I got a great deal on a Savage 110BA from a friend who wanted to unload it so he could finance a 3000 dollar bicycle. I had no idea you could drop 3 grand on a bicycle, but apparently you can drop a lot more than that, even.
Anyway, I got the rifle, a Starlight case, Harris S bi-pod with notched legs... a set of Lyman dies, 100 virgin Lapua cases... and 80 rounds of Hornady factory match ammo (which was 90+ dollars per box of 20)... and I almost forgot, a Leupold Mark 4 8.5 to 25, ER/T (with the front focal plane)... for 3000 dollars. That's close to 2000 cheaper than he paid, but he does that sort of thing often.
Anyway, I'm happy with the rifle, the scope... everything. It shoots great, can't complain.
However, I think if I were going to finance another extreme range project, I'd go with the 300 Remington Ultra Magnum, mainly for the cost of brass, and the availability of bullets. I think 30 cal bullets are available that can fly as well as the majority of the .338 stuff available.
And the RUM brass is only around a buck a case, verses close to 3 dollars per case for the Lapua magnum.
I've just ran into issues procuring the 300 grain SMK's I've been shooting as well... Sierra is apparently 2 months behind on production, and all the major distributors are fresh out. I've got about 120 bullets to do me for the next 6 weeks...
So consider it, guys... if you're studying on a .338LM, take all this into consideration... and ask yourself, what can it really do that a 300 RUM pushing 240's can't?
Dan
Anyway, I got the rifle, a Starlight case, Harris S bi-pod with notched legs... a set of Lyman dies, 100 virgin Lapua cases... and 80 rounds of Hornady factory match ammo (which was 90+ dollars per box of 20)... and I almost forgot, a Leupold Mark 4 8.5 to 25, ER/T (with the front focal plane)... for 3000 dollars. That's close to 2000 cheaper than he paid, but he does that sort of thing often.
Anyway, I'm happy with the rifle, the scope... everything. It shoots great, can't complain.
However, I think if I were going to finance another extreme range project, I'd go with the 300 Remington Ultra Magnum, mainly for the cost of brass, and the availability of bullets. I think 30 cal bullets are available that can fly as well as the majority of the .338 stuff available.
And the RUM brass is only around a buck a case, verses close to 3 dollars per case for the Lapua magnum.
I've just ran into issues procuring the 300 grain SMK's I've been shooting as well... Sierra is apparently 2 months behind on production, and all the major distributors are fresh out. I've got about 120 bullets to do me for the next 6 weeks...
So consider it, guys... if you're studying on a .338LM, take all this into consideration... and ask yourself, what can it really do that a 300 RUM pushing 240's can't?
Dan