338 lapua vs 338rum vs 300win mag vs 308

[Lapua guy]

I believe that he will not be reloading. So that leaves factory ammo. Per midway; black hills ammo is $119.99 for a box of twenty. Lapua is selling for $61.99 a box. More affordable than the black hills, closer to half the price. One loading from nosler for $96.99 with only one load at 225gr ab. Remington loads the lapua, 20 rds for $125.99. Not many options for the lapua, most that have them above the $100 dollar mark offer one or two loadings. I'm not gonna be seen anywhere spending over $100 let alone up to $125 for a box of twenty. And at that, they better group 1/2" for that price. Remington and nosler only offer one load for the lapua. I only found four loads from lapua, and three of them were only 250gr. Black hills only has two 250 and 300 gr. If I'm not a handloader I would deffinately not go with a lapua if those are my options jmo, and I've not found one factory offered edge or 338-300 ammo.

For Lapua, HSM sells for less than 70 bucks, so does Hornady. There are more options for Lapua factory rounds than 338 RUM. Look it up. And for 250 gr projectiles, they are about equal price with 338 RUMs. For the Edge you are correct, I don't know of any factory ammo. I handload though, so that doesn't matter.

If he is not handloading, then go with a 300 WM or 7mm Rem Mag. It can't get cheaper, and they make factory loads that you could shoot to 1000 yards in hunting situations.

 

[meatyrem]

I did notice that about the 338 RUM and 338 lapua as far as availability goes. But a coue times I had to put my eyes back in their right place after a couple of the lapua prices. I don't lay that on any of you guys, the manufacturers that mark up the prices so high that one would think it is a typing error. But for a non-handloader you are subjected to the prices that they list. I do agree with you on the two choices of the 7 rem or the 300 win, excellent choices!

 

[Lapua guy]

I have to agree on the Lapua round. Corbon is another option by the way for rounds. The big thing is that Lapua charges a ton for their brass. Hornaday and HSM brass won't last as long as the Lapua brass, but it is half as expensive in cost. I think that HSM and Hornady have really made some good components now, just not to lapua standards. Lapua charging 2.50 per piece of virgin brass is ridiculous though. You can't beat the quality on the other hand, and with pressures like you deal with the 338LM round, I want the best component quality available.

Back to the intent of the thread, I think a 7mm Rem Mag would be perfect for the OP.

 

[meatyrem]

Yep, I have to agree. If I didn't have the 7RUM I would deffinately have the rem mag. The lapua is an awesome round, if I were to build a 338, I would be going with the ackley imp version or the 338 ax. I'm really impressed with everything I see on it. My other choice for less money would get one built in the 338-300 or edge to keep the price down from a full custom.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

Lapua Guy, I am not trying to pick a fight, I was just curious about your claims. Welcome to the forum. There are few people that own the numbers and different chamberings of big 338"s that I do and have the experience with them I have had in developing new ones over the past 35 years. My 340 Wby with a 28" barrel has an accuracy load of 2735 fps with a 300 grain bullet. My 26" barrel 338 RUM Rem 700 has an accuracy load of 2730 fps with the 300 but will hit near 2800 fps if I want to push it. I stay where the accuracy is. When the 338 RUM came out in 2001 I tested it extensively on the 1000 yard range at my shop. Accuracy loads out of a 30" barrel averaged around 2800 fps with several rifles which is ten fps faster than your Lapua. Your 2600 fps estimation for the 338 RUM is way slow. They are quite a bit faster than that. I tested the new 338 RUM against the Lapua, various improved versions I was working on and the 338-300 RUM I had been doing since late 1998. The Lapua is the best cartridge of the three mentioned here. The improved Lapua is better yet and gets a little velocity seperation from the other three.

I like the 338 Lapua and have two right now. Here is a picture of my wife with her mulie this year shot at 516 yards with her 338 Lapua. Some of the top long range guys in the country are on this forum with many years experience with long range hunting. Just appreciate that fact and welcome to the forum. You sound like a guy who is energetic and genuinely loves the sport. You will enjoy it here.

 

[Lapua guy]

I have a 26" barrel on my hunting gun, that is where my velocity or lack there of comes from in comparison to your 30". Its a light Rem 700 custom that I kept under 10 lbs unscoped. You lose about 40 FPS per inch in the Lapua, by my best calcs.

I love the Improved Lapua and am jealous you have one, though it seems I can see your pics. I just can't justify using it when the LM fits my needs as a hunter. I don't do any competition at all really.

I am having a 6mm AI built now, which is kinda counter to what I usually do, being I can use my precious Lapua brass unless I want to neck down 7mm Mauser cases .

I love pushing my own limits in shooting, which I would characterize as average compared to most here. I know that. My gunsmithing skills are even worse. Good thing I have friend that can take care of that for me, and at a reasonable cost.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

You have an excellent lightweight rifle. One of my lapuas is a 26" barrel at 9 pounds scoped out. It has a 1-12 twist for shooting the 225 AB. My accuracy load is well over 3300 fps and a pleasure to shoot at what most would call long range.

The Sierra loading manual lists three loads at 2750 fps for the 338 RUM with the 300 smk out of a standard rem 700 26" barrel. Most will push them to 2800 fps out of that barrel according to my tests done back in 2001. So about the same thing as the 338 Lapua. If a guy wants to push the Lapua it is faster by a little probably because of the brass taking way higher pressures. But basically there is hardly any difference between the two as far as performance. Or there wasn't in all the ones shot on my range anyway.