Why do so many people not like the 338 Lapua?

[MudRunner2005]

Irrelevant question. Why....... Because he wants to and because he has the freedom and and finances to do so. We all have our favorites, for some it is 7's or 30's or big bores, etc. He is free to enjoy as he pleases.

This is the most legitimate reason I have heard yet. Thank you for being honest.

 

[57goldtopman]

ok. there is no need to get all worked up about this. we are trying to share info in a hobby that we are all trying to protect. we all have our own likes, favorites etc and probably feel we have the best. may be the best for each of us but not the best for all. we all are trying to learn. at least that is why I do it.
if there was one best all around anything we would all be driving a Ram 2500 Power Wagon! just kidding. I am biased.

so now I find myself leaning more toward the Lapua. considering hunting with the Barnes 210 tsx. anyone else using this combo? other 338 input?

 

[Timber338]

The 210 would not be my personal choice to shoot/hunt with the 338 Lapua. I look at that like buying a full size $60k diesel to tow a jetski. Can you do it? sure. I don't believe it is optimizing the potential of the Lapua case capacity. The low BC of the 210 TSX is going to drift a whole lot in the wind and it's going to limit your effective range. If you're not planning on shooting beyond about 750 yards, then you can do it, but then you also don't really need a Lapua to do that.

Run some numbers and compare wind drift of the 210 TSX compared to something like the 225 Accubond and see how they come out. While you're at it, throw in a few more bullets like the 250 berger EH, 280 LRX, 300 Berger and 300 Accubond. Once you compare some energy and wind drift numbers of the various bullets maybe you'll change your mind. Maybe not, but at least you'll have facts to back up your bullet choice.

 

[degreen]

I bought a Savage 111 lrh in 338 Lapua about 2 years ago, and after finding out the hard way that sierra Gamekings do not like to be shot in my rifle I switched to Bergers. Since then I have enjoyed shooting it without having to knock stuck brass out of the chamber with a cleaning rod. I haven't had the chance to shoot anything but steel with it yet, but am looking forward to seeing how it does on antelope, deer, and elk. My Savage 111 actually weighs less than my Springfield chambered in 30-338 win when both rifles are bare. Loaded the Lapua is barely heavier. Both rifles have 26" barrels. The idea that the Lapua has extreme recoil is a bunch of crap. Mine has less recoil than my 30-338 win. using 180 grain bullets at about 3000 fps.

 

[Broz]

The 210 would not be my personal choice to shoot/hunt with the 338 Lapua. I look at that like buying a full size $60k diesel to tow a jetski. Can you do it? sure. I don't believe it is optimizing the potential of the Lapua case capacity. The low BC of the 210 TSX is going to drift a whole lot in the wind and it's going to limit your effective range. If you're not planning on shooting beyond about 750 yards, then you can do it, but then you also don't really need a Lapua to do that.

Run some numbers and compare wind drift of the 210 TSX compared to something like the 225 Accubond and see how they come out. While you're at it, throw in a few more bullets like the 250 berger EH, 280 LRX, 300 Berger and 300 Accubond. Once you compare some energy and wind drift numbers of the various bullets maybe you'll change your mind. Maybe not, but at least you'll have facts to back up your bullet choice.

Right on and remember velocity ruins just as much meat as bullet weight. Placement with either is king.

Jeff

 

[Bravo 4]

A 26" .30-06 AI can push a 185 VLD over 2,900 fps... I'd say that's pretty fair level of performance.

As smart as you think you are, and as dumb as you think I am (apparently), I still don't understand why you would waste a $1.00 projectile and a firing on your brass that was derated, when you could simply buy the proper rifle to begin with. If you load the rifle down to hunt locally, then it's obvious that you don't need a rifle that powerful to begin with. If you hunt out of state a lot, then that's one thing, but if you never hunt out of state where you need something of that caliber, then why own it? There is always that "because I wanted it" factor, and if that's the case, then why not load up full-power loads and go shoot it? Last I checked there are no elk, caribou, moose, or brown bear in Louisiana. And more whitetails per year are killed with more .243, .270 and .30-06 rifles than anything else.

I hunt with a 7mm RemMag, as well. But even it is slightly overkill for whitetails. But I like the flat trajectory.

I don't think you are dumb, I just think you are biased and hypocritical. Well maybe comparing a 30-06 (with any amount of improving) with 185 vld to a 300 grain vld at the same or more speed sounds a little dumb.
You are the same guy that will bust on the "338 fan boys" and then a few posts later talk about how bad *** his mustang is and how he wants to turn it into a 1200+ hp machine. To me that is overkill and a huge waste of money, but I won't bust on people for doing what they like. My .408 or .338 is your mustang, I like hotrod rifles and you like hotrod cars.
So do I think you are dumb? Probably not. A know it all? The more posts I read of yours the more I think so. A "7mm STW fan boy" definitely! Bro

 

[MudRunner2005]

Right on and remember velocity ruins just as much meat as bullet weight. Placement with either is king.

Jeff

Truth. Regardless of caliber.

 

[57goldtopman]

something I really would like to know. if you are going to say that it is too much for anything under 700 yards....you need to provide some type of explanation as to why. this is what I am looking for. a lot of posts online have that same statement....nobody but nobody explains....why?

from my point of view, it would appear I should therefore buy a rifle for ...
whitetail...0-200 yards
whitetail....200-400 yards
whitetail....greater than 400 yards
elk....0-100 yards
elk...100-200 yards
hunting in thick woods
hunting in mountain ranges
hunting in between.

does not make sense. I will not be picking up rifles for all possible scenarios. will make it work with what I have...hopefully with one.

so...not to insult anyone but here are questions.
all having to do with hunting with the 338 Lapua.

1. what if a white tail is shot within 200 yards? with barnes 210 tsx, with berger 300 grain?
2. what if feral hogs are hunted at any range?
3. what if hunting moose in Maine....lets say 50-300 yards with either bullet?

 

[MudRunner2005]

I don't think you are dumb, I just think you are biased and hypocritical. Well maybe comparing a 30-06 (with any amount of improving) with 185 vld to a 300 grain vld at the same or more speed sounds a little dumb.
You are the same guy that will bust on the "338 fan boys" and then a few posts later talk about how bad *** his mustang is and how he wants to turn it into a 1200+ hp machine. To me that is overkill and a huge waste of money, but I won't bust on people for doing what they like. My .408 or .338 is your mustang, I like hotrod rifles and you like hotrod cars.
So do I think you are dumb? Probably not. A know it all? The more posts I read of yours the more I think so. A "7mm STW fan boy" definitely! Bro

The guy I quoted used the .30-06 as HIS comparison, not mine. I just continued with that comparison. I am biased. So are you. So are all of us. I own calibers from .22LR up to .45-70 Govt. I don't care what caliber you use, but more and more people make excuses to buy, instead of using the main one... "Because I wanted it." Which is the most acceptable one. Do I need 1/2 the calibers I have? Hell no... But I wanted them. So I built them or bought them. Which is why if someone said they wanted a .50 BMG for hunting jackrabbits at 300 yards, because they wanted to and because they can, I would laugh and move along. What gets me is when people say you "have" to have a certain caliber to kill certain animals. I'm pretty sure our ancestors killed them with muzzleloaders 150 years ago. And 1000 years before that with pointy sticks and rocks. So I just find it funny whenever people say they "need" or "have" to have a certain caliber for something.

A know it all? Definitely not. There's a lot of things I don't know, and will never know. But I do know a little bit about a couple of things, and that tends to **** people off. Am I opinionated, most definitely. So are you. So is everyone. Everyone likes to think their opinion is correct. If people always thought their opinion meant less than everyone else's, nobody would ever voice their's, because they wouldn't think it mattered. Make sense?

As for a hypocrite....Aren't we all in our own way?

I have not mentioned the STW not one single time in this entire thread. Which I find funny that you brought up.

 

[MontanaRifleman]

so now I find myself leaning more toward the Lapua. considering hunting with the Barnes 210 tsx. anyone else using this combo? other 338 input?

210 gr Barnes would greatly reduce the potential of the 338. Not only is the BC very poor but you are also getting a very low SD. Go with the 300 Bergers and if you don't want to go with so-called "target bullets" (which many have used with great success in taking game) then go with 275 A-Frames.

The 338 LM is an awsome cartridge and I plan to add one to my portfolio. I recently had a 300 RUM built and I am real happy with it but looking back, wish I had gone 338. Time to save up for an LRKM Terminator.

 

[RonS]

I bought a Savage 111 lrh in 338 Lapua about 2 years ago, and after finding out the hard way that sierra Gamekings do not like to be shot in my rifle I switched to Bergers. Since then I have enjoyed shooting it without having to knock stuck brass out of the chamber with a cleaning rod. I haven't had the chance to shoot anything but steel with it yet, but am looking forward to seeing how it does on antelope, deer, and elk. My Savage 111 actually weighs less than my Springfield chambered in 30-338 win when both rifles are bare. Loaded the Lapua is barely heavier. Both rifles have 26" barrels. The idea that the Lapua has extreme recoil is a bunch of crap. Mine has less recoil than my 30-338 win. using 180 grain bullets at about 3000 fps.

That's interesting. I had the 111 LRH and traded it for the BA110 (now thinking about trading that for the FCP). I think they have the same barrel, same length and same twist rate anyway but different muzzle breaks. I was having trouble getting 250 grain bullets to shoot as well as I wanted. My barrels just seemed to like the 300's so now I'm using 300 SMK's running them at a little over 2800 fps with no stuck brass and 1/2 MOA accuracy (in ideal conditions when I do my part). The load is 90 grains of H1000, 300 SMK's set .020 off the lands. Didn't even think of going to that light weight of a bullet with the 1-9 twist. What kind of accuracy and velocity are you getting and what does your load look like?

 

[degreen]

I am still working on load development. I didn't think about single loading until reading a post on this forum concerning berger 300 grain vld's, and their long noses a few months ago. I am not sure if I should start with powder and charge or seating depth first. I have used h-1000 and retumbo, but have been reading that retumbo is dirty. So might stick with h-1000.

 

[MudRunner2005]

I am still working on load development. I didn't think about single loading until reading a post on this forum concerning berger 300 grain vld's, and their long noses a few months ago. I am not sure if I should start with powder and charge or seating depth first. I have used h-1000 and retumbo, but have been reading that retumbo is dirty. So might stick with h-1000.

Sometimes, on magazine length restricted guns, like DBM guns or Brownings, I pick a seating depth that allows me to be able to use it as a repeater, then I ladder-test with powder charges to find the most consistent node. Can't guarantee anything, but it has worked on several of mine.

Hope this helps.

 

[RonS]

I am still working on load development. I didn't think about single loading until reading a post on this forum concerning berger 300 grain vld's, and their long noses a few months ago. I am not sure if I should start with powder and charge or seating depth first. I have used h-1000 and retumbo, but have been reading that retumbo is dirty. So might stick with h-1000.

I'd read that Retumbo was dirty but I haven't noticed it to be any worse than H1000. I'm running H1000 at this point because I had to settle on something and I didn't notice a lot of difference in accuracy once I found loads that were in tune with the harmonics of my rifle.

I always single feed also so I don't worry about OAL. I always start at .020 off the lands as measured with the Hornady comparitor. Be aware that when measuring to the ogive the distance to the lands will be different for every bullet weight/type. Once I know the distance to the lands for the bullets I want to try I vary the bullets and powder charges (1 grain at a time for .338, .2 for something like .223) until something stands out as grouping better. Then I fine tune the load in .2 or .3 grain increments. Once I've got that dialed in I start playing with seating depth to see if it can be tuned further. In the case of the Lapua with the 300 SMK, I did not see a lot of difference when varying from .010 to the .080 range. If you decide that you want to go closer than .010 or jam them then you will want to start the load process over again starting at the bottom charge and working up while looking for pressure signs and grouping. Pressure spikes on the Lapua are nothing to be trifled with. My BVSS .223 with a 1-9 twist likes the Berger 73's jamed so I'm running -.005 on that load. The 6.5 Creedmoor with 140 grain Berger Hybrids I also left at a .020 jump. The Hybrids appear to be a little less sensitive to seating depth than the VLD's and Berger also claims that this is the case.