338... a revisit on a specific build.

[mcali2]

I have a ruger precision 338LM suppressed. It is not bad at all but it is not light or short.

 

[Dry Heat?]

Idk if your interested in wild cats but I recently finished a 338/375 ruger that's a blast to shoot.

I've got this same caliber, built by Craig's Custom Rifles in Oro Valley, Az. We call it the 338 BearCat, in deference to the Cartridge's Heritage. Defiance Action, 26" Brux Barrel, T2 Brake, McM Game Warden Stock, NF ATACR 4-16x50 Scope. So far have only developed a 300 gr Berger over 81.0 H-1000 in Hornady Brass @ 2,700 FPS. Redding/Pacific Dies. This is my first Wildcat though I've crafted all of my family's ammo since 1976. I plan on trying several different powder options and a few other Bullets. Let me know if you find any particularly good load and I'll do the same. It's gonna be an interesting ride.

 

[Steve Sheasly]

Big bores and light guns are painful to shoot. Pain causes flinch, flinch causes I inaccurate shots. i was told of a guy that had a large caliber Chytac that weighted around 9 pounds -- might be wrong on the weight but he was a huge man and full of testosterone --- he sold the gun. The buyer regrets buying it as well. I am 5 foot 7 weight 160 pounds my bun tips the scales at 20 pounds. I carry it every where and I walk a lot of miles. I do not understand the new fad of light weight rifles. Get a good build and carry the weight or maybe go buy a browning x bolt light weight. A buddy of mine has one in 300 win mag. It knocks the crap out of him when he shoot it.

 

[CAMPMEAT]

338 EDGE

 

[Steve Sheasly]

338 Lapua is getting fairly popular and you can buy hornady loads that are good for 60 bucks a box. Not sure about Edge?

 

[5gauss]

I have shot hi power at 600 over the years so that is my max range for game animals. .338 win mag model 70 stainless, Leupold LR4.5x15x50, no brake, recoil no issue, Berger250 LR hybrid, can carry up down all around...to hike far is my style so for me this works and more accurate than needed for big game at 600. You have many options...do what fits you..I load all my own....no factory..more control...

 

[Gcan]

Welcome.
I have one of each. I'm not a fan of short sticks, unless it's an urban tact gun or a lever gun, nor do I think you can get the velocity out of a 22" 338 anything to get the kind of performance that would push one to a 338 in the first place. The Lapua is a beast and heavy. Have one. Heavy. The 338 AM is a rail gun. Have one with carbon barrel and thats pushing 20 lbs. My Edge is silly but 32" and heavy.

When I was hunting I was a fan of the 300RUM PUSHING 210s at 3150 from a carbon barrel.27" Very light. Still shoot a 300 UM Surgeon at 1000 plus. 39" Have a 300SAUM 26" and if I was concerned with light I would go with anything that ran in a short action.
It is pretty hard to beat a 338 RUM. Have a tricked Sendero but barrel is 27-1/2" with break. Round is a hammer @ 1000. I just don't think you will get the performance from a short barreld 338 to make it better than a 26-28" 300 SAUM or 300 WSM. I also have a Thunderbeast 338 Titanium suppressor. Very nice but very long.

I suspect you will have a substantial loss of velocity and that will give you bullet performance issues at 1000. If you want hi bc then you are shooting heavy bullets made to GO. It sounds like you can shoot. Once you start shooting animals past 700, 1000 comes quickly and if you are truly building a rifle for that day, 22" ain't going to get you there.

I understand the concern for overall lenght but 90 times out of 100 you are going to be resting a 338 anything. Probably 100/100. Unless you are hunting in river bottoms and plan on swinging the rifle, I'm not understanding the barrel length limit. Although it will be cool to see.

I must agree with a previous post. I'm not sure light, short and 338 go together.

If you are committed to a light 338 and if money is not an object have a single shot titanium action built and build a tube gun with a 28" barrel. Or just buy a 26" Desert Tech and be done with it.

Lastly, if you haven't shot a 6lb 338 yet. Don't. It will cure you quickly.

 

[bigtuna431]

Welcome.
I have one of each. I'm not a fan of short sticks, unless it's an urban tact gun or a lever gun, nor do I think you can get the velocity out of a 22" 338 anything to get the kind of performance that would push one to a 338 in the first place. The Lapua is a beast and heavy. Have one. Heavy. The 338 AM is a rail gun. Have one with carbon barrel and thats pushing 20 lbs. My Edge is silly but 32" and heavy.

When I was hunting I was a fan of the 300RUM PUSHING 210s at 3150 from a carbon barrel.27" Very light. Still shoot a 300 UM Surgeon at 1000 plus. 39" Have a 300SAUM 26" and if I was concerned with light I would go with anything that ran in a short action.
It is pretty hard to beat a 338 RUM. Have a tricked Sendero but barrel is 27-1/2" with break. Round is a hammer @ 1000. I just don't think you will get the performance from a short barreld 338 to make it better than a 26-28" 300 SAUM or 300 WSM. I also have a Thunderbeast 338 Titanium suppressor. Very nice but very long.

I suspect you will have a substantial loss of velocity and that will give you bullet performance issues at 1000. If you want hi bc then you are shooting heavy bullets made to GO. It sounds like you can shoot. Once you start shooting animals past 700, 1000 comes quickly and if you are truly building a rifle for that day, 22" ain't going to get you there.

I understand the concern for overall lenght but 90 times out of 100 you are going to be resting a 338 anything. Probably 100/100. Unless you are hunting in river bottoms and plan on swinging the rifle, I'm not understanding the barrel length limit. Although it will be cool to see.

I must agree with a previous post. I'm not sure light, short and 338 go together.

If you are committed to a light 338 and if money is not an object have a single shot titanium action built and build a tube gun with a 28" barrel. Or just buy a 26" Desert Tech and be done with it.

Lastly, if you haven't shot a 6lb 338 yet. Don't. It will cure you quickly.

I'm not much of a long distance expert by any means. However I ended up with a 338RUM 700LSS, and to get there I put the cart before the horse. I've never walked away from a good deal and picked up about 400 rds of the 338 in an auction. Brand new custom loads. For me a life time supply. And... I didn't have a thing to shoot it. So the search was on, and I ended up picking up the model 700 stainless. IT can't weigh much more than 375H&H Mauser..which I own, and I'm not concerned about the recoil after going thru 2-3 cases of 12ga a month shooting trap. I also have taken deer and antelope out to 350-400yds with a 264winmag. So where am I going with this?? Probably that a fairly light weight gun off the shelf exists. I haven't pulled the trigger on it yet, but hoofing it around working a ridge line doesn't bother me. Since this is my first post I'll post a pic after 2 more...

 

[jasent]

I've got this same caliber, built by Craig's Custom Rifles in Oro Valley, Az. We call it the 338 BearCat, in deference to the Cartridge's Heritage. Defiance Action, 26" Brux Barrel, T2 Brake, McM Game Warden Stock, NF ATACR 4-16x50 Scope. So far have only developed a 300 gr Berger over 81.0 H-1000 in Hornady Brass @ 2,700 FPS. Redding/Pacific Dies. This is my first Wildcat though I've crafted all of my family's ammo since 1976. I plan on trying several different powder options and a few other Bullets. Let me know if you find any particularly good load and I'll do the same. It's gonna be an interesting ride.

i ran my reamer .025" deeper than standard so I could fire form Norma or RWS 8x68s brass. Gained about 4% capacity and better brass

 

[sp6x6]

The OP is looking at a specific build,I did that build 9 years ago 7-2oz.338 NM.And Ive heard alot of flack about it.Even my smith warned me that it was light.I can easily shoot it.When I was 20 I bought a 340 wby and put about 300 rounds down the pipe before season,no brake,9# type gun.Shot tons of stuff.Then I moved to my cupcake braked Norma,my son was shooting it and 340 full time by 15.He took a nice bull and buck with rifle this year.Now smiths on this site are making lighter large mags part of there stock.DE is and so Is Kirby Allen,look at there sites,they know how to make them and they shoot,Myself,son,and some of his friends have taken alot of game with my 2 NM,like first time bulls at 600,and on and on.A rifle doesnt have to way 20# to shoot.When I shot in club I saw guys with wheel guns and open sights knock targets over at 2-300 yrds.I have a lifetime of elk hunting under me and a 338 is a good choice.

 

[Steve Sheasly]

Welcome.
I have one of each. I'm not a fan of short sticks, unless it's an urban tact gun or a lever gun, nor do I think you can get the velocity out of a 22" 338 anything to get the kind of performance that would push one to a 338 in the first place. The Lapua is a beast and heavy. Have one. Heavy. The 338 AM is a rail gun. Have one with carbon barrel and thats pushing 20 lbs. My Edge is silly but 32" and heavy.

When I was hunting I was a fan of the 300RUM PUSHING 210s at 3150 from a carbon barrel.27" Very light. Still shoot a 300 UM Surgeon at 1000 plus. 39" Have a 300SAUM 26" and if I was concerned with light I would go with anything that ran in a short action.
It is pretty hard to beat a 338 RUM. Have a tricked Sendero but barrel is 27-1/2" with break. Round is a hammer @ 1000. I just don't think you will get the performance from a short barreld 338 to make it better than a 26-28" 300 SAUM or 300 WSM. I also have a Thunderbeast 338 Titanium suppressor. Very nice but very long.

I suspect you will have a substantial loss of velocity and that will give you bullet performance issues at 1000. If you want hi bc then you are shooting heavy bullets made to GO. It sounds like you can shoot. Once you start shooting animals past 700, 1000 comes quickly and if you are truly building a rifle for that day, 22" ain't going to get you there.

I understand the concern for overall lenght but 90 times out of 100 you are going to be resting a 338 anything. Probably 100/100. Unless you are hunting in river bottoms and plan on swinging the rifle, I'm not understanding the barrel length limit. Although it will be cool to see.

I must agree with a previous post. I'm not sure light, short and 338 go together.

If you are committed to a light 338 and if money is not an object have a single shot titanium action built and build a tube gun with a 28" barrel. Or just buy a 26" Desert Tech and be done with it.

Lastly, if you haven't shot a 6lb 338 yet. Don't. It will cure you quickly.

Amen

 

[747]

I've had a burning passion to build a custom 338 Lapua for a long, long time. But after seeing what I can do with my (custom) 300 WinMag with the heavy bullets out beyont 1km, I began to ask why - and in the process have changed my thinking and set my sights (pun intended) on a 375-something..... Just my $.02 worth

So the .375 RUM must be in consideration? My brother had one built for him. He loves it and has no complaints. I had occasion to use a shortened, lightened .375 H&H in Alaska many years ago. I much preferred my brother's rifle, I was very generous though and shared my turn with others!

 

[747]

The OP is looking at a specific build,I did that build 9 years ago 7-2oz.338 NM.And Ive heard alot of flack about it.Even my smith warned me that it was light.I can easily shoot it.When I was 20 I bought a 340 wby and put about 300 rounds down the pipe before season,no brake,9# type gun.Shot tons of stuff.Then I moved to my cupcake braked Norma,my son was shooting it and 340 full time by 15.He took a nice bull and buck with rifle this year.Now smiths on this site are making lighter large mags part of there stock.DE is and so Is Kirby Allen,look at there sites,they know how to make them and they shoot,Myself,son,and some of his friends have taken alot of game with my 2 NM,like first time bulls at 600,and on and on.A rifle doesnt have to way 20# to shoot.When I shot in club I saw guys with wheel guns and open sights knock targets over at 2-300 yrds.I have a lifetime of elk hunting under me and a 338 is a good choice.View attachment 121137

I agree with you at least 100%!

 

[sp6x6]

Evidently you are not familar with Ward Brien ,and his developement with the 338 NM.Article is on this site,owner of Sniper tools,and traines military and other gov.Had test NM with 22'' barrel and shooters that took it to a mile in testing.pushed a SMK 300@ 2690,that will get the job done.