Why do so many people not like the 338 Lapua?

[Timber338]

For a rifle where weight is not a factor, I think the Lapua is a great round. The only argument I have against the Lapua is the large case head. Stress analysis proves that it needs a larger action than a Rem700, where the bolt nose gets too thin. I have nothing against the larger actions except they weigh more, so for my long range hunting rifle, where weight is a factor, I chose the 338 RUM to keep the weight down.

I also don't think a big 338 is overkill. The high BC bullets drift the least in wind, so I'm more likely to hit where I'm aiming than any other cartridge.

 

[57goldtopman]

I will eventually purchase what I am most interested in. I just need a little more data first. I would love to know more about actual hunting results of the Lapua, the creed moor or similar cartridges, especially bullet selection and resulting wounds on game. for the Lapua would be interested in well build bullets like the Barnes TSX.
I really appreciate all your inputs. I just need to follow where my interests lay, not looking for alternatives. Make sense?

 

[57goldtopman]

Timber338,

what bullets are you using? ever use this on whitetail/mule deer? really as destructive as some people say? I do know that the smaller caliber faster cartridges cause a lot of damage which may be comparable.

 

[MOA Chaser]

I shot two WT does last year with the 6.5. One with Hornady factory match 140 AMAX, the other 120 AMAX. One deer was DRT at 275 yards, the other at 325. Both were shoulder shots, which I prefer. Deer 1 (140); damage was not excessive but good wound channel, damage to anterior lobes of lungs and cervical column with some fragmentation and exit wound was approx. one inch. Deer 2 (120); had significant damage to anterior lobes of both lungs, both right and left atrium and aorta. Exit wound same as Deer 1.

 

[57goldtopman]

have you used the 338 on whitetail or similar?

 

[Timber338]

Timber338,

what bullets are you using? ever use this on whitetail/mule deer? really as destructive as some people say? I do know that the smaller caliber faster cartridges cause a lot of damage which may be comparable.

I've shot antelope, deer and elk with all the various 338's I've owned over the years, mostly using the 210 & 225 TTSX and the 225 and 250 Accubond. The performance has been excellent. I've never lost an animal shooting those bullets, and since I aim for the double lung shot, there's only been a few animals that were quartered where I had to shoot through the leading shoulder. Very minimal meat damage on those shoulder shots, and dead animals. So I have not personally experienced excessive meat damage from any 338 bullet that I have shot into an animal.

In my 338 RUM I'm using the Barnes 280 LRX and the 300 Accubond. Not as good of a BC as the 300 Berger, but not too far off, and in my opinion, I like how the LRX/TTSX and Accubond perform up close. I also think a shoulder shot with any caliber berger bullet is going to do more meat damage. I think they are extremely accurate bullets, I have shot them out of my guns, they are just not my personal choice for hunting big game. From the threads that have been posted about the performance of the berger on elk/deer, they sure do perform and turn the lungs into jelly. My experience is the Barnes bullets do not jelly the lunges, rather put a golfball sized hole through them. The accubonds are somewhere between the barnes and the bergers for damage to the lungs.

I also have a custom 300 win mag that is plenty of gun for any game here in America out to the ranges that I'll hunt.... but I've always wanted a BIG 338, so last year finally got a custom 338 RUM as my hunt everything gun. With the high BC and big bullets, it's simply a hammer. I'll be taking it out coyote hunting next weekend.

 

[57goldtopman]

thanks for the great info. I was thinking that but was not certain. starting to lean more toward the savage fcp 338 Lapua. any more advice/info?

 

[wbm]

Interesting post. The 338 Lapua is very expensive to shoot and for most applications it is most likely just too much gun. That being said, it is also interesting to note that it was Chris Kyles' favorite choice in the sniper rifle role. He often used the 300 Win Mag but said his favorite was the 338 Lapua. Seems like with most things in life it's all relative which also brings to mind the "law of parsimony"....that which can be done with less is done in vain with more.

 

[Broz]

I guess you would have to see first hand the difference on elk going down shot with a large cased 338 and smaller 30's or 7's. For example I have hunted with a father and his two grown sons the last two years. Each season the sons both used my 338 to take their elk. The father used his 7mm-300 win mag. The end result was 3 bull elk taken each year. 2 with a 7-300 and a 180 Berger and 4 with a 338 with 300 Bergers. We hunt together so we all got to watch each of the 6 kills. After this season the father came to me and said I want a 338. I asked why and he said "the 338 just puts them down better." We are now changing his 7-300 to a 338 EDGE.

My wife has now taken 5 elk total. Two with a 300 win and large bullets, three with a large 338. She is 5'2" and not a big girl. Nor does she shoot often. But this year when I offered her the option of taking her elk with my 300 win she replied, "no, I want to shoot the big gun. I want them down, and down now" Even she in her limited experience realizes there is a difference.

So the idea that "you don't need" a large rifle is correct. Many elk are taken with 7mm's, 300's and also with even smaller chamberings. But if you actually hunt elk and see a number of bulls taken with both repeatedly, you might understand why some choose a large 338.

Meat damage is not so much about bullet weight in my opinion. It is all about placement and velocity. Shoot a deer square in the shoulder with a 220 swift and a 52 gr bullet and see how much meat you save on that shoulder. I have done that once and learned something. Shoot a fleeing animal in the loins and back bone with a quartering away shot and you will have meat loss. Catch a few ribs on a hard quartering away shot and then into the shoulder and you will also loose meat. Shoot one fleeing in the rear quarter and.... well you get the picture. Bullet weight has less to do with it than velocity and placement. I shoot a lot of game with a big 338 and my meat loss is minimal when I do a good responsible job of proper placement.

Just my experience after many years of hunting big game with all sizes of rifles. One size does not fit all, but all sizes have their advantages.

Jeff

 

[Jluck]

Ballistics would be the answer to your question I think. If some one only bases their buying decision on bullet performance numbers and not all the other reasons the Lapua is great It could be easy to pass up for something like a 338-378 Weatherby. I personally want a 338-378 but will more than likely go with a Lapua for all the practical reasons.

 

[Timber338]

I guess you would have to see first hand the difference on elk going down shot with a large cased 338 and smaller 30's or 7's.

I agree with this and it's not something you can quantify. I've hunted elk and seen a lot of friends shoot them with various calibers. The elk I've shot and seen shot by 338's just seem to die quicker. Yes, I have seen animals DRT with other calibers, but on a whole, the 338's are very effective at killing large animals.

And the more I have adapted to long range hunting, the more important it becomes to have the animal fall right where you shoot them. Combine the high bc for low wind drift, and high retained energy, a big 338 is really tough to beat.

 

[Clever]

Then why not just buy a .30-06, and save yourself lots of money?

I'm not discrediting the .338 LM, just saying that if you want to download it to .30-06 performance, why waste the money doing so and cutting a caliber's performance, instead of just buying a .30-06 and hot-rodding it out?

That's all I shoot. I tweak loads for every situation.

 

[boscodog]

I get a bit excited when I read a good post about the big 338's, especially with the BC of .819 that the 300 grn berger delivers!
I live in Alaska and love moose meat, my sons and I have killed a lot of-um in the past 30+ years. Last year was the first time I got to see one go down with my 338/300 Edge, impressive, he dropped like a rock! By the way, we've never seen that before, even with solid neck shots.

One of the things I was very concerned about when I got the edge and using the berger was how it would perform in close. The moose I'm speaking of was about 200 to 250 yrds out, just about zero. The Moose was quartering just a bit towards the shot, hit him between the neck and shoulder right in the large bone where the rib cage begins. the bullet made a gulf ball size path and we found it on the far side behind the kidney, most of the lead was gone but the copper was almost all there shredded into three perfect sections.

The reason for getting the edge was needing lots of whop at great distances, we are almost always seeing bulls on the next ridge and the 300 win mag just wasn't enough horsepower and to much wind risk.

What broz says about bullet weight having less to do with it than velocity and placement is gospel! I can assure you that using these big 338"s will defiantly raise your odds!
Tom

 

[MMERSS]

I could describe three different 800 to 1000 yard shooting/hunting situations with three different cartridges available where one situation would be the most preferred for that particular cartridge and the least preferred with the other two. The point being what is the intended purpose.

With that being said, for big game hunting with a possible harvest range of 800-1000 yards my favorite bullet and all around cartridge of choice is the 300 gr Berger behind a case of 90+ grains of powder. The 338LM fits this bill. I have not once considered this combination overkill even on antelope sized game. Considering probability of success within a band of harvest range requires a bullet traveling with the least amount of lag time to inform decisions with a harvest near the upper band.

If a 223 Remington could shoot a bullet with the same amount of lag time possible as the 338 LM, with the same amount of energy, with the same amount of potential tissue damage I would shoot the 223 Remington…….but this is just not possible therefore we must choose application appropriately.