Where can I buy a 338 Lapua bolt head?

[Crankfire Systems]

Remington better than Savage? I don't think that was the point being made. The Remington's barrel shank is virtually the same size as the Savage with even deeper threads leaving less meat around the chamber until you get to the shoulder of the barrel. I think the 338 Lapua is stretching the limits of the 700 action as well. I doubt it handles it any better than the Savage would. If it's a heat treatment issue that sounds like something was given the wrong treatment by mistake and could be corrected regardless of brand. And 300 win mag isn't the limit for Savage, there are plenty of RUMS on Savage actions that haven't had any troubles. The Lapua round is about too big for either action.


Thats exactly what I've discovered in researching all this. The Remingtons use the same small diameter barrel shank and the recievers are the same O.D. as the Savages. The bolt lugs on the 700s are .4375" long and the Savage requires .5625" length lugs. The reciever lugs evidently "Setback" from the pressure on the 110s, so the heat treatment was changed. Even the 110BAs are becoming well known for extraction problems. None of this is evident in the many many 338 Lapua rifles based on the Remington actions. The Remingtom MLRs in 338 LM are the same dimensions as they have always been, and no problems apparent with them. With respect to the Standard RUMs, it would appear that they do function accepatably in the Savage platform, but I have serious reservations about any of the souped up RUM Edges, Edge Improved etc. They are all wildcats operating beyond the original pressures etc. and apparently they squeek by in the Savages.
Don't take my comments wrong here. I own 24 Savages and 1 Remington, and I wanted very much to buy a 110BA in 338LM. BUT, I'll have to pass at this point and wait to see if Savage can do better in the future. Until then, I'll just stick to 300Win as the top of the Savage roster, and move on to Remington or better for 338LM and up.

Thanks,
Emory Jones

[tammons]

Good lord.
24 Savage rifles.

[Nefarioud]

The Remingtom MLRs in 338 LM are the same dimensions as they have always been, and no problems apparent with them.


No True, These have a reputation for being less than desirable. A quick look at Snipers Hide will reveal negative comments from current and past owners of the MLR.

The trouble with trying to do .338LM "cheaply" is the same as trying to do 50 BMG "cheaply" it brings about a lot of design compromises to save money. With compromise there is a certain amount of risk of failure.

I have a 110 BA so far no Heavy bolt lift (there seems to be a head space issue with some of the rifles). I bought it to experiment with. I think a Major issue with .338LM is the lack of general knowledge on reloading the cartridge, particularly in the 110BA. If you want to know anything about .308, .223, or any of a plethora of other cartridges the data is easy to come by. .338 is expensive to shoot even at a component level so the knowledge base is smaller and fewer people have sussed out the details. Savage did a good thing by making the rifles more accessible; they've given a lot more people the opportunity to research potential loads and gain experience with the .338LM in a store bought package. In my opinion, given enough time, things will get sorted and the 110BA will prove to be a fantastic long range tool.

In response to the question about the 7mm: 7mm's are awesome. You'd need to shoot a 110BA side by side with a 7mm to determine if the recoil and muzzle blast is significantly more. I've done it. The .338 in this particular package is not the raging beast it may be in other packages. My 300WM is a LOT less pleasant to shoot than the 338, using the same barrel length and muzzle brake as the 110BA (albeit in a little lighter package).

I spent 20 years roadracing motorcycles and experienced all of the expensive trials and tribulations associated with trying to figure out what works and what doesn't, dealing with the realities of compromise and discovering the limitations of machinery built to a price point. I dig to 110BA and have no desire to spend $5500 to acquire a Tac-338 or spend the same $1700 to deal with the AR-30 and the problems associated with that. I'm also of the opinion that the Finn's don't need the money nearly as bad as the US companies at this time. Savage has always treated me right so they'll continue to get my money.......Now where is the 50?

[efm77]

I would think that if they go to a different heat treatment process it would do fine. The Remington barrel shank is the same as the Savage small shank and has deeper threads so the chamber walls are thinner than the Savage would be. Thanks for the info guys, I'm no metallurgist.

[efm77]

I somehow cut my last post off. I haven't heard of any of the Remingtons blowing up although it's probably pushing the limits of that action as well. As I said, I'm no metallurgist but I would think that since the Savage is built using the large shank, if they got the heat treatment corrected, it would probably be a better platform than the Remington. However, it would probably be best to just enlarge the 110 receiver/bolt heat all together to make it large enough for the Lapua and that would solve the problems.

[Captain Eddie]

I'm with nefarious on this one. I'm a Savage guy through and through, but I'm not up to 24 yet. I really think the problem with the 110BA is just a lack of attention to detail. Headspace on mine was .007" over "go". The techs at PTG tell me that the solution to the extraction issue is to push the throat forward by .060 and I've ordered a reamer to find out. Should know by next Friday. I haven't noticed any pressure signs on my fired cases but the extraction problem has to be pressure related and the longer throat should help.

[efm77]

Of course you could always just build a 338 RUM. It's case diameter is enough smaller than the Lapua that there shouldn't be any dangers with it and it's ballistics are virtually identical to the Lapua and cheaper to boot.

[Crankfire Systems]

FWIW

There is a thread running over on the hide that is dead parallel to this one but with the MLR/700 action as the main soup dejur. Jerry Stiller has posted almost the exact same run down on the Remingtons as Fred Sharpshooter did concerning the 110 Savages BAs etc. None of these guns are going to blow up in anybody's face, so long as the ammo fed them is of "Factory" level pressures. But evidently that's their limit, and any hot rodding is liable to push them into setting back the lugs and sticking the cases with tennon swelling. Stiller gave the best explanation I've heard. These rifles were born out of a desire by the company to have a caliber that they wanted badly, but do it in the easiest and cheapest way possible. But they were not intended to be used by handloaders that want to push the envelope.

Ah well, at least I can shoot factory class ammo in the old 700, and go back and decide between Sako, Barrett, Surgeon or Stiller for a 338 Lapua.

Thanks everyone for your input on this thread, sure saved me a lot of time and money chasing smoke.
Emory Jones