.338 Lapua

[Rocky_Raccoon]

So I was thinking about buying a Nice Nice long Range rifle for killing...well just about anything i want to, gonna put a couple of grand into it, something made by Vandyke Rifles inc. but do any of you have any experience with the cartridges, I hear they are REAL expensive but are extremely well engineered as well.. I was planning on reloading anyhow...any thoughts on the .338 Lapua?? oh if any of you are woundering where im gonna get a couple of grand just to throw at a rifle... im leaving for Iraq in about a week.. somwhere between the 5th and the 10th of september wish me luck... oohrah semper fi

[Catfish]

Rocky,
First let me thank you for your service to your country and mine.
The .338 Lapua is a very good round from what I`ve read about it, BUT!, unless I`m mistaken you have no experance reloading and a wildcat is not the place to start learning. The .338 Win. mag. is very close to it and there is alot of good loading data out there for it. PLUS the .338 Win. mag. is big enough for any game on the North American continant.
If your just wanting a good long range target rifle one of the 6.5 round might be better due to there selection of high BC bullets. Study the external bliistics charts for range and wind drift of different bullets in different cals. and then the velosities you can get from different rounds befor you make your final choice.
When you get back and have your rifle and want to get set-up for reloading let me know and I drive over to Dover and help you get started, my way of saying thanks for your service.

[HPBTMTCH]

The 338 lapua and the 338 ultra mag are ballistic twins. The ultra is a lot less costly to shoot, and you can get a factory remington for a lot less. Now, IF you have a lot of extra cash and money is no object, then the lapua is an excellent round for accuracy. You can buy brass for it, so it`s not really a wildcat you would have to make out of another brass and fireform. Good luck in Iraq.

[RUMLUVER]

Rocky,

Coming from a fellow Devil Dog thanks for service to our country exspecialy now when it seems that there are fewer people willing to do it all the time. I know you will make our country and our Corps proud with your faithful service in Iraq. Now I would opt for the .338 RUM because it does everthing the Lapua does. I shoot, hunt with, and reload for the .338 RUM so I have come to love it. Yes this one will reach out touch em exspecialy with some of those high B.C. 300gr SMK's. I shoot a Remington model 700 LSS and it is plenty accurate but it does recoil quite a bit since I don't use a muzzel brake just something to consider. Like Catfish I am a big fan of the 6.5mm's for all the right reasons and as a matter of fact my first custom is almost done and it is a .264 WM. No matter what you choose tell us about it when you get back from Iraq. Semper Fi Devil Dog!

[Rocky_Raccoon]

Well thanks for the advice, I still got a lot of time to think about it, ill conciter my options and then make a decision, and by the way Catfish, when i get some time at home, ill hold you to your word... we'll do some reloading, and shooting... thanks for everything