A more powerful 338?

[ChrisG]

Hi Matt,

I just ran some numbers on a .338 RUM. It will push a 185 grain Barnes TTSX a t 3300fps. With a 300 yard zero, you are no more than 4 inches high mid trajectory and 8.7" low at 400.... Thats from a 24" barrel. If you went with a 26" (kinda long for hunting but doable) you could push that a little... Flight time would be so short out to 400 yards that the wind wouldn't have enough time to really push the bullet that far. With a 10mph crosswind the round only drifts 10" at 400 yards. You might look into specific long range rounds like the .338 Edge, it will likely push it a little faster.
That is going to be a custom route, so I don't know if that is something you would want to undertake. It also is a Wildcat round and that tends to turn some people off... but it is a fairly accepted wildcat in the long range competition circles. Here it is next to a .338 Lapua. L to R: .338 Edge, .338 Lapua, .338 Allen Express (Lapua AI), .338 Allen Magnum.

Any one of these will do everything you are looking for. I would still vie for the .338 RUM though, if you can get your hands on one or build one. Like others have said, there are potential transport issues with the .338 Lapua, otherwise it would be a shoo-in, it is more commonly available and has plenty of power. Best of luck with your search!

 

[norfolk shooter]

Had A 338 lap for work once. Very good round I've pushed it out to 2000yrds in training and about the same in the field. Better ballistics than the 50BMG but wont get through a mud wall!!! If its for bobos it will serve you well as they are a human size target and hit then centre of mass job done

 

[Mekaniks]

Look at the Lazzeroni Titan. Pushing 225g bullet 3300fps

 

[matt85]

im gonna try a Leupold VX-6 2-12x42 with a firedot LRV reticle. i found a used one on Amazon for $500 which was too good of a deal to pass up. my only gripe about the VX-6 2-12 is that its 4 ounces heavier then my current 4.5-14 but i suppose thats what happens when you move up to a 30mm tube and illuminate the scope.

-matt

 

[Pheroze]

Look at the Lazzeroni Titan. Pushing 225g bullet 3300fps

At some point do you just put little nets at the end of your nose to catch your retinas as they shoot past?

 

[sierraone]

I think Matt just wants to make a bigger and bigger bullet go faster and faster! 800 plus pound animal at 400 yards in Africa? Is that allowed by the PHs?

 

[sheephunterab]

Under the right conditions with an experienced shooter using proper gear it's certainly very doable and with clients paying trophy fees at drawing of blood I suspect it wouldn't be too discouraged by PHs. On our last Namibia trip we hunted some of the most open desert country I've ever hunted and we took a few long-range pokes including ostrich at 540 and 622 yards. Vanessa made the long shot! And I took a gemsbok at just over 400. The was all with a 7RM shooting 139 grain bullets so no doubt a .338 can take an 800 pound animal down at 400 yards and way beyond....depending on the operator of course. Once you get into those ranges though, the only suitable position is prone and that's where shooting the big recoil rifles gets really unpleasant really fast. I've got a 6lb 12oz 338WM that's surprisingly pleasant to shoot but even after a dozen or so rounds off the ground, I'm ready to put it away. There's a reason other than ballistics that long range shooters gravitate to the 6.5s, 7mms and 30 cals. Any bigger and they hurt! Speed and big bullets don't mix well at the operator's end of the rifle.

 

[norfolk shooter]

And that sir is why we have muzzle breaks. My multi purpose target comp rifle (not indoors I add) is a 6.5 Grendel topped off with a S&B PM2 3-12 mag scope. I have had good scores with it and puss it out to 1200 yards!! Granted it might not kill at that distance but I'm tempted to take it to Africa for the baboons.

 

[sheephunterab]

I know many PHs that draw the line at muzzle brakes!

 

[matt85]

after firing a 750gr bullet at 2500fps from a 585 HE, there is not a 338 made today that would impress me in terms of recoil. my normal PG rifle is a 416 RM firing a 300gr TSX at 2650fps which makes the 338 WM feel like a 243.

muzzle brakes are for people who need to be shooting a smaller rifle.

-matt

 

[sheephunterab]

Bet you don't shoot the 585 from the prone position too often!

 

[Shootist43]

Sightron and Nightforce both make long range optics for the 338. Like sheephunter said "some sort of ballistic reticle is going to be required. Your next encounter with those annoying baboons may be a 460 yards or maybe 540 yards or some other distance you haven't planned for. Ballistic reticles have proven their usefulness for long range shooting. Maybe it's time to try one!!

 

[stug]

Part of the reason of having a muzzle brake on a longrange gun is so you do not lose the sight picture. With my 7rem mag I could spot my shots anywhere from 300 yds out.

 

[8x68]

338WM with the proper optics/bullet selection should be more than enough for 500yd shots. I'd put on something that has the ability to help determine range (Nikon BDC, Zeiss Rapid Z, etc ).
Sierra 215gr Spitzer at 2900fps holding a 300yd zero is 5" high at 100yds and 30"low at 500yd. Velocity is still 2000fps, and ME is is 1950ftlbs. But if you really want another rifle @matt85 then ye must follow your desire.

 

[matt85]

Bet you don't shoot the 585 from the prone position too often!

pretty sure the 585 HE would put you in the ER if you fired in prone.

I doubt id shoot too many shots prone with a 250gr bullet at 3100fps with a 338/378 but id survive enough to make for a good hunt.

if I can avoid buying a new rifle then that's the best option because I have no use for even the 338 WM here in WA. longest range ive ever shot an animal here was around 70 yards. but it sure would have been nice to have a more powerful rifle in Namibia.

-matt

 

[sheephunterab]

That was my point about long range shooting...you need to do it lots to be good at it.....lots from the prone position! Recoil is a consideration regardless of your manhood.

 

[matt85]

I cant say how many shots I could fire prone without trying, but im betting its enough. ive spent much of the last few years firing guns that generate more recoil then the 338/378 ever could (416 RM, 458 Lott, 505 gibbs, 585 HE, 600 NE, 4 bore). the warthog in my avatar was shot from prone at 140 yards with a 416 RM using a 300gr TSX at 2650fps. this 416 load is on par with the standard 300gr 338 Lapua load in weight and speed. I use my 416 RM for almost everything, but out at 200+ yards it really doesn't have the speed or the BC to get the job done reliably.

-matt

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I'd say the big gain with the 185 is a much superior bullet for larger game. For the smaller stuff the SST is ideal though.

I'm not so sure about that comment. My daughter and I had one shot kills on zebra, blesbuck, 2 impala, 2 kudus and 2 nyalas with 7mm mag 162 gr SST. The Hornady SST is the preferred bullet from the PH we used in the Eastern Cape. Also my recent Dall sheep was taken with a 130 gr SST in my 270. For longer range shooting, the higher BC might be more beneficial than a tougher bullet with a lower BC.

One other comment about all these super 338s: If you are pushing a bullet well in excess of 3000 fps and happen to target a nearby animal, say 100 yards or less, that bullet might over expand or come apart.

 

[matt85]

If you are pushing a bullet well in excess of 3000 fps and happen to target a nearby animal, say 100 yards or less, that bullet might over expand or come apart.

thats why weve been talking about mono-metal bullets. the 185gr Barnes TTSX isnt going to come apart, it might lose a petal or two though at close range or if it hits a large bone. we recovered one 210gr TTSX from a mountain zebra shot at around 200 yards and it had lost a petal after smashing into the animals spine. the Hornady SST is a very soft bullet and would require you to avoid large bones or close shots if being fired at high velocity. if i was going to use a Hornady bullet it would be the GMX or the Interbond.

-matt

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

1. i will not adjust my scope during a hunt. (unless it somehow loses zero)
2. i will not take a shot at a distance where the drop requires me to hold the reticle above the top of the animal. (by this i mean i wont aim at air)

1. I agree. I don't like adjusting a scope in the field.
2. Shoot at bigger animals.