My next long range rifle?

[ultraedge]

smokin502, The best advice I can give you is to learn how to reload. You would be extremely lucky to find commercial ammunition that will match your rifle and perform as well at long range as good handloads. Shawn Carlock at Defensive Edge sells a very good long range reloading video. Even though reloading is more labor intensive than buying factory ammo, it will save you money in the long run,you will learn a lot, you will get a lot of self satisfaction, and the overall shooting experience will be much more enjoyable. The .338 EDGE is a wildcat round, but loaded ammo is available from Applied Ballistics or Gunwerks. Gary Campbell

[matt_3479]

What kind of gun do you have now that took you out too 1200 yards and what kind of ammunition are you using? if you dont reload then the 338. edge is out of the question but the 338 RUM isn't. You wont get the bullets you will need to optimize the performance so i wouldn't lean towards that option. I would get a 300 rum or 300 win mag.

Look into reloading cause almost every factory if not every factory ammunition doesn't have what it takes to get you out too 1000 +. What kind of rifle are you looking into getting?

[jsthntn247]

You might want to take a look at the 280 or 280AI. It will push the 180's just as fast as a 7mag and do it with less powder. The 180 has a high BC and will get you to 1400 pretty easily. This will accomplish your goals and be allot more economical than any 300.

[Bart B]

Originally Posted by jsthntn247

You might want to take a look at the 280 or 280AI. It will push the 180's just as fast as a 7mag and do it with less powder. The 180 has a high BC and will get you to 1400 pretty easily. This will accomplish your goals and be allot more economical than any 300.

Impossible at the same safe SAAMI spec maximum peak pressure and barrel length for each one. Period.

[Bart B]

The .300 Win. Mag.'s probably the best choice. Especially if you don't reload.

Having recently been made privy to some intersting tests conducted by military snipers and other long range experts evaluating different rounds for US military use, the .300 Win. Mag. outshot the .338 Lapua Mag in the accuracy tests at all ranges through 1500 yards.

Note that accuracy with shoulder fired rifles drops off as recoil increases. It's the recoil while the bullet's going down the barrel that moves the rifle a bit off its point of aim when the firing pin strikes the primer that degrades accuracy. Recoil after the bullet's left doesn't matter. Which is why milder recoiling rifles are easier to shoot accurately when held by us humans. And this is one of the main reasons why the .300 Win. Mag. out performed the .338's in those tests.

[jsthntn247]

Originally Posted by Bart B

Impossible at the same safe SAAMI spec maximum peak pressure and barrel length for each one. Period.

I meant .284 not 280. Should be easy to get 2900 out of a 26" tube with the 180's. Mute point thogh if he doesn't reload. a 300WM and Federal fgmm with the 190 smk's is probably your best option.


All loads used neck-turned, Winchester-headstamp .284 brass, CCI BR-2 primers, and naked (non-moly) Berger 180gr VLD bullets seated .010" in the lands:
51 gr RL 17 - Mean Velocity 2881 fps, ES 17, SD 7 - No pressure issues at all
52 gr RL 17 - Mean Velocity 2953 fps, ES 19, SD 7 - No pressure issues at all
53 gr RL 17 - Mean Velocity 3003 fps, ES 25, SD 10 (Slight sticky bolt lift on 3 rounds - this is about top end for my liking but I would not hesitate to shoot it however if it turns out to deliver good accuracy). Big Speed Gain with Reloder 17 in .284 Win
RL 17 clearly enables me to run the Berger 180s easily 125-150 fps faster that I normally was able to shoot them with H4350 and H4831SC in this rifle. My previous load ran around 2825 - 2850 fps with the Berger 180s and that was about all I could get out of it

[Bart B]

Originally Posted by jsthntn247

I meant .284 not 280. Should be easy to get 2900 out of a 26" tube with the 180's.

Still impossible with safe ammo.

The .284 case has less capacity than the 7 Rem. Mag and the .280. And SAAMI set it's peak safe pressure at 56,000 psi compared to 61,000 psi for the 7 Rem Mag because of case design. The .280's safe peak pressure's 60,000 psi.

Any bullet with any powder can be shot faster in the 7 Rem. Mag. than the .284 with peak pressure at specs.

'Course if one breaks the safety rules, anything's possible. . . .until something goes wrong.