338 Lapua Build Question

R

Ramsh00ter

New member
I am currently looking at building a new long(er) range rifle for Elk Hunting.

Looking at the different options, I have pretty well settled on the 338 Lapua.

I am considering building it on a Mod 70 action as my first choice, second choice would be
a Ruger No1.

Can the rails on the model 70 be easily openned up for the Lapua case? Is the magazine long enough?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Randy
 
I'd suggest not building a .338 Lapua on either Ruger #1 or Winchester 70. Both actions use 1" diameter barrel tenons. When you have a case with as large a diameter case head as the .338 Lapua, a 1" diameter barrel tenon doesn't leave much metal on each side of the case head. If you are going to build a .338 Lapua, I'd look at the Stiller Tac 338 action using Badger Ordnance bottom metal with Accuracy International's CIP length magazine. I think it will hold 5 in the magazine. The Stiller Tac 338 action uses a 1 1/8" diameter barrel tenon. The only disadvantage to the Accuracy International magazine is that it will protrude below the bottom of the stock a few inches.
 
Last edited:
Good info from Mike. I agree on the tenon size. BTW the 338 can be made to feed from a standard ADL/BDL Rem setup, unmodified mag holds 2rds.

al
 
Thanks Guys, That is what I was wondering. I will give Stiller a call in the next day or so.

I am not too concerned about weight, as this will not be carried alot. The area we hunt in Montana is mostly drive and spot. Not much opertunity to stalk up on them.

I will post my progress on this project.

Randy
 
Randy,
I have a Ruger No.1 338 Lapua, 28" PacNor barrel no Issues yet with it. I don't load it to the point of loosening primer pockets either though.
Shoots well too.
Nothing wrong with going the custom route either.
Don't overlook Defiance machine. Glen Harrison makes some fine actions.

James
 
I have built a 338 Lapua on a Number one and a 338-378 on a Browning BBR.

Both have small tenons and they both work fine with normal loads. Like any other caliber if you get pressure signs back off a little... If you really want to exceed 'normal' I would suggest a larger tenon.

How long a barrel are you going to use with that over bore Lapua?
 
http://www.riflebarrels.com/articles/custom_actions/378_weatherby_remington_700_action.htm

Take a look at this article on Dan Lilja's web site. It's about using a .378 Wtby case in a 700, but the same logic applies to it as the .338 Lapua case. I've seen two cases of .338 Lapua overloads, both in 1 1/8" threads. The second one shouldn't have been a problem as I shot the rifle with 3 gr more powder and the same bullet before it left my shop. The load he was shooting was 87 gr of RL25 with a 250 gr MK. One shot ruined the bolt and he had to replace the bolt. I have the replacement bolt in the shop and have to check the headspace before I send it back. I shot the rifle with 88 gr and 90 gr of RL25 and 250 gr MK's before it left here with no signs of pressure. The only thing I can think of was that he had a different lot of powder than I had. With what happened to his, I wouldn't want to see what would happen in a 1" barrel tenon.
 
Last edited:
.338 Lapua on the left, 308 Win on the right. Chamber a M70Winchester for the 338 Lapua? No!!! No!!! No!!!

ry%3D400
 
Last edited:
huntinco said:
Why not got with the 338 Edge? Brass is a heck of a lot less and velocity is a tad bit higher.
Click to expand...
While as a .338/404 shooter, I think highly of that chambering -- and the Edge is essentially the same chambering, just using the rebated rim of the UltraMag -- the Edge has a case capacity of at least 4 grains water less than the .338 Lapua (basically a .416 Rigsby, with stronger construction to take higher pressure).

How then, can velocity be higher with the smaller case, if powder selection is optimized?

IMSLTHO, the cases based on the .404 are still a touch wide for a 1-inch tenon. See Jim Borden's work in Precision Shooting (don't have the vol/issue to hand). They work, but the chamber needs to have over .004 clearance. No big deal.

Better still would be a wildcat, the .338/375 Ruger, where the case diameter is no bigger than the belt on a typical belted magnum. Just how much velocity do you think you need with a .338, anyway? The .375 Ruger has a greater capacity than the .375 H&H, long considered a superior long-range moose cartridge.

As far as the .338 Lapua -- or any case of .580 diameter goes -- a couple gunsmiths I respect have observed lug setback with a Remington, after considerable firing. Not a good thing. See too Dan Lilja's thoughts on a .338 Lapua with regard to strength in a Model 700 in his article on the Geske action:

Gerry has done this, and as we will see from the strength and bolt lug flex numbers, he has achieved his goal. If we use the 378 Weatherby cartridge as an example in calculating bolt lug shear strength, bolt thrust and bolt flex numbers, we can see just how strong the Geske action is. Using a simulated chamber pressure of 65,000 PSI, we find that the amount of bolt thrust generated by the big case is about 12,760 pounds. To resist this, the bolt lug shear strength is 72,620 pounds and the amount of bolt flex is .0015". To get an idea of how strong these lugs are, a Remington 700 bolt would offer just slightly more than half the shear strength of the Geske, at 37,480 pounds. Though I wouldn't recommend it, if we put a .378 Weatherby barrel on a Remington, the amount of bolt flex would be .0026". Gerry also believes that three lugs provide a more stable bolt face. One less subject to vibrational effects than a two lug design. (emphasis mine)
Click to expand...

Edit:

I see three of us were typing the same thing at the same time. Doesn't that tell you something?
 
Last edited:
Charles E said:
Just how much velocity do you think you need with a .338, anyway?
Click to expand...

I often wonder that too... the bigger the case the longer the barrel you need...

A 26 inch barrel in .340 Wby is great 338...
 
Charles E said:
...

How then, can velocity be higher with the smaller case, if powder selection is optimized?

...
Click to expand...

Pressure! The fatter .338 Lapua will have chamber swell issues if the shank is not large enough before max pressure is reached. When this happens guys back off on the charge, get lower pressure and therefore lower velocity. Most shooters do not know that their chamber is stretching out then shrinking back more than their brass.

The next .338 Lapua I build will be an AI version.
 
If I had to pick between Kiff & Tooley, I know who I'd pick. (That subtle enough to be permitted, Al?) Dave Tooley's .338 Yogi, another .338 Lapua improved, has been competition tested. He also knows a lot about .338s generally, if you're looking for someone to build a rifle.
 
Dennis Sorensen said:
I often wonder that too... the bigger the case the longer the barrel you need...

A 26 inch barrel in .340 Wby is great 338...
Click to expand...

Roger that.

My "Run the Ridges" Elk rifle is a 7 pound 338 Win Mag. Perfectly capable out to 400 yards if the shooter does his homework.
 
Last edited:
I have a Stiller Tac338 single shot action I'll build into a 338 Lapua AI down the road. I would suggest a single shot action as you won't have to worry about seating those long bullets to mag length. If you throat the chamber a little longer, you may squeeze a little more velocity out of it. Oh, and but a very good brake on it, a 300gr bullet at 2800+ kicks no matter how you look at it.
 
Woodhunter said:
.338 Lapua on the left, 308 Win on the right. Chamber a M70Winchester for the 338 Lapua? No!!! No!!! No!!!

ry%3D400
Click to expand...

Every time I see one of those cartridges all I can think of it must go in something with wheels on it. I did shoot an 8.5lb .338 Lapua with a big muzzle brake on it. Foam in my ears and 22db rated ear muffs, and it still got my ears ringing, but the recoil was no worse than a light .308 might be. On the positive side, it was "much" nicer to shoot than the .50BMG I shot right after that.

Sure glad I don't need one of those things for Ground Hogs or PA Whitetail.

Fitch
 
The barrel behind it is 30 inches long without the brake. 1.3" at the breech end. Total rifle weight is around 15 pounds, yep, it ain't for slinging over your shoulder and heading up the ridge looking for elk!!
 
Y'all probably know this, but there is quite a collection of information on the various .338s on Wikipedia. They give case dimensions and usually capacity.

Included in the list are:

.338/378 Weatherby (biggest at 134 grains water)
.338 Lapua
.338 Edge
.338 RUM
.338 Norma Magnum

etc. etc. The basic magnum cases are the Rigsby, the .404, the "standard" .375 H&H, and the .338 Winchester (& other the "standard" short magnum wildcats). A bunch on the the .30/06 case -- too many to list, and with the .308 case, the .338 Federal. Moving on, there are 2 varieties of the .338 Whisper, one on the 7mm BR case, and one on the .221 Fireball, which headspaces on the front of the case like a pistol cartridge.

Fun reading anyway. Obviously, the .338 Weatherby, the .338 Lapua, the .338 RUM, the .338 Norma Magnum and the .338 Winchester Magnum have factory loadings.

Don't completely trust Wikipedia to get it right, but it's a good source.

Oh yeah, the ."338 Ruger," would be a possibility, there is a .300 Compact Magnum and a .375 Magnum, different length cases. I've actually got a .338/375 on order. Brass is suppose to be pretty good.

I've probably missed a bunch others, too.

For benchrest competition, the 285 grain Hornady and .300 grain Berger make these interesting chamberings.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top