338... a revisit on a specific build.

[Kristopher Megahan]

I am new to the forums. When I got here the first thing I did was search and read, but I wasn't satisfied. I hope to re-stimulate this conversation and get some new insights.

I currently shoot "long" (<-- Recognise this is relative) with a 6.5-284 Norma I built. I love it, but I have been shooting it a long time and I want to hunt further. I regularly and effectively take down white tails and pigs at 300-400 yards without difficulty (several kills a year and zero losses, rarely do I have to track more than a few yards), but I want to reach out further and I believe, 338 it the way to do that. It should be noted that I reload. So....

338...

• I want it to be as light as possible and as short as possible. It will always be suppressed...So how light can it be? How short can it be? Remember it will always have a suppressor on the end.
• This is not a discussion about platforms, as I am working that out on my own, though I will take input on platforms should someone feel the need to profess. The final rifle will be a bolt with a magazine though, so the cartridge will need to reliably feed from a magazine.
• For this thought experiment, I want a rifle that can shoot and kill a bull elk ethically at 1000 yds, so that If I can ever get good enough to do it, the rifle is there with me.
• Which one? I reload, but I don't form my own brass, and I like being able to reload the same brass a lot. RUM? Lapua? Nosler? Norma?
• Thoughts on Chamber dimensions? Barrel will be custom, I can cut the chamber to saami and then load for what works in it, but I would love to here if you guys have found a custom leade length and throat that worked well for you in a given caliber.
• Rifling stlyes?
• Twist rate?

I look forward to the collective wisdom of this group.

Kristopher

 

[rgvt4]

no matter what you build sound like its going to be a beast. not sure how light you can make a 338 but any of those will work great. i vote lapua or rum

 

[Orange Dust]

Light, big case 338, and long range not a good triangle unless you have icewater for blood. You should consider giving up any one of them and life will be good. My 300 Rum weighs just about 10lbs unloaded and it is the very top end of what I can shoot well at long range. A similar 338 would need to push 14- 15lbs to be as easy to shoot. Even then, both of these will be vastly different than the 6.5 you are used to. Build what you want, and then shoot it a little, very often.

 

[JJMoody]

Been done before. I'd run a 338 Norma on a light action, 22" 9 or 10 twist carbon wrapped bbl and carbon stock with a bdl. Don't think proof goes that short but there's a guy at hells canyon armory making barrels you can actually cut down short. My 26" barreled 28 nosler is sub 7#. You can kill an elk at 1000 with smaller caliber. Personally, I'm dreaming up a 300 Norma that'll do all that and more.

 

[cody finch]

I use a 30 nosler 215s at 3105fps you could easily shoot an elk at 1k if that was your desire,it weighs in at 8pounds 4oz with vx6 3-18 has a break on it,I have made cold bore shots out to 1820 yards its aloft of fun. Longest elk 485 with my 270wsm . 1k on animals is a long ways

 

[cody finch]

Oh I would do 338 rum

 

[Rick Richard]

Had a similar idea as you, but going a different route now. I was thinking a 338 Improved, but was not liking the idea of a heavy rifle to reach full potential for its accuracy. Therefore, I think I can get everything I want for my intended purpose with a 300 Norma Improved and be a lot lighter in weight with a nice rig.

 

[WildBillG]

I am in the same boat except no suppressor. My choice is narrowd down to 33 Nosler. It is as close in powder cosumpsion to 338 Win Mag which I can shoot without a brake. It also gives decent velocity and will fi in a 30-06 length action.

 

[Canhunter35]

For a lighter weight rifle I'd consider a big 30. Might be able to achieve your set ballistics with lighter recoil

 

[Kristopher Megahan]

OK...So far we have 1 Nos, 0.5 Lapua, 1.5 Norma, and 1 RUM for votes. Lots of redirects to 30 cal ( 4 redirects to 30) and only one min weight recommendation of 14 lbs. We also have 9 or 10 twist.
Anybody suppressing a 338? I wonder how much recoil reduction the suppressor will give me.

 

[jcp1967]

My two cents is I own a 338 Lapua that weighs 10.3 lbs with a brake that shoots 250 or 300 bergers .4 or better depending on me. Ive killed bull elk at 645, 702, 877 and 950.
that said with a suppressor it should be managable. Im running a #5 benchmark fluted barrel.

 

[Doublezranch]

I'm not a light gun guy. There's just not enough benefits in my opinion. However I like this mind game you got going. My thought would be a 338 RUM. Mine is so reliable and velocities are very close to the Lapua.

 

[Kristopher Megahan]

Now we have 1 Nos, 1.5 Lapua, 1.5 Norma, and 2 RUM for votes. Lots of redirects to 30 cal ( 4 redirects to 30) and only one min weight recommendation of 14 lbs. We also have a new 10lbs min weight with suppressor....We also have 9 or 10 twist.
Anybody suppressing a 338? I wonder how much recoil reduction the suppressor will give me. One 22" length minimum, but only one comment on length.

I figure most of the time we read and read and read and then just go for it and end up too heavy or too light or too long or too short.....I am hoping the collective will be the right answer.

Interesting that we have six 338's and four "large 30 cals" unsolicited. I have and have had 300 win mag and 308... I dont know why 30 cal doesn't excite me. I guess I want a bigger size jump. When I started this journey I was looking at 375's, but quickly talked myself out of that...338 feels right, big but not too big....right on that fuzzy line of practicality.

 

[WeiserBucks]

Been done before. I'd run a 338 Norma on a light action, 22" 9 or 10 twist carbon wrapped bbl and carbon stock with a bdl. Don't think proof goes that short but there's a guy at hells canyon armory making barrels you can actually cut down short. My 26" barreled 28 nosler is sub 7#. You can kill an elk at 1000 with smaller caliber. Personally, I'm dreaming up a 300 Norma that'll do all that and more.

I'm doing this as we speak, shorty 338 Norma. Carbon fiber everywhere possible , maybe titanium action , maybe not . I would think it'll end up around 10 lbs ready to shoot with a heavy scope and Atlas bipod.