Can my browning x bolt .338 win mag shoot @ 1000y? Recommended optics?

[tazdevil]

G'DAY ALL,
Firstly, congratulations on such a fantastic website and intelligent forum, just what I was looking for.

I am a sporting / professional shooter down under in Australia, and recently purchased a Browning X Bolt .338 WIN MAG for use on the larger ferals (ie Camel, Buffalo, Horse, Donkey, Pig, Samba Deer, Red Deer), as well as culling on the big Red Kangaroo.

Whilst I will still occasionally have the opportunity to do contract shooting on all the critters mentioned above, since my recent move back to my home state of Tasmania where none of these critters exist for shooting, I have had to rethink the need / purpose of my 338 (biggest game to shoot in Tassie are Fellow Deer).

To keep things simple, it is my desire to use this rifle for target shooting on my property, and would like to eventually get it out to 1000 yards. I understand that there are more suitable Cals/rifles/actions for such a purpose, but I already own her, and I can see no reason for her to be sitting in the safe doing nothing when I could be having some fun and honing my skills with her. I have not fitted optics yet and would still like her to be set up in a way that allows for large game shooting as well. What I would like some advice / opinions on, is;

-What is the best most suitable optics for this gun out to and beyond 1000Y, hoping for a 10" spread;

-What are the most desirable factory ammunition specifications for this purpose for this gun;

-What tips can some of the more experienced "Gunnies" give me to get her to shoot well at this distance;

-Would it be easier to herd cats than use this rifle for this purpose?

I will appreciate any and all feedback both negative and positive, and look forward to becoming more familiar with both my new rifle and the members of this forum, TAZ.

"slow is steady, steady is fast"

 

[The_FNG]

.338 for Roo culling... damn

Also, join AHN

Australian Hunting Net - Index

 

[tazdevil]

Thanks for the reply, I'll check out AHN, should clarify that Roo culling is generally done with either my .223 Browning A bolt or .308 Browning BLR take-down, haven't put a single round through the 338 yet, I reckon the recoil would have me pretty upset by the end of a serious culling job!

 

[TRTAC]

depends how your gun shoots. test it out at say 300 yards. it will let you know more than the 100 yard line will. i like a scope with 20x for a 1000 yards if its for critters and such. i have had several mark 4s and they are ok. not sure on the factory ammo......

 

[mountainman308]

First off, welcome to the forum Taz. Now down to business; your cartridge certainly has the power to reach out to 1000 and probably beyond. What kind of stock and barrel does your rifle have? You will want something with a bull barrel and a good quality bedded stock. As far as glass goes, what is your budget? For $300 you can get a damn good fixed power scope from SWFA, for $2000 you can get an even better 5.5x22 or 8x32 from NightForce. I personally use the 8X32 on my 1000 FTR gun, and it can get low enough magnification to take a deer every once in a while, while at the same time it has the clarity and power to allow me to see the numbers in the scoring rings at 1000. I would recommend hand loading your cartridges, especially for this caliber. However if this is not an option, consistency is your friend. Every gun has a brand of ammo it shoots best with, I would recommend buying a sampling of cartridges and find what your gun likes best. If you can get sub M.O.A. at 100, 200, and 300, then you at least should be on paper at 1000. My last bit of advice is find a good smith, get the rifle's action blue printed and the barrel re-crowned. This will at least increase the accuracy of an out of the box factory gun. Best of luck.

 

[tazdevil]

Thanks for the advice mountainman, great starting points to all my queries. The rifle is currently with a gunsmith, in fact ALL my guns are currently with a gunsmith as Australian gun regulations are so ridiculous that simply by moving State, my previous licence from another State is not recognized and my firearms must go into storage until I complete my new licence application, training, safety tests, safety courses, all of which have fees attached, I will be about $1000 out of pocket by the time I get my guns back and so far the process has taken 4 months and counting! The greatest example of a quote I once heard, "the only under-regulated people left in the world are the over-regulators!" Anyway, the rifle is an out-of-the-box Browning X Bolt with timber stock, and from memory I think the barrel is 32". I will pass on your advice on the work you have suggested to the Smithy and get a quote for the work. I don't have a budget for the optics, but would be willing to spend around the $2000 mark, i've always been a fan of Leupold, but will check out the NightForce. I am not set-up for loading my own ammo at the moment as i've always had my ammo supplied by the contractors that i've shot for, so haven't had the need but it is something that I am keen to start doing, particularly as it seems to be the way to go for consistent long distance shooting. I've always had great results with Barnes and Remington ammo, do you have a recommended brand and ammo specs for starting off the zeroing process for this rifle? And also, what do you recommend as a good routine for "breaking in" this rifle? Apologies if these are simple questions, but I am only new to understanding the many variables associated with distance shooting but want to make sure that whatever I learn is THE way to do it, I'm very much a "do it once, do it properly" person, and that every time I pick up this rifle is helping to get it closer to Zero and keep it there. Thanks again for your reply, Taz

 

[mountainman308]

Taz, I have to stop and remind myself every once in a while, that as bad as it gets here in the US, it is always worse down under. Timber stocks can be good, I would have your smith glass or pillar bed it. There are pros and cons to each, but do the research and pick. My FTR rifle is pillar bedded in a McMillan A3-5. A 32' barrel is a long pipe. Length is good, but thickness counts for a lot as well. Look into Bartline, Brux, and Kreiger barrels in a medium to heavy palma contour. I don't know the conversion factor from USD to aussie dollars, but in the states a blueprint and re-crown costs about $250 at my smith, and that price is fairly standard, as per my sample size. Leupold is a great scope, especially the Mk 4s with the H58 reticule, however the NightForce is much more clear and has many more options, such as 1/8th MOA turrets and zerostop, which is a lifesaver in competition. Barnes is great ammo, but I'm not so keen on Remington ammunition. I would look at Black Hills Match, Hornady Superformance (my gun's factory favorite,) Federal Match, and Cor Bon. Try a little bit of everything and see how your rifle groups. Use the free targets from Storm Tactical's website. The 5 1 MOA diamonds are the best for data collection. Keep in mind that your rifle's preferences may shift over time with throat erosion. Breaking in a rifle is the subject of much debate. Some say do it, others say it doesn't matter. Here I defer to those with more trigger time than I. Personally, I do it, but I am no expert. If you are going to, do 1 shot, then clean, for 10 shots followed by 10 shots, then clean for 90.

 

[Muskox]

We have a great gunsmith in Canberra, not sure what your situation is. His name is Russ Lemaitre, and he's an F-Class and BAT/FLY shooter, avid hunter and a hell of a nice guy. 02-6161-8551 is his number I beleive.

 

[tazdevil]

superb assistance from both mountainman and muskox, very greatly appreciated. Despite what opinions are assumed by those on the outside looking in, the firearms community from my experience so far has been nothing but great honest sensible people with a passion for their sport, reinforced once again on this forum. Cheers.

"quality and great results mean doing the job right even when no-one is looking" - Henry Ford

 

[mountainman308]

Always happy to help Taz. If you need anything else, just send a PM or post again. Good luck with the new rifle, they are a blast. One last bit of advice, invest in a good muzzle break when dealing with any 338, your shoulder will thank you later.

 

[Sharpsman]

This:

"Would it be easier to herd cats than use this rifle for this purpose?"

 

[Muskox]

superb assistance from both mountainman and muskox, very greatly appreciated. Despite what opinions are assumed by those on the outside looking in, the firearms community from my experience so far has been nothing but great honest sensible people with a passion for their sport, reinforced once again on this forum. Cheers.

"quality and great results mean doing the job right even when no-one is looking" - Henry Ford

M8,

When I moved to Australia, I honestly said "fuck, I can't really own firearms". Well ok, I can't own a Kalishnakov or AR, but I can own quite a bit of other things.

I have been plesently suprised by how good the gun games are in Australia and how much more hunting there is here than America.

 

[tazdevil]

REALITY CHECK UPDATE;
I am selling this rifle due to A; It doesn't serve any realistic hunting need in Tassie, & B; It isn't a suitable platform for the level of long-range target shooting that I want to do. Appreciate the help from all, but I'm sure I'm going to have a lot more fun with what I will be replacing it with..... a Sig Sauer p226 handgun!