338 Lapua Magnum fits in short action

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DennyG

Guest
I bought a custom rifle. It is trued Rem 700 Police SA, Krieger #17 @ 28", McMillan A-5 with adjustable cheek piece.
The caliber is 6BR.

I plan to use it as a switch-barrel rifle. 6BR + 284 Norma. Both have the same bolt face.
I love 6BR and it shoots .107 and .138 inch at 200 yards with 4 shots each.

Anyway, I thought about it and the action is a single-shot. I've seen the benchrest shooters took the bolt out and insert the cartridge into it and put the bolt back in and fired.

Just asking ....is it "possible" to use the 338 Lapua Magnum in short action (SA) as a single shot?
Meaning that I will take out the bolt and insert it? Yes, I'll need to purchase the magnum bolt and the switchable barrel.
 
Yes it's possible but I don't recommend it.

NOT because you "have to buy a magnum bolt" because you don't and

NOT because "you need to purchase the switchable barrel"..... because you don't

But because IMO the Rem700 tenon is too small diameter. It's too much money, poorly spent.

If you want a cheap 338L go buy the Savage already setup.

opinionsby

al
 
Sure, I can buy Savage 338 Lapua Magnum rifle however I do not feel it as a custom rifle.

Poorly spend, hmm? Krieger 30" barrel ~ $450 + Rem 700 Short Action bolt with magnum face $350 from PTG

If I wish to purchase another custom rifle for larger caliber, I may have to spend at least $2,000.
 
Look at some cartridge diagrams

The Lapua Magnum case has a larger diameter rim than more common magnum cases.
 
VT52 said:
Will the bolt lugs even handle the force of the 338?
Click to expand...

It is my concern about this however Remington has 300 RUM, and 416 Rigby which is similar to 338 Lapua Magnum. I believe Remington do offer 338 Lapua Magnum rifle. (Rem 700).

I'm wondering if the short action bolt lug is the same as long action bolt lug?
 
DennyG said:
I bought a custom rifle. It is trued Rem 700 Police SA, Krieger #17 @ 28", McMillan A-5 with adjustable cheek piece.
The caliber is 6BR.

I plan to use it as a switch-barrel rifle. 6BR + 284 Norma. Both have the same bolt face.
I love 6BR and it shoots .107 and .138 inch at 200 yards with 4 shots each.

Anyway, I thought about it and the action is a single-shot. I've seen the benchrest shooters took the bolt out and insert the cartridge into it and put the bolt back in and fired.

Just asking ....is it "possible" to use the 338 Lapua Magnum in short action (SA) as a single shot?
Meaning that I will take out the bolt and insert it? Yes, I'll need to purchase the magnum bolt and the switchable barrel.
Click to expand...

Call Remington and inquire about the suitability of what you're contemplating. Apparently your love of the 6BR is so deep and abiding that you're already tired of it and want to try a big loud expensive whore of a chambering. I suggest you keep them separate, like wives and girlfriends. Good luck with that.
 
Asa Yam said:
There's a nice article by Dan Lilja on his website at http://www.riflebarrels.com/articles/custom_actions/378_weatherby_remington_700_action.htm . Bottom line is that a Remington 700 action is marginal for .416 Rigby type cases. The .338 Lapua is derived from a strengthened .416 Rigby case.


Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

Yes, I've read this about 8 years ago.

I wonder why Remington went ahead and made two rifles for 338 Lapua Magnum this year. (Rem 700P and Rem XCR Tactical.) I'm just saying that if it is possible to use 338LM in SA? Why do I need to purchase a separate rifle for each caliber? I can do that with the switchable barrel and a bolt action for much less than buying another new custom rifle. I already have a custom rifle and I want to use the same rifle for 2-3 different calibers.

It has nothing to do with loud and powerful caliber. I'm using it for Canadian moose at long distance.
 
Oh well,
You may get the answers you want on another forum. Ain't no way that I would consider it in a 700, even if it were a long action. Are you going to remove the bolt ea. time that you fire it?
 
You can safely get everything you want for much less money by choosing the 338RUM or even the EDGE instead. 338EDGE will actually beat the 338L case for velocity which I'm guessing is your thing. And without the problems associated with the too-small tenon.

I shoot both, I specialize in a blown out 338L, I'm not talking out my (censored) @$$

al
 
With the new 338 Edge Bertram brass it would be a good look at the Edge vs the Lapua I would think!
 
DennyG said:
It has nothing to do with loud and powerful caliber. I'm using it for Canadian moose at long distance.
Click to expand...

My apology Denny, my sense of humor doesn't always translate. I meant the loud bit metaphorically. I consider the 6BR to be an extremely efficient cartridge, capable of excellent performance without making a lot of fuss. The .338 LM strikes me as the loudmouth obnoxious sort of gal who won't be ignored and wants everybody to realize she's in the room while she belches and makes an ugly scene. Were I going for Canadian moose at long distance, maybe I'd feel different. But I like efficiency vs. overkill. Could be that there's no overkill for moose at 1,000y +. Me, I'd be more inclined to try a .280 Ackley. Good luck, whatever you decide. :cool:
 
+1 Bill,
I personally would not hunt a game animal at over 300-400yds. Too many different conditions out to the animal. Too many wounded animals. These are my beliefs only, not saying they are the only opinions out there.
 
I have a new .338 Lapua in the shop that was factory built by Remington on their 700 action to build for a customer if it turned out that the rifle didn't shoot well from the factory. The first thing I noticed about it was that when I loaded up some cases for it, that I couldn't get to the lands and fit in the Accuracy International magazine that the rifle has. My guess is that because the Remington 700 action is marginal that Remington throated the barrel for the rifle long to keep down pressures. It also didn't help accuracy as the rifle shot a little over an inch at 100 yards with the same load that I had used on other rifles that I had built that were easily under 1/2". I had wondered what Remington did to the 700 action to make it where they could use it with the .338 Lapua. The bolt face has a M-16 type extractor. I haven't taken it apart yet to see what modifications they did to the feed rails and bolt stop. The way that the barrel is engraved looks like it probably came out of the Remington custom shop as it's not the normal roll marked caliber stamping. I've sent many people to Dan Lilja's web site article on the .378 Wtby in the 700 action. IMO, the same thing applies to the .338 Lapua as what he references to the .378 Wtby.
 
"Arguing the merits of a bad idea does not change the fact it is a bad idea."

If a whole lot of very experienced folks tell you it's a potentially dangerous bad idea and you still argue the point, another saying applies: "You can't fix stupid".
 
One of the first .338 Lapua's I built was on a Bat M action with 1 1/8" diameter tenon and 3/4" bolt body diameter. The customer was using some .50 BMG powder in it and blew a primer and couldn't open the bolt. I took the barrel off, removed the case from the bolt and screwed the barrel back onto the action. The side ported brake was tilted after the barrel was reinstalled. Something stretched a little somewhere. My guess is that it was the threads in the 416 stainless barrel as it would have been weaker than the 17-4 threads of the receiver. I re-headspaced the barrel, reindexed the brake and he shot the barrel until it was shot out with no additional problems and I think he is on his third barrel since the original one. The .338 Lapua is a large cartridge that holds a lot of powder and has a lot of potential to make things stretch. I'd personally stay away from it in an action with a 1 1/16" tenon and it might be better to have a 1.25" tenon diameter if you could find one to fit the .338 Lapua.
 
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