338 ultra ? dead or still being used?

[del2les]

Still going strong in my area.

 

[brentc]

I've had a 338 RUM for years. My first was a Remington XCR that stacked 225 TTSX into clusters at 3100 fps. I filled several freezers with it sold it to my brother in law and it's still filling freezers. My new one is a semi custom Rem 700 with a Christensen barrel. This one tuned in fantastically with the 270 ELD-X at 2965 fps. Like BnG said, it's absolutely deadly.

 

[CooperNV]

I picked up a 700 special deluxe NOS, a few years ago cheap. A buddy was wanting to kill elk at +500 yards. I figured it would need some work to shoot sub moa and I was prepared to rebarrel it to an edge.
All it took was to bed into a b&c stock, trigger work and a muscle break. It will consistantly shoot sub moa out 600yrds maybe further I have not shot it any farther. 225 gr accubond and h1000.
My buddy thought it would kick to hard! Lol.. I kept the gun and it's a freight train on game. My go to rifle.

 

[arch408]

Had a take off stainless Remington factory barrel given to me by some one who told me the recoil was brutal, and was greater than his .416 Rigby. Ordered a M700 UltraMag long action and all parts. I blue printed and trued the action, precision ground the recoil lug to set the headspace and ordered a M700 SPS factory stock. I built and installed a muzzle brake. Even with a light weight barrel and stock, the recoil is very manageable and not at all uncomfortable, although muzzle blast will definately get bystanders attention. Several people have shot the rifle and everybody agreed that it was very manageable. Accuracy is pretty good with the factory rounds I tried. I found some Nosler ammo on sale for less than a box of brass. I haven't worked up any loads for it yet. The guy I the barrel from worked up loads with 98 to 101 grains of RL25 and a Nosler Partition bullet that averaged less than 1 MOA. I have the target. I really like the build and the only thing I would do different would be to use a Wyatt magezine box so I seat the bullets out further. I think I paid about $55.00 for a box of Nosler ammo with 225gr Accubonds. Nosler brass is around $68.00 for a box of 25. BTW, Nosler uses the .338 RUM for accuracy testing. Also, you can make the brass out of .300 RUM brass if you have to. Remington .300 RUM brass is less than 1/2 the price of Nosler or ADG (if you can find it). You will probably loose a few rounds reforming it. I bought the reamer and headspace gauges, to insure that I will always gave a .338 RUM.

 

[Tarheelpwr]

Is there a consensus for optimum COAL? I've always wanted a big .338, so I'd like to start stashing parts for a build.

COAL will help with actions to start with.

 

[Aoudad shooter1975]

Looked at building a RUM but brass was always a issue at the time project was coming together..but I do have a 338 Norma and had a 33 Nosler..and for all around it is hard to beat a fast 338..if I had to hunt with only one rifle..a accurate fast 338 stoked with a good quality 225 and 250 grain bullet pushed as fast as it could be accurate would be my choice.

 

[jarnold37]

338 RUM was one of my first long range rifles. Or what I thought was long range way back then. Capable of hurling 180 grain accubonds over 3600 fps for short range rounds that will seldom see a deer size do anything but fall in their tracks.
And it's also a very formidable long range gun. In one of my questionable R&D sessions testing a 27" krieger barrel, I reached 3000FPS with 3000 grain SMKs. However this is not something I would recommend.
I've not played with this rifle in many years. Now, with the better options in brass, I may have to break it back out and warm it up!

I also have 338 RUM with 12" twist 30" Lilja and have had good results with 180 accubond. 3550 fps. Also have 338-378 shooting 300 SMK and 30-378 using 165 and 180 grains. Shot broadside doe at 752 yds with the 300 SMK and she ran 60 yds like not even hit. Exit hole about 1" and 2" hole in the ground after passing through the deer. It seems to me the 180 accubond with 600fps advantage dissipates the full energy without a "pass through" leaving half of the remaining energy hitting the ground. I am not very concerned that BC is less, just another click or two on the scope. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[Gryphon]

I've got my RUM in various stages of completion. I poured over specs, bullets, brass and powders for a good long while before I decided. For most practical purposes, with modern bullets and powder, the 338RUM meets or beats the lapua for less money. It'll run the same weight bullet, from the same length barrel at the same or better speeds. The, you aren't stuck with a lapua sized action and bolt, just a good standard magnum long action. In the little I've shot mine, I was running 300gr SMK's at a leisurely 2850 from ADG brass with 8133 powder. No signs of pressure. Good sized case, efficient, lots of bullets and can be built on a magnum standard action, what else could you want?

Exact same reasons I chose the Ultra over the Lapua.

 

[rogerstep]

I am putting together a build right now on this cartridge. I am waiting on Krieger to ship my barrel. I have new ADG brass, Action has been blue printed and a jewel trigger installed. I have RL 33, 250 gr Sierra bullets, and Federal 215GM primers to work up load.

 

[rogerstep]

I would think the 338 Ultra would be a great long range hunting cartridge for Large game. Is anyone still using it or has the Lapua and 30 & 338 short mags made it obsolete?

Love mine use 300 grn Barnes with 90grns. H1000. Have not had an elk take more than 10 steps
befor they layed down and assumed room temperature

 

[Cold Trigger Finger]

I had a 338 RUM , factory stainless M700 .
My needs/wants differed from most here at the time. I needed a medium bore deer rifle that would knock a brown bear down at very close range if need be.
I worked up a load with 275 gr Kodiak Bonded Core bullets . I forget the powder charge . But I settled on 2850 fps. Never got to kill a bear with it.
I had worked all the way up to 2950 fps , but decided to back off to prolong brass life.
This was before the modern Accubonds and heavy LRX Barnes bullets.
I put a 4 power Leupold on it. Had no trouble keeping 3 shots under 1 moa@100 yards.
I would like another one. Built on a Mausingfield action, 10" twist 26" SS barrel and some brand of good muzzle brake. Set up to weigh not more than 10 lbs without bipod. With a 2-10 to 4-16 power mid to top tier scope . It would be really hard to beat as an all Alaskan big game rifle. Probably could even get away with a 24" barrel.
I have always wanted a 340 Whby but never had one built. A stainless Model 70 , 375 length action would be an easy fit. And as long as a guy could find similar length belted brass he'd be up and shooting.
That is my only hesitation with building a 338 RUM. Brass availability.

 

[Lefty G-gear]

I put together a long distance .338 RUM earlier this year with a Northern Action, and Bartlein barrel. I had a 15lb .338 Lapua that looked great, but just couldn't be toted around. If you take a look at the ballistics charts, the .338RUM is right in the same class as the Lapua. For $1.50 to $2.25 per round for the decent stuff, it's half the price of Lapua, and much easier to find tipped with proper hunting bullets. Not everyone is shooting long distance competition and sending rounds downrange at $5-$7 a pop. I'm very, very happy with my choice. Now....time for a suppressor.

.338 RUM AMMO ($ Low to High $3.18/rd. to $...) https://ammoseek.com/ammo/338rum

.338 LAPUA AMMO ($ Low to High $2.15/rd. to $...) https://ammoseek.com/ammo/338-lapua-magnum

 

[Lefty G-gear]

THINGS HAVE CHANGED!

.338 RUM AMMO ($ Low to High $3.18/rd. to $...) https://ammoseek.com/ammo/338rum

.338 LAPUA AMMO ($ Low to High $2.15/rd. to $...) https://ammoseek.com/ammo/338-lapua-magnum

Plus, I found more stock rifles in .338 LAPUA than RUM.
https://www.cheaperthandirt.com/cat...60.444877&pp=30&sortby=priceAscend&sortType=1

 

[MtEmilyhntr]

I am a big fan of the 338 RUM. After shooting a 338 win for 26+ years I wanted something to push the bigger bullets a little faster. My cousin and I both ordered the X2 through Montana Rifle Company and received our rifles in late January of 2018. I was hoping to work up to a mile that year and went right past it within a few months. The guns have performed with great accuracy out to 1950 yards. Gun shoots sub 1/2 MOA.....and I had a Penney cover a 3 shot group at 200 yards with a recent load. Rl26, Retumbo, and IMR8133 have all performed in this rifle. Nosler 265 ABLR, Hornady 270 ELDX, and the Hornady 285 ELD bullets have all been shot out to 1950 yards.