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1000 Yard 338 - I Like Big Guns Part 2

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luvmystang67:
Okay, so based on the "I like big guns and I cannot lie" thread, I've decided I need a big long range 338.  I'm going to shoot big heavy bullets really far, because... I want to.  Think 270-300 grain 338 shots at 800-1000 yards.

So now here comes the debate with no definitive answer, but looking for thoughts and opinions based on some of what I'm considering.  I'm thinking of long range hunting for elk as a primary application, alongside just long range shooting for fun, but its got to be somewhat packable.

1) Not considering a 338WM.  I've got a 300WM and a 375H&H, I don't need a 338WM and probably don't need another gun generally, but humor me below.

2) I could buy a 338 Lapua or a 338-378 Wby.  I'd be handloading primarily.  I'm a little of the mind, if you're going to buy a factory rifle and handload, why not buy the bigger badder one, which leans me towards a 338-378.  Brass seems to be the only compelling reason to look at a 338 Lapua instead.  Am I missing something else?  I'm assuming recoil perhaps, but with a brake, I think we're kind of same-same here.

3) If I went build... I think the 338 Norma looks kind of neat.  I know, brass isn't as good as the lapua brass, but handloading extra long bullets with "not incredibly long barrels" seems to be kind of this caliber's niche.  I'm thinking I can build what is effectively of a 338 Lapua hunting repeater, in a smaller size, with similar performance.  But I'm also kind of cheap, so I was trying to figure out if I could find an action from a donor rifle and get a rebarrel in 338 Norma... best idea seems to be a MarkV Weatherby donor, but nobody in north Idaho seems to want to work on a weatherby action (that I have found yet).

4) I go back in forth between "ah heck, just buy the $1600 338-378 from Buds and start shooting" and "wouldn't it be cool if I picked up a donor MarkV action and had a 338 norma barrel thrown on there".

Thoughts?

BULLBLASTER:
1. Why not use your 300 win mag for long range shooting and hunting? There are plenty of viable bullets for just that.

2. What do you think you would gain in performance with the 338-378 over a lapua or your 300 for that matter? And how much real impact will that have on your shooting/hunting?

3. What exactly is the difference in brass from 338 norma and 338 lapua that makes you think 338 lapua brass is better? Lapua makes brass for both, as well as 300 win mag FWIW. Neither works inherently better in shorter or longer barrels.

4. How much shooting have you actually done at long ranges? How much do you intend to? Long range hunting takes lots of practice. Weatherby rifles are ergonomic abominations at best, there are much better choices for shootability at long range. If you are thinking of building a rifle why not put money into the 300 win you already have? What would a 338 do that it cant?

This whole post reminds me of a day at the range when a guy had a 50 bmg thinking that was what he needed to shoot 1000 yards. He shot round after round after round never hitting even a plate at 880 yards. Then he was flabbergasted that my 6mm could hit them consistently. Horsepower is not a replacement for shootability or practice.

Also for the record, i have shot large 338s just enough to realize i dont like them. And dot want one.  :chuckle:

Mtnwalker:
I think all those are overkill unless you plan on stretching it way past 800-1000 yards  :chuckle: that being said, I’m all for silly reasons to play with new guns so have at it  :tup:

GWP:
I used to load a Weatherby 30-378 and his 375 H&H for a friend of mine.
His 100 yard group was 5" the first 5 shots he put through the 30-378 with factory ammo. He said the gun was "not accurate".
I (and his friend that was with us) watched him flinch from the first shot.
His buddy sat down and shot a 1" group with 5 shots and declined to shoot it any more because it kicked so hard.
I am not sure if the owner ever got to where he could control the 'flinch', as I do not recall going to the range with him after that, but he did always talk about it being a 1000 yard gun. I have sold more than one gun because of the recoil and it causing me to flinch with other lighter rounds.

I hope, before you make any 1000 yard shots on critters, or even 500 yard shots for that matter, that you test out your abilities at a capable range.
I believe Tacoma sportsman and Paul Bunyan both have a long range meet once a month.
Best of luck on your choice of weapon!

luvmystang67:
To answer a few questions...

1) My 300WM is a 1/12 twist, hardly ideal for larger bullets that are often desired for longer range shooting, 180 grain is about max and even then probably a bit heavier than ideal.  Can it shoot 1000? Sure.  Should I put a 180 grain bullet from my 300WM on an elk at 1000... starting to get iffy there.

2) Will I practice, or have I?  I've practiced at 5-600 yards yes, but most of my guns aren't quite set up for this and also aren't necessarily as accurate as I'd like to begin with.  I've taken elk at 500 with a .30-06 with an old 3-9x scope and it took a lot of poorly penetrating bullets to get it down.  How on earth am I going to practice at longer range without a setup equipped to do it?  And yes, I'm not going to go sight in a 338 lapua at 100 yards and then try to smack an elk at 1000... I'm not a jerk, I promise, and only a jerk would do that.

3) I don't mind getting whalloped by recoil, a sick part of me enjoys it.  Maybe I'm making up for being recoil shy as a child and thinking dads .30-06 was the baddest gun in the land.

4) I also just want to, this is going to happen in some capacity, it is really just which one.

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