I recently embarked an a short barreled 338 build. I had a collection of parts, not quite enough to make the build, but enough to get started. Really, the only thing left was an action. Being that there are not too many people that want to part with just a Remington 700 338LM action, the best alternative was to buy a donor 300 Remington Ultra Mag in a SPS configuration. The reason for this is the feed rails do not need to be messed with in a RUM action.
I ordered a 300 RUM SPS which left me with the problem of a bolt. To open a bolt face up to accept a 338LM is something that can be done, but there is always the worries of weaking the bolt, the additional cost of opening it up, the additional cost of installing an extractor, etc etc and it is still a reworked Remington Bolt. I did some research and found that Midway now offers a one piece bolt for the Remington 700 Long Action with a 338 Lapua Magnum bolt face made by Cometitive Edge Gunworks. The bolt is $279.99 from Midway, and I ordered it.
Upon receiving it, the first thing I noticed was that it is really a fantastic design. The bolt handle, rather than being silver soldered on, is actually screwed into a fixture that is milled from solid stock and built into the bolt, similar to the Surgeon one piece bolt design. The handle screws directly into the fixture on milled into the bolt. Additionally, the extractor for the bolt is placed on the right recoil lug for a true 90 degree ejection. This is a fantastic setup. By putting the extractor under the recoil lug, brass will no longer hit the windage turret on a scope when ejected. This is especially nice for individuals running large tubed scopes, or scopes with large windage turrets, such as the Premier Reticles Heritage line. Also, since brass will no longer hit the scope, I forsee less problems with brass falling back into the action on ejection.
Finally, the bolt is made with .010 extra length between the rear of the lugs and the bolt face. This may not mean anything to the regular shooter, but for the novice gunsmith who wants to install this bolt without sending it to a shop, this is great, as it eliminates the need to set the barrel back and rechamber. You will need:
1/8 pin punch
Lapping Compound (120, 600, 1000 grit)
Go and No Go gauges for your caliber
Chamber Reamer
Barrel Vice
Action Wrench
To achieve proper headspace simply deepen the chamber, with the appropriate reamer, by .001 and check with gauge. However, if you deepen the chamber too far and you are able to chamber the NO GO gauge, the barreled action will need to be sent to a qualified gunsmith for set back. Once headspace is set, remove the ejector, pin, and spring from the old bolt and install on the new CEG bolt.
My only dislike about the bolt is does not come with an ejector. Personally, I think for a 280 dollar bolt it should be on there. Additionally, they ship in a ziplock bag. Again, not a big deal, but something to think about. If you order it from Midway, take this into consideration as if it is loose packed with other items, it may arrive with dings.
I apologize for the poor pictures. I'm far from being a photographer.
For more information and ordering:
Link to Competitive Edge Gunworks Remington 700 LA 338 Lapua Magnum BF
Link to Competitive Edge Gunworks:
Competitive Edge Gunworks
<span style="font-size: 8pt"><span style="font-style: italic">Note: I am not affiliate with Competitive Edge Gunworks or Midway. Just providing a review that I thought people would benefit from.</span></span>
I ordered a 300 RUM SPS which left me with the problem of a bolt. To open a bolt face up to accept a 338LM is something that can be done, but there is always the worries of weaking the bolt, the additional cost of opening it up, the additional cost of installing an extractor, etc etc and it is still a reworked Remington Bolt. I did some research and found that Midway now offers a one piece bolt for the Remington 700 Long Action with a 338 Lapua Magnum bolt face made by Cometitive Edge Gunworks. The bolt is $279.99 from Midway, and I ordered it.
Upon receiving it, the first thing I noticed was that it is really a fantastic design. The bolt handle, rather than being silver soldered on, is actually screwed into a fixture that is milled from solid stock and built into the bolt, similar to the Surgeon one piece bolt design. The handle screws directly into the fixture on milled into the bolt. Additionally, the extractor for the bolt is placed on the right recoil lug for a true 90 degree ejection. This is a fantastic setup. By putting the extractor under the recoil lug, brass will no longer hit the windage turret on a scope when ejected. This is especially nice for individuals running large tubed scopes, or scopes with large windage turrets, such as the Premier Reticles Heritage line. Also, since brass will no longer hit the scope, I forsee less problems with brass falling back into the action on ejection.
Finally, the bolt is made with .010 extra length between the rear of the lugs and the bolt face. This may not mean anything to the regular shooter, but for the novice gunsmith who wants to install this bolt without sending it to a shop, this is great, as it eliminates the need to set the barrel back and rechamber. You will need:
1/8 pin punch
Lapping Compound (120, 600, 1000 grit)
Go and No Go gauges for your caliber
Chamber Reamer
Barrel Vice
Action Wrench
To achieve proper headspace simply deepen the chamber, with the appropriate reamer, by .001 and check with gauge. However, if you deepen the chamber too far and you are able to chamber the NO GO gauge, the barreled action will need to be sent to a qualified gunsmith for set back. Once headspace is set, remove the ejector, pin, and spring from the old bolt and install on the new CEG bolt.
My only dislike about the bolt is does not come with an ejector. Personally, I think for a 280 dollar bolt it should be on there. Additionally, they ship in a ziplock bag. Again, not a big deal, but something to think about. If you order it from Midway, take this into consideration as if it is loose packed with other items, it may arrive with dings.
I apologize for the poor pictures. I'm far from being a photographer.
For more information and ordering:
Link to Competitive Edge Gunworks Remington 700 LA 338 Lapua Magnum BF
Link to Competitive Edge Gunworks:
Competitive Edge Gunworks
<span style="font-size: 8pt"><span style="font-style: italic">Note: I am not affiliate with Competitive Edge Gunworks or Midway. Just providing a review that I thought people would benefit from.</span></span>
