338 shopping

[gamedog]

Thanks fellas , now I think I need a 338 long range Elk gun. Any suggestions on what direction? I'm liking the looks of the 338 Edge as far as reloading and ease of building. BUT there are many excellent options (338 RUM , 338 AM , 338-378). How are those 338-378's Wby's doing vs the others? I think as far as cost, the Wby's can easily be beat by a good Rem 700 action. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[msalm]

I'm in the process right now of doing that exact thing. So far I have a Nesika V action with a Mag bolt face (single shot), 28" 5R Rock .338 barrel, McMillian HTR stock (on order) and a Leu Mark IV 6.5-20 with the TMR reticle. I WAS going to chamber in 338 RUM, but the extra 100fps or so with the EDGE version has me on the fence. Still haven't decided on which one to go with, but since I have a 338 RUM reamer available, I may in fact go with that... Good luck in your decision, I think the 338 cal is the right choice, and from there you might want to just decide which bullet you would prefer to use and think about what velocity you would like to see it achieve...then just pick the chamber that would work best...

JMO

 

[Fiftydriver]

For ease of loading and great performance, the Edge is nearly impossible to beat. To step up in performance over this level you need to go with either the 338-378 or my 338 Allen Xpress which will match the big Wby but with less powder and much better cases that cost less as well.

Still you need a receiver that will handle the Lapua class rim size. The 338-378 is a fine round but its limited by soft brass and VERY expensive brass. Thats why I used the 338 Lapua to base my wildcat on.

All depends on what your willing to do to make cases.

The 338 AM is a drastic jump in performance level over all these but its a very specialized round needed certain receivers and large barrels. I form brass for customers so that is not a problem, getting the parent case can be an adventure.

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[gamedog]

Thanks for the reply Kirby. The 338 Edge does have my eye so far. Is the brass difficult to locate for your 338 AM or are certain batches poor quality?

 

[Fiftydriver]

Right now the 408 CT cases are hard to find. I am told buy those making these cases that alot of resources are being spent to get alot of machinery on line to correct this situation and keep a brass supply steady.

Hopefully that will come on line here in the next couple months.

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[Down Under Hunter]

I have just gone through this whole confusing saga over the last 8 months and bugged the hell out of all the great smiths on this site.

If you check the posts over this time concerning 338 cal big guns, I think I covered just about all of them.

In the end it came down to 2. Kirbys 338 AM and DE's 338 edge.

I firstly pursused the AM because it really is cutting edge and is such a huge jump above the rest.

The reasons I settled on the edge were all the reasons Kirby mentioned previously. There was also the extra cost of the AM over the basic rem 700 based rifle. Cost for me was of some concern.

I also have to pack the rifle alot and felt that 15-17 lbs for where I go was a little too heavy for me. I can get the edge to around 13 lbs ??. The real clincher for me was I wanted a rifle that would be a repeater. With the BAT action mainly being used as a single shot, I couldn't make my budget by going to a custom action like the Lawton or the action that Dave Viers uses on the 338 snipe tac.

My all up package custom rifle, NF scope, accesories, softwear, dies , reloading gear etc ended up costing what some guns alone would cost.

I guess it depends on how much splash you have to play with ??

In the end it really is a personal choice for each of us to make for our own personal reasons.

As you can see there is a great community of helpful people on the forum to help you with any bumps along the way.

The great gunsmiths on this site ( 50, SC, DV ) were a massive help to me
in helping with my final choice, with none of them showing any bias of their own gear. They just lay the cards on the table for you to think about.

Keep us all posted.

Cheers

 

[gamedog]

Thanks Down Under. When is your new hot rod making it your way?

 

[Down Under Hunter]

Thanks Down Under. When is your new hot rod making it your way?

No problem pal !

I would like to think that if the wind blows from the right direction that I might see it within the next 2 weeks ? Starting to pace the floor now.

Its been a long road, but the wait is almost over !

If its brown, it's goin down !!