning, lapping the lugs, bedding it to the crappy stock and doing a trigger job, the absolut best groups it would shoot was 1.5" at 100yards. Factory or handloads.

I traded it out.

The LSS with the laminated stock shoots better. I know 3 others with the LSS that are having much better luck.

You will want a muzzle brake on it. I like shooting my .416 Rigby more than that .338RUM. With the brake, not to bad.

I spent more than I should have trying to accomplish getting a 338 Ultra mag, using a 300 Ultra mag in a model 70. Well, with 250 Barnes bullets and loaded to Max at 3010fps, it kicked like 2 mules. I went back to my 338 mag shooting 225 Barnes XLC's at 2850fps, this is stout by not bone crushing. I still have a 300 Ultra that is a great caliber in my book. I don't flinch after 10 rounds either. That 338 Ultra was worse on me than my .375 Weatherby. I think the gun was to light 8 pounds and fast on the recoil.

[ 12-22-2002, 10:10: Message edited by: Chigger ]

Rogue 6

One of two things, you will love it or despise it.
My 338 rum is the best shooting rife i own, have 10 rifles ranging from 223 to 338. The first time i shot my rum i was in pain, yes this rifle does demand respect. Had a Gentry fix and now am able to shoot very comfortably, yes you better use the hearing protection. Used it out west this fall third hunt Colorado, 250gr Horn, 87.5gr 3100= one very dead in it's track cow elk. At the range i have no prob. shooting half in group's.

Rogue if you can snatch it up for 5 that would be a steal, that's how much i paid for mine. Believe me you will not be pissing in the wind.

Hi Gentlemen,
When your building or buying these lighter weight heavy kicking rifles why not put on a good recoil pad like the triple magnum from Pachmayer and take the sting out of them. My buddy put his 338 Ultra Mag into an HS Precision stock with a triple magnum pad and it shoots like a 300 Win Mag. The pad is vented and is 1.5 inches thick so if your length of pull needs to be increased it will help also. Just a suggestion.
Take care,
470 Mbogo

My buddy is making one for both himself and for me. I don't know about his, but I'd already decided on the Triple Magnum for my .338 RUM.

Good advice, thanks.

Russ

You stipulate that you don't really need the caliber (and have some reservations about it), but wonder if you should buy the gun just for its speculative appreciation.

My advice would be that it may not be a particularly good investment. Guns in general have appreciated a bit slower than the rate of inflation. Guns from high-volume manufacturers such as Remington tend to appreciate even more slowly. There's nothing particular to this rifle which won't be available in the future (the tendancy is away from wood toward synthetic stocks, and stainless is increasingly common). Keep your money in your pocket until something that really lights your fire comes along.

Thanks All.
I think I'll take stonecreek's advise and pass. Everyone has been a big help.

Mine is a Syndero, in fact the only one I have ever seen. It will shoot Nosler Ball. Tips @3250 into l 1/2" at 200 yards. I disagree that the recoil is as bad as stated in the earlier post. But everyone is different. True it does have recoil but it is not intended to be a prarie dog or bench rest gun either. I would guess a 180 Nosler at about 3500 would treat a coyote like a prarie dog, however. My suggestion is, since you bought it right, take the stock off and throw it as far as you can, pick it up and throw it again. Then get a good one i.e. H.S. Precision with bedding block and you are good to go. Good Hunting and Merry Christmas. "Z"

Zedman:

What's your load for that rifle?

Russ

Essentially it is the Nosler book load for R-22 93.0 with a Fed Mag primer topped with a Nosler 200 gr. Ballistic Tip. We have shot that load in two 338 RUM's SS Composite and my Syndero and it shoots EXTREMELY well in both. When it warns up this weedend I want to try some 225's with R-25 and Retumbo and see what they will do. I think the earliest 338 RUM barrels must have been babied by Remington as mine is perfectly smooth and so is my friends, both are very close to Douglas and Hart barrels I have on other guns. Good Hunting and Merry Christmas. "Z"

Rouge 6 that 300 win mag will do anything that a 338 Ultra will do up to 450 yards. I carried and shot a heavy Belgium made Browning for 30 years and it served me well, wish I had never traded it off some years ago. Your 300 mag will be a better bet, simply because you are not going to get hit with some 47 pounds of recoil verses (which just might cause you to flinching) 34 pounds in the 300 Whinny. The extra recoil in poundage is a lot in case you haven't experienced it from the bench or prone position yet. Now up close yardage accuracy wouldn't be much of a problem perhaps, but when shooting 300 to 450 yards, it will make all the difference in the world. At 450 yards you may not even hit close to the target once the flinching from pain puts a mental block in your mind.

[ 12-24-2002, 22:36: Message edited by: Chigger ]

338 Ultra... painfull? Mental block?