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Rifles, Reloading, Optics, Equipment
Rifles, Bullets, Barrels & Ballistics
which 338?
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<blockquote data-quote="Long Time Long Ranger" data-source="post: 330675" data-attributes="member: 505"><p>Saskhunter, There are no majic bullets. You ask what makes the 338-300 ultramag so accurate. It is no more accurate than anything else. All mentioned are extremely accurate if done by a competent gunsmith. JEcustom makes a lot of sense. He has done this a long time like I have and experience makes all the difference. </p><p></p><p>You said your objective is shock appeal and being able to knock off elk at extreme range and want a custom rifle. Remember every bit of velocity you can get is very important because it reduces the most critical element of long range hunting which is wind drift. It is a variable that can never be predicted with 100% accuracy. If you want a custom and the best then everything off the ultramag case and the standard lapua falls short of your objective since you can easily beat them with velocity by going to another cartridge without any more expense to build or shoot. The next step would be the improved Lapua and then the 338-378 wby which would give you about all you can get before taking the next step up in expense. These two can get you over 3000 fps with the 300 grain matchking. Next step would be wildcats off the Chey-Tac or the excaliber JE said. But you are stepping up to quite a bit of expense to shoot. If you have the money they are the best. There are some blown out 338-378 and 338-416 rigby wildcats that can get 3-6 more grains of powder and maybe an insignificant velocity gain over the standard 338-378 wby but don't know that they are worth it over the benefits of a standard cartridge.</p><p></p><p>I have put velocities in here many times collected over many years shooting all the big 338's. Until you take that step up to the Chey-tac case there is just not a lot of difference but there is some. Remember each barrel can vary 100 fps easily. In other words my 338-300 ultramag might be 100 fps faster or slower than the next guys. But again here are the averages with 300 matchking. 338 ultramag and 338-300 ultramag 2725-2850 fps, 338 lapua 2775-2850 fps, 338 lapua imp and 338-378 wby 2950-3050 fps. All are accurate if the gunsmith knows what he is doing. </p><p></p><p>I have all of them and shoot them all regularly. If I want to shock an elk long range I always end up shooting my 338-378 wby pushing the 300 matchking over 3000 fps. Bottom line is I have been trying to beat the 338-378 wby for 30 years without going to a chey-tac or 50 BMG case and I haven't been able to do it. I have seen a lot of stuff come and go and some hung around awhile but the 338-378 wby is still top dawg if you want a big 338 on a standard rifle.</p><p></p><p>I did a test and put it in here for a guy once shooting all the big 338's from 340 wby to 338-378 wby with 250 grain bullets. This included the ultramags and lapuas in between these two. Powder range was from 86 grains to nearly 130 grains and from a fast 340 wby to a slow 338-378 wby there was less than 200 fps. All the others fell between these two. So you can see there is not a lot of difference. You just got to play the averages and hope you don't get a slow barrel.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Long Time Long Ranger, post: 330675, member: 505"] Saskhunter, There are no majic bullets. You ask what makes the 338-300 ultramag so accurate. It is no more accurate than anything else. All mentioned are extremely accurate if done by a competent gunsmith. JEcustom makes a lot of sense. He has done this a long time like I have and experience makes all the difference. You said your objective is shock appeal and being able to knock off elk at extreme range and want a custom rifle. Remember every bit of velocity you can get is very important because it reduces the most critical element of long range hunting which is wind drift. It is a variable that can never be predicted with 100% accuracy. If you want a custom and the best then everything off the ultramag case and the standard lapua falls short of your objective since you can easily beat them with velocity by going to another cartridge without any more expense to build or shoot. The next step would be the improved Lapua and then the 338-378 wby which would give you about all you can get before taking the next step up in expense. These two can get you over 3000 fps with the 300 grain matchking. Next step would be wildcats off the Chey-Tac or the excaliber JE said. But you are stepping up to quite a bit of expense to shoot. If you have the money they are the best. There are some blown out 338-378 and 338-416 rigby wildcats that can get 3-6 more grains of powder and maybe an insignificant velocity gain over the standard 338-378 wby but don't know that they are worth it over the benefits of a standard cartridge. I have put velocities in here many times collected over many years shooting all the big 338's. Until you take that step up to the Chey-tac case there is just not a lot of difference but there is some. Remember each barrel can vary 100 fps easily. In other words my 338-300 ultramag might be 100 fps faster or slower than the next guys. But again here are the averages with 300 matchking. 338 ultramag and 338-300 ultramag 2725-2850 fps, 338 lapua 2775-2850 fps, 338 lapua imp and 338-378 wby 2950-3050 fps. All are accurate if the gunsmith knows what he is doing. I have all of them and shoot them all regularly. If I want to shock an elk long range I always end up shooting my 338-378 wby pushing the 300 matchking over 3000 fps. Bottom line is I have been trying to beat the 338-378 wby for 30 years without going to a chey-tac or 50 BMG case and I haven't been able to do it. I have seen a lot of stuff come and go and some hung around awhile but the 338-378 wby is still top dawg if you want a big 338 on a standard rifle. I did a test and put it in here for a guy once shooting all the big 338's from 340 wby to 338-378 wby with 250 grain bullets. This included the ultramags and lapuas in between these two. Powder range was from 86 grains to nearly 130 grains and from a fast 340 wby to a slow 338-378 wby there was less than 200 fps. All the others fell between these two. So you can see there is not a lot of difference. You just got to play the averages and hope you don't get a slow barrel. [/QUOTE]
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