Building a 338 Edge

[not enough gun]

I am going to build an Edge and I am wanting some input on barrel length. Is a 26" barrel going to be long enough to burn all the powder? My longest shot wouldn't be over 800 yards.

 

[RJ338]

If you only want a 26" barrel, I assume for weight, then a 338 RUM should take you out to 800yd with no problems. Personally a 28" Sendero contour would be the minimum barrel for an Edge. Shawn generally goes with a 30" tube.

 

[not enough gun]

Okay, I am mentally handicapped when it comes to barrels and contours. I spoke to Shawn a little bit ago about it and he made some recomendations so I called Lilja and their standard length for this application would be 27". They told me a #5 contour would be minimum if I wanted it fluted(which I do). I have some more calls to make in the barrel department so That was just the first. Thank you for the input and by all means keep it coming.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

You will have no problem with the 26" barrel in either 338 or 338-300 ultramag. Not very much velocity loss per inch in these two. Both make very good rifles in 26" length. Will it burn all the powder, no. But neither will a 30", just burns a little more of it.

 

[not enough gun]

Okay thanks. That is good info to have. I am still doing research as to what action I can use without spending a small fortune in machine work. If I remember correctly I need a magazine length a least 3.8" to get proper feeding.I hate to buy a new rifle then tear it apart for the action. I am also left handed so the possibilities are few.

 

[darrindlh]

Not enough gun,
I would consider a savage action. I am building a 338 edge off of my stevens 300 wm. IMHO savage is a really inexpensive donor rifle and the actions are really good as well.

Darrin

 

[geargrinder]

I just got done building an Edge on a Savage action. I also built a long throated 7mmRUM on a Remington action.

Between the two, the Remington was easier and feeds better. But the Savage was way cheaper and I can still swap back to 223 and be shooting in 15 minutes.

I'm about to build another on a Savage. It's going to have a 32" #5 Fluted barrel.

 

[RJ338]

Go with the lefthand Rem. 700, a Wyatt or Seekins detachable mag. Both are center feed and will require some milling of the action and shortening of the bolt stop. The Seekins will take 3.900 the Wyatt 3.800. I prefer a Holland lug and a 28" Rock 5r Sendero contour fluted in 1-9.4 twist. In a Manners T3 it goes 12lb 5 oz with a Nikon Monarch X 4-16 in Seekins rings and 20MOA rail.
Oh yes, talk to Shawn and get one of his brakes, they WORK!

 

[not enough gun]

Okay thanks. I found a left hand savage, a model 700, and a mark V weatherby yesterday. Now I have to figure out which one to go with. The weatherby has a long enough magazine if I don't feed it the 300 gr. SMK so that would simplify the build a bunch. (at least I think so). The other two would be a little more labor intensive. I don't know anything about weatherby actions other than they are supposed to be the strongest commercially produced action. Now that I have these actions to choose from lets hear from you folks, The good, the bad, and the ugly. Thank you.

 

[RJ338]

First off, all you posted will work, however the Savage and Weatherby don't have the aftermarket triggers and stocks available to the Remington. The Savage and Remington are easier to accurize. The Weatherby is HEAVY, without a great trigger available and tough to accurize( lapping 9 lugs vs. 2 to perfect contact). Do yourself a favor, go Rem. or a clone, your results and resale will be better for an Edge. For a standard hunting rifle a Savage, for F class or 1000yd target a Savage, but not for the Edge!

 

[geargrinder]

First off, all you posted will work, however the Savage and Weatherby don't have the aftermarket triggers and stocks available to the Remington. The Savage and Remington are easier to accurize. The Weatherby is HEAVY, without a great trigger available and tough to accurize( lapping 9 lugs vs. 2 to perfect contact). Do yourself a favor, go Rem. or a clone, your results and resale will be better for an Edge. For a standard hunting rifle a Savage, for F class or 1000yd target a Savage, but not for the Edge!

No triggers for Savage?

SSS trigger or the Rifle Basix Sav-2 are the only 2 triggers you'll ever need.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

not enough gun, the action is a no brainer if you have access to a MK 5 wby action. It is by far the best commercialy produced action on the market and will by far work the best on your 338-300 ultramag project. No feeding problems, length problems and you have the strongest action on the market to hold that big 338. No need for a custom trigger on that action either. The wby and sako have the best triggers on the market. The savage accutrigger I guess now is the first thing to ever compete with them. But nobody can compete with the action. You can by the remington 700 and spend a small fortune on it to get it to work and feed properly with long bullets in the 338-300 ultra. But you still have a 700 action and not a Mk5 wby for which there is no comparison.