.338 Lapua on small shank savage action

[Hunterx787]

Ive been planning on building a 338 Lapua on a savage 110 action from a 300wm. I just recived the barrel from Mcgowen yesterday, while looking for the bolt face which I found at midway and the firing pin kit part #105750 that I cannot locate I came across several forums stating that a 338 Lapua build on a small shank action is a bad idea. Most of what I read indicated that the small shank action would not be able to handle the pressure and that the bolt lugs would also be to weak. Any input would be appreciated, and if it is not a feasible course of action to pursue it what options do I have? It is 32" finished length so I have some room to work with cutting it back and rethreading it but im unsure if it would have the diameter to fit anything else.

 

[J E Custom]

The 338 Win Mag is a simple change and It has plenty of power.

The Lapua is a vary large case and uses up to much barrel on a small shank Savage and does about the same ballisticly as the 338 rum and less than the 338 Edge without eating up so much shank.

If I were you, I would consider a 338 Win Mag for the small shank Savage.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Hunterx787]

Thank you for the reply. So it would be unsafe to do? But a 338 edge would work?

 

[Dgd6mm]

Is the 110 action with a .300WM barrel a small shank or large? If it is large you can do a .338 Edge.

 

[Hunterx787]

Its a small shank action

 

[bigngreen]

If your contour is set up for a standard action with a nut your stuck, the issue is you'll have to cut the whole chamber of a Lapua of to chamber a RUM cases but that would mean you have a lot of straight shank to work with which you may but not many will, the RUM's are fine on a standard shank.

There are some who have ran the Lapua on the standard shank and it's been fine BUT it's minimal at the very best, I would not use Lapua brass cause it will mask a lot of pressure, Norma brass will give you a better feel. I would keep things real conservative!! The issue is the chamber swelling and causing extraction issues and possibly breaking the nut.

 

[Dgd6mm]

Savage used to put the magnums on a standard shank action before they went to building large shanks.

 

[J E Custom]

Savage used to put the magnums on a standard shank action before they went to building large shanks.

They , like everyone else finally realized that with reloading becoming more popular in order to gain velocity a larger shank was needed to minimize the chamber expansion, making extraction easier.

When a rifle/firearm is fired the chamber will expand. it will return to it's original dimension when pressure drops because it has not yielded (The pressure did not exceed yield strength) but the brass has reach yield and does not return to its original size so the chamber is now squeezing the brass
making extraction harder.

The thicker the chamber walls the less effort it takes to extract. so the largest shank that is practical is always best.

For the big high pressure cases (64,000 Psi) I prefer the 1.250 + shank diameter and prefer to barrel the savages without the barrel nut so I can use a 1.250 barrel shank to add that extra .250
of chamber wall.

This is just my preference is not necessary as long as factory loads are used(Lower pressures and velocities) extraction should not be a problem.

So in my opinion, the small shank should not be used for cases larger than the Standard Magnums (.540)

J E CUSTOM

 

[Dgd6mm]

J E Custom, well put and good info for those that don't know these things and are considering amagnum build on a Savage action. I have the same opinion that you have on the actions but don't mind using the nut on a large shank magnum.

 

[geargrinder]

Regular magnums and RUM's are just fine on small shank actions. Myself, and a ton of other folks have run WSM's and RUM on small shanks with no negative results.

The bigger Lapua/Weatherby sized rim diameters is where the line needs to be drawn. These deliver forces that small shank actions were not designed to handle.

 

[J E Custom]

J E Custom, well put and good info for those that don't know these things and are considering amagnum build on a Savage action. I have the same opinion that you have on the actions but don't mind using the nut on a large shank magnum.

Thanks. the reason I do away with the barrel nut, it gives the barrel shank almost another 1/4"
and still stays slightly smaller than the receiver for a nice look.

It also reduces the number of thread fits that if not made correctly could cause accuracy issues.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Dgd6mm]

I own 3 different Savage rifles with shouldered barrels. I know why this is done.

 

[Shoalwater]

I did a ton of research on this about a year ago as I have a lot of savages and love being able to do the work myself. The problem is not really the pressure as there are a ton of rounds out there that create the same pressures of the Lapua based rounds, but rather it is the bolt thrust they produce due to the .588 case head diameter. If you look at the Factory Savages that are produced in 338 Lapua they use not only a large shank action, but also it is a closed top action and the internal receiver lugs and the bolt lugs are larger than the standard magnum receivers. I like McGowen but they did you a disservice building that barrel for you in a small shank. You would have to chop off a lot of the barrel, and unless it is a straight cylinder or something similar on the contour you may not be able to chop that much out of it. If there is enough meat there, you could run an Edge or straight 338 Rum on the action, but due to loaded cartridge length you will most likely have to shoot it as a single shot.

 

[J E Custom]

I did a ton of research on this about a year ago as I have a lot of savages and love being able to do the work myself. The problem is not really the pressure as there are a ton of rounds out there that create the same pressures of the Lapua based rounds, but rather it is the bolt thrust they produce due to the .588 case head diameter. If you look at the Factory Savages that are produced in 338 Lapua they use not only a large shank action, but also it is a closed top action and the internal receiver lugs and the bolt lugs are larger than the standard mag.


+1 this is the reason I choose big actions like the Weatherby mark 5 for the 30/338 Lapua and the 338 Lapua. Bolt loading is also part of my concern with the small shank Savage.

To help understand bolt loading read this, = look at the difference in the 338 win and the 378 Weatherby (They both produce 64.000 Psi) and the Lapua has a larger case head and with the heaver brass, can easily reach higher pressures, Loading the bolt even more.

Pressures and bolt thrust

J E CUSTOM