.338 Lapua build ---Feedback very welcome---

[ducks-and-bucks]

I'm getting things together to build a .338 Lapua, here's what I am thinking... If anyone has any input or suggestions please give me feedback!!! It will be very much appreciated!!

I want a .338 Lapua that I can take out to 1500 yards. Bench rifle/bipod on the ground. I will be using it for hunting and target, but I do not plan to pack it around hiking. It will be very much a stationary set up.

A defiance machine rebel action, repeater, with a detachable mag, hybrid ejection port, target rear tang, tactical bolt knob, flat bolt nose, 30 MOA canted picatiny rail, benchmark 30 inch heavy bull barrel, muscle break 4 port muzzle break, and the stock I haven't totally decided on... Need opinions for this kinda set up, and need opinions of rifling and twist rate.... I want to shoot a heavy, yet tac driving load that patterns 1500 yards or less like a champ! I know velocity isn't everything, but I'd like to have a max load...

 

[canderson]

Might give the 338 edge a look. A little more velocity a little less expensive brass.

 

[MQ1]

D&B

Why a repeater and not a single shot?

MQ1

 

[Outrider27]

Your decision to include a quality muzzle break is a wise one; with a good brake, the Lapua is a pussycat, recoil wise. Noise is something else altogether - a .338 Lapua with a decent muzzle brake will wake the dead. We assume you already have quality sound muffs; for you and anyone standing closer than 15' behind you, wear quality earplugs under the muffs!

Ours is barreled 1 in 9" twist and that handles anything up through the 300 grain match bullets just fine. We will shortly start to play with H1000 and the 300gr SMK and 250gr and 300gr Berger hybrids; the max published loads for the 300gr SMK is 92.2 grains of H1000. We are currently shooting commercial loads using Hornady brass and the 300gr SMK with good accuracy as we refine our scope setup and accumulate brass and components, but have no idea what the small outfit that makes the ammo uses for powder.

 

[robbor]

Im the opposite as some of you guys. Id like a repeater but its has to be the 1.53 diam or larger and ss. Not to much out there, im settling on the bat m or m oct pic. I want max support for the barrel. thinking atleast 32"+ medium palma taper. i want a fairly heavy gun but want to be able to get it to the top of a hill if need be for lr hunting. i just cant get myself to do a brake. i have hearing damage and uncle has sever damage. He would shoot his 300 rum without any protection and it didnt bother him until he put on a brake, now its finally so loud it hurts again, lol. Definately not good, and severe kick or blast in my mind will both cause a flinch. id rather save my ears a lil and still flinch. I think to many guys hype the rums over the lapua without consideration for quality brass or brass life. Lapua 100%. We were talking the other day that he accidently loaded and shot his 257 stw at or over 5000fps without a component failure, never again after those 2 shots though, i made him dissasemble the ammo and check his load, yikes 10 grains over max. Quality, quality, quality. i wish bat would make the m with a magazine cut out with integral pic.

 

[Minesweeper3433]

If you want to save your hearing wear hearing protection or use a suppressor but saying that you are protecting it by not using a break is a kind of empty excuse.

 

[robbor]

Sorry i left that out, i use proptection with pistols always and with 22-250 and up always because i dont want more damage. it was mean to be more of an example of hoe brakes affect spl at the shooter,

 

[dennisinaz]

Not sure why anyone thinks they need a muzzle brake on a rifle that is obviously going to weigh well over 12 #. I shoot a 340 Wby (250 grain Scenars @3100) and it only weighs 8# all up. I have no muzzle brake and shoot it in only a Tee shirt. As long as your scope has enough eye relief, all a muzzle brake is good for is seeing your bullet strikes through the scope.

A 1-10 will easily stabilize the 300 grain Berger so I wouldn't twist it any tighter than that. I can get 1500 with my 340 with room to spare using only a 26" barrel. You should be able to get to 1800 yds with a 30" barrel.

 

[BoydAllen]

A friend built a very high quality single shot, chambered in a slight variation on the .338 Lapua that Dave Kiff recommended. The only difference is that it has a 37 degree shoulder. It is extremely accurate. I am not sure what powder he is shooting.

Another friend, who I have helped work up loads, shoots a regular .338 Lapua and he gets good results with Retumbo. One thing that we ran into with one of this fellow's rifles, that is a very light, fiberglass stocked sporter, is that it will not shoot with a hard rear bag. Seriously, we were not getting really bad groups, but thought that given our experience with another rifle that it should have been better. After trying every load and seating depth, I had the idea to just shoot a couple with the rifle off of a rear bag, holding the best that he could, to see if the bag might have been the problem. It was.

The first fellow that I mentioned has his single shot BAT in a substantial walnut and carbon fiber stock, and it does not have that problem. He has shot five shots under a quarter of an inch with it.

On the muzzle brakes, I would never shoot one, even in the field, without hearing protection, and on a covered range, I use double protection, plugs and muffs. Anything less, and I think that you are doing long term hearing damage. Shooters have an long history of disregarding the preservation of their hearing, as if they think that there is some masculine virtue in toughing it out. I think that this is ridiculous.

I have ringing in my ears, that can sometimes become a bit distracting, even though I have tried to protect my hearing. Some of it, if not most, probably came from operating loud machinery. If you don't have the problem, all I can say is you don't want to go there. Double up when you shoot a brake, or are shooting next to someone who is, which can actually be worse than shooting one yourself.

 

[NateHaler]

I'm getting things together to build a .338 Lapua, here's what I am thinking... If anyone has any input or suggestions please give me feedback!!! It will be very much appreciated!!

I want a .338 Lapua that I can take out to 1500 yards.

I suggest you forget the .338 and get something in 7mm, like the .280 AI or .284. With the right bullets, you'll be able to shoot to 1,500y and stay supersonic. WAY easier to tote around, less expensive bullets and brass and powder, and you won't need a friggin' BRAKE.

And to be clear, it's a MUZZLE BRAKE, people. Your car has brakes. A train has brakes. A rifle can have a brake. But if any of those things has a break, that means it's not working. Like people on a break. So stop breaking bad with your spelling and get it together. It's a BRAKE. And I hate the damn, noisy, friggin' things. You want tinnitus? Get a brake. Want to potentially inflict permanent hearing damage on the people nearby at the range, some of whom may not have adequate ear protection? Get a brake.

Otherwise, give everybody a break and forget the muzzle brakes! ;D

 

[dennisinaz]

I have been around too many braked rifles to ever want one again. IF you are shooting prairie dogs by yourself and want to see your hits. I can see using a timed brake. You pretty much always have muffs on for this type of shooting. They have NO place on a regular hunting rifle. I don't know anyone that walks around with hearing protection on while hunting.

Hold on Mr. Buck while I dig out my Peltors... Not gonna happen. Another reason I don't handgun hunt. They are too damaging to the hearing.

 

[4xforfun]

I have been around too many braked rifles to ever want one again. IF you are shooting prairie dogs by yourself and want to see your hits. I can see using a timed brake. You pretty much always have muffs on for this type of shooting. They have NO place on a regular hunting rifle. I don't know anyone that walks around with hearing protection on while hunting.

Hold on Mr. Buck while I dig out my Peltors... Not gonna happen. Another reason I don't handgun hunt. They are too damaging to the hearing.

You obviously haven't seen Sean Carlock's videos...Send it vol 1 - 2- and 3.

 

[NateHaler]

your lack of consideration for the irreplaceable hearing of other people is a disgrace. The least you can do is ensure that everybody around you at the range has ear protection on or clears way out, before you pull the trigger on your surrogate manhood. And if they don't have it on, you don't shoot. Show some class and consideration. The shooting sports is for gentlemen, not punks.

 

[Rustystud]

I just finished a .338 Edge, 30.5" heavy barrel with Harrell's 7/8th" Muzzle brake. The rifle with scope weights about 20 lbs. It shoots 250 Nosler Accubonds in excess of 3200fps with 99 grains of Reloader 25. I shot a .4" five shot group at 100 yards. The rifle beats the ever living crap out of you shooting it off a bench. I tuck my hand in front of the rear bag. With this rifle the pistol grip comes back upon recoil and smacks the shit out of my hand. It jars you with significant force even with a brake. I shiot over 200 rounds out of a 300 RUM three weeks ago and it has much less recoil with a lighter rifle.
Nat Lambeth

 

[effendude]

Build it, enjoy it. Don't let the anti's get you down, yes they are even here on this forum. They may not be anti-gun, but they are often anti-whatever they don't like.

All rifles are fun, some need a little extra help to make shooting them more enjoyable. I put brakes on all my hunting rifles above .223 because I want to see the bullet impact the animal, not try to find the animal after the recoil. Advise others at the range you have a braked rifle before you fire, be a good neighbor.

Scott

 

[Outrider27]

I just finished a .338 Edge, 30.5" heavy barrel with Harrell's 7/8th" Muzzle brake. The rifle with scope weights about 20 lbs. It shoots 250 Nosler Accubonds in excess of 3200fps with 99 grains of Reloader 25. I shot a .4" five shot group at 100 yards. The rifle beats the ever living crap out of you shooting it off a bench. I tuck my hand in front of the rear bag. With this rifle the pistol grip comes back upon recoil and smacks the shit out of my hand. It jars you with significant force even with a brake. I shiot over 200 rounds out of a 300 RUM three weeks ago and it has much less recoil with a lighter rifle.
Nat Lambeth

Wow. I have no experience with the Harrell's brake on a .338 Lapua mag or the .338 edge, but I can tell you that the combination I shoot, which weighs at least a pound and a half less than what you're talking about, does NOT recoil like that shooting off the bench. It's recoil is about the same as my scoped, unbraked .308 Win (a bit over 8 lbs) shooting 150-155 grain bullets in full power loads. That brake is not doing it's job in this application, apparently, in my opinion. A braked .338 Lapua should not behave in that manner. For comparison, if you can find one to try out, try a Savage 110 BA in .338 Lapua; if my granddaughter wants to try mine out next summer (she'll be 11 the end of March), I wouldn't hesitate to put her behind it. The same certainly cannot be said for the specimen you have described; that one sounds like a holy terror compared to my Lapua, which is definitely a pussycat by comparison.

 

[robbor]

your lack of consideration for the irreplaceable hearing of other people is a disgrace. The least you can do is ensure that everybody around you at the range has ear protection on or clears way out, before you pull the trigger on your surrogate manhood. And if they don't have it on, you don't shoot. Show some class and consideration. The shooting sports is for gentlemen, not punks.

I agree with this sentiment also, i had a jerk sit down at the bench next to me with his muzzle break'd rifle and start blasting me with out any consideration. I wanted to beat him senseless, the next 3+ benches were empty. I feel most of the tactical/assault shooters are a disgrace to shooter and hunters everywhere.

 

[Minesweeper3433]

your lack of consideration for the irreplaceable hearing of other people is a disgrace. The least you can do is ensure that everybody around you at the range has ear protection on or clears way out, before you pull the trigger on your surrogate manhood. And if they don't have it on, you don't shoot. Show some class and consideration. The shooting sports is for gentlemen, not punks.

I agree with this sentiment also, i had a jerk sit down at the bench next to me with his muzzle break'd rifle and start blasting me with out any consideration. I wanted to beat him senseless, the next 3+ benches were empty. I feel most of the tactical/assault shooters are a disgrace to shooter and hunters everywhere.

Glad to be a disgrace in your eyes. Really important to me what every other shooter and hunter thinks out there. If you get that upset over something so trivial there is a very real chance you shouldn't have a rifle to begin with.

 

[brokespur1]

You may want to look at a Sako TRG42. They are well priced, and have most of the stuff you are looking for....put a rail on it and a good set of eyes and your DONE dude. I have one of these and it will drive tacks. I do have to say that I'm limited to about 850yards in my back yard. (its not 1500 yards, but honestly speaking just how many shots do you plan to make at 1500 yards?). I'll venture to say that the one I have will definately shoot that far accurately, but I do not have the real estate available to try. You are going to love it though no matter what you decide to do.

 

[people]

As much as I do not like Armalite you may want to consider one of their breaks they use on their AR-30.