338 Ultra versus 338 Lapua

[IvW]

I have a 338 Lapua....shooting 300gr Accubonds and 286 Barnes....
Does fine on falling plates at 1200meters.....but it aint a hunting rifle or caliber rather a fun gun......and yes it has a can and a 30 1/2 inch barrel built on a Weatherby Mark V action out the custom shop(use to be a 460 Weatherby)....
Fun gun yes....hunting rifle? Never......

 

[Tex .416]

I’ve owned a .338 RUM built on a R700, it is a nice cartridge. The down side is factory ammo offerings are shrinking. Decent quality brass is available, but only sporadically. It makes a lighter rifle, but definitely needs a muzzle brake. I sold mine, which I have regretted now and then. If you go with a RUM, buy several hundred pieces of brass first thing and tuck it away.

Now I have a MRC .338 Lapua with a hunting contour 26” barrel, which is around 10# depending on which scope is used. The extra weight makes it more pleasant to shoot than the lighter .338 RUM R700. My go to load is a Barnes TTSX 225 over 96 grains of H1000 for 3050+ fps.

The recoil is more of a firm push, quite fun actually. The felt recoil is more pleasant than any .338 Win Mag without brakes, and less than my lighter .338 RUM. The major advantage of the Lapua is abundant high quality brass and ammo.

 

[Rule 303]

I have not read all the thread so might repeat was has been said. For any difference between them look at their parent cartridges. The 338 Lap is based on a 416 Rigby case and the RUM on a 404 J case, basically no difference.

As Brass for the RUM is easier to come by, well for me it is I did what any right thinking person would do and used the 338 RUM case to neck up to 358. Also I used a Rem action to house the long load, an M17 Action made by Rem. One must keep up appearances.

So far it has taken some pigs, a few Springbok and Impala, a Zebra and a Giraffe.