??????????

Ok! Here's the question: "If you were considering building up a Mag .338....which cartridge would you pick; the .338 Remington Ultra Mag or....the .338 Lapua cartridge! I'm not interested in taking a .378 case down so I'm considering the above two. I have a Remington LA available which will work real well with the Remington cartridge. If I choose the Lapua cartridge...that presents a problem of having to open up the bolt face and I'm really not hot for doing that!

Which one? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

"I WANT NO RIFLES THAT I CAN OUTSHOOT!"

[fmsniper]

338 RUM, close to the same performance but cheaper on ammo

So...you're one of the BROTHERS! Been in your shoes before; 40 years back! I know the drill! Shot with the BROTHERS out of USAMTU at Benning! Wish I could do it all over again!

My thinking is the same as yours on the choice I need to make!

Hang in there! I appreciate your service and contribution!

"I WANT NO RIFLES THAT I CAN OUTSHOOT!"

[Dave King]

Rick

I have had several 338 Lapua custom rifles and at least one 338 RUM custom. About the only difference I noticed is that the brass for the Lapua was of better quality than I could get for the RUM (at the time concerned). None of my rifles had muzzle brakes and I could load the 300 Sierra to speeds sufficient to make shooting the rifles an unpleasant experience for most (they'd make snot fly, spatter tears onto the inside surface of my glasses and cause headaches) with either chambering. The fastest I've ever shot a 300 Sierra is just under 3150fps from a LONG barreled 338 Lapua but the precision was not too good once I went past 2900fps or so. The furthest I shot the 338 RUM with the 300's was just a few yards short of 1 mile (28 inch barrel) and the rounds were still plenty supersonic (starting speed about 2825 to 2850 fps).

The only problem/quandry for me is that there is match grade ammo available for the 338 Lapua (Lapua and Black Hills manufacture) but only hunting loads available for the 338 RUM. Every once in a while I'd like to be able to just stop in and pick up some match grade "plinker" rounds for a rifle, this can't be done (that I'm aware of) for the 338 RUM.

If you're only considering loading your own mathc grade ammo with no possible need or desire to get match grade factory ammo I'd say get the RUM.

[BountyHunter]

Brass is the cheapest component in a LR accuracy system. Buy the best quality. Lapua is only $1 each and last 3-10x as long as Rem and very little if any sorting.

The 338 Ack Imp, I have for sale here is pushing the 300 gr SMKs at 2875 fps and could easily go up to 3100 but the pure accuracy is right in this area.

BH

Dave

The only time I've shot factory ammo during the past 50 years is when some of these "Rednecks" in these here parts ask me to check their rifles (Rem 742s & 760s) zero for them!! Always load my own stuff! Whatever I build up, which will more than likely be the .338 RUM....will have a brake installed! Recoil doesn't bother me much but anytime one can decrease recoil.....you're also improving accuracy!

Thanks for your reply!

[lerch]

From the reading I have done I would tell you to go with a 300 rum and open it up to 338 cal. This takes advantage of the longer 300rum case and I think it actually gives you more case capacity than the lapua.

Just my opinion
steve