edge vs ultramag is there any difference

LTLR

If I read your posts correctly you're saying there is NO fps advantage to a 338Edge over a 338RUM with equal length barrel and same bullet weight. Ruling out any fast barrels. Consistenly speaking, there will be no fps advantage to the 338 Edge. Correct?
 
I had this same dilemma when I rebarreled my 338 rum. I chose to go with a 375 tejas instead. A 338 tejas will basiclly do for the 338 edge what the 338 edge does for the 338 rum, so you can get about a 200 fps increase over the standard 338 rum.
 
very good replys, my main thing is that i bought the 338 rum first along with lots and lots of brass and couple boxes of store bought loads,so i then bought the 300 rum and 7mm rum ,shortly after with 100 pcs brass each for those. then we started reading and talking the edge some of my family and friends are building or have had built the edge. frankly i believe that there is enough powder in the 338 rum to do the feats that the edge are doing, my opinion only. the rest is in the machine work of the bolt and action ,barrel and trigger.
im shooting 300MK with a compressed load of retumbo now.with bullet out on the lands.and she does fine . the recoil is what it is! lol and i dont know what im doing wrong with my 225 blitz kings because the gun really bucks around with the lighter bullets. its like it has 2 different stages of recoil with the 225 grain bullets that i wanted to use for deer hunting. my rifle sited with the 300 mk then last january i had gotten drawed for a managed hunt here in mo. a week before the hunt the federal game commision sent me a letter that only lead tip ammo was allowed on this hunt so i took a box of store bought core locks and some 225 blitz kings i had loaded what a dissaster. bullets were falling to the ground at the deers feat looked like it was snowing on them gun was bucking all around scope came loose! 3 deer 5 misses. the last one out at 375 yards looked like it was in a snow globe just stood there and looked at me. after each round cranking up the elevation on my scope about a foot i noticed my scope was moving then after a few rounds i waved off let my buddy take a crack at it he smoked that deer out at 450 yards from him. i want to make this rifle tight because it was my first left handed bolt action rifle,its going to shoot right come hell or high water! ive been hunting for 35 years with hand me down 30-30s and shot guns with slugs. im tired of deer all around me if i can see it i want to be able to kill it .
 
B23, Thanks for your post. I am saying there is more difference in the accuracy loads of each individual rifle than there is between the 338 ultramag and 338-300 ultramag. I have seen each faster than the other with best accuracy loads. I have shot both extensively on the range over a chronograph and at big game. No hunter would ever no the difference shooting at game with either and neither would any big game animal. 90% of accuracy loads with either of these two cartridges will shoot 2750-2850 fps with a 300 grain bullet.

If anyone is even the least bit concerned with whatever slight difference there might be in velocity they are looking at the wrong cartridge with either of these ultramags. They would need to get a custom big 338 off the 378 wby or 416 rigby case and jump either of these near 300 fps on average (3100+fps). Then I assure any shooter from experience they will notice an extreme difference from the ultramag cartridges. If someone thinks 2-4 grains of powder in an accuracy load is going to make that much difference between the ultramags (91-94 grains) they need to think logically about what up to 130 grains of powder will do in the improved 378 wby or 416 rigby case. I just finished an alaskan safari using only the 338 winchester to take grizzlies to sheep so I am not trying to push these huge capacity 338's on anybody. Just for the velocity buffs who talk velocity all the time, they need to look at the 378 or 416 case if that is there criteria. They don't need to spend there time arguing two virtually identical cartridges.

Again, I don't care what a guy shoots or even if it is a 338 or not. I have numerous wildcats in all calibers and have taken big game animals in excess of 1000 yards with 270, 7mm, 30 and 338 calibers. But I do want a guy to make his choices with clear unbiased information from someone with many years experience shooting big game with about everything out there. I have taken big game all over north america with probably every 338 regularly discussed on this forum or for sure a comparable one. I am not going to hang my hat on one. But basically from experience I end up taking my 338 winchester that weighs 7 1/4 pounds scoped out if I am shooting under a half mile. For extreme long range I shoot a big 338 off the 378 wby case with a 300 smk over 3100 fps and weighs 10 3/4 pounds. But a guy may see me hunting with about anything. I have plenty of choices in the rack.
 
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Edge for megun)
Just take a look at defensivedge.net look at the loading data that shawn carlock has on his site (if you haven't already) . Look at what he is doing with his rifles and others are doing with the edge round. Pretty much speaks for itself:)

bigbuck
 
Again, this is only my opinion but it does appear the 338 Edge, consistently on the average, holds some FPS advantage over the 338RUM and I am talking about accuracy FPS loads. I see no point at all in discussing ANY fps if it's not an accuracy load. I don't understand why people even mention the fact their gun will shoot X fps but then say their accuracy load is 200fps slower than X. Again, that's just me but I truely don't see the point. Since the 338 Edge does appear to hold some fps advantage, IMO, if you are going to spend the money to have your current rifle rebarreled into a 338RUM or 338 Edge, why would you not want to take advantage of the, more probable than not, 338 Edge. Unless you always wanted the option of shooting factory ammo. If the factory ammo option is even remotely important to you the clear choice is the 338RUM.
 
yea the factory ammo option is a must, i totally plan on being able to travel out west to hunt and even alaska some. im 46 i have 1 son left in highschool and me and moma gona get outa here soon do some hunting and fishing vacations. i got her setup with nice remington 700s in .243 and 270 win. i have the ultramags 7mm,300,338,and when i get this 338 right im going to build a lefthanded 375 ultra from a rebarreled lefthand 338 ultra
 
338 ultramad, I hope I have answered all your questions.

I have a question just out of curiosity. For the others who have weighed in opinions here, what is your experience with building, hunting and shooting these two rifles in question head to head? I just wonder how many actually have the experience to comment and how many are just repeating what they read on the internet and reffering to other websites for info. I think that would be more interesting info than arguing two virtually identical cartridges.
 
Chiming in..... When you are talking 200-300 fps difference between cartridges, then you have to take that into consideration. When you are talking 100 fps (with variables that might further reduce the difference), it seems to me that other considerations would come into play.

If the original rifle is a shooter, than I would definitely stick with it. Some of us spend huge dollars for custom rigs that sometimes will not shoot as well as a lucky few off-the-rack rifles. If I had a big 338 shooting 1/2 MOA, would I chuck it all and spend additional $$$ to build another big 338 in the hopes of getting 100 fps more - all while hoping to maintain the same 1/2 MOA accuracy??? Not on your life!

If starting from scratch, then the 338 Edge is a consideration.

If you already have an accurate 338 Rum that ain't broke - then don't try to fix it.
 
I'm not sure if you are talking to me or not but I'll gladly defend my opinion if you like. I don't think anyone has to necessarily have your level of expertise or first be authorized in order to offer up an opinion. If we did, well this would be a pretty quiet place. :)

My opinion was based on research compiled when I was, at one time, looking into having a 338 Edge built and that research showed me that there was "some" gain in fps to the 338 Edge over the 338RUM. And again, for me, since I was going to be reloading anyway and the factory ammo thing meant nothing to me and I don't see how reloading for a 338 Edge would be any different than reloading for a RUM, why not take advantage of the added case capacity of the 338 Edge. Even if it is ever so slight because again, based on the research I put together on a more probable than not basis the 338 Edge has some FPS advantage.

I guess the same could be said about the "how many fps do you gain or lose per inch of barrel length." You hear all kinds of different #'s getting tossed around but how many people have actually taken the time to start with a long barrel, chrono a given number of rounds, cut an inch off the end, recrown, and repeat the process over and over and over. This is just my best guess but I'm going to guess not that many. But everyone has an opinion on how many fps you gain or lose per inch of barrel length and generally speaking there all relatively close in numbers yet they have never done the field work themselves. Does that mean that only those who have done this process are entitled to an opinion???
 
B23,

Let me assure you that my post was not directed at you. I was just speaking from my point of view - and I probably should have put an "IMO" somewhere in the body of my comments. Others say "mileage may vary". :)

I would not dispute your findings for a minute. I know some bench rest shooters that simply will not use Vihta Vouri powders at matches here in Phoenix, but will use them in matches in Raton, NM. The subtle differences in accuracy warrant it in their circumstances. But given the fact that I am not in the same league as them, I don't worry about changing powders or loads when I hunt in different states or even at different altitudes. When hunting, "close is good enough" seems to hold true for me.

I am not a good enough driver with a rifle to a point where a 3% increase in velocity will make any difference in my abilities. For others - they may appreciate it and feel it gives them the "edge" (pardon the pun - I couldn't help myself).

I currently shoot a 277 AM (338 Lapua necked down to .277). When the barrel burns out, I am looking at going with the 338 Lapua because of my current diameter bolt face. As long as I am looking to make the change, I also am looking at the 338 Norma Mag (same bolt face). I am also considering the 338 Edge, along with the 338 RUM and other wildcat 338's. In the end, they all offer great performance. Some will give me a boost of 100-200 fps over the Lapua and Norma Mag. But honestly, for me, I don't think I would be able to tell much of a difference until I got beyond 1200 yds or so in wind deflection with the 300 SMK. Because I shoot so little beyond that, others factors come into play as being more important to me - such as quality of brass, saving $$ by not having to retool bolt head or buy new custom dies, etc.

Many of us have spent big bucks on custom rigs that quite frankly did not quite measure up to expectations in the accuracy department. Bench rest shooters know this for a fact. Some new custome barrels just won't shoot to fulfill their needs. When they get one that doesn't, they just change it out again. Given the fact that accuracy is not an absolute given - even in custom barrels and rifles - I personally would never give up a known "shooter" for a 3% increse in velocity. What would it take? Maybe 250-300 fps more? Perhaps. But that is just me. Mileage may vary for others.
 
axsugarbear sorry about that. No at no time did I think you were directing anything toward me and to be honest I'm not sure if LTLR is directing anything toward me but LTLR post above yours is what I was responding to.

I agree, if I already had a great shooter it would not be worth changeing and the fact the OP wants to be able to shoot factory ammo pretty much makes any question/s about turning his current RUM into a 338 Edge a moot point.
 
B23, I directed a post toward you and thanked you for it. I was just making a general statement. No offense meant to anyone. I have no idea the experience of the people here on the forum. That is why I asked. I know that I do have the experience to say for a definite fact one is just as good as the other. If I had a shooter in either one I would not spend a penny to change to the other. I am not going to criticize the 338-300 ultramag I spent a year developing in 1998.
 
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