Graduated to the big guns.

[ShadeTree]

So, never shot a magnum of any sort.....not a single one. Nothing like cinching up to a real rodeo bull your first time out. :lol:

This past weekend I worked up the ladder on load development with a 338 Lapua mag, with 300 grain accubonds. :shock: :lol:

15 rounds total, first 11 with a lead sled, then the last 4 straight off sandbags with 92.5 grains of Retumbo. With a muzzle brake it wasn't bad really.....little worse than an 06 with a stout load of 180's. That 300 grain chrono'd at 2736, twenty feet out. :shock:

Also sent 2 downrange straight off the bags with a 338 RUM and 250 gr Barnes. That was braked also and was fairly mild thumping compared to the Lapua. Lot of fun! And being how none were mine, didn't cost me a dime.

 

[desertcj]

Didn't cost you a dime? Sounds to me like it may have cost you a lot more than you think now that the seed has been planted...lol

 

[Guy Miner]

Those big 338's are serious long-range thumpers!

Guy

 

[Anonymous]

...and so it begins.

 

[Blkram]

The first 338 Lapua that I shot was a custom lightweight Model 70. It had a 28" pencil thin octagon barrel on it. Shot it while on a hunt with a friend in the mountains; we were busting rocks with it across a canyon from a sitting position. Believe it was a 250 gr load he had worked up with Nosler Partitions.Recoil, while noticeable was not much worse than my lh Rem 700 BDL 338 Win Mag with the hard black factory recoil pad.
Years later I was shooting a Rem 700 338 RUM from the bench with 225 gr loads. The softer Rem recoil pad made by LimbSaver made it pretty decent to shoot. I also found the Wby in 340 Wby with the 210 NP's actually nice to shoot.
While I wouldn't want to spend the entire day sending a hundred rounds out of each rifle down range, I did not find the recoil unmanageable. Actually, the three different rifles that I have shot 300 Weatherby's in over the years (Wby, Winchester an a Remington) all had sharper felt recoil than the big 338's.

 

[gbflyer]

My buddy has one of those heavy Savage 338LM that’s in a chassis, big brake on it too. It’s recoil is about like my 10.5# .308.

 

[JD338]

ST,
Hope you realize what you have gotten yourself into. Once you start shooting one of the fast 33's, your hooked.
I have a 338 RUM that's at the gunsmith getting a new Krieger barrel, blueprinted action and a new HS Precision stock. Can't wait!

JD338

 

[Blkram]

Although my stable only holds the 338 Federal and 338-06 at this time, I would like to replace my old 338 Win Mag. Currently purchasing another 338 Federal as we speak.
Have never owned a fast 338, but if I were to get one, it would probably be the 340 Wby. But it isn't on my list of must haves (at least not at this time! LOL)

 

[truck driver]

Well if the bug bites to hard I have a nice Ruger Hawkeye Stainless 338 Winchester mounted in a H&S Precision stock I would be willing to sell you at a good price.o)

 

[ShadeTree]

Didn't cost you a dime? Sounds to me like it may have cost you a lot more than you think now that the seed has been planted...lol

Don't know, not saying I wont end up with something similar, but it would just be for the fun of lighting them off as I don't currently hunt anything of the size or distance that would justify using one for hunting.

My buddy has one of those heavy Savage 338LM that’s in a chassis, big brake on it too. It’s recoil is about like my 10.5# .308.

I can believe that. With the brake and its big soft recoil pad it hurt less than a standard weight 06 with a hard butt plate, running 180's. In fact there wasn't any distinct hurt or discomfort with shooting it at all. As far as in your face thump, and shove, it definitely was more than a 06 with 180's .

 

[Slimfinn]

So I have told myself that no I don't need a 338LM, because I why would I need to be tempted to shoot at an animal 1,500yds away, and do I want to shoot that rifle enough to be able too..no not really and no need...But, there is this sexy Sako 85 Long Range downtown that is just calling my name. grrrr!

 

[RL338]

I love my 338 Lapua. At the farm I have a 2MOA target @ 600yds and it is no challenge even in the wind. Everyone should at one time have the opportunity to try one.

 

[Blkram]

If you do get that Sako Long Range in 338 LM,it doesn't mean that you have to shoot critters at 1500 yards, or even shoot 285 or 300 gr bullets. You can have fun with the 225 and 250 gr bullets too!

I have shot whitetails and mountain goats with my 7mm STW at 15 and 30 yards respectively; Definitely not long range!