338 chambering recommendations

[montana_native]

I recently purchased a TAC338 single shot receiverand have a Bartlein 33" blank. I amtrying to decide on what to chamber it in to try and get as much performanceout of the 300 grain bullets as possible.



Currently, I am torn between the 338 Lapuaimproved and the 338-378 WBY. I've reada little bit about the 338-378 Kubla Khan but I am not sure if I want to gothat far in the world of wildcats. Am I missingsomething obvious that I should consider or are these two options about the best? I've weighed the pros and cons of the aforementioned chamberings and I feel they are a wash.



Thanks.

 

[IdahoCTD]

The 338 Lapua Imp. will do basically what a 338-378 will with much cheaper and better brass. I've played with the 378 based cases quite a bit and if they are loaded warm the case life is crap. At 3.00+ a cases that doesn't give you a warm fuzzy feeling. Another nice thing about the Imp case is the lack of trimming and case stretching. The down side is fireforming and custom dies. To me it's a no brainer......Lapua Imp.

 

[bigngreen]

There is something of the Excalibur case also, I've seen it tossed around a little in discussions.

 

[highridge1]

I was able to get 3,020 fps out of a 338-378 with RL33 and 300 gr sierra's with only a 26 inch barrel. With a 30+ inch barrel it would be even more impressive.

 

[bb204]

+1 on the Weatherby brass being very expensive ($73 per 20). Once fires is also very hard to come by, and pricey also.
Good Luck,

 

[matemike]

Read my sig.

 

[idaho elk hunter]

Weatherby brass is available everywhere Sportsmans, Cabelas, Grafs let alone everywhere on the internet. It is made by Norma which is considered to be the very best in quality and very uniform. You do not have to work the primer pockets over or debur the flash holes do to they are drilled, not punched. All in all a completely higher quality brass. Especially compared to MILITARY brass. If you switch to the Quality Lapua brass then I really wonder if the Weatherby brass is that much more expensive?

The Weatherby not a wildcat, no fireforming! That in and of itself makes it less expensive and less hassle overall. It has more case capacity than the improved versions of ( most) anything and can push the 300 gr bullet at higher velocities at LOWER SAFE pressures.

The Kubla is a "improved" version of the Weatherby that improves very little. Even the designer and originator will tell you this.

If you want the hassle for a improved version of the 338, then check out any one of the 338-408 chey versions on the market. Kirby Allen and Bruce Baer, I think would verify what I just said. I think they have the knowledge and experience far more that other peoples experience on this forum.

PM fitftydriver and ask what he thinks. Or better yet have him chime in.

The Weatherby is just awesome for accuracy, overall expense, power, everything considered. Compare all the drop values and energy at 1000 to make your choice.

 

[dig]

If you want performance the 338-378 is the way to go. Why improve a Lapua just start with the right cartrige to began with. 1. Brass can be found used at decent prices, you just have to look. No not as inexpensive as Lapua 2. Weatherby/Norma brass is excellent, most who comment on it dont have experience with it, just buying into the boards talk. I am up to 8 reloads on the .338-378 with tight primer pockets pushing a 300 Grn bullet right at 3,000. Could I improve this? Probably but it's very accurate. The Lapua is a great cartridge don't get me wrong but after all these years everyone is still chasing Weatherby.

 

[Edd]

The Lapua is a great cartridge don't get me wrong but after all these years everyone is still chasing Weatherby.

The 338 Lapua was here a few years ahead of the 338-378 Weatherby.

 

[dkhunt14]

If you want performance the 338-378 is the way to go. Why improve a Lapua just start with the right cartrige to began with. 1. Brass can be found used at decent prices, you just have to look. No not as inexpensive as Lapua 2. Weatherby/Norma brass is excellent, most who comment on it dont have experience with it, just buying into the boards talk. I am up to 8 reloads on the .338-378 with tight primer pockets pushing a 300 Grn bullet right at 3,000. Could I improve this? Probably but it's very accurate. The Lapua is a great cartridge don't get me wrong but after all these years everyone is still chasing Weatherby.

Because brass will last for 30 plus firings and you will never see that out of the Weatherby case. My buddy has a 338-378 and I have an Imp Lapua. Both are wearing 36 inch 1.450 Diameter barrels and built just like our heavy 1000 yard BR guns. My Lapua will get 3100 with a 300 Berger and the brass lasts and the bolt opens. His almost ruins the brass at 3100 and you can't extract them nicely. 3 Firings and his brass is done. Lapua brass is the best brass made. These are facts not internet gumbo. We shot them side by side at Williamsport off the concrete benches over the same chronograph. Our groups were close to the same with my Lapua shooting 5 shots In 4 1/4 inches and his shooting in 5 1/2 inches. My Lapua also has bigger nodes where it wants to shoot. I pay 2.10 for a brand new Lapua case. There was a guy at the club had brand new primed Lapua brass at 1.00 a piece. It was pulled military but Lapua brand same stuff you buy. Matt

 

[Edd]

Because brass will last for 30 plus firings and you will never see that out of the Weatherby case. My buddy has a 338-378 and I have an Imp Lapua. Both are wearing 36 inch 1.450 Diameter barrels and built just like our heavy 1000 yard BR guns. My Lapua will get 3100 with a 300 Berger and the brass lasts and the bolt opens. His almost ruins the brass at 3100 and you can't extract them nicely. 3 Firings and his brass is done. Lapua brass is the best brass made. These are facts not internet gumbo. We shot them side by side at Williamsport off the concrete benches over the same chronograph. Our groups were close to the same with my Lapua shooting 5 shots In 4 1/4 inches and his shooting in 5 1/2 inches. My Lapua also has bigger nodes where it wants to shoot. I pay 2.10 for a brand new Lapua case. There was a guy at the club had brand new primed Lapua brass at 1.00 a piece. It was pulled military but Lapua brand same stuff you buy. Matt

Have you ever fired that same Lapua improved load in a shorter barrel? I've been considering an improved version and was wondering how close to 3000 fps I could get with a 28 inch barrel. Lilja shows 83 fps difference between a 36 and 28 inch barrel on a test they did.

 

[Pdvdh]

The 338 Lapua Imp. will do basically what a 338-378 will with much cheaper and better brass. I've played with the 378 based cases quite a bit and if they are loaded warm the case life is crap. At 3.00+ a cases that doesn't give you a warm fuzzy feeling. Another nice thing about the Imp case is the lack of trimming and case stretching. The down side is fireforming and custom dies. To me it's a no brainer......Lapua Imp.

Agree.
25 years ago I owned a .338-378 Weatherby, which was a wildcat at that time. Brass was expensive, and primer pockets would be lost due to expansion and swelling of the case head way to readily. That was the last I ever considered a Weatherby cartridge based wildcat. Norma produced Weatherby brass has had a well deserved reputation for having "soft" case heads that results in lost primer pockets at relatively mild pressures, compared to Lapua and RWS brass.

This is a primary reason Fiftydriver doesn't use Weatherby cartidges for his Allen magnums or Allen Xpress line of high performance cartridges.

If you want to run a cartridge at powder-puff pressures, the Weatherby brass is OK. Run them at high pressure and you'll experience a never ending operating cost due to the never ending purchase of new replacement brass.

 

[Pdvdh]

If you want performance the 338-378 is the way to go. Why improve a Lapua just start with the right cartrige to began with. 1. Brass can be found used at decent prices, you just have to look. No not as inexpensive as Lapua

I've purchased once fired .340 Weatherby factory ammo brass before just to learn that some of the primer pockets were already loose after the single firing.

Yeah, primer pockets in Weatherby brass will survive relatively low pressure loadings, but at least some Weather factory cartridges are already loaded at too high of pressures to achieve multiple reloading of the brass.

 

[dkhunt14]

Have you ever fired that same Lapua improved load in a shorter barrel? I've been considering an improved version and was wondering how close to 3000 fps I could get with a 28 inch barrel. Lilja shows 83 fps difference between a 36 and 28 inch barrel on a test they did.

I believe you could make it. It all depends on barrel from one to another. Retumbo might get you close and Re33 would make it if you can burn it all. You would not fall too much below 3000. I told a guy about the RE33 and sold him a pound. He had one of those Savage 338 Lapua that looks like a modular gun. I don't know what model it is or how long a barrel they have. He told me he got 3000 with it and a 300 Berger. I don't know how hot he was and didn't see it but he said that's what he got. Matt