Free: Contests & Raffles.
I don't know what I want at this point, I'm trying to see what has been important to others in what they have-or would- do.Not trying to be illusive, but trying to figure out why some folks made decisions they have made in the past. That was the motivation behind posting the thread. That's why I have posted some follow up questions as I have. The rifles photos pictured are very nice, but without knowing the "why" behind how that rifle ended up with that person, it is just a pretty firearm.
i like the sako because it didnt kill the wallet to bad and is a pretty damn good shooter. im sure they all are it just depends what u wanna shoot but campmeat is right u dont have to have a huge canon to shoot long ranges there are alot of other guns that will if u have the right optics
Any of the big 338's are expensive to shoot, the Lapua is just a little more due to the price of brass. If you don't reload, its the only way to get into the long range 338's. In order to get the most of out a Lapua, or any of the other choices really, is to go with a custom. With the Lapua, a .750 diameter bolt is really the way to go. Is it needed, no, but it raises the safety margin by a long shot. Look at the end of your Mag bolt face, now, cut that out another .050". That what is left over when you open the bolt for a lapua. (Another benefit of the Edge, uses a standard mag bolt face). 28-30" barrels will give you the most performance. Premium barrels will generally shoot better due to the quality of the barrels and the chamber being a tighter spec than factory. This assumes that the smith did his job in the barrel setup of course. Stocks are a matter of preference. I prefer vertical grip style stocks for long range hunting and shooting. They give me a more stable platform. My recomendation is to handle a few different stocks then make your choice on what fits you. That is what getting a custom is all about. You design the rifle to fit you and your needs.Now, with that being said, although I hunt ALOT with my 338 Edge, it is more than needed to hunt long range. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot anything out to 1k with my 7 WSM using a 180 berger. It shoots well under 1/2 moa at that range and has plenty of energy. Our tactical match rifles are a 6mm wildcat I developed that shoots a 105 Berger at 3250fps. Over the last few years we have won every Long Range/Tactical match we have shot from Wyoming, Washington, Oregon, California. We have shot them out to just past a mile and not had any problems with hitting what we were aiming at. Its all about what you want to do. Remember you will shoot a rifle better that you are comfortable with.
The biggest difference in my opinion between these cartridges is reloading cost. They’ll use around the same amount of powder, and the bullets are the same, but the brass is another story. Brass for the Lapua is commonly found for around $195 for 100pc. The 338 RUM, and 338 Edge (wich uses 300 RUM brass) can be had for around $80 for 100pc. This is a big difference in reloading cost, although a straight across comparison would probably not be fair to the Lapua. It’s quite likely that the Lapua brand brass (one of only two brands currently available for the 338 Lapua) would last a couple more firings compared to the others. It’s also notable that to build a rifle in 338 lapua a standard magnum bolt face would not work, requiring a little more work by your gun smith (my smith only charged me around $30 for this, but your mileage may vary). The 338 Edge definitely gives the most bang for your buck. Some claim the Lapua is more accurate. If this has any merritt, it’s likely due to higher brass quality available for the Lapua.
They have a 338 tapered neck sizing button already installed. No need to buy anything else, just apply a little Imperial Sizing Wax to the inside of the necks of your 300 RUM brass and run them up into the FL sizing die. That’s it, 338 Edge brass done.
