Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Long range elk gun???

Man oh man Dober, I just don't know you managed it

My .338 RUM likes the 210 TSX so that is what it runs.

That said, it came with 127 of the old Lost River J36's in 250gr (100 still in sealed boxes)that i may load up just to see what they will do.

Either that or sell em as it seems the guys that like em for target shooting absolutely love em, have heard they have erratic expansion on gameso not sure i will try to poke one into an animal yet.

How about a wood stocked 50 BMG

you could try this 50 BMG with a 200gr sabot bullet at 5900fps and 19,000+ energy.

http://www.rbcd.net/Special%20Application%20Ammunition.htm

If someone could explain to me any significant advantage the .338 lapua has over the .340 weatherby, I would love to here it. Two peas in a pod as far as I can tell.

Being deadly at 800 and beyond is more about knowing your load, processing information and adequate optics than it is about a 100 fps or so difference in velocity.

Just my 2 bits.

Per QL, case volume is 100gr for the 340 Wby, 108gr for the Lapua. That's very little in the overall scheme of ballistic potential.

Exactly. I see 8% more case capacity but diddly for performance difference with identical bullets. Both are very capable rounds but for some reason the Lapua is the darling child of the .338 fan club and the .340 is the child no one talks about.

I just find it a curious phenomenon.

Via 26" bbls, 62K max P, 105% max load desity, QL suggests the Lapua has about a 50 fps advantage with 250gr Scenar, and about 100 fps advantage with 300gr SMK.

That's not going to make a huge difference at 1500 yards.

The Lapua was the first 338 used by the military for long distance, and then it caught on in the civilian world like most mil chamberings.

The 338-378 Wby has 137gr case capacity.

Lapua brass.

The 338 Lapua is inherently more accurate, ton's more load data avalible and is not hampered with a belt. the tapered case on the Lapua also allows for easier extraction with hotter loads or in less that friendly enviroments. MM, 100 fps with a 300 grain high BC bullet is quite a lot to me.

Jim, I understand all you are saying. The Lapua is measurably superior ballistically, and has some desireable design characteristics. But ballistically, the 340 Wby is not very far behind it.

To try to quantify my remark about 100 fps,

300gr SMK at muzzle/1500 yards, 4500' el

2750 mv, 1500 yds 1419 fps, 48.25 moa

2650 mv, 1500 yds 1356 fps, 52.75 moa

You don't even need a 24-25" barrel to shoot the Lapua round (or an improved Lapua) and still have great accuracy, and more than enough performance to take down elk at 800 or further.
I look for accuracy more than anything from field positions.
Mine is really stubby at 18"

18", wow! What kind of ballistics are you getting?

Running around 2650 with the 338 Allen Xpress (AX).
300 grain SMK's.
Just got some of the Berger's but have not had the time to try them yet.
Powder is Retumbo.

That's pretty wild.

Is the 338 AX based on the Chey-Tac cartridge?

Basically, a 338 Lapua Improved.

I said significant advantage.

Yeah, it ain't got a belt that makes it a PITA to reload. Not to mention you can actually buy brass for it from more than one source.

The 338 Lapua is CIP'ed at 67,000 PSI, also the Lapua brand 338 cases are excllent and 4000 BAR straonger than nessecary for the 67,000 spec according to Lapua.

I shoot the 300 SMK's at 2800 FPS out of mine. I shot hte 250 SMK to 3189 FPS with 98 grains of H-1000 and to 3197 with RL-25. The is measured with the center screen 15 feet in front of the muzzle and not corrected for muzzle velocity

IMHO the 338 Lapua has a significant advantage over the 340 and it starts with the Lapua brass