Anyone done one? I dont know why i've got this idea in my head, but its there. I'm talking 8 pounds or less here.I know of a few guys with 8.5 pound 338 ultra's that like them.

I've got a 9.3" #5 fluted brux here, an ADL game scout edge, A wyatts CFE mag that allows 4",a verity of brakes and lots of 338 lapua components already.

I was leaning towards doing a 338 norma, I called John Pierce and he says he has a TI action with a Lapua boltface, sooo..

So a few questions,this would be a hunting rifle, and am thinking of bobing the barrel at 24-25". I would like to still be able to make 2750 FPS with 300's. Possible? If not will an improved lapua get me there?

Scope will be a March hunter.

Just R&D, an expensive one at that so feel free to talk me out of it.

Buy a good barbell instead, and use it. That way a real rifle won't be so much of an issue. Light rifles are problematic to shoot accurately at long range. A better approach is get an accurate rifle and harden your azz up to carry it.

Have those already TAK...

I didn't say that to be a smartazz Rosco. John Burns figured out a long time ago that a Sendero weight rifle was the lightest workable configuration for LR hunting. That 338 Remington factory rifle will cripple you without a brake. Put something like a Fat Bastard on it and it is certainly mangageable but still a handful to shoot a lot, and you NEED to shoot it a lot.

The Army has figured out that a 300mag with high BC heavy bullets will run with the 338's. I'd consider a RUM and you might could find one in a Sendero for sale.

I hear all of that, I have several sendero's, accumarks.and a few other light and heavy rifles..Keep in mind I've been shooting for awhile, this isnt a rifle I'm setting up to learn the LR ropes.

How bad will it be, I dont know it may be unusable, thats where R&D comes in i guess.but my #10.5 338 ultra aint all that bad (no brake), mind you i dont bang 50 rounds a day with it, thats what the creedmoor is for. but when I do shoot it there is usually a loud whack after the recoil.

You can make 2725-2750 with a 24.5" barrel and a 300gr bullet. I have one at the moment. I've also had 18.5", 20", 22.5", and 27" Lapuas. The 24" is the best of everything. I despise long barrels, so I'm a bit biased, though. if running suppressed, a 20" makes a damn nice package.


With that said, I'd probably go with the Norma if I was starting from scratch and had your plans in mind.

Figured there had to be someone on here that had a "short" barreled Lapua, thanks for the response.

My longest shots ever were made with a 24.5" barreled MRAD. 2340 yards

i shot a friends christensen arms 338 lapua with a carbon fiber barrel. you would have to handle it to believe how light it is. the brake must be very efficient cause i think it actually kicked harder with a can on it!

Weatherby is building a light weight MK V lapua this year my buddy ran down and bought it as soon as one hit sportsmans shelf.
Recoil Realy isn't to bad not something I want to shoot all day but manageable very accurate with the leupold VX III 6.5-20 right at 10 1/2

I didnt know Weatherby was doing a LW 338LM, interesting. I like MK5's, my 30-378 accumark is the first rifle I used to shoot a mile, and its still pretty good for that range and beyond, but its sat for sometime as my favorite bullet is the 230 berger and they have gone extinct..

I'll move forward with this idea, thanks for the comments.

If worse comes to worse I'll pull the 338 barrel and do something like a 7mm lapua imp, I think EddyBo said a while ago is working on doing a 7L for himself.

Rosco,
Take a look at this nice riflehttp://www.weatherby.com/product/rifles/markv/accumark_lapua

It is not a problem accuracy doesn't come from heavy barrels it comes from a quality build. A lighter gun might not be as easy to shoot and wont handle long shot strings as well BUT they can be built to be extremely accurate for hunting scenarios. For a lighter gun I would save weight everywhere but the barrel use light stock high quality aluminum bottom metal rail and rings and build away. If you plan on using that #5 Brux it is plenty of barrel just don't over heat it 3 and cool. I would go with the Norma you will hit your target range with RSM if it likes it.

Interesting to see, Weatherby building a 338 Lapua. Will they drop the 338/378 line up DBLTAP? Is my 338/378 Accumark going to become extinct?

I have a 338 RUM, it has a #4 Shilen Bbl. cut at 24" the stock is a Micky KS style Remington action. With the scope a Leupold 3.5-10X40 it weighs about 8-lbs.

This is a nice gun, I have not shot it much, yet it has been on a few hunts and killed some game.

This gun might be going in the classifieds.