300 Norma build.

That's light weight! Sounds like an awesome rig. I'm aiming for 9-10 pounds scoped. Still trying to put the components together as they are particularly economic. I'd love to see a picture here when you get it.
 
I ended up with the Kelbly Nanook for my 300 Norma Improved just because I could. It has a bigger bore and longer throw. In fact the McMillan stock had to be trimed at the rear of the ejection port to match it's longer opening in the receiver so it would not cause ejection issues.
Remington built a 338 Lapua on the LA. Any distaste for doing a 338 Lapua, etc, in a LA Remington is personal since the strength is there. If strength were an issue for not using them we'd see pics of blown actions plastered on this and other forums. As far as I have seen any blown actions were user error, ie overloaded rounds.
The Remington is not adequate for the Lapua, I've seen two examples of failures one was fatal. I've seen many actions significantly set back even customs, and the tenon diameter is borderline when the upper pressures are reached.
 
Huh... I'd not seen or heard that. I'd be truely interested in the particulars of those incidents. I have been through the metallurgy and it's sound to build a Lapua on a 700. My biggest hesitation is the action length.

Having said that, today is use a Kelbly Nanook like I'm building my Norma on. Spending all that money there's no way I'd do it on a stock action.

An example where the details make a difference is the trigger "accident" that caused Remington to settle the lawsuit and redesign their trigger. It could not be duplicated with the same rifle. Ever. A well known gunsmith told me every Remington trigger he'd ever "fixed" that did have inadvertent fires was full of oil and cleaning solvent. It's one reason I use Tubb triggers! They have open architecture and stuff won't stay in them.

What were the loads the person was shooting? Was there a barrel obstruction? Details do matter.
 
The Remington is not adequate for the Lapua, I've seen two examples of failures one was fatal. I've seen many actions significantly set back even customs, and the tenon diameter is borderline when the upper pressures are reached.
Fatal to the gun or shooter?!!!!
 
Maybe the notion of "upper pressures" should be looked into. To a realist it could mean over pressure if the loads were not pressure tested.
There is a reason there are different size actions, there is zero reason to push safety, a gun going nuclear is so not fun.
We have zero ability to read realtime pressure so the best ANYONE can do is make an educated guess, over time you can do well with that but even then I've seen multiple actions wrecked and the guy didn't think he was in those pressure ranges. Rarely see that with a mag bolt face but go to the Lapua and things start showing that you one the edge with a Rem size actions.
 
Savage builds their .338 LM on a 1-1/16" action (own one).
About 500 rounds down the tube on it, will be rebarreling next year; I've heard that there can be some lug setback so I'll be checking for that.

Clearly, not optimal for the amount of bolt thrust from that cartridge- but I have no doubt it is "adequate"- or Savage Arms, with staff of numerous engineers/metallurgists behind their designs (not to mention lawyers- and what a catastrophic failure would do) would never put it to market. That said- being marginal we keep loads reasonable and don't push the rifle hard.

I look at it sorta like titanium actions- great for hunting rifles that don't see heavy use- and not so good for heavy target/high round count applications.
 

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