Help me justify another rifle! .338 Lapua

[CoElkHunter]

Rather like using a 7 STW for eastern whitetail. It will work - but damn .....

Elmer Keith did say the .375 H and H was a good whitetail cartridge, when he was asked about it? He was an expert, so? Ha! Ha!

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Elmer Keith did say the .375 H and H was a good whitetail cartridge, when he was asked about it? He was an expert, so? Ha! Ha!

@michael458 would call it questionable on deer?

 

[Surgeon1]

I got into long range shooting to ultimately start big game hunting (mostly elk) with a 338 Lapua.
Have owned and still have several. My currently favourite is a Bob Beck built (MOA Rifles)
338 Ackley Lapua Imp. It drives a 300gr Hybrid Berger at 3010fps and is a 0.25 gun if I do my part.
For Africa a Dakota Traveler in 416 Rigby with a 338 Lapua barrel which is a great combo!
However I still say its hard to say there is anything better than a nice 375 H&H. The 375 & 338 cal give you lots of bullet options. I would shy away from a Christensen Arms as very few I've shot are any better than 1 MOA, most 2-4 MOA.

 

[Tra3]

Buy it for fun. Shoot it a bunch. Then take the brake off and shoot it. Then buy a .375H&H. Then take both rifles to Africa because you can bring two guns and it is fun to bring two guns if you don’t mind the weight.
My guess is on a Safari, out of 10 shots, 8 will be on sticks, 1 offhand, and maybe 1 prone.

 

[freefall]

I say buy it. Seal Team Six might call you next week to stand overwatch as they exfiltrate the 70000 people that Biden left.

 

[michael458]

Elmer Keith did say the .375 H and H was a good whitetail cartridge, when he was asked about it? He was an expert, so? Ha! Ha!

@michael458 would call it questionable on deer?

Use only Super Premium Bullets and hopefully you can get an exit that will assist greatly in following blood trails........Maybe won't go more than a few hundred yards, unless its a really big deer.......

 

[michael458]

I have nothing of real value to add on the thread, my apologies, but I do love a 338, always have. But for the big 338 I went with the 338 RUM, at the time brass availability, and I could not see enough actual difference in the Lapua and the RUM to be of any consequence for my purposes. But of also note, I am not a long range sort of fellow either...... Hell, 50 yards is a long way for me............I had a Winchester M70 RUM action built to 338 RUM, and laid in a lot of brass to feed it for life. I also really like the smaller 338 WSM, I have two Winchester M70s 22 inch guns in that cartridge......

My 338 RUM is plain as dirt, when SSK converted it, I kept it in the plain sporter stock that it came in.... Brian bedded it, not much to look at, but it shoots way better than I can shoot it.........With that long musket barrel 24 inches, I won't be taking it anywhere besides the range anyway...........

338 caliber is a fine caliber for its intended purposes, and it would be hard to go wrong, regardless what cartridge you choose....... and you may make choices based on other things as well, type of rifle and so forth..... Lots of really serious good bullets to choose from as well..................

Thank you @PHOENIX PHIL for the funny intro..... HEH..........

 

[Hogpatrol]

Buy it. Take it to Africa. Wear full tactical gear or 501s. Shoot animals off the truck at 800 plus yards. Post your hunt report. Start a shit storm. Piss off everyone who doesn't like brakes, long range hunting, shooting off the truck or big tactical cartridges designed for full combaty aficionados.

 

[Ridgewalker]

drandolph4570, welcome to the AH forum!
My only experience with the 338 Lapua was in Africa. Two young guys carried theirs along with 375 H&H and 458 Lott. The Lott and Lapua messed up what they shot, so they then went back to using their 375 H&H rifles. JME
But take what you want and please report back to us on how it performed for you.
As suggested by others, this likely won’t be your only trip to Africa! LOL!

 

[Hogpatrol]

More than a few years ago when the cartridge was all the rage, the local gun range would see a half dozen or more of them shooting the steel ram at 500 meters. All you heard was Thawack, Thawack. Then boredom and the cost of ammo to make noise set in. I haven't seen one at our club for at least five years, maybe longer. Same for the other solution looking for a problem cartridges like the Cheytacs.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Use only Super Premium Bullets and hopefully you can get an exit that will assist greatly in following blood trails........Maybe won't go more than a few hundred yards, unless its a really big deer.......

"Use only Super Premium Bullets". Well, Winchester hasn't produced their Power Points in .375 for some time and probably not Silvertips either? Guess I'll have to go with 270gr. Remington Core Lokts for whitetail?

 

[michael458]

"Use only Super Premium Bullets". Well, Winchester hasn't produced their Power Points in .375 for some time and probably not Silvertips either? Guess I'll have to go with 270gr. Remington Core Lokts for whitetail?

OMG Man....... Really? No, I was thinking you may need a lot tougher bullet using .375 caliber on deer......something like Swift As, or Barnes TSX, maybe even some CEB Solids for backup shots..... Remember, you taking a damned rat caliber .375 and trying to hunt deer........that is way way above its pay grade.........at least try and use some proper bullets...... you might get lucky........

 

[PARA45]

An excuse to buy another rifle, man you came to the wrong forum/crowd. I'd say, buy something more traditional (wood stock), vs. a Christensen Arms which BTW are great rifles, with a more traditional African caliber. Oh, and like others have said, you'll be back to Africa again in no time.

 

[Chago]

Leave the 338 at home. Won't be enough for impala, those bastards are tough as nails. Bring the 50BMG. Works on everything up to kudu. But if you think you might go after Eland, you will likely need to just call in a airstrike.

In all seriousness buy a 338 to shoot steel at home. Its fun, but it has no business with you in Africa.

And I am pretty sure RSA has rules against importing rifles of "military caliber". I am pretty sure the 338 falls under that, but some of the others may be able to chime in on that.

 

[revturbo9967]

I've been a 338LM owner for many years. Unless you're ready to dive pockets first into running that type of caliber, try something else. Many bullets would not stabilize for me at 100 yards, and I found myself chasing groups for nothing, only to back up to 200, and then 300 yards to get the same groups. It takes a lot of research and patience to get the lapua to its full potential, which most will never do. Its designed to shoot high BC bullets very far, not kill at 100 yards. Like some have mentioned if you get a close shot, your bullet velocity will be so high it will disintegrate on impact causing a long day tracking only to lose the animal.

 

[Jeffrey]

Welcome to AH!

Of course buy a 338 Lapua. Then leave it at home. Buy a Model 70 or similar in 338WM, or better yet a Featherweight in 30-06 and bring it with you to Africa.

 

[drandolph4570]

Hello drandolph4570,

Khomas Highland Hunting Safaris of Namibia, welcomes you to the greatest forum on earth.

My below rant applies to so called “plains game”.

Your idea of using the .338 Lapua in Africa can certainly put animals in the salt.
However, it’s comparable to driving a 200 mph rail dragster back and forth to church.
Many of the 250 grain and heavier bullets manufactured in .338 diameter are fantastic performers on most of the world’s game animals.
Although, some brands might be too soft for the excessive velocity of the Lapua cartridge and similar ultra-long range type .33 caliber cartridges.

Even the ever popular .300 Winchester is quite a bit faster than needed for the majority of African hunting conditions.
Shooting smaller game such as impala, warthog, blesbok, etc., at the most common African shooting distances, often results in ruined skins, and splattered edible / valuable meat.

As .33 caliber rifles go, for hunting in Africa, the .338-06 / 250 grain round nose soft @ 2400 fps is very close to perfect.
Another fantastic, very close to perfect for Africa .33 caliber is the .338 Winchester Magnum, especially if on a rare occasion you might have to shoot across a canyon or a lake, out to around 400 paces or so.
Most game shooting in most of Africa however, is under about 200 paces.
And more shots than seems likely to us high velocity Americanos, takes place under 100 paces.

Therefore as mentioned, the .338-06 with 250 gr blunt shaped soft nose bullets is a real peach.
The fly in our beer is that live factory ammunition for this splendid cartridge is very difficult to find lately.
Never was widely available.
All that I’ve mentioned about the .338-06 applies exactly the same for the .35 Whelen.
The 9.3x62 is also similar except that ammunition for it is a little more common.
Plus, the 9.3 will handle quite heavy bullets and therefore is lawful in some countries for Buffalo (and possibly other species of dangerous game as well ?)

All that having been said, you cannot go wrong, hunting non-dangerous game in Africa, with a boring old .30-06, loaded with 180 grain to 220 grain bullets.
Anyway, blah blah blah, LoL.

Best Regards,
Velo Dog.

That's a lot of good information. I could also bring a 300 WSM which is pretty similar to a 30-06 or make the vintage African rifle crowd happy and bring a little 'Merica to the party and bring my .45-70 .....in lever action and push big bullets out of a straight wall case. I want to justify a rifle that can let be used for bison, elk, bear (brown hopefully someday) moose, etc. Thanks for your input

 

[drandolph4570]

Welcome to AH!

Of course buy a 338 Lapua. Then leave it at home. Buy a Model 70 or similar in 338WM, or better yet a Featherweight in 30-06 and bring it with you to Africa.

I should be able to load the Lapua to match the WM ballostically

 

[drandolph4570]

So you’re only going to Africa once?

View attachment 421799

Well that's the plan said every meth user ever.. Bought it off silent auction at a Scholastic Clay's Target Program fundraising dinner. My wife has always wanted to go. It was never on my list honestly. My list looks more like Alaskan Moose. Artic circle Caribou, not hot place with biting bugs. So I'm optimistic I can do a one and done

 

[drandolph4570]

I got into long range shooting to ultimately start big game hunting (mostly elk) with a 338 Lapua.
Have owned and still have several. My currently favourite is a Bob Beck built (MOA Rifles)
338 Ackley Lapua Imp. It drives a 300gr Hybrid Berger at 3010fps and is a 0.25 gun if I do my part.
For Africa a Dakota Traveler in 416 Rigby with a 338 Lapua barrel which is a great combo!
However I still say its hard to say there is anything better than a nice 375 H&H. The 375 & 338 cal give you lots of bullet options. I would shy away from a Christensen Arms as very few I've shot are any better than 1 MOA, most 2-4 MOA.

Thanks for the advice that is the second person I've heard say the Christenesen rifles aren't as good as they should be.