davewilson
Well-Known Member
bout a half a mile!
.338 EDGE Brass?
- Thread starter idahoelkinstructor
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Long Time Long Ranger
Well-Known Member
Performance wise the difference in the individual barrels could make one faster than the other. There is really hardly any difference. The 340 wby is also right there maybe a 100 fps behind. When Remington introduced the 300 ultramag at the SHOT show Chris Dichter over at Pac-Nor got the specs off the 300 and immediatley got a reamer made in 338 using the same specs. I was building a lot of rifles in those days using Chris's barrels. We assumed Remington would be bringing out a 338 based off that case in the near future because that is what they said at the show. As for as I know Chris had the first 338-300 ultra reamer and I ordered 20 barrels chambered with it which were probably the first ones. So the 338-300 ultramag was started but later remington surprised everybody with a shorter case so it would better feed through the 700 action. Performance difference is trivial. We all found that the mistake actually shot pretty good and a number of other smiths around the country started chambering for it and some calling it by other names. I worked a lot with that case back then from 7mm through 375. All of them shot very well but do best in wby mk 5 actions. The lapua case came out about then and I started working with it quite a bit and modifying it since I had quite a few mk 5 actions lying around that I could easily make fit the lapua. I was trying to find a more efficient cartridge to replace my aging fleet of 338-378's I had been doing since 1979. Like Dave said they are all a wash. Any of them shoot very well and are excellent long range game killers. I ended up sticking with my 338-378's for the extra couple hundred fps they deliver.
I neck both ways depending on what I have on hand. I go through a 8mm die going up and come down through a 358 die. Those 358-300 ultras and 358-378 wby's are also great gamegetters. Just wish there were some good 358 bullets with high bc. I have two of each.
I neck both ways depending on what I have on hand. I go through a 8mm die going up and come down through a 358 die. Those 358-300 ultras and 358-378 wby's are also great gamegetters. Just wish there were some good 358 bullets with high bc. I have two of each.
AJ Peacock
Well-Known Member
So the real question would be, how significant would 1 unit BFD be if you were in the middle of BFE?
BH,
Ha,ha! I wish I'd thought of that!
That's why my Edge is my 'light' long range rifle. If I'm in the middle of BFE, I use my BFG 338AM. It's about 5 BFD units above the Edge!
AJ
Long Time Long Ranger
Well-Known Member
AJ, I love those big 338's off the improved chey-tac case but I can't carry a 20 pound rifle up the mountain. I been thinking about one of those pack goats to use as a gunbearer but then I start worrying about the bear in the way I spelled it. Bunch of grizzlies in a lot of my areas that love goat and I would be stuck with a mean griz eating the goat that has my rifle.
So I just stick to my 338-378's and 338-416 improved which fall exactly half way between the 338-300 ultramag and the 338 allen and 11 pounds ready to hunt. So if it is just BFD between the edge and 338-378 then I figure it is just bfd between the 338-378 and the 338 allen.
So I just stick to my 338-378's and 338-416 improved which fall exactly half way between the 338-300 ultramag and the 338 allen and 11 pounds ready to hunt. So if it is just BFD between the edge and 338-378 then I figure it is just bfd between the 338-378 and the 338 allen.
AJ Peacock
Well-Known Member
The velocity difference between my Edge and my Allen mag is around 500fps with the 300SMK. I get 3270fps with my ALLEN. Also, my Allen doesn't weigh 20lbs. It only weighs 18lbs
AJ
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Long Time Long Ranger
Well-Known Member
You have a great rifle! I think the rest of us are just envious. What length barrel does your 338 allen have on it. I would love to have one for cross canyon hunting off the 4 wheeler. Thanks for the reply.
AJ Peacock
Well-Known Member
BH Hunter
Well-Known Member
AJ: I know, it's rare that I crack a funny and I had to share...
Long Time Long Ranger
Well-Known Member
That sounds right in there with my 338-300 ultras. They shoot best in the high 2700's with the 300 matchking. I have a 338-378 and a 338-416 imp with 31" barrels and they shoot at 3100 fps but I rarely hunt with them because of the weight. The 338-378 I hunt with the most is a 28" hart barrel that shoots the 300 at 3000 fps, the 200 at 3600 fps, the 250 at 3300 fps and the 225 at 3450 fps. It weighs almost 11 pounds scoped out with bipod and is about as light as I can get one and still be accurate at long range. Elk in the 700-800 yard range have got to be fairly trivial with it.
