Confused as to what to do!

[Ksmirk]

Do I need a 338 Edge? the last couple of years I've been putting things together for this build between others and now when it comes about time to order the tube I keep asking myself is an Edge overkill? I would like to go hunt Elk but for the most part it's gonna be these little Oklahoma deer, I have one place I can have a shot out to 1400 give or take but do I need the Edges horsepower on a deer?

Reason this all came about is when I completed my 284 Win last month, this thing amazes me each time I squeeze the trigger! the velocity I have ask several times if this could be right they are that much higher than most loading manuals state granted I have a lot more case to mess with (COL 3.10") got me to thinking looking at ballistics is would I need a 338 Egde?

Now a 338 Edge would have some serious cool factor don't get me wrong but do I NEED the power? cause with that power comes much more cost and being finacially embarrassed well you get where I'm going. The donar action is chambered now in 300WM but where's the fun in shooting something common I ask?

I guess I'm looking for some ideas that might fit my needs better so I'd love opinions. Thanks for taking the time to read this and if you post I appreciate your ideas. Later,

Kirk

 

[geargrinder]

Yes, you need a 338 Edge. Everyone should have one.

Put it in the safe next to your 220 Swift. You do have a Swift don't you???

 

[woods]

I have rebarreled two 300 win mags but I went the other way. They make a perfect candidate to rebarrel to 6.5 rem mag. With the long action I can seat the bullet way out

140 grain Accubond between 3000 to 3100 fps will get the job done.

Of course, you already have a 284 so you may not be interested in a 6.5

 

[lamiglas]

Get the Edge. Right now I wish every rifle I have was one! I have been shooting mine almost everyday and really, really love it. Also, Get the DE brake, and if you dont have a builder lined up, I (and everyone else) highly recommend Shawn Carlock at Defensive Edge.

 

[Bud Martin]

The edge would be a great dust collector, tell me about the 284. what did you use for a reamer? barrel? what twist? what bullet? load? but the specifics of the reamer interest me most if it differed from sami specs.

 

[nddodd]

Get the Edge. Right now I wish every rifle I have was one! I have been shooting mine almost everyday and really, really love it. Also, Get the DE brake, and if you dont have a builder lined up, I (and everyone else) highly recommend Shawn Carlock at Defensive Edge.

+1 the edge is an awesome cartridge. Here's a quote from my dad "Its better to have to much and not need it, than to need it and not."


Nathan

 

[bigbuck]

Go with the EDGE! I have a broughton barrel on my 300 RUM right now with 109 total rounds down the tube and I'm thinking about pulling it off and ordering another broughton .338 30"

Ps Anyone who wants a good broughton barrel PM me. It shoots .318 @200 yrds . All the talk about the EDGE has gotten the better of me

 

[Ksmirk]

Bud, the rifle is pretty much just something I built for hunting, just got too tired of carrying a 13# rifle. The reamer is just a SAAMI min hand throated with a throating reamer to accept the 162 A-Max at at COL of 3.100" which is right about .010" off the lands, it's a McGowen 1-9 twist barrel with kind of an odd countour they really didn't understand what I was getting at but it turned out when I got it to work great and give the rifle an old feel look, the load per Quickload is a bit on the hot side but I've not seen any signs of pressure and this load shoots great! the last tiem I ran it across the chrony it clocked 3011, 3011, 3008. I can PM you the load but i'd rather not put it out there it might blow someones rifle up and I'd feel terrible. So here's the goodies;

Winchester Super X brass
Federal GM210M primer
Hodgdon Hybrid 100V
Hornady 162gr. A-Max
COL 3.100"

Here's a pic but be nice fella's I'm still learning how to put these thngs together.

The more I think about it an Edge would be cool don't know how much I'd shoot it but it would be cheaper to feed than if I built a 50! Fella's I'm taking it that you enjoy your Edge rifles anyone mind PM'ing me some load information? it would help. Later,

Kirk

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

In your situation I don't think you need a 338-300 ultramag. I think you need a good flat shooting deer rifle that is much cheaper to shoot with less noise and recoil. The 338-300 ultramag was a great thing back in 1998 or so when remington first introduced the 300 ultramag at the shot show. Chris up at Pac- Nor got the specs and had 300 and 338-300 reamers built off it thinking that would be the new 338 ultramag. Before the 300 ultramags were hitting the market Chris had me a bunch of 338-300 barrels along with the 300 ultramags necked to 358, 375, and 7mm. In 1998-99 time frame I put together 75-100 of them. Probably the first one ever done was one me and Sniper2 on here put together for his personal elk rifle in 98. Chris had the first reamer and I got the first shipment of barrels off it so I assume that was the first one. It was great for a while because it would get us 100-150 fps more than the standby 340 weatherby and would fit on a standard mag action. However for many it was a single shot. Just depends on which mag action you had and how much work you wanted to do. But then around 2000-2001 or so Remington made it obsolete by introducing a slightly shorter version that fed through standard mag actions better with virtually the same performance calling it the 338 ultramag. I never did another 338-300 ultramag after that because it made no sense. You can easily buy everything you need for the standard 338 ultramag so no need for the trouble of the 338-300. On average you may get a few fps extra from the few grains of extra powder but there is more difference in individual barrels. I have chronographed a ton of both and own both now. I kept at least a couple in each of the calibers.

If you do a lot of elk hunting then I would go with one of the big 338's and the 338 ultramag is the best for your 300 win mag action. But if all deer and maybe an occasional elk hunt then go with one of the smaller calibers. In other words I would suit my gun to what I did most of the time. If you go on an elk hunt every year though this is my saying. You can always hunt deer with an elk rifle, but don't hunt elk with a deer rifle.

 

[Ksmirk]

Long Time Long Ranger,that was a very good post! it made a lot of sense! I'm thinking that with this 284 Win I may have stubled onto something that will fit most of my hunting issues, granted I doubt it would work for a 1K shot on an Elk but I don't see that will ever happen in my lifetime. FElla's thanks a bunch for your opinions now I just need to figure out if I should sell the action I have now or build something fun from it, it would be cool to hit a target at a mile LOL. Later,

Kirk

 

[Ksmirk]

Ok doing some serious soul searching I'm gonna nix the Edge project! after alomst going blind looking a ballistics data on the 284 Win I don't think I can get a better choice, ok I'm sure there are better choices but one that will fit the bill all around it's going to be dang difficult to beat this caliber.

Guys thanks so much for your help and opinions! funny how you do something and it turns out to be a very good move and all by mistake. Later,

Kirk

 

[Iowaboy]

Hey Kirk,

Just pointing this out but I'm sure you already know. The guys on the best of the west have killed all kinds of elk at decent ranges with a 7mm rem mag so if your getting great accuracy and speed out of your 284, I'd say to just stick with it. Save your money buy more bullets and keep after those critters with the 284.

 

[trebark]

What is the parent case for the 6.5RemMag?

I have rebarreled two 300 win mags but I went the other way. They make a perfect candidate to rebarrel to 6.5 rem mag. With the long action I can seat the bullet way out

140 grain Accubond between 3000 to 3100 fps will get the job done.

Of course, you already have a 284 so you may not be interested in a 6.5

 

[woods]

What is the parent case for the 6.5RemMag?

It is just a shortened 264 win mag

without being overbore. I have a hard time keeping it throttled down. Last weekend I was load testing the new 140 gr Accubond with 2 different loads of 60 gr RL25 and 57.5 gr IMR7828SSC and both of them wanted to bump up underneath 3100 fps. No pressure signs but that seems a little fast.

Another option if you want a big bore is the 375 Ruger. It makes an excellent rebarrel for a win mag with a 3.4" OAL and a .532 case head and no belt, a little more powder capacity than the 375 H & H. Tailor made for a win mag rebarrel