338 RUM performance

[Old teacher]

If it works for you, keep doing it.

 

[Deleted member 25294]

I did not read all of the posts but have a little input. My 338RUM BDL kicked pretty hard with 300gr loads but then I added a lighter synthetic stock (Bell Carlson Alaskan) and a lighter weight scope (zeiss conquest) it kicks significantly less now and I have no intentions of adding a brake to it.

Yeah I will never have a rifle with a brake again. I'm glad to hear the recoil is manageable for you after the mods.
I plan on shooting mainly 225 grain bullets, after what I've read I'm not too worried about the recoil. I see guys putting brakes on 300 win mags and swearing by them, completely unnecessary in my book.

 

[Old teacher]

Well, as I always say, if it works for you , keep doing it. Just be sure that you have gathered all relevant information before you make your choices. If you have never shot a .338 (any of them)with a brake, you need to go to the range, find someone who has one, and ask him if you can shoot it. He would be a pretty poor sportsman if he said no. Then take off the brake and fire the gun, and you will have all the relevant information you need to decide whether you want a brake. Pay the guy a few bucks and buy him a box of shells, and you have a decision made and a new friend. As I have posted several times before, I would not have a rifle above a .243 without putting a brake on it, but I have also admitted that I am hypersensitive to recoil.

Several years ago, I bought a Browning Highwall in 45-70. It has an especially nice piece of wood on it, and it is a beautiful gun. I have shot it five times. The recoil is vicious. The five shots made my right shoulder black, blue, orange, red, and several blends of all of the above. But, it has an octagonal barrel with a brown finish. Putting a brake on it could ruin the looks of the gun. I am going to take it down to Benchmark and see what they recommend. The two biggest problems are matching the barrel color, and getting a brake that, when it is screwed in tightly, all the barrel edges would line up.

Good luck!

 

[RTK]

I'm with the old guy, although I am not that young either. Having a brake make shooting all that much better and much more enjoyable, plus I like seeing what I am hitting through my scope. With the large bangers that doesn't happen much without one

 

[webs]

Yeah I will never have a rifle with a brake again. I'm glad to hear the recoil is manageable for you after the mods.
I plan on shooting mainly 225 grain bullets, after what I've read I'm not too worried about the recoil. I see guys putting brakes on 300 win mags and swearing by them, completely unnecessary in my book.

For a long range rifle it helps immensely to have a muzzle brake. From practicing more because of less recoil, having better form, and being able to spot shots. Another alternative is a suppressor for you. Best of both worlds.

 

[D.Camilleri]

I shot my 338 rum for 4 years without a muzzle brake and I already had a 338 win mag with a brake. All I did was get scoped, black and blue and realized quickly that squeezing the trigger while barely hanging on to the gun was a bad idea. Now if I could get a break to tame my 338 rum like the brake tames my 300 rum. Today I tried opening up the holes on my brake by .030 hoping to improve the performance. Best guess, no significant change. Oh well.

 

[Old teacher]

OLD GUY? Did you MEAN to say that? Old Guy? LOL! I would be deeply offended if it wasn't true. I had a complete knee replacement last Thursday, and I plan to be back at the range next week. Man, those years do go by and all of a sudden, you really are an "old guy." So, I will forgive you, RTK, for pointing out the obvious. I am getting to be an old guy, but at least you have to be really, really, REALLY old before you can not longer shoot, at least at the range.

 

[RTK]

I'm not that far behind you.lol The years really do fly by, especially as we get more seasoned with age. The hills become steeper for some unknown reason and the body becomes less willing.
Good luck with your knee replacement, in a few more years I believe I will need a new hip myself

 

[JD338]

I have a M700 LSS and recoil isn't that bad until you get to the 300 gr loads. That is when I put a brake on mine. 12 ga 3.5" turkey loads in an 870 are much worse than the 338 RUM.

JD338

 

[Deleted member 25294]

For a long range rifle it helps immensely to have a muzzle brake. From practicing more because of less recoil, having better form, and being able to spot shots. Another alternative is a suppressor for you. Best of both worlds.

I hear you about better shot tracking at long range, the only issue is that I will also be using this rifle in the woods. I don't want to chance ever shooting a braked 338 RUM without hearing protection, also 2-3 inches on a 26" barrel is a little long for me, granted I could take the brake off while hunting.
I'll get my rifle in next week, who knows maybe one shot will completely change my mind about a brake

 

[JD338]

FWIW, my 338 RUM now has a brake. Shooting 300 gr AB's at 2700 fps and using the Bulls Bag, I am able to see hits at 800 yds through the scope.

JD338

 

[captacademy]

I have to agree with several of the experienced guys here that posted that the muzzle break just makes for a more enjoyable and accurate shooting! I have been shooting unbreaked rifles all my life, from 12 ga 3'' Shotguns loads to a 338-378 wby and 416 Rem Mag, these kick!!! I am by no means recoil shy. Any one that has shot the latter rifles knows what I mean about recoil! I also shoot tactical rifle competition with a 308 and 260. On the competition side, I see more and more shooter showing up with breaks and suppressors. They are chasing accuracy and quick repeatable, accurate shots. I too have switched over to breaks and supressors and have found that my accuracy has greatly increased, especially for follow up shots on additional targets. I use the Peltor electronic hearing muffs in comp, they work great.

On the long range shooting, the break allows me to spot my shots and send a second corrected one if I miss judged the distance/wind or need a finishing shot. I was one of those guys that really disliked breaks because of the noise, however, my big rifles would jump so much, it was not as fast getting back on target, especially on dangerous game! My 416 Rem Mag still does not have a muzzle break for the trackers and PH, but I did install a mercury reducer in the stock. Now, I just make it a point to always have hearing protection with me from Africa to the Artic circle. I use the hearing protection that has an orange neck plactic neck band so they are always within quick reach for hunting.

My belief, do what works best for you, this just happends to work best for the shooting that I do.

Just my two cents!

 

[Deleted member 25294]

I finally got my 338 RUM in today, it's the model 700 XCRII. I shot some 225 grain Hornady SST's at max load from a bipod and I was amazed at how mild the recoil was!! by putting my hand on top of the scope I was able to maintain my sight picture after each shot, my shoulder isn't even the slightest bit sore after 5 rounds from the prone position. I seriously feel that the 210 grain bullets I shoot from my 300 win mag have slightly more recoil than 225's from the 338 rum. Maybe Remington really designed the stock well, at any rate I will definitely not be needing a brake for this gun.
I still haven't tried any 250 grain bullets yet so maybe there will be a big jump in recoil, I doubt it will be enough to consider excessive.
So far I'm loving this round, and the craters it leaves in the dirt are something else!

 

[Franklin]

Well, your definatley not the norm, calling the recoil mild! FWIW, putting your hand on top of the scope to shoot, is a bad habit to get into. IMO, its one more variable that can cause poor shot placement.