OT - unless someone has a levergun in .338 Lapua

[AJMD429]

Anyone reload for the .338 Lapua? Just curious as to what size dies/press is required; the dies I see from Redding, RCBS, Lyman, etc. don't say anything special about threads, but the Lee Factory Crimp die for .338 Lapua says 1-1/4x12 threaded die, which means it would fit the cast-part of a Rockchucker press.

I figure I'll likely never spring for a .50 BMG due to the fact that I could buy several nice leverguns for the cost of the most basic .50, which would be nothing more than a 'toy' (not that 'toys' are bad, mind you ), but was drooling over a used .338-378 Weatherby a few weeks ago, and got to wondering about the 'African' level of .338's as far as reloading equipment goes. If I could reload such a beast with relatively normal equipment, it could be some fun shooting! For both recoil and accuracy purposes, I think I'd want a heavy barrel on such a firearm, and the Lapua seems to be chambered in more heavy barreled guns, vs. the Weatherby and .338 RUM, so maybe if it doesn't require all new reloading equipment, I'd consider the Lapua...

(Plus...we have a really bad feral cat problem down at the barn lately... )

[jjames]

I have a Weatherby Accumark in 338-378. I find the recoil to be very tolerable. I would rather shoot that than slugs out of a 12 ga or max black powder loads behind a mini ball in my TC 50 cal Hawkens. Dillion says my 550 can handle reloading the 338-378.

[olyinaz]

Any significant diff in brass costs?

Oly

[AJMD429]

Any significant diff in brass costs?

Oly

From what I've seen there is more variation in price (and sources) for .338 Lapua brass, and it often reloads more times (lots of variables there, no doubt, as to guns, loads, technique, and not just the cartridge), but has been episodically hard to get. On the other hand, if I got such a beast, I doubt I'd be going through thousands or rounds a year, unless I win a lottery ticket.

[Streetstar]

I love to shoot ---- but even saying that , my lowly .300 WBY mag only gets a box or two through it a year.

The .338 looks to me like a 300 on steroids, -------------- if i popped coin for a .50 (yes, i've considered that too) -- i would probably shoot it more than the .338. Something about being top of the food chain maybe.

I look at the .50 as a big WIN -- and the .338 just another oversized Elk cartridge that has caught the attention of the long distance guys.

My results with a 338 would probably be the same as my .300. (but thats just me and my personality )

[AJMD429]

I look at the .50 as a big WIN -- and the .338 just another oversized Elk cartridge that has caught the attention of the long distance guys.

My biggest 'other' cartridges are 30-06 and .444 Marlin, so I figured I'd look at what high-ballistic-coefficient bullets were out there, and for whatever reason, the .338 caliber is "it", probably because the military promised big purchases to the bullet-makers. If the .358 bullets were available in 0.7 or greater b.c.'s, I'd rather make a custom bull-barrel .358 BOS Magnum.

If I were to step up to the 'king' .50 BMG, not only the cost per shot would be huge, but then I'd start thinking why didn't I get one of these:

NTW-20.jpg

It fires a 20mm round that makes the .50 BMG look mediocre in comparison:

223-338-50-20mm.jpg

http://www.vincelewis.net/20mm.html

I guess powerful firearms are like money - no matter what you have, you think about having more...

[Streetstar]

[
I guess powerful firearms are like money - no matter what you have, you think about having more...

Aint that the truth --- The big .50 has no useful purpose to me but i want one anyway ---- would have bought one of the BOHICA uppers for my AR, but the tales of out-of battery detonation problems on some of the "budget .50's" has me thinking i have to have a Barrett or at the least, an Armalite for peace of mind (hey, its my face and forearm y'know -- whats another 3 grand compared to plastic surgery bills )

Barrett makes an awesome .338 too (but then again, so does Savage) --- i just like Ronnie Barrett's style on some things (political )

[samb]

My little brother shoots and reloads for his 338 Lapua. Standard thread dies and they work in his single stage rockchucker, His dies also work in my Lee Turret press. He does not hotrod his loads, his brass requires trimming but is lasting a long time.

[AJMD429]

My little brother shoots and reloads for his 338 Lapua. Standard thread dies and they work in his single stage rockchucker, His dies also work in my Lee Turret press. He does not hotrod his loads, his brass requires trimming but is lasting a long time.

I realize that the Lapua brass is more variable in capacity than most, so one lots 'starting' load may exceed another lots 'safe' load, but I'd still be interested in what kind of loads he's using and what velocities he's attaining, if he'd share that information.

[piller]

Darn it, now my want for a Barret .338 Lapua just started again. I don't need one, but that is not the point. I want one.

[AJMD429]

Santa's sleigh dropped this off . . .



It's a .338 Lapua side-lever!

Zel makes them - http://www.tactilite.com/ - along with .50 BMG ones, .416 Barrett ones, and .408 CheyTac ones.
Mine's the baby of the bunch.

Range report once I save up enough for a 10-round box of ammo ($59)...

[kimwcook]

Doc, can't wait to see the range report on that one.

[JReed]

WOW! Santa was good to you.
I for sure want to see the range report on that. What is the barrel length?

[AJMD429]

WOW! Santa was good to you.
I for sure want to see the range report on that. What is the barrel length?

Here's the 'spec sheet' from Zel - http://www.tactilite.com/technical-data ... ducts.html

CalsSportingArmory specs:

• •Upper Receiver, barrel extension and integrated Picatinny rail: CNC-machined from a single piece of 3" 4140 steel bar, hardened to approx. 42 Rock. C
  •Bolt head: 2-lug, CNC-machined from 4340 alloy steel, hardened to approx. 42 Rock. C
  •Bolt tube: CNC-machined from a single piece of 4130 tubing
  •Muzzle Brake: 8-port, fish-gill style
  •Heavy Duty Hammer: CNC-machined from 1018 steel, case-hardened

I got the 24" one from these guys - http://www.calssportingarmory.com/Zel_C ... u24338.htm

It is VERY well made, and I initially put it on a nice DPMS lower I had. In the meantime, I had gotten a 'spare' Rogilio lower at a local shop that I found had 'issues' in terms of pin holes undersized, magazine-release hole oversize, and bolt-catch hole undersize, plus threads for tube-extention needed heavily brushed to even begin to accept a stock-tube. Naturally, I opted to keep the DPMS with the original upper, and use the Rogelio as a 'dedicated' lower for the Zel, since as a bolt-action single shot, it doesn't use the magazine-release, bolt-catch, and the pin holes would be compensated for by using a JP 2-piece rear, and a screw-type front one (like the 'Colt' one only for std. 1/4"). So, an otherwise 'junk' lower actually found some use.

I used a steel Versa-pod (pricier than their normal aluminum ones) that has pivot and tilt locks, and topped it with a Millett Long Range Scope with 140 MOA vertical adjustment range. It's a really nice 35mm tube 56mm objective 6-25x scope and the most affordable of that type I could find - http://www.millettsights.com/scopes/lrs/

My son and I shot six rounds out of it last weekend, and there is NO recoil, but it is about as noisy as my politically-correct 'muzzle-braked' 20" AR-15 is (I need to replace the pinned-on muzzle brake with a pinned-on flash suppressor). Like the AR, the rear/side blast pretty much 'clears the table' of any debris, including loose brass, any writing materials, etc...

[Boreman]

DOC,
I have a Browning A-Bolt in 338 Win that I love to shoot.It VERY accurate at MOA or less at 100 yds. I shoot 200 and 225 gr Hdys most of the time. How does the Win round compare to the Lapua?

[JReed]

Sounds like a right solid rig. So my next question is are you going to use it for coyote control?

[Scott Young]

Lat is one lovely looking 338. I have had a crush on 338s for years. I own a 338 win mag. It is wonderful I don't have any of the load data in front of me as it would be useless for your lapua. I have found the selection of bullets to be very good. I picked up some cheap speers and they are fun to plink with and with lower velocity I like hunting with them. the 200 grain are very accurate even though the bc is horrible. at full thottle they will shred a deer so I backed them off and save some of the meat.

[AJMD429]

DOC,
I have a Browning A-Bolt in 338 Win that I love to shoot.It VERY accurate at MOA or less at 100 yds. I shoot 200 and 225 gr Hdys most of the time. How does the Win round compare to the Lapua?

Ammoguide.com is a good resource for this stuff and reload data - here's a comparison of some of the .338 rounds...
http://ammoguide.com/?tool=bcompare&it= ... c485%7c747

I don't know if you can access the 'visual comparison' if you're not a member ($18.95/yr I think), but this link might show it for you some other 338's...
http://ammoguide.com/cgi-bin/aicompare. ... 1&xxglbl=1

The 338 Lapua, 338-378 Weatherby, and 338 Remington Ultra Magnum are all about as large a case as practical with the 338 bore. Too big for me to want to fire in a 'normal' gun, vs. the heavy Zel (must weigh nearly 20 lbs total).