New Long range 338

[Thebear_78]

I got rid of my 338 RUM last year in a fit of practicality and have really been missing it ever since.  I know there was at least one griz that I would have shot had I had my RUM instead of my 300 winnie.  I trust the winnie on a perfect shot at fairly close range but this was just over 200 yards and the angle was a little quartering towards me.  The 180gr partition might have punched the shoulder and still done enough damage to the lungs to make for a short tracking job but I wasn't 100% sure and it was some really brushy draws close by that I didn't feel like crawling into after a bear with a bad wheel but with the engine still running.   I would have been much more comfortable with a 225 TSX/ACCUbond, or 250gr Partition gold that I used to shoot out of my RUM. 

I've pretty much decided on either having a RUM built on a stainless Montana Rifleman 1999 action with 26" barrel or getting a Rem 700 XCR and having a little work done to it.  Either way I'll still have to get another stock, and on the XCR have the bolt converted to AR15 style extractor.  It would probably be cheaper to go with the Remington.   


I'm looking for a overall weight to be right around 8.5lbs and I think thats pretty doable with either action.  My only concern that I have heard some horror storries about the Montana rifleman actions not feeding well.  And I don't really like the remington safety.   Any ideas or comments??

[Coyote Hunter]

If its a gun for bear country I would probably shy away from a single shot like the XCR.

[Thebear_78]

I don't see where you think the XCR is a single shot.  It is a repeating bolt action from remington that holds 3 down one up and is coated with thier titainium nitrite coating. 

[kyote]

here ya go,,ready to rumble in the jungle or any place for that matter.

http://www.gunsamerica.com/guns/976658402.htm

[kudzu]

Coyote Hunter, I believe you mixed up the XR-100 and the 700XCR. The XR-100 is the single shot rifle and the XCR 700 is the new bolt gun.(Xtreme Conditions Rifle).

[nasem]

if you go to the bolt action forums, you'll see there is a thread I started yesterday because I sold my 300 RUM and wanted a 338 RUM.... after doing some "paper hunting balistics examinations" over the internet, I realised, the 338 RUM doesn't give THAT much of a balistic edge over the 338 win mag, so I decided to keep my tikka stainless 338 win mag..... and also holidays are just around the corner so I'll be needing all the cash I can get.

Seriously, I still think the 338 RUM route is much better than the 338 win mag, but since I already own a 338 win, I'll just stick to it until One day I'll have enough money to buy a 338 RUM.  The biggest turn on about the Ultra mag is, I think you can download them to 338-06 & 338 win mag levels and if you want more, load them up to the maximum ultra mag levels.

[Thebear_78]

I actually have a little first hand experience between the two and the "edge" is a lot more than you imagine.  I had a stainless tikka in 338 and with the way tikka throats thier barrels you actually get a lot less velosity than you would think out of it.  My best load was with a 225gr TSX @ 2700fps.   Even factory ammo was 100-150fps slower than claimed.  The 225gr accubond would clock out right at 2680fps in a max load.   The 338 Rum I had would easily do 3140fps with the same bullet.  That is 460fps difference,  with 250s I was lucky to break 2600fps in the tikka 338 and push past 3000fps easily in the RUM.  Thats the same difference as a a 308 compared to a 300 win mag with 180gr bullets.   The RUM will hit as hard at 200 yards as the 338 Win will at the muzzle. 

I actually liked the tikka until I took it apart and noticed that joke of a recoil lug.  A little square of loosely fitted metal between the action and the stock.   My laminated stock actually split from the lug back to the wrist in less than 100 rounds.  Synthetic will probalby be flexible enough to handle that setup but the laminate wasn't.   And Beretta USA wouldn't warranty the rifle because I had a muzle break installed.  LEft a bad taste in my mouth with beretta USA. 

I have a lot of places up in the mountains and in the larger swamps were it would be possible to shoot moose out to 300-500 yards.  My Browning 338 RUM would place 5 shots inside of 10" at 600 meters off shooting sticks regularly, thats plenty good enough for a moose or even carabou.   

I'm pretty much set on getting a remington in 338 RUM before next hunting season,  maybe before next spring bear season.  A gunsmith that I have used before makes a dandy switchbarrel on the rem 700.  a switchbarrel 338 RUM/404 Jeffery would be pretty interesting.

[Prebanpaul]

I AM PURCHASING A MONTANNA 99 ACTION AND HAVING IT BARRELED TO LAZZERONIS 308 WARBIRD. I HAVE AN AWESOME GUN SMITH AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE HE JUST GOT IN THE 338 TITAN  REAMER. I ASSURE YOU IT WILL OUT PERFORM ANY 338 ON THE MARKET. HE IS A LITTLE SLOW BUT VERY VERY GOOD. MAKES HIS OWN STOCKS AND EVERYTHING.  I HAVE A VIAS MUZZEL BRAKE INSTALLED AND MECURY RECOIL RUDUCERS IN MINE AND I AM UNDER THE WEIGHT RESTRICTION THAT YOU HAVE. MY GUN KICKS LIKE AN 30-06.

PAUL RISLEY
330-472-8686
RIZ78@AOL.COM


FEEL FREE TO CALL ME OR EMAIL IF YOU WANT.

[Sourdough]

I'm shooting a Weatherby Accumark, in .338-378.  I'm shooting the Nosler 225gr accubond, in front of 104gr of IMR 7828.  With a 28" barrel I am getting 3208 to 3210 fps.  A little faster than the .338 RUM. 

[jro45]

I own the 338 RUM and it will shoot the 225 Nosler Acubonds at 3178 FPS and the 200 Speer at 3260 FPS.

The 250 Serria at 3015 FPS, The 250 Nosler at 2975 FPS. It shoots the 300 RN bullet at 2720 FPS

[nasem]

I actually have a little first hand experience between the two and the "edge" is a lot more than you imagine.  I had a stainless tikka in 338 and with the way tikka throats thier barrels you actually get a lot less velosity than you would think out of it.  My best load was with a 225gr TSX @ 2700fps.   Even factory ammo was 100-150fps slower than claimed.  The 225gr accubond would clock out right at 2680fps in a max load.   The 338 Rum I had would easily do 3140fps with the same bullet.  That is 460fps difference,  with 250s I was lucky to break 2600fps in the tikka 338 and push past 3000fps easily in the RUM.  Thats the same difference as a a 308 compared to a 300 win mag with 180gr bullets.   The RUM will hit as hard at 200 yards as the 338 Win will at the muzzle. 

I actually liked the tikka until I took it apart and noticed that joke of a recoil lug.  A little square of loosely fitted metal between the action and the stock.   My laminated stock actually split from the lug back to the wrist in less than 100 rounds.  Synthetic will probalby be flexible enough to handle that setup but the laminate wasn't.   And Beretta USA wouldn't warranty the rifle because I had a muzle break installed.  LEft a bad taste in my mouth with beretta USA. 

I have a lot of places up in the mountains and in the larger swamps were it would be possible to shoot moose out to 300-500 yards.  My Browning 338 RUM would place 5 shots inside of 10" at 600 meters off shooting sticks regularly, thats plenty good enough for a moose or even carabou.   

I'm pretty much set on getting a remington in 338 RUM before next hunting season,  maybe before next spring bear season.  A gunsmith that I have used before makes a dandy switchbarrel on the rem 700.  a switchbarrel 338 RUM/404 Jeffery would be pretty interesting.

wow bear, I didn't know there would be THAT much difference between the 2... even tho the guns weren't made by the same manufacturer.  How would you compare the recoil of say a full load 338 RUM to a full load 375 H&H ?  I have a 375 h&h and I am "somewhat" ok shooting 20 rounds everytime I get to the range, but thats it for it.  how does the 338 RUM compare to that ?

[Thebear_78]

I had a muzzle break on my RUM so it wasn't bad at all,  you could almost watch the bullets cut paper.  It also had a limbsaver recoil pad and heavy burris eurodiamond scope.  over all weight was around 9lbs.   My 375 H&H only weighs 7lbs fully loaded so it kicks quite a bit by comparrison.  In the same rifle I bet the rum would sting a little more than a standard 375 just because of the speed of the recoil.

[nasem]

I had a muzzle break on my RUM so it wasn't bad at all,  you could almost watch the bullets cut paper.  It also had a limbsaver recoil pad and heavy burris eurodiamond scope.  over all weight was around 9lbs.   My 375 H&H only weighs 7lbs fully loaded so it kicks quite a bit by comparrison.  In the same rifle I bet the rum would sting a little more than a standard 375 just because of the speed of the recoil.

thats what I thought too.... the recoil energy of a 338 RUM might be same as the 375 H&H but the speed of the recoil would defenetly be faster (and there for hurt a little more).  I wish the remington 700 XCR was control-round-feed

One day I'll have a 338 RUM and it will be my north american gun.  Hey bear do you know any lighter loads for the 338 ultra that are around the lighter 338 WM & 338-06 loads ?  Id like to start with those "IF" I get one anytime soon

[Thebear_78]

My issue isn't so much a control round feed vs push feed as it is that weak littel remington extractor.  I had a 7mm Rem mag in a 700 that failed to extract on me once because of that fault in the design.  a local smith up here converts the remington bolt to a Ar15 style extractor that is  a great improvement, its similar to the sako style extractor but tougher, and its a reasonable priced upgrade.