.338 lapua improved on ti action

It was a big Lawton with a lot of work into it.

Wachsmann said:

That's funny about the rem 700. I had always thought the 338 police model had a larger footprint and bolt for the larger case. Its somewhat interesting that remington would just open the bolt face up to fit a 338LM.

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I've read that the Rem 700 and savage 338 Lapua actions have .050" larger lugs and some are chrome moly. Whether that's correct Idk. If a guy had one they seem to sell pretty high, I would sell it and buy a custom action. The 700 will probably be fine for mild loads but who wants to build something on the Lapua case and not run it at its full potential. In my opinion the Savage or Rem actions aren't worthy of the Lapua case. By the time you have them fully blueprinted you've spent close to the cost of custom anyway and have a lot less of an action also the smaller tenon size is not ideal. That being said I have custom 700s but none with a .590 bolt.

I built my 338 Lapua on a Surgeon action. My hunting 338 is a 338 UM on a 700 for all the reasons Borden lays out. I cannot count how many times I've made that same argument to people who just cannot accept that truth, lapua diameter, pressure, tensile strenght of action and bolt are a disaster waiting to happen. It may not have happened yet, but it is not a questionof if but of when a 700 class Lapua action goes bump in the face.

Clearly the UM is a more efficient cartridge. Mine knocks 8" plates down at 1000 yards and while I would not call it a mountain rifle, it's pretty lite.

The Savage Lapua action has substantially larger bolt lugs and there is a difference in the heat treat and machining in the action to bolster the lug abutments, the large shank 20 tpi threads leave a little more meat on the shank, it's the closest factory action I would use but having to buy a rifle to get the action your right at the value of an excellent action like the Curtis to build a truly awesome Lapua on.

bigngreen said:

The Savage Lapua action has substantially larger bolt lugs and there is a difference in the heat treat and machining in the action to bolster the lug abutments, the large shank 20 tpi threads leave a little more meat on the shank, it's the closest factory action I would use but having to buy a rifle to get the action your right at the value of an excellent action like the Curtis to build a truly awesome Lapua on.

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Hmmm...Curtis you say? Your opinion has swayed?

adam32 said:

Hmmm...Curtis you say? Your opinion has swayed?

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Yes, the last one I played with was spot on.

I spoke with BAT Friday, they are making a lightened version of their HR action. Should weigh in around 29-30oz.

I may scrap tho idea and just cut some weight off my current .300 win mag. It's a Kevin rayhill and I like it but it's just over 11lbs. Never seemed heavy till I built my full ti and carbo one. So I may strip the nightforce off it and place a March 2.5-25 on it to cut a bit of weight.

This seems to be talked about a lot. I don't think Remington would sell a 338 Lapua on their remington 700 if their testing saw a problem with it. They don't like getting sued right?

I have had 700 actions come in with lugs set back enough I scrapped them. The customers had no idea they were that bad. Keep in mind many custom .580 bolt face actions have even smaller lugs than a rem 700 does. No thanks. We have options. The difference in action cost is a small part of the total rifle build. Might as well have the best.