338 Lapua Factory Ammo

[Hntbambi]

My 338 Lapua will be in my hands tomorrow and I will start setting it up. What factory ammo should I stay away from? I gather Lapua brass is the best, but how is the Hornady, Rem, Federal, HSM, Bitterroot Valley, Blackhills, etc? Or just buy the "good stuff"? I will be reloading just wanted to get a couple boxes for initial shooting.

[sniperjwt]

unles you have a really heavy wallet and just want to lighten it up some i would reload from the begining while doing your barrel break in. The factory stuff is just too expensive to be useing for barrel break in. Buy some hornady brass and some cheap bullets and do your barrel break in then buy the good stuff when you get it all broke in.

[J E Custom]

Originally Posted by Hntbambi

My 338 Lapua will be in my hands tomorrow and I will start setting it up. What factory ammo should I stay away from? I gather Lapua brass is the best, but how is the Hornady, Rem, Federal, HSM, Bitterroot Valley, Blackhills, etc? Or just buy the "good stuff"? I will be reloading just wanted to get a couple boxes for initial shooting.

If you intend to reload pick the kind of brass you want to use and buy loaded ammo of the same brand.

The 338 Lapua ammo and brass is very expensive but I would go ahead and buy the Lapua
brass for about $31.00 for 20 rounds (20 rounds of loaded ammo will set you back about
$130.00 for 20 and the cheepest you could find will be around $112.00 for 20 rounds)

With the cost of brass you could buy 80 rounds for the price of a single box of loaded ammo.

There are some relatively cheep bullets you could use (Speer makes .338 bullets for $33.00
for 100) that would be good for break in and a starting zero.

J E CUSTOM

[Capt Academy]

Post a picture of your rifle when you get it, along with the specs.

[Hntbambi]

Thanks JE. I realize the cost benefits of reloading. I will probably get a box of cheap factory stuff to start with. I'll order Lapua brass for rolling my own.


Capt,
Will do, actually, its near you. The little brown toy truck has it in Abq. Tomorrow it should be here in Cruces.

It's just a 700 P in 338 Lap. I just ordered the base 40 MOA Nightforce.

[Capt Academy]

Great! let us know how she shoots. I have a Rem 700P in 308 and with a little work by Charley at Scorehigh the rifle shoots 1/2 moa with factory loads as well as reloads.