Axl
Well-Known Member
I would look into a suppressor for the .375+ calibers.
They are heavier and more $$ than the .338's
They are heavier and more $$ than the .338's
Brainstorming an Ultra-handy large caliber Long ranger
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WildRose
Well-Known Member
I'm shooting the 260gr Peregrines, 250, 270, and 300gr Hornady in the .375Ruger. Lots of fun and enough energy to stop a charging buffalo, literally with one shot. I had to prove that the hard way a few years ago when another hunter blew a shot and wounded one.
For .338's there's a 337-375 Ruger that a lot of people have built that's pretty devastating and completely manageable/tolerable recoil wise.
It's really the idea case to do a whole lot of things.
WildRose
Well-Known Member
adam32
Well-Known Member
Just cut the barrel on your Lapua down to 22"...you're not going to get full potential with ANY round with a 20" barrel besides a .308 win based cartridge. So, save some money and cut yours down since you're already familiar with the rifle and have ammo and reloading supplies for it...or make it a switch barrel...
I already have the suppressor so that's a non issue for me as long as I stick to the lapua case and smaller and don't go shorter than 18". As far as cutting the barrel down....the barrel has deep flutes such that I would be unable to thread so if I go through the process of a rebarrel I figured I would explore options
Since you already have the 338 Lapua and all the brass and dies, just build a 20" Lapua. You'll get better performance than you'd think without the need to mess around with different powders than you use in a rifle.
If I were doing it, I'd just go with whichever 338 I have brass for or would fit in the action I have on hand, a 20" barrel from any decent maker, and shoot 250gr bullets at 2800 fps or so. I easily get the 260gr Hammer Hunter to 2730 fps from an 18" barreled 338/375 Ruger and H100-V. A 20" RUM or Lapua will get you in the 2850+ fps range with no problem with a 250 class bullet.
If I were doing it, I'd just go with whichever 338 I have brass for or would fit in the action I have on hand, a 20" barrel from any decent maker, and shoot 250gr bullets at 2800 fps or so. I easily get the 260gr Hammer Hunter to 2730 fps from an 18" barreled 338/375 Ruger and H100-V. A 20" RUM or Lapua will get you in the 2850+ fps range with no problem with a 250 class bullet.
WildRose
Well-Known Member
With the dramatic change to the barrel harmonics there's little chance the same load would work at all.
In the ln the long term the change to a faster powder is pretty well essential to reduce the muzzle blast and recoil as well.
I've never found it necessary to use a faster powder when switching to a shorter barrel. This is based on my experience working with 12 different calibers in both short and long barrels with at least a 10" difference between the short and long barrels.
The OP here is using a suppressor so blast won't be an issue. The difference in recoil between a 9# gun firing a 250gr bullet at 2800 fps using 78gr of powder and the same performance in the same gun burning 75gr of a different powder will be insignificant.
I have cut a few barrels down,mostly in smaller calibers, and have found the barrels to become more forgiving(consistently more accurate) in variations in environmental conditions,etc. the suppressor may or may not change the harmonics .... 8" of fluted Palma barrels weights only slightly more than my suppressor.
WildRose
Well-Known Member
"Necessary" isn't a factor except as I noted. but you can achieve higher velocities with faster powders in shorter barrels and greatly reduce muzzle flash and recoil by getting the more complete burn.
Even with most suppressors you have a muzzle blast and the excess pressures created inside the suppressor from the still burning powder can damage it and certainly makes for much more frequent cleanings.
There's no sense in burning excess powder outside of the barrel, it's simply a waste if nothing else. You can eliminate that waste by going to a faster burning powder. In doing so you greatly reduce the internal pressures within the suppressor.
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Wildrose- this may or may not have any effect on the subject of faster and slower powders but one of the things I have been considering is powder volume with a given suppressor. The can I am running is rated for magnums into the 338L arena however hearing safe levels of reduction start to become an issue. I knew this when I bought the can (small for that case capacity) but I wanted something a little lighter and handier hence the new trend of short! This is one of the reasons to consider a 375 ruger over a 375-338 Norma...less powder volume, lower noise level. A 340 Weatherby or 33 nosler with a faster burning powder may well be a good way to go. I am glad to see so much response and great ideas rolling out here.
Thanks for the good comments guys!
Dan
Thanks for the good comments guys!
Dan
