My mission to find the best short barreled big 338!!!
- Thread starter Elk Hunter 338
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Will.284
Well-Known Member
Yikes!! Sounds fun let me know if you need helpAs many know, I am infatuated with larger 338's and how well they .. for a lack of a better term SIMPLY SMASH ****!!!
The last few years though, I have been traveling down the road of being a short barreled suppressor running kinda guy. So, with that, finding what works and what does not for my needs is a fine line that I'm willing to walk due to what the returns are!!
Last years rifle was frickin awesome and it stacked up the game with every trigger squeeze! With big 338's There is never a wonder " did I hit it?" It's actually always more like "welp get the packs ready boyz" I even let my oldest son shoot his bull with it, and after absolutely stoning it at 486 yards off my RRS tripod he turned and said .. "that was so awesome, I saw him hit the dirt and it was sooooo quiet.. can I have this one DAD""??
This rifle was a last minute project.. and I absolutely loved it!
BAT VESPER, BARTLEIN #3B 22" 9.4 TW, MCM GAMEHUNTER 2.0, UM DBM, TRIGGER TECH DIAMOND, TBAC 338 ULTRA! This rifle has since been sent to very great customer of mine to enjoy for years to come.View attachment 461579
So, After last seasons end, I started a new quest for the ultimate short barrel big 338 build and cartridge simply because of the success I had. I have received quite a few calls, emails and PM's wanting know what's the best and have I done it all to see which is best!! The simple answer is NO .. but I promise I have shot more large 338's in many different setups than most, and I know what I want and dont want, and i know what it takes to get to my set parameters.... I can tell you this .. for absolute certainty, there is no replacement for displacement!!! You want horse power? You have to feed it! Velocity comes from fuel being burned .. I've done them all from from 338-06 ACK on up! There is no substitution for displacement!!
So I thought maybe I could fine tune it into a serious platform for myself as well as others wanting to experience the raw power the larger 338's possess in a shorter package!
This years rifle is what I decided to try out and I have enough time to tweak and change how I see fit!!
build specs:
BAT BUILT LPR SPEC'D HR .. THE BEST ACTION ON THE PLANET ..PERIOD!
WYATTS CFE9 TUNED TO PERFECTION
HCA 20" 9.5 TW
CHAMBERED IN LPR 338 NORMA IMPROVED
TT SPECIAL @2#
DISCONTINUED GAMEWARDEN MAX HAND PAINTED BY THE MASTER @custom GUN COATINGS
HAWKINS BDL
TBAC 338 ULTRA
NXS 5.5-22X50 NP-R1 FOR SIMPLE TESTING
AS IT SITS FULLY LOADED 10.6# SO NOT TERRIBLE.
BARE RIFLE IS 6 POUNDS 10 OUNCES!!!! MY U;TIMATE GOAL HERE IS TO GET A STOMPER UNDER 10 POUNDS FULLY RIGGED..
View attachment 461612
View attachment 461605View attachment 461606View attachment 461607View attachment 461608View attachment 461604
Picture is formed and unformed with 250 accubond
I will be posting velocities, bullets used and everything else here at later dates so follow along and feel free to add your builds if they are very similar to my (our) goals .. I would love to see them !!! DISCLAIMER !!!! I WILL NOT BE SHOOTING ANY UNICORN TEAR POWERS!!!!. NO RL THIS, NO VV THAT.. IT WILL ALL BE DONE SQAURE WITH H1000 ONLY.
P.S. ///// I have several others being built spec'd similar to mine for customers that i will also test and post on here .. they wont be running cans so it will be interesting.
all 22 or 20" barrels 338 edge, 338 reaper 338 ultra
ObiWanKannoli
Well-Known Member
@Elk Hunter 338 fully agree with the sentiment above. I have built a similar rifle around the same concept, albeit 300 PRC and 20 inch. Question for you, is there a certain velocity you are targeting as a minimum in the short barrel that is then driving your decision around bullet weight?
Elk Hunter 338
Official LRH Sponsor
My goal always is as close to 3000 fps or better .. And I wont deter from that. And I wont use any powder other than H1000 or Retumbo.
Yes they are that good and consistent.
I want it as fast as I can get within parameters I've set for performance goals and hunting applications for that particular build, rifle combo..
Seems that you are going to have to shoot light for caliber bullets in a big case to get 3000fps with H1000 or Retumbo.
Will.284
Well-Known Member
Mike D Texas gotta agree with you on this one, there are a lot of good powders out there
Elk Hunter 338
Official LRH Sponsor
3100 fps with a 230gr and will shoot a 250gr to 3000fps in a 20-22" barrel. Shizzz I guess that's like shooting a 6.5 creedmoor these days! Gotta shoot a 300 gr bullet in a 338 or nothin
or it wont kill good and you cant shoot past 200 yards. You are killing me smalls.Have you shot a suppressed 20-22 inch 8 pound rigged 338 edge pushing 300 gr OTM to their max and spot hits while hunting alone from any shooting position?
I have shot every single as you say "good powders" known for these big cases. There isn't one I haven't tried if I could get my hands on it!
Do a few of them offer a little more velocity? Sure, at the cost of terrible fouling, massive throat erosion, Major lot to lot swings, terrible ES's, Terrible temp swings, hard to get, and the list goes on.
I hunt in different locations all from a few hundred feet above sea level with temps from 40 deg in the morning to well over 85 in the afternoon to over 11'000 feet @ -20 to Alaska swamps where it rains, sleets and snows all day every day and nothing is ever dry
You wont catch me running any of those so called "better than H1000- Retumbo" !! I don't Stray from the hogdon extreme line if i can help it. There are so many great shooters/hunters on here that chased the Unicorn powder theory until they tested and went back to H1000. Did they loose a few ft a sec. maybe/probably, but their groups shrank, became more consistent day to day, their es equalized, throat erosion all but disappeared, the list goes on.
But hey shoot what you want its a free country.
TheFishBox
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2010
- Messages
- 685
@Elk Hunter 338 you better be careful using logic and reasoning telling all of these guys about light for caliber 338 bullets, that's why they ran longtimelongranger off years ago.
What's your favorite.338 cartridge for hunting, I want to jump into one pretty soon. Thanks
Have you shot a suppressed 20-22 inch 8 pound rigged 338 edge pushing 300 gr OTM to their max and spot hits while hunting alone from any shooting position?
I have shot every single as you say "good powders" known for these big cases. There isn't one I haven't tried if I could get my hands on it!
Do a few of them offer a little more velocity? Sure, at the cost of terrible fouling, massive throat erosion, Major lot to lot swings, terrible ES's, Terrible temp swings, hard to get, and the list goes on.
I hunt in different locations all from a few hundred feet above sea level with temps from 40 deg in the morning to well over 85 in the afternoon to over 11'000 feet @ -20 to Alaska swamps where it rains, sleets and snows all day every day and nothing is ever dry
You wont catch me running any of those so called "better than H1000- Retumbo" !! I don't Stray from the hogdon extreme line if i can help it. There are so many great shooters/hunters on here that chased the Unicorn powder theory until they tested and went back to H1000. Did they loose a few ft a sec. maybe/probably, but their groups shrank, became more consistent day to day, their es equalized, throat erosion all but disappeared, the list goes on.
But hey shoot what you want its a free country.
Elk Hunter 338
Official LRH Sponsor
338 Edge or 338 Ultra for all around ease of use and specially in these rigs,, anything with a 26" pipe or longer My 338 Reaper hands down winner.
Elk Hunter 338
Official LRH Sponsor
Just having friendly conversation. And trust me, there ain't no one running this ole boy off!
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KH_Outdoors
Well-Known Member
I know, the struggle is realI don't think you can have just "one"...
