Isn't the 338AM that Fiftydriver was talking about a 338-408?
.338 differences
- Thread starter sdkidaho
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MT4XFore
Well-Known Member
Yes, the 338 AM is based on the 408 Chey-Tac case
Long Time Long Ranger
Well-Known Member
Lapua Guy, I never did anything off the chey-tac or 50 BMG cases since I only worked with hunting weight rifles. Trying to find the best rifle that could be built in a ten pound package. I had a good friend when I lived in Colorado who did those and we had fun shooting them on his range back in the late 90's. We could make hits beyond a mile.
I think the Lapua is the best cartridge overall of those three but if building one I would do the Lapua Improved. I have them all and as far as shooting an animal at long range there is no way the shooter or the animal would ever know the difference between the three. I just like the Lapua cartridge better for other reasons than performance.
I did not say I have a way to get max loads to be more accurate in my rifles. What I was trying to say is that out of building numerous rifles my go to rifles I kept are the ones that performed at the top of their range after culling the others. Every rifle and barrel is different. That is why one guy gets 2730 fps with the 300 SMK and the next guy gets 2830 fps with it with all else being the same. I kept the rifles that had best accuracy on the fast side of the spectrum. When you have the money and your own shop and range you can do that. Works real nice. Like I said in that other post take ten rifles from all three and that is the velocity range. I kept the ones that performed best on the high end of that range.
I did a guy a 340 wby one time after he shot mine and loved it. It was extremely accurate but his accuracy loads were 100 fps slower than mine. He was angry because he didn't understand that different rifles of the same chambering can easily be 100 fps different with best accuracy loads.
That is why I say there is just not enough seperation between the three being discussed (338 RUM, 338-300 RUM and 338 Lapua) to make a call. They all three shoot basically the same numbers. If you say one is 100 fps slower than the other then you are saying it is basically the same as a 340 wby which neither of the three is. The 340 wby is 125-150 fps slower than these three on average. The 338-378 wby is 200 fps faster. The 338-378 wby will get just over 3000 fps with a 300 grain bullet. The 340 wby will get 2700 fps with it. The other three are going to hit around 2800 fps. What I am getting at is there is just not much difference in here. If you say either of the three are 100 fps faster than the other then either one is the same as a 340 wby or one is close to the 338-378 wby. Neither is true. There is not much difference with these big 338's and any of them will very effectively kill animals beyond 1000 yards. A guy needs to make his choice on other parameters besides velocity performance is all I am trying to say. I have worked with these things since the 70's and know them inside/out.
I think the Lapua is the best cartridge overall of those three but if building one I would do the Lapua Improved. I have them all and as far as shooting an animal at long range there is no way the shooter or the animal would ever know the difference between the three. I just like the Lapua cartridge better for other reasons than performance.
I did not say I have a way to get max loads to be more accurate in my rifles. What I was trying to say is that out of building numerous rifles my go to rifles I kept are the ones that performed at the top of their range after culling the others. Every rifle and barrel is different. That is why one guy gets 2730 fps with the 300 SMK and the next guy gets 2830 fps with it with all else being the same. I kept the rifles that had best accuracy on the fast side of the spectrum. When you have the money and your own shop and range you can do that. Works real nice. Like I said in that other post take ten rifles from all three and that is the velocity range. I kept the ones that performed best on the high end of that range.
I did a guy a 340 wby one time after he shot mine and loved it. It was extremely accurate but his accuracy loads were 100 fps slower than mine. He was angry because he didn't understand that different rifles of the same chambering can easily be 100 fps different with best accuracy loads.
That is why I say there is just not enough seperation between the three being discussed (338 RUM, 338-300 RUM and 338 Lapua) to make a call. They all three shoot basically the same numbers. If you say one is 100 fps slower than the other then you are saying it is basically the same as a 340 wby which neither of the three is. The 340 wby is 125-150 fps slower than these three on average. The 338-378 wby is 200 fps faster. The 338-378 wby will get just over 3000 fps with a 300 grain bullet. The 340 wby will get 2700 fps with it. The other three are going to hit around 2800 fps. What I am getting at is there is just not much difference in here. If you say either of the three are 100 fps faster than the other then either one is the same as a 340 wby or one is close to the 338-378 wby. Neither is true. There is not much difference with these big 338's and any of them will very effectively kill animals beyond 1000 yards. A guy needs to make his choice on other parameters besides velocity performance is all I am trying to say. I have worked with these things since the 70's and know them inside/out.
Gotcha. I am seriously thinking of a LM Improved. Maybe when I need a new barrel on my LM.
str8shoot
Well-Known Member
Before you accuse others of embellishing on the truth realize, what you wrote is there for all to see.
str8shoot
Well-Known Member
Did you read your own post?
Did you read what I said after. READ MY POSTS. You want to pick a fight, do it with yourself.
Trickymissfit
Well-Known Member
I think that the OKH boys were the first to do the .338. They started out with .333" bullets and later incresed the bullet diameter when somebody did the 34 baliber bullet. They also were the ones that did the .338/.378 round.
gary
List-Serve Civility
Please gentlemen, if you get "hot" about a post & must reply with "heat", please do so off-list. We love the experience many of you have shared with the rest of us but please spare us the personal squabbles. We have enough of those on our own!
Thank you!
Please gentlemen, if you get "hot" about a post & must reply with "heat", please do so off-list. We love the experience many of you have shared with the rest of us but please spare us the personal squabbles. We have enough of those on our own!
Thank you!
The Oregonian
Well-Known Member
My guess is you will have better luck starting a fresh thread than using a 10 yr old thread.
Yeah I probably should invest a little more time on this app not quite sure how to navigate these waters
Fiftydriver
Official LRH Sponsor
Certainly will work but its A LOT of bullet for that case capacity. Would depend on application your using the rifle in. Long Range target shooting it would work just fine to a certain distance. Barrel life would be very good compared to some of the hotter 338s. For big game hunting, you need to keep an eye on terminal velocity as we do want some expansion on impact. For this class of chambering, I prefer the 250 gr class bullets to get a significant boost in velocity over the big 300s. As with most things though, it will work for sure.
If you did use the 300 gr bullet weights, I would recommend the berger over the SMK, it just tends to be a faster bullet on average at same pressures. It does however have a longer ogive making it trickier to fit into magazine fed rifles if that's your plan. Another bonus to the 250 gr bullets, just fit into repeaters more easily.
