Purpose of 20" 338 LM rifles

[Ruskie74]

Hello all,

First post of a long time lurker. Like most of you I got bit by the LRP bug a few years ago and although my range is only 600 yards (1,000 coming soon) I wanted to play with the big boys. I ordered a GA Precision in .338 LM three months ago but my impatience got the better of me and I bought a Sako TRG 42 off gunbroker. Shame on me for not asking / looking closer, but this rifle has a 20 inch barrel in 338 LM. The rifle from GA will have a 28" barrel which seemed appropriate to me given the caliber. I got a great deal on the folding TRG with bipod, so my initial thought was to have it re barreled to a 26-28 inch long barrel, but then I began to wonder, both Sako and AI offer 20" rifles in this caliber, so there must be a reason and perhaps these aren't so bad? Aside from portability and suppressor use, why are these barrel lengths offered ?

Given I can't see, let alone shoot, out to 1,500 yards and only punch paper and steel casually on the weekend, am I giving up that much with such a short barrel in this caliber?

Thanks for all of your replies!

 

[_Windrider_]

Just velocity. I wouldn’t shoot heavy loads with it, stick to the lighter bullets. What’s the barrel twist?

 

[Ruskie74]

Just velocity. I wouldn’t shoot heavy loads with it, stick to the lighter bullets. What’s the barrel twist?

1:10 twist rate. So stick with the 250 grain loads? And thank you for your reply.

 

[_Windrider_]

That’s what I would do

 

[Raffica762]

Hmm I was thinking about a short bbl 338 win mag..a 20” 338 LM would be cool

 

[SRPowah]

Now ask yourself why and the hell someone would want to run an 18" .338 out of their DT SRS?

With your situation, you are only losing velocity. In the field, you are able to put a lot of energy down range with a compact package. Not every shot needs to be 1k+ for a .338LM to be an option.

 

[Steel+Killer]

IMO a 20" barrel on a 338LM is like a suppressor on a 300 WIN MAG.......you can, but it just don't make no sense.....LOL

 

[NateVA]

IMO a 20" barrel on a 338LM is like a suppressor on a 300 WIN MAG.......you can, but it just don't make no sense.....LOL

But a suppressor on a 300WM makes perfect sense. Smooths out the otherwise jarring recoil pulse, takes all the concussion, and takes some of the recoil. I imagine the case with the 20" barrel is to run it suppressed, like the DT barrels that are 18".

 

[SLG]

Because Todd Hodnett told Sako and AI to

Yes, but some units also had specific requirements that the 20" 338 met. At least, they thought they did.

 

[Vargmat]

IMO a 20" barrel on a 338LM is like a suppressor on a 300 WIN MAG.......you can, but it just don't make no sense.....LOL

Like NateVA said, a suppressed 300 win mag makes perfect sense. I sure appreciate mine, the suppressor made a big change in how it handles. (I spell like a moron on the ipad)

 

[Steel+Killer]

But a suppressor on a 300WM makes perfect sense. Smooths out the otherwise jarring recoil pulse, takes all the concussion, and takes some of the recoil. I imagine the case with the 20" barrel is to run it suppressed, like the DT barrels that are 18".

Like NateVA said, a suppressed 300 win mag makes perfect sense. I sure appreciate mine, the suppressor made a big change in the handling it.

Sorry OP not trying to derail your thread......Yea I get what you guys are saying I am assuming you guys are still shooting supersonic rounds and I would have to agree a suppressor would help take some of the “sting” out, but it’s when guys try to take big cartridges like a 300WM and load them for subsonic when it doesn’t make sense to me.......NOW BACK TO OUR REGULAR SCHEDULED PROGRAM......

 

[SLG]

Bc TH told them a short fat barrel is inherently more accurate

Yes, but I'm not talking about that.


eta:

Actually, old age seems to be creeping up faster everyday and my memory needs time to warm up. The guns I'm talking about actually had 18" barrels. yes, based on TH's teachings, but chosen because of a specific mission profile. Those guns didn't last long and were moved on.

 

[spife7980]

Sorry OP not trying to derail your thread......Yea I get what you guys are saying I am assuming you guys are still shooting supersonic rounds and I would have to agree a suppressor would help take some of the “sting” out, but it’s when guys try to take big cartridges like a 300WM and load them for subsonic when it doesn’t make sense to me.......NOW BACK TO OUR REGULAR SCHEDULED PROGRAM......

No one besides gunfighter would try to do that.

What doesn’t make any sense to me is how anyone could ever say shooting with a can doesn’t make sense for anything. Quieter is better than louder.

Cans for life!

 

[SLG]

No one besides gunfighter would try to do that.

What doesn’t make any sense to me is how anyone could ever say shooting with a can doesn’t make sense for anything. Quieter is better than louder.

Cans for life!

I don't know what you're talking about. I saved a ton of money by repurposing my MP5SD3 can onto my 300 WM. The opening was a little big, and HK uses some silly european thread spec, so I fixed it with some 150 mph tape and some of that steel wrap tape. Works great. I load 60 grain lead bullets, launched at just under 1088 (to avoid giving my position away with the sonic crack). I'd tell you what powder but it is a proprietary blend I make at home. I also bang the dents out of my used primers and reload them too.

Waaaay beats a silly old .22.

 

[Ruskie74]

Thanks for all the replies guys. And no worries about tangent subjects - all good. I guess I'll give it a go this weekend and see how it performs.