Choose Your Weapon with Jim Burnworth

[Johnny7604]

All this talk has me wanting to call manson reamers and spec out a new chamber. Blow the shoulder out on a .338 lapua another few degrees over an ackley improved. Should be able to get another grain or two of a compressed charge of super slow burning powder. Could probably get a other 50 fps out of it and max out barrel life around 500 rounds.

I shall call it the 338 Uberhypermacht Ultra Magnum and I will take it to all the local ranges shoot a couple rounds off the bench then stand around and tell everyone about it.

The long and short of all the .338 wildcats these days is that they are all have extremely similar ballistics. None of them stand out enough from the other to warrant specialized chambers and mandatory brass fireforming.

I see the same phenomena around here with guys and their trucks. Stick a lift kit in it, some fancy rims and big tires then roll around town all day bragging how awesome it is. I never seem to see them out in the bush and mud though.

 

[enysse]

I'm more proud of the guy that hunts with a bow and arrow , 30-30 or 45/70 open sights or muzzleloader than I ever will with the super sniper rifle

The only hunt that I know of where getting close to kill is difficult is a Marco Polo hunt.

 

[Saul]

I watched the full episode and even Mr. Burnworth was shocked that his pet .338 Tejas did not completely flatten a whitetail. Maybe the cartridge isn't as powerful as he says, or maybe it was because he was using Berger bullets. Either way, I've seen deer go down a lot faster after being hit with a .30-30 than this mythical Tejas.

 

[enysse]

Saul when you look at that huge scope on that "mythical Tejas" , I think this gun is just inappropriate for real hunting situations. I only see military uses for it.

 

[Norwegianwoods]

Some cowboys have the fantasy of sniping the "enemy" from far away, and since they most likely will not make the cut in the army, they live out their fantasy by shooting at animals very far away with "military" sniping guns.
This has nothing to do with hunting in my opinion.
It is just target practice at live animals.
In my opinion is Mr. Burnworth a douchebag that is very far from being a hunter.
I hope people don't take him serious.

 

[Johnny7604]

Saul when you look at that huge scope on that "mythical Tejas" , I think this gun is just inappropriate for real hunting situations. I only see military uses for it.

Have to agree with this. I'm not sure that they would even be good for that. The mirage at 32x in any warm environment would be horrifying.

These scopes usually have super fine adjustments and limited overall elevation adjustment ranges which make them unsuitable for field work. They are typically designed for competition target shooting and that's the only place I've seen them used successfully.

 

[bluey]

Some cowboys have the fantasy of sniping the "enemy" from far away, and since they most likely will not make the cut in the army, they live out their fantasy by shooting at animals very far away with "military" sniping guns.
This has nothing to do with hunting in my opinion.
It is just target practice at live animals.
In my opinion is Mr. Burnworth a douchebag that is very far from being a hunter.
I hope people don't take him serious.

although long range hunting isn't everyones cup of tea , and its definitely not close and in your face
it still has many personal qualities to it .
some of the LRH I know are very passionate about their animals and spend many hours ,even days looking them over and getting to know them , through digi scoping and countless hours glassing,
spending weeks in the bush looking for the right animal ,
its definitely low impact hunting , and if that's what you are into ,that's fine .
several of the die hard 1100 metre boys , l know
have grown up deer stalking with riffles , then joined hound hunting crews ,for several years .
then stepped up to bow hunting deer .and now trying something different , a new facet to there hunting so to speak .
they still do any and all there hunting techniques ,with the same passion and ethics just at different times .
and I must add they spend many hours developing they re gear to get it right .

 

[enysse]

I think there is dedication to becoming a long range shooter. It's just that there is large margin for error on a windy day. It can be blowing 20 mph here, 40 mph there or maybe just 10 mph at the target.

 

[Norwegianwoods]

although long range hunting isn't everyones cup of tea , and its definitely not close and in your face
it still has many personal qualities to it .
some of the LRH I know are very passionate about their animals and spend many hours ,even days looking them over and getting to know them , through digi scoping and countless hours glassing,
spending weeks in the bush looking for the right animal ,
its definitely low impact hunting , and if that's what you are into ,that's fine .
several of the die hard 1100 metre boys , l know
have grown up deer stalking with riffles , then joined hound hunting crews ,for several years .
then stepped up to bow hunting deer .and now trying something different , a new facet to there hunting so to speak .
they still do any and all there hunting techniques ,with the same passion and ethics just at different times .
and I must add they spend many hours developing they re gear to get it right .

I appreciate everything you say, but I still don't consider it hunting.
But I don't mind and care if other people do it.

I have been doing my share of long range shooting and could shoot animals at long ranges, but I choose not to, since sniping animals from very far with no chance of detecting me before the bullet hits them, is more like pure killing and trophy collecting and not hunting in my opinion.

 

[Johnny7604]

I appreciate everything you say, but I still don't consider it hunting.
But I don't mind and care if other people do it.

I have been doing my share of long range shooting and could shoot animals at long ranges, but I choose not to, since sniping animals from very far with no chance of detecting me before the bullet hits them, is more like pure killing and trophy collecting and not hunting in my opinion.

I find it fascinating how peoples interpretation on what constitutes hunting varies depending on their personal styles. The same goes for what constitutes long range, there are people that consider 200 meters long range while others consider that a standard hunting situation.

I know a few die hard bowhunters that will argue until they are blue in the face that using a firearm of any kind is not hunting.

In my opinion hunting is hunting, however you need to do it to provide the best experience provided it is legal and does not cause undue suffering of animals is alright by me and more power to you.

-John

 

[Saul]

In my opinion hunting is hunting, however you need to do it to provide the best experience provided it is legal and does not cause undue suffering of animals is alright by me and more power to you

In my opinion, this excludes long range hunting because I do think it can cause undue suffering to animals. It's fine to punch paper at 500+ yards because tr worst that happens is you are a little off. When you are shooting at an animal at 500+ yards, there are so many variables that can go out of your control that taking ultra-long range shots just becomes reckless because of how likely it is for the shot to be a bad one. A responsible hunter's goal is to minimize all chance for unnecessary pain to animals. The long range shooter's goal is to try to hit targets at long distances. See how by having different goals while out in the field makes these LRH not real hunters?

 

[Johnny7604]

I certainly respect your opinion however I would respond that this applies to any range. How often do hunters take snap shots or shots through thick brush at animals in close proximity because they only have a second to make the shot? I have helped track many a wounded animal from poor short range shots.

The bottom line is a person needs to have the skill and equipment to make a shot under field conditions before attempting to harvest an animal regardless of range. The skill requirements can be different from situation to situation and the conditions can change in a heartbeat. The ethical hunter should recognize when this occurs and either adjust appropriately or call off the shot.

The problem that I see these days is that alot of people are getting the equipment and assuming that the skills and knowledge come with it. This of course is not the case, and even worse is TV shows like Extreme Outer Limits where poor shooting through questionable conditions at long distances seems to be the order of the day. The horrible results are masked through editing and doesn't show the true nature of long range hunting.

I will end this with the statement that people need to shoot to the level that their skill, experience and equipment will allow under given conditions. I you can't recognize and adapt to those than don't take the shot whatever the range is.

-John

 

[Velo Dog]

I guess I'm sick and tired of all the 500 + yard shots and sniper rifles. No one wants to hunt anymore.

+1 with you on this one enysse.

A PH once told me that he felt he could teach almost anyone to hit something at 500 or 6oo yds/mtrs but, stalking in close to a wild animal is an art that few people can become really quite good at, no matter how many times you explain it to them.

 

[CAustin]

I don't understand why anyone would want to buy an expensive rifle and then change the the thing to something else. If you want a 7mm buy one!

 

[Saul]

I don't understand why anyone would want to buy an expensive rifle and then change the the thing to something else. If you want a 7mm buy one!

I assume you are referring to the .338 Lapua necked to the 7mm and not the Tejas cartridge.
The worst part is, he didn't say to buy a .338 Lapua and have it rechambered. Instead, he had it built by Kelbly Rifles and acted like he invented a wildcat (he is just pretending that Kirby Allen doesn't exist). He then goes on and on about how it makes a great gun for new hunters and has absolutely no recoil (my guess is because it is a benchrest rifle with a brake and not because of the cartridge).
The Tejas is another story all together. It is a wildcat that has been patented by Cross Canyon Arms. He claims that it can push a 300 grain Berger VLD at 3,000 FPS. The only .338 cartridge that I can think of that can do this is the 30-378 weatherby. I tried to contact Cross Canyon Arms about this, and they haven't responded yet. I did some searching online, and not only is there worryingly little information about the .338 Tejas, but the stuff I did find says it can do 2800 FPS with a 300 grain Berger. That's a lot of money to spend on a wildcat that is only as fast as some factory cartridges (Lapua and Weatherby .338s).
What I find troubling about Jim Burnworth is that he goes on tv as a guns and hunting guru and says that the .338 Lapua is his choice as the best big game cartridge. Then, he says that the lapua isn't enough an wildcats like the 338 Lapua-7mm and the .338 Tejas are ideal for new shooters and can make anyone into a 1000 yard sniper just by shelling out a couple thousand on one of these custom wildcat rifles. As if that wasn't bad enough, his performance claims of his pet wildcats aren't even close to reality.

 

[Norwegianwoods]

As usual from some television "hero" pimping products.

 

[Velo Dog]

Here in Europe and specially in Norway, I consider the 6.5x55 to be the perfect cartridge for new shooters and hunters.
And it is still a great one for the more seasoned shooter and hunter.
Very low recoil and great accuracy combined with high BC and SD bullets that does a good to great job on most animals.
Here it is also very easy to get ammo for.

Norwegianwoods,

I totally agree with you that the 6.5x55 is as perfect a cartridge for new shooters as anyone could hope for.
Even though my sons are grown men and excellent shots/hunters now, I still have one 6.5x55 (I have owned two in my lifetime) because I enjoy shooting it so much.
Maybe I will have grandchildren to teach some day but, if not, I plan to keep it anyway for my own use.
Sadly, here in the US, brass and live ammunition both are difficult to get now.
Hornady has even stopped making the 160 gr round nose for it.
That is my favorite bullet in that caliber (but I will not use the 6.5 for really huge animals either).
It is good to hear you have ammunition available for it where you live.
Hopefully, it will again become plentiful here.

Best regards,
Velo Dog.

 

[sestoppelman]

Saul,

"The only .338 cartridge that I can think of that can do this is the .30-378 Weatherby" ??????

 

[Saul]

Saul,

"The only .338 cartridge that I can think of that can do this is the .30-378 Weatherby" ??????

I meant .338-378 weatherby.

 

[Tanks]

Drew416,
...
I do know from reading the web site for South Africa that, foreigners may not be in possession of ammunition other than what their legally imported rifle is marked for.

In other words, if you have some wildcat like the 7mm Lapua or whatever it's called but you made your brass by necking down some .338 Lapua brass, you will smash into a problem if when you arrive in S. Africa and The SAPS notice the .338 head-stamped cartridges and the 7mm marking on your rifle.

You can have the barrel marked as 7mm/338Lapua.

On my guns I have the main cartridge and the parent cartridge marked on the barrel e.g. 500MDM/375RUM. Then, if they really look at your ammo, you are covered.