Best way to build a 338 RUM

[buckbrush]

My better half has given me the green light to have two guns built. One I have decided to be a 243 AI. I would like to have a 338 RUM built too to shoot the new 250 gr Bergers.

Looking for a repeater with a McMillan A3-5. I need to stay within a budget too so custom actions are probably out. I also want to have 28" barrel length with brake and a contour similar to a Remington Sendero.

Any advice on what parts to start accumulating, most important, the action?

Thanks.

 

[tpbscha]

I found a good deal on a Rem 700 300RUM and just sent the barreled action to Krieger for a 27" fluted #5 barrel.

 

[J E Custom]

My better half has given me the green light to have two guns built. One I have decided to be a 243 AI. I would like to have a 338 RUM built too to shoot the new 250 gr Bergers.

Looking for a repeater with a McMillan A3-5. I need to stay within a budget too so custom actions are probably out. I also want to have 28" barrel length with brake and a contour similar to a Remington Sendero.

Any advice on what parts to start accumulating, most important, the action?

Thanks.

Find a good donor rifle with a magnum bolt face (A 700 REM should be 4 to 500 dollars)

Buy your stock and barrel then take it to a gunsmith and have it put together.

If you could find a 338 RUM 700 Rem it would save you some money but if you want the
McMillan you could even buy a Remington SPS new for the action for about $450.00 and strip
it down, sell the barrel and stock and reduce the price even more.

J E CUSTOM

 

[caveman737]

I found a good deal on a Rem 700 300RUM and just sent the barreled action to Krieger for a 27" fluted #5 barrel.

take lot of pics of projectgun)

 

[Fiftydriver]

To be honest, if you have to purchase the donor receiver, then have it accurized, there are several custom receiver options out there that would get you a better end product as far as strength and rigidity for not much more money at all. In fact a fully accurized Rem 700 will run nearly the same price as a Stiller Predator receiver.

If it were me, I would recommend you step up to a Borden Timberline Magnum receiver which is only another $100 or so and you will have one of the very best receivers made today.

Have the receiver made with a Wyatts 3.820" mag box window, use a Rem 700 BDL floorplate, wyatts box, follower and spring.

Get your McMillan A-3 or A-5 or look at a Manner MCS T4 which is very similiar to the A-5 and turn around is generally much faster.

Add a top end barrel from any of the top makers, put it together correctly and you will have a rifle that will allow you to reach out well past 1000 yards.

The 338 RUM is a great chambering. It gets overlooked alot because of the 338 Lapua and 338 Edge but there are no flies on the 338 RUM either. I just tested tested a customers rifle in 338 RUM that averaged 2740 fps with a 300 gr SMK in a 28" barrel length. Its certainly not the full equal of the Lapua or Edge but its extremely potent at long range and a very accurate chambering.

I would recommend the Edge over the RUM simply because the 300 RUM brass will always be around, that may not be the case for the 338 RUM and there is no difference in loading the two other then getting 100 fps more velocity out of the Edge.

 

[Coyboy]

Surgeon is making the RLR action which is a remington clone with a pinned lug, has the same one piece bolt as their more expensive actions.

Long action magnums come with a m-16 style extractor. The available rail can be had in 0-20moa, steel or alum. 8-36 screws and two pins.

The machining is top notch and they sell at $816.00, I have a few in stock and will be getting more next month. Don't bother looking on the Surgeon site as they are not up yet, the RSR is and would make a fair comparison. The only difference is, it's a short action and has a rem extractor.

You can't make a Remmington near as well as the RLR for 800 bucks.

 

[J E Custom]

Well there are a lot of different opinions on your question So I recomend that
you Start 2 list . One for a custom action and one for a factory action.

You already know what stock you want and you need a good custom barrel to get
a 28" finished barrel length.

The brake will cost $75 to $200.00 dollars.

And if you can find a good donor in any RUM (7mm,300,338 and even the 375)
you have everything you need for the action.

If you buy a custom action you will need =Floor metal,Mag Box. Bullet follower and
a trigger. so if you start with a $800.00+ action ,add the trigger,floor metal, watts box,
and Bullet follower you will know the actual cost.

All smiths like to use custom actions my self included because they don't have to do
anything to it just screw it on. But I have to disagree with the statement that you can't
make a factory Remingtion action as good as a $800.00 dollar Custom.

First there is no custom action that cost $800.00 complete with trigger,bottom metal,mag
box and bullet follower.

Second you can buy a good used Remington in the right caliber for $450.00 to $500.00
and have it blue printed for less than $200.00 .

Accuracy is not the issue because any well prepared receiver will shoot with the best
custom.

Do the math for both types of builds and make your decision on which way you want to go
after you have everything down in black and white.

If the Custom action is within your budget go for it you wont be sorry but if it is to costly
then go with the factory action.

Ultimately it is your decision so don't start with out all of the cost of each build So there
are no surprises to ruin the fun of a custom build.

This is just my advice ,I have nothing to sell.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Coyboy]

If you buy a custom action you will need =Floor metal,Mag Box. Bullet follower and
a trigger. so if you start with a $800.00+ action ,add the trigger,floor metal, watts box,


But I have to disagree with the statement that you can't
make a factory Remingtion action as good as a $800.00 dollar Custom.

First there is no custom action that cost $800.00 complete with trigger,bottom metal,mag
box and bullet follower.

Second you can buy a good used Remington in the right caliber for $450.00 to $500.00
and have it blue printed for less than $200.00 .


J E CUSTOM

JE, I respectfully disagree,

Take your now $650-$700 trued remington, and instal an m-16, extractor, then double pin a aftermarket recoil lug, then open up the scope mount holes to 8-40, instal a side bolt stop. Then have a new bolt handle installed to properly time the action and tig welded on. J-lock if equiped can be replaced as well.

Now as I said "You can't make a remington near as well for $800." So I think my statment holds water. Not everyone wants all the added features put on a remy, but what I said is still true.

I have about 20 of the first style x-mark pro triggers(without the screw that breaks the trigger) that I sell to my customers for $40. If they can't afford a $185 Jewel. Remington bottom metal and a box w follower can be bought used or new for the $125 range. Some guys don't want it anyway and go with Kwik Klips another economical detachable system, about $100.

Do I have somthing to sell? Your damm right I do. I'm a sponsor on this site and building guns and taking care of my customers is a 60+ hour job a week for me. I'm giving buckbrush the best advice I can, What I feel is the most sensible way to go, It's just advice and opinions and he can choose to follow them or not. This advice is what I believe is going to give him the best product in the end.

Now with that said if anyone finds a pre x mark pro triggered Remington for a good price, there is no reason not to build on it, many of my personal guns started as $275 ADLs

I have no problems building on Remingtons, the new ones, with x-mark have some bolt cam issues,(as in lack of) So those have all been getting sent out for tigged ptg bolt handles. But in the current state of Remingtons, I would tell a guy don't buy a new one to build on, when customs are well within their reach.

 

[J E Custom]

Jim

No disrespect intended.

In fact I agree with you about the custom actions, Just not the price between the two.

I like all of the features of the custom actions but a Lot of people can't afford a custom
action build and that is why I recommended for him to make a list of all components needed
to build ether And then decide.

And as i said buy the right action and you have everything you need.

I have never had a problem with the Remington extractor and so does several million
other people who have them. of course there are exceptions with any extractor if not
installed or maintained properly.

An the comment about having nothing to sell simply meant that I would build on what ever
type of action the person wanted. And like you I want what's best for the person Not me.

I can, and have built rifles for less than $900.00 including a custom match grade ss barrel
and all they furnished was a Good donor. and they have to shoot under 1/2 MOA.

So again my intentions were not to offend you just to give the poster the 2 options instead
of only one. then let him decide what he could afford and get the rifle he wanted.

After all isn't that what this site is all about ? choices.

J E CUSTOM

 

[sambubba]

I have been thinking some about one of these also. I have a new factory take-off SS 24" barrel and a donor action and magazine box ready, but I just haven't done it yet.

Craig

 

[AZShooter]

I am also very interested in shooting the Berger 250 VLD. It has a BC that is slightly higher than the 300 SMK and might perform better for hunting with its higher speeds. The one thing that hasn't been addressed is the reamer and seating that long VLD into the confines of the magazine. I am waiting to get my hands on the bullet first and then go from there.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

Why not let remington build it for you. My off the shelf rem 700 stainless in 338 ultramag shoots 225 accubonds 3264 fps into 4" groups at 750 yards. All I did was bed it and freefloat the barrel. Cabelas had them for $569 over the weekend with a 3-12 scope and a hard gun case. You will gain very little in velocity with the 28" barrel but quite a bit in weight since you must go up in barrel diameter to get equal stiffness with a longer barrel. The 338 ultramag is an excellent cartridge for long range.

 

[johnlittletree]

Well there are a lot of different opinions on your question So I recomend that
you Start 2 list . One for a custom action and one for a factory action.

You already know what stock you want and you need a good custom barrel to get
a 28" finished barrel length.

The brake will cost $75 to $200.00 dollars.

And if you can find a good donor in any RUM (7mm,300,338 and even the 375)
you have everything you need for the action.

If you buy a custom action you will need =Floor metal,Mag Box. Bullet follower and
a trigger. so if you start with a $800.00+ action ,add the trigger,floor metal, watts box,
and Bullet follower you will know the actual cost.

All smiths like to use custom actions my self included because they don't have to do
anything to it just screw it on. But I have to disagree with the statement that you can't
make a factory Remingtion action as good as a $800.00 dollar Custom.

First there is no custom action that cost $800.00 complete with trigger,bottom metal,mag
box and bullet follower.

Second you can buy a good used Remington in the right caliber for $450.00 to $500.00
and have it blue printed for less than $200.00 .

Accuracy is not the issue because any well prepared receiver will shoot with the best
custom.

Do the math for both types of builds and make your decision on which way you want to go
after you have everything down in black and white.

If the Custom action is within your budget go for it you wont be sorry but if it is to costly
then go with the factory action.

Ultimately it is your decision so don't start with out all of the cost of each build So there
are no surprises to ruin the fun of a custom build.

This is just my advice ,I have nothing to sell.

J E CUSTOM

I really like your recommendation. I like that you give the guy options and do not try to convince him to just toss money at it to make a list and nail down pro's and con's of factory action and custom action. Sadly it is getting hard to see people that "run what they brung" or start with an action they have or can pick up affordably. Nothing is more of a turn off then seeing people convincing young folk they have to have a $5000 rifle with $3000 glass to go kill an Elk or punch holes in paper. That might be the best direction for them go in long term but if you have to take a year off from hunting and target shooting because you can not afford components to reload and parts for the new rifle at the same time maybe you need to rethink the process. Few people just go out and go from a Toyota Camry to a Porsche 911 Turbo! There are usually some steps in between as they grow their business or advance in the company etc.... It is refreshing to see someone give people options and not make them think neurotically that they have to start the race with the same gear as the people currently at the top of the pile! If you can afford to do that than by all means "Buy once cry once!".

 

[FEENIX]

I wonder what the OP ended up doing since there was no status update after 9 years.