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Looking for some input on the proper barrel length for a 338 LM hunting set up. Many options available in 24", but wondering if anyone has any real world data on what the optimum barrel length is. I know for a hunting rifle carrying around a 30" pipe on the mountain side can be cumbersome, but is the ballistic advantage worth the effort?
Looking to shoot a 300 grain pill.
Depends on the case capacity, The Lapua isn't what you would call large capacity as 338s go.
But even with larger capacity cases like the 338x378, 30' barrels are sufficient.
Id probably be using a 28", and id also be using 250 gr bullets with that case.
You simply don't have the capacity/ velocity with that cartridge to reap the gain the larger bullets offer.
I vote for as long as you are willing to carry. 28" or something very close to that would be my minimum. A 300g bullet is going to need a slow powder get max velocity out of them. Slow powder needs lots of barrel volume to expand the gas.
I built a few 338 Edges which are fairly close to the same case volume. 28" was the shortest barrel I used, also the slowest. My favorite was a fluted #7 contour that was 32" long. Great velocity and a sweetheart to shoot.
Is the slower powder required in order to obtain max velocity? Or is it required in order to counter balance chamber pressure at initial ignitionQuote:
Originally Posted by geargrinder
with heavier bullets?
Years back when there were far fewer powder choices, very long barrels were needed in order to obtain best velocity with
the large capacity cases.
Today however much of that has changed, so that even the very large capacity cases the Chey Tac and others
are getting the required results with shorter barrels than in the past.
My son has a 30" on a 338x378 and with 300 gr bullets his velocity is about 2975 ish with 106 gr of Retumbo.
My B I L has a 338 with a 416 case which has the same capacity but is beltless as opposed to belted.
His barrel is 38" and with the same bullet his velocity is only about 50 fps faster on average.
First off don't believe all the claims you hear people talking about even face to face, let alone on the internet.
I had a guy tell me this year that he gets 2950 with a 300 gr using 92 gr of H 1000 in an Edge.
That's just BS, as a good friend uses the same powder and 250s and that would be about max for him in his.
Thanks for all the info guys. I was thinking 28" length with a break would be the longest I am willing to tote around on the hill side, but really have to analyze how I am going to use the gun. Anyone have real world data with a 28" pipe comparing the max 250's to max 300's? I haven't ran a hypothetical ballistics calculator to see if the 250's are ballistically superior out to 1600 yards, but having a hard time believing the 250's would edge the 300's even with the added velocity. Also see that Hornady is making the ELD-X in 270's now. Anyone using these?
Anyone have some personal experience with a Shilen ratchet rifled barrel? I read that they typically have higher muzzle velocities, but how much it the big question.
When does T Rex season start?
To each his own but that's a whole lotta boom for hunting anything on this planet where it's desirable for at least part of the creature is to be preserved.
I mean this with all due respect but having seen way too much gun used on multiple occasions, And game animals killed far too dead, (yes there is such a thing). I'm just wondering if too much internet and the associated tables, numbers, claims, and misinformation may be involved in this plan somewhere. I fear they may be clouding the facts surrounding what happens not just on the surface which can be bad enough, but under the skin, when a .338 Lapua Magnum connects with a living creature not meant to simply be exterminated for the sake of extermination.
If that is the goal for this rifle then have at it.
Probably less damage than a fast moving .270 with 130gr softpoint at normal hunting range. I believe the intent for the .338LM is to stretch it out some. I'm no LR shooter or hunter but ringing 12" steel at 800 is not even a challenge with a good .338 LM setup even for me. No big mess to clean up with a heavy slow moving bullet.Quote:
Originally Posted by big honkin jeep
Oh yeah, I think 26-28 is plenty of barrel. They get very "whippy" any longer unless it's a straight cylinder. Then you need wheels
for it. [emoji1]
[QUOTE=GoatTuff;423089]Thanks for all the info guys. I was thinking 28" length with a break would be the longest I am willing to tote around on the hill side, but really have to analyze how I am going to use the gun. Anyone have real world data with a 28" pipe comparing the max 250's to max 300's? I haven't ran a hypothetical ballistics calculator to see if the 250's are ballistically superior out to 1600 yards, but having a hard time believing the 250's would edge the 300's even with the added velocity. Also see that Hornady is making the ELD-X in 270's now. Anyone using these?
Not familiar with the 270s but weve shot a considerable amount of Hornady 280s in my sons 338x378 at 1500 yds.
Fact is that the 280s arrive there with about the same amount of elevation added to the scope as the Berger or the Sierra 300s.
The Berger 300s do shoot slightly better in his gun so that's what he uses. The 250s don't shoot as well in his gun either.
Whats important is what shoots best in a particular gun, and not which one you would like to shoot best, because fact is they all work.
On the other hand I know quite a few guys having large capacity 338s, some on the 378 Wby case, and others as well.
For distances out to about 1500 yds most of them prefer the 250 gr bullets for long range deer hunting over the 300s.
Especially with those cases having less powder capacity than the 378 Wby case.
There is an element of Berger mania out there today which is mostly based on what people have read and not much else.
Shoot what works best for you at distance for accuracy regardless, and you wont go wrong.
My buddy has a 20” barrel on his 338 Norma magnum(very similar to 338 lapua) not great for shooting past a mile but awesome for any realistic hunting situation.
It still hits like Thor’s hammer at 1000 yards.
It’s not bad to carry, better than my 26” barreled rifle for sure.
I'm in the process of building a 338 rum and debating the same thing. I think 27" is the shortest I'll go leaning towards 28". With a brake that puts me at 30
I thing it would depend on how far your planning on shooting and willing to carry. I have a Savage 110 338 FCP with a 26 inch barrel. Shooting @1000 yards is easy for this beast. I reload and shoot 285 ELD-M. Hornady released the 270 ELD-X with no load data so I called them for information. Was told to use the 285 grain load data but work up, but will have their data out soon. I purchased mine for target shooting though. Unless your shooting an elephant or similar, don’t think I would hunt with mine, but could change, which is why I’m working up loads for the 270 grain bullets. The 338 will decimate any animal you shoot so harvesting good meat may be lost. Think there are better calibers for hunting to produce a humane kill and better odds of retaining most meat from any kill. One of the reasons I have a 308. Just curious, what are you planning on hunting with the 338?
I have a feeling were not getting all the information.Quote:
Originally Posted by Steelhead
By any chance would it be a large pistol?
First off there isn't any argument that the large cartridges aren't necessary for killing any animal walking around North America.Quote:
Originally Posted by bearcatrp
Certainly a 308 is enough cartridge for any animal here. That is as long as you keep the distances to within certain limits.
But it's when you go beyond those limits, that the larger cartridges become more valuable.
Compare a 308 and a 300 Rum and you will find at some point the Rum is equal to what the 308 is at a closer distance.
And that point/distance, isn't as far as you might think.
Hard as it is for many hunters to understand, there are lots of other hunters who are (only) interested in hunting at longer distances, same as some are only interested in archery hunting.
Would it be more rewarding for example to shoot a groundhog at 25 yards, or at 500 yards or even further? And why would a deer be any different? Would all of us even be interested in shooting a groundhog at 25 yards? Why should a deer be any different?
So it's not just what cartridge will humanly kill an animal, it's also at what distance will it humanly kill an animal.
As for what is, and what isn't hunting, that's a different subject, and usually revolves around what ever we as individuals prefer it to be.
Oh I’m not against using a 338 for hunting. Hands down will get the job done at long distance. When I was banging steel @1000 yards this past summer, I brought along my 308 for giggles just to see how it would shoot that far. The 338 took 2 shots to get on target, then 10/10. The 308 was 4/10. Had a good spotter but the range was a rolling range so it was hard to read the winds. No boubt the heavier 285 gr bullet handled bucking the wind great. He was shooting a 300 WM and was 6/10. I let him shoot mine. Love seeing that chit eating grin. If that’s the plan to take game @1000 yards, go for it. It will get the job done with little worry the winds (not to strong) will screw up the shot.
PS, post pics when your done with the hunt. Enjoy reading success hunts with such a beast of the 338.
Actually most who hunt that way exclusively, don't really look for the very long shots just so they can use a 338 or some other large cartridge. Fact is the vast majority of long range kills are well under 1000 yds and are taken with smaller cartridges.
The main goal is to be successful, and it's much easier to do that at the closer distances.
But many of the places we hunt offer possibilities for the longer shots, and its best to be prepared should that happen.
The vast majority of eastern long range hunting is done from a fixed location that could be referred to as a vista over looking a large area.
In many cases you can either drive right to it, or to a reasonably close distance from it. So its not like we have to pick and choose the gun we take along. We can take several of them, and use what ever is best suited, assuming of coarse we find something first.
Again, long range groundhog hunting without the hay fields and groundhogs, but using the same methods.
As for the actual hunting, it's not about guns anyway, and that's what most people fail to grasp. It's about optics, optics because you cant shoot what you haven't found.
And trust me, a pair of very good, very expensive hand held glasses and a spotting scope, just wont cut it, at least where the vast majority of eastern long range hunting is done.
It's easy to find a deer way out there in a field, and then use a spotter to identify it.
But that's not the same as actually setting up and hunting for them across a wide valley on a tree covered mountainside.
It's said that any given time, 90% of any body of water is without fish. And yet here we sit? lol
For example, if there's a bear laying over there, chances are you wont find it with your good hand glasses unless your very lucky.
And guess what else, if there's a bear over there and your hunting deer, pack up and go someplace else, because you wont be finding any deer.
So will poor Joe sitting on a stump on the edge of a swamp know any of that? Just asking, lol