Sell me on your favorite caliber > 338

garandman

garandman

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Nov 17, 2009
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Huntington WV
#1
Like the 338 Edge thread, I'm trying to make plans for a big bore rifle - something 338 or larger.

This is to be a 1 mile gun (max) mostly for punching paper / clanging steel. Things most important to me:

Ballistics' / flat trajectory
Availability of components
Cost of reloading components.

Please make a case for what caliber I should be looking at. Thanx.
 
#3
MarinePMI said:
No offense, but isn't "cost of reloading components" kind of contradictory to "1 mile gun". :)
Click to expand...

Yes,. And No. Everything is relative. I'm interested in the relatively less expensive option (s) of all big bore guns given that all options are expensive relative to 22rf.

For example, 338 Edge is "relatively" less expensive that 338LM.
 
#4
338 Norma Mag.

excellent brass
2800ish FPS out of a 300grn bullet 26" barrel
Long neck, short case allowing a reloader to push the bullet into the neck and not have to worry about over seating the bullet, taking up powder room.

Any 338 round on up is going to cost you money to shoot.

If you want to save a bit of money take a look at the 300Rum with the 230's. Brass isn't quite as nice but they get out there and run. Another suggestion is a 300 Norma mag with 230's. Or a 284 Jazz.

xdeano
 
#5
1800 yards (1760 to be exact) and cost are difficult to compare. While there are a number of calibers for 1800 yards, I use a .416 Barrett for that or a .338 Lap but that is stretching it a little. Neither one of these is considered "inexpensive" by normal standards but you need to ask yourself how often you intend on shooting at this distance. I also shoot a 300 RUM and that is close to a LAP and is a bit less expensive. I live out in the high desert so I can drive out and shoot this distance on a regular basis. In SC I would imagine you are going to shoot from one hilltop to another for that type of range. Either way, if you want to be accurate and consistent at that range, it is not going to be cheap and I would expect others to offer various cheytac calibers, Barrett's or Laps and they all come at an elevated price. The other issue you need to consider if you do go with a large caliber is the local ranges that will even let you sight it in. Many of the ranges out here in SOCAL appear to be moving away from larger calibers and are only allowing lower calibers. Some of the ranges that I did go to in the past that would allow .416 are no longer doing so.
 
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#6
For a mile max i definitely wouldn't go above a 338. It's well known that the Berger 300 is a favored bullet to run out of the 338lm, for example, and they are already 60-70 cents apiece. Have you looked into 375 or 416 bullets for long range application? I did, briefly. What i found starts at like $1.20 apiece and goes up from there. And Nevermind brass or the 120 plus grains of powder. Even a reloader will shell out $3.50-$4 a round.
For a mile, 338lm, 338 Norma, 338 edge. Take your pic. I chose lapua for the brass.
 
#7
There is 204 pieces of 338 Norma Mag Brass forsale here on the hide for about .58 cents a piece that is about as cheap as you can get it. If I hadnt already chambered my barrel in 338 lapua AI I would be all over that norma brass and trying to find another reamer.
 
#9
Compared to a 2900fps Berger 300 OTM a 7mm RUM/7WM/7WSM (long-throated) will have a flatter trajectory out to 1760 and only lose you about 1.4 MOA windage at sea level/10mph crosswind.

Less recoil, less powder, less expensive brass, standard size actions, standard stock inletting, common dies, wider bullet selection. Take the money savings and shoot more or get a fancy Terrapin LRF to accurately range your ±1 mile targets.

If you want affordable, a hotrodded 7mm or a the 230gr .308 is about as affordable as you can get. IMO. Otherwise I've got the .338/300 RUM (Edge). It's proven to hold its own.
 
#10
Graham said:
.300WM.

Because you really don't need anything larger or more expensive provided you shoot 220SMKs or 210gr VLDs.
Click to expand...

I made the mistake recently of wanting something big bore, and "settling" for something smaller. I'm pretty set on something 338 or larger. At the risk of sounding pretentious, its the only area of the firearms world I haven't yet played in.
 
#11
The ultimate long range round is arguably the .375 Cheytac.

Wow factor goes to the .50BMG!!! Also plenty of brass and reloading components around for the big fifty. Plus you can flat out destroy stuff with it. This would be my first choice if you absolutely have to have something bigger than .338. Get the HTI and you can have both the .50 and a .375 in one totally badass accurate rifle.

The .408 and .416 seems like a pain in the ass to get components for and to reload.
 
#12
You should get the Fifty. My 2c. Some one "has to talk you into it". Might as well be me. Don't you really want a fifty. I do. I'wish I could, but I'm stuck in Delaware, with all the ranges at 100. There's a new one, to a thousand, but it's 2 hrs away. If I lived out West, I'd be "on a fifty" so fast...... my wifeys head would spin.
 
#16
My love goes to the 50 BMG. Custom match chamber and 32" barrel. Great accuracy. Reasonable reloading costs. Lots of surplus ammo and powder. Just bought 48 pounds of wc860 for $300.00. Best Ballistic coefficient of any projectile is in the 50 bmg category. Just my $0.02 :D
 
#18
tracvision said:
My love goes to the 50 BMG. Custom match chamber and 32" barrel. Great accuracy. Reasonable reloading costs. Lots of surplus ammo and powder. Just bought 48 pounds of wc860 for $300.00. Best Ballistic coefficient of any projectile is in the 50 bmg category. Just my $0.02 :D
Click to expand...

I do tend to agree - I'll either go 338 Edge, or 50 BMG. For the reasons you stated.
 
#20
50BMG all the way as long as you don't mind the weight of the launch platform. Components are still very inexpensive......as in the 35 cent primer is the most expensive part. When the surplus/de-milled stuff dries up this will not be the case. It's a proven round with lots of payload options which are very entertaining for the shooter and all spectators.
 
#22
garandman said:
Like the 338 Edge thread, I'm trying to make plans for a big bore rifle - something 338 or larger.

This is to be a 1 mile gun (max) mostly for punching paper / clanging steel. Things most important to me:

Ballistics' / flat trajectory
Availability of components
Cost of reloading components.

Please make a case for what caliber I should be looking at. Thanx.
Click to expand...

garandman
I shot two rifles at a mile +; a 338 LM and a 7mm SAUM. Both were impressive with a clear advantage to the SAUM in accuracy. Now if you need a hard hitter, the 338 LM is a better tool.
As far as reloading components, less headaches with the .338 LM.
I am not familiar with .375 Cheytac or .408, so I will not comment.
Good luck and good shooting.
Ombre noire
 
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