Large .338s... potential accuracy?

[Chas1]

Ouch, 100 Excaliber @ $425 and some think Lapua's expensive. I looked at the Excaliber back when I was researching 338's and one of the reasons I didn't consider it for too long was the expense of brass, limited sources of availabilty and limited info readily available compared to other calibers for example here on LRH. Having said that if your set on Excaliber=great. Here's a link for cases that are re-formed from a more readily available caliber therefore they have the parent case headstamp. Beware though as I'm not sure if dimensionally they are exactly the same dimensions as true Excaliber brass. 100 @ $342 in case your interested. Just curious and maybe I was under the wrong impression but, I thought you were contemplating getting a 338 rifle. Since your searching for brass so soon does that mean you already have a 338 Excaliber rifle?

338 Excaliber Cases - Obsolete Brass - Obsolete Cases

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

You can build the excalibur or 300 pegasus on any mk5 action from 257 wby up. If you like the most in a beltless big 338 it has the most powder capacity. The improved 338-416 rigby with the shoulder pushed forward is virtually the same capacity and would save you a little on brass. I have seen them and 338-378 imp's push 300 smk's easily over 3100 fps and some into the 3200's. They are the fastest before going up to the chey-tac case. In the big 338's in a hunting weight rifle you really have two popular classes. The lapua and ultramag class that push the 300 smk 2750-2850 fps and then the huge imp 378 wby and 416 rigby cases that can push the 300 smk 3100-3200 fps. The excalibur is similar to the big blown out rigby case. A couple more grains of powder. They are all very accurate if done by a gunsmith familiar with the chambering. None in either class would be more accurate than the other. I have seen the imp 378 and rigby cases shoot incredible groups beyond a mile. If you are into extreme long range these are THE rifles to have. The standard lapua and ultramag stuff get left behind at the longer ranges because of the wind guestimation and you just flat run out of clicks. 200-300 fps makes quite a bit of difference. If I was going with a custom long range 338 these are the ones I would go with. Not saying all my lapuas and 338-300 ultras are not good ones because I love to shoot them all. But when the shooting gets long I always shoot my really big 338's.

 

[GMBshootingclubM60]

Thanks, Ranger! That was what I was looking for!

Now, if Berger can just get those 300s to work...

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

The only thing is that long excalibur case may cause it to be a single shot if you seat the big 300 grainers out very far. Earlier this year I shot with a guy who had an improved 338-378 wby with the shoulder pushed forward and a 35 or 40 degree shoulder. We were pushing 300 smk's over 3200 fps with it. It was a repeater in his mk 5 action.

 

[GMBshootingclubM60]

The 378 case with a conventional shoulder would make it a Kahn, correct?

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

The Kahn just replaces the wby shoulder with the standard shoulder. The one I shot had the shoulder pushed forward giving it more case capacity than the Kahn. Also it had the standard wby freebore in it. It was a very good shooter and the fastest 338 I have ever shot pushing 300's well over 3200 fps with good accuracy.

 

[GMBshootingclubM60]

Where's a good place to see all these 338 Hombres lined up?

There used to be the reloading manuals with pix and dimensions.. not much, any more. I went to wikipedia but that was little help.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

In my gun rack. I have at least 30 or more big 338's of all kinds lined up there. Boo-koodles of data to go with them.

 

[GMBshootingclubM60]

OK, where is the best place to find loading data these days? I see the 'any shot you want' advertised. The powder companies used to publish data, too, but the long range folks tend to run barrels much longer than the data are published for.

Ranger, how long are the barrels you are using on the Excaliber-size 338s?

 

[Chas1]

LTLR, you mentioned...But when the shooting gets long I always shoot my really big 338's. Just curious if the 338AM is in that mix? I think it routinely gets 3315 fps out of a 30" tube.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

No, I wish I had one but don't have anything off the chey-tac case. All of mine are hunting weight rifles that will scope out 9-11 pounds. Can't do that with the chey-tac case. By big 338's I mean the 378 wby and full length rigby cases.

 

[Chas1]

I looked seriously at the 338-378 but, eventually decided on the 338AX. The 378's no slouch and definitly is one of the biggins...just too much for me. You mentioned 9-11 pounds...do you have a break on it?

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

All of my 338's above the 340 wby are braked. You have an excellent rifle. What length barrel you shooting and what is your velocity? I let a guy talk me out of my 338 lapua imp but still have two standard lapuas. The imp shot great and cash talks I guess.

 

[Chas1]

LTLR, I reached my decision on a 338AX about 6-7 months ago and placed the build order about 3 months ago so it'll be a while before I'll have any MV numbers. The Barrel will be a Krieger SS 31" 1:10 #17 HV contour 1.250" for 5" and .900 at the muzzle.