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Tell me I’m crazy, 338 rpm

Backcountrydreamer1996

Active Member
Joined
May 5, 2020
Messages
39
Location
Indiana
Hello all,

Like many of you I'm always in the chase for the perfect hunting and that leads to me usually piecing together new builds every year and figuring out after season that I need something different for the next year! 😇

Well I'm an avid whitetail, elk and moose hunter and my dilemma this year fell in my moose category.
For 5 years now I've been doing yearly fly in moose hunts into Ontario taking 26" barreled 28 nosler, 27" 338 rum, 24" 300wsm. After years of carrying those I just want something shorter and handier like one of my model 7's I use here in Indiana for tree stand hunting but don't wanna loose my ability to reach out and lay the hammer down. Most of my shots have been between 250-600 in prairies and on waters edge but you always gotta go through the thickest stuff to get there normally.

So coming off this last season I've had my eyes open and been doing a lot of thinking and go into my local gun shop and they've had a weatherby mk v backcountry 2.0 in 338 rpm with the 18" barrel sitting there for a year so I decide to look at it and see they've got it wrote down 500$ under msrp. So I've been obsessing over it for couple months now and I see Peterson making brass for it so Im about 90% convinced I need it for next year with some slight reservations.

My only worry is, is this gonna be viable for making my longer shots? Does anyone have experience with the 338 rpm, the backcountry 2.0? Am I just finding an excuse to add another toy to the stable and I should toughen up and keep dealing with the longer barrels in the thickets?
Chime in, it would be much appreciated!
 

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Not to hurt your "feelers"……but, I really think that your trying to justify a new rifle/cartridge.

Given your desires…..the time tested 338 WM will do all that you are looking for. A shorter barreled rifle…..no problem! The .338 WM is the easy answer.

Factory ammunition is readily available. If you're concerned about velocity with a shorter barreled rifle…..do some homework on what powders will work well in that format. I'm just guessing that there are a few "faster" burning powders that will work quite well, while exceeding the ballistics of the 338 RPM. JMO. memtb
 
Well, let's do some back of the envelope math. Stated velocity is 2800 fps for a 255 grain bullet from a 24 inch bbl. Let's say that is a little high. So call it 2775 - 150fps for a 18" bll so we are at 2625. They use a 225 grain barnes TTSX. A 225/338 TTSX has a higher than average SD and a nice BC. You should run the numbers but I suspect you are going to be above 2000 fps at 400 yards.
 
Run the numbers and see if it meets your requirements.
That's been the hard part, there's SOME but not a lot of information on that cartridge. That's where I was hoping there would be some that would chime in about first hand loading data.
I really think hot rodding a 210 ttsx or a 200 grain accubond in some Peterson brass and that thing could be a hammer!
 
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