338 Lapua/338 Lapua Improved/338 Lapua Ackley Improved

C.O. Shooter

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2011
Messages
3,151
Location
Pennsylvania
What are the major differences? From what I have read, the Ackley is the way to go? I understand the shoulder is a big factor. Anyone have a picture of the three side by side?

Thanks
 
Last edited:
Re: 338 Laupa/338 Laupa Improved/338 Laupa Ackley Improved

The Lapua Improved and AI are two in the same. It will just vary as too which shoulder angle the gunsmith doing the barrel has a reamer for. The plain Lapua will do the job too. It will be about 75-100fps slower.

Tank
 
Re: 338 Laupa/338 Laupa Improved/338 Laupa Ackley Improved

Most guys are getting about EDGE velocities with the 338 Lapua--right around 2800fps-2850fps with the 300 grainers out there and a 30" barrel, give or take. Most guys with the Lap Imps are getting around 2950. I get an average MV of 2976fps with the 300g Berger and 101g Rebumbo and a 29" Rock Creek barrel. Just have to decide what you want.

Added a pic:

2399212830068902019S600x600Q85.jpg


L-R: 338 Lap case, 338 AX (Kirby Allen's Lap Imp. w/ 300SMK), 300RUM w/ 240SMK, 265g .338 ULD RBBT AT Wildcat bullet, 225 AB, 240 SMK.
 
Last edited:
Looking for opinions on creating a 338 Lapua/338 Lapua Improved/338 Lapua Ackley Improved on a WBY MKV Action? Thoughts, ideas, comments, concerns are welcome! More than likely would be using a 300 grain bullet and a 30" pipe! Thanks!
 
Looking for opinions on creating a 338 Lapua/338 Lapua Improved/338 Lapua Ackley Improved on a WBY MKV Action? Thoughts, ideas, comments, concerns are welcome! More than likely would be using a 300 grain bullet and a 30" pipe! Thanks!

I'm considering this also, I have a .338-.378 now and I'll rebarrel it and from what I've found the benefits would be better quality brass than the Weatherby at a cheaper price and similar performance. The down sides would be that you have to fire form your own brass, find a smith with the reamer and come up with the dies for the Lapua Improved.

Gus
 
See: Home Page

Kirby Allen's website. 'Fiftydriver' here.

He'll fireform cases for you, chamber and provide dies for the 338AX pictured above. It's got around a 35 deg shoulder.

I'm sure there's other folks that will do all that, but Kirby's the only one I know of. He's contributed enormously over the years to this site, personally helping many of us understand what's what.
 
Ive finally had enough of the lapua crap. In the early eighties when Lapua was still just an itch in his old mans balls there was Roy weatherby. A gunsmith in riudoso new Mexico named butch Jacobs ( since deceased) built me a tack driver based on the .340 weatherby cartridge. Using a Remington action ,a Douglas air gauged no.7 taper 27 inch barrel and one of the first pillar bedded stocks he proceeded to build a tack driver. I started with 375 h and h brass necked down and then fire formed to fit the old girl perfectly. Using 88 gns of imr 7828 powder this system would chrono at 3250 and still get ten reloads out of every piece of brass. The most accurate was the smk 250 gn but the most punishing on elk was the 250 nobler partition and these would still shoot 3rds into a 1/2 inch at a hundred. Too any bull elk died under Sarah... My pet name for her to be counted. God bless you butch you were way ahead of your time.
 
Ive finally had enough of the lapua crap. In the early eighties when Lapua was still just an itch in his old mans balls there was Roy weatherby. A gunsmith in riudoso new Mexico named butch Jacobs ( since deceased) built me a tack driver based on the .340 weatherby cartridge. Using a Remington action ,a Douglas air gauged no.7 taper 27 inch barrel and one of the first pillar bedded stocks he proceeded to build a tack driver. I started with 375 h and h brass necked down and then fire formed to fit the old girl perfectly. Using 88 gns of imr 7828 powder this system would chrono at 3250 and still get ten reloads out of every piece of brass. The most accurate was the smk 250 gn but the most punishing on elk was the 250 nobler partition and these would still shoot 3rds into a 1/2 inch at a hundred. Too any bull elk died under Sarah... My pet name for her to be counted. God bless you butch you were way ahead of your time.
And you can get 15+ reloads on Lapua 338 Lapua brass even when using heavy loads. And how many pieces of that 375h&h brass did you have to cull?
 
There are some fast barrels out there but 3250fps out of a 27" barrel with 250gr bullets in a .340 Weatherby is more like magical when most only do 2950fps.
 
Magical or not it's accurate. To be fair the rifle range in riudoso is just a hair higher than 7000 ft above sea level. My point is however that weatherby was a genius and developed most of his ammo in the fifties with out the aid of computers. My load was a max load at the time as you could hear the long extruded powder crunch as you seated the bullets. who knows what old bj could've done with some of these newer powders. Hell we could get almost 2900 fps out of a 300 gn. Tungsten carbide solid that someone came out with ( I believe it was Sierra) for dangerous game in Africa... I called Sarah my mini 50 when she was loaded up with these. Lapua is nothing new... Just sounds pretty for a bunch of toeheads who like marketing, bet it won't be long before someone comes out with a " zombie" load for the **** thing!!! As p. t. Barnum once said " theres a new sucker born every minute".


Kill one your a murderer...kill a million and your a conquerer.
 
Oh, as far as all this crap about an ackley improved lapua rd. sure sounds like Roy's .338/378 weatherby. Rock on.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 4 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.
Top