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338 Lapua Entry Level Rifle

3one5

Sergeant
Minuteman
Jul 13, 2002
108
1
CO Front Range
Remington makes some pretty good entry rifles in 308. I just picked up a SPS Tactical that I plan on building up over time. Once that's done I'd like to pick up something in 338 Lapua. I've seen that Remington has a 700p in this caliber but haven't seen anything else. Is that the only Remington in 338 Lapua?
 
Re: 338 Lapua Entry Rifle

I'm confused. Are you looking for Remingtons lineup in 338 Lapua rifles or are you wanted to a 338 Lapua entry rifle? If it is the latter you really need to rethink this. A rifle is a tool nothing more and 338 Lapua is not a round made for up close and personal work. For an entry tool there are many other tools available that are better suited for that task.
 
Re: 338 Lapua Entry Rifle

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Northland</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I think he means "Entry level" .338 lapua </div></div>

This is correct. I can't imagine 338 being a good cqb round. Over penetration may be an issue
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I'm curious what is out there for entry level 338 bolt action rifles.
 
Re: 338 Lapua Entry Rifle

I really don't think there is such a thing as an "entry level" .338 LM. Savage and Remington both have offerings, but they are both around $2000. To me that's not entry level cost. I'm a huge Savage fan, but if I were going to pay $2300 MSRP for a gun I would crunch the #'s on custom build. Here's the Savage 110 BA .338LM

http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/110BA
 
Re: 338 Lapua Entry Rifle

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 3fingervic</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I really don't think there is such a thing as an "entry level" .338 LM. Savage and Remington both have offerings, but they are both around $2000. To me that's not entry level cost. I'm a huge Savage fan, but if I were going to pay $2300 MSRP for a gun I would crunch the #'s on custom build. </div></div>

You may be right. I was thinking the Remington was in the $1100 to. $1500 range.
 
Re: 338 Lapua Entry Rifle

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 3fingervic</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I stand corrected. I did see a few Remingtons online that were going for $1500 or less. There was one for $1100, that seems pretty reasonable. </div></div>

I could have sworn I saw them for $1100 but the local shop is having a hard time getting them. You can get on their list but they want $1500.
 
Re: 338 Lapua Entry Rifle

I've been looking at .338's on and off for a while. The previous generation Remington could be found for as low as $1100. I believe the new ones are upgraded somehow and am seeing prices up around $1700. The earliest Rem's had issues so you need to find a newer old one. Savage did recently announce 2 more .338's in the line up, one a Long Range hunter and the other a Tactical on an HS Precision stock instead of that monstrosity on the 110BA. Based on retail prices, the new savages should have a street price of right around 1000 which will likely land one in my safe.
 
Re: 338 Lapua Entry Rifle

Both myself and a good friend bought Remington 700P MLR .338 Lapua Magnums a couple months back. A local shop had two left new in the box, and at a killer deal ($1300). Most you see on Gunbroker go for around $1700. You can find better deals in the forum classifieds if you look around.

My understanding is Remington only produces about 200 of these guns in a single run each year. They are not listed on their web site or catalog. In fact the box mine came in from Remington had no stickers or markings on it whatsoever, just a plain brown box with a rifle, owners manual, and one mag inside.

Our Remington .338's shoot .3" MOA at 100 yards, .6" MOA at 200 yards. They are very accurate with the right load.

I would say the Remington is definitely the best bang for the buck .338. For less than cost of a Sako .338 rifle alone I got the complete 700P rifle, scope base/rings, scope, bipod, muzzle break, and couple hundred rounds of ammo.
 
Re: 338 Lapua Entry Rifle

There is nothing cheap about the .338 Lapua Magnum. It's a marquee caliber that's rightfully earned a place as one of the excellent tactical cartridges. If you're going to run this big dog, you need to feed it right.

Buy a rifle specifically designed to shoot the .338 Lapua Magnum. The SAKO TRG-42 and the Accuracy International were built specifically for this purpose.

Neither the Savage nor the Remington built their actions for the exact needs of the .338LM. Sure, they'll shoot the round, but they will never match the overall engineering of the SAKO or the Accuracy International.

Sure, you can buy a cheaper rifle than the TRG-42, but you will get what you paid for.

Check out EurOptics here on the hide. They sell TRG's and shooters LOVE THEM for good reason!
 
Re: 338 Lapua Entry Rifle

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dogtown</div><div class="ubbcode-body">A good entry level .338LM would be a .300WM</div></div>
Negative Dogtown, a good entry level 338LM would be a .223 or .308...
.338 will teach too many bad habits to an in-experienced shooter.
 
Re: 338 Lapua Entry Rifle

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: drunkhumpinmonkey</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dogtown</div><div class="ubbcode-body">A good entry level .338LM would be a .300WM</div></div>
Negative Dogtown, a good entry level 338LM would be a .223 or .308...
.338 will teach too many bad habits to an in-experienced shooter. </div></div>

Curious about the bad habits?

I wondered about the Remington LA being setup in 338. Years ago I have a 338 RUM and figured putting 338 Lapua shouldn't be a big deal. At the time I read that there were a few problems that needed to be overcome to make that happen. Unfortunately my memory isn't good enough to remember exactly what those problems were.

Is the Remington action strong enough for the 338 Lapua round? Seemed to be alright for the 338 RUM which, if I remember correctly, has similar characteristics.
 
Re: 338 Lapua Entry Rifle

[/quote]Is the Remington action strong enough for the 338 Lapua round? Seemed to be alright for the 338 RUM which, if I remember correctly, has similar characteristics. [/quote]

Well I've got one and it stood up to the UK Proof test just fine.
Proofing
The proof test basically consists of loading it up with a massively over-pressured round and seeing if it survives. Also no issues with anything I've fed it so far.
 
Re: 338 Lapua Entry Rifle

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jagged77</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Well I've got one and it stood up to the UK Proof test just fine.
Proofing
The proof test basically consists of loading it up with a massively over-pressured round and seeing if it survives. Also no issues with anything I've fed it so far. </div></div>

Good enough. Now to keep my eye out for one.
 
Re: 338 Lapua Entry Rifle

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ranger1183</div><div class="ubbcode-body">There is nothing cheap about the .338 Lapua Magnum. It's a marquee caliber that's rightfully earned a place as one of the excellent tactical cartridges. If you're going to run this big dog, you need to feed it right.

Buy a rifle specifically designed to shoot the .338 Lapua Magnum. The SAKO TRG-42 and the Accuracy International were built specifically for this purpose.

Neither the Savage nor the Remington built their actions for the exact needs of the .338LM. Sure, they'll shoot the round, but they will never match the overall engineering of the SAKO or the Accuracy International.

Sure, you can buy a cheaper rifle than the TRG-42, but you will get what you paid for.

Check out EurOptics here on the hide. They sell TRG's and shooters LOVE THEM for good reason! </div></div>

Big +1

I bit the bullet (so to speak) and bought a TRG-42 a few years back and do not regret it at all. It is the MOST accurate rifle I have ever owned. If I ever had to sell everything for whatever reason, it would be the last item to go.
 
Re: 338 Lapua Entry Rifle

Some users have had good luck with their MLR. I did not. Horrible accuracy. I believe mine has a blueprinting issue.

Regardless of my accuracy issues, I'd advise anyone that wants to get into 338 to think long and hard about why they want to get into the caliber. It costs about $1.35 per round to reload, so the cost of the rifle gets eaten up quick.

If you plan on shooting past 1000, extreme accuracy is necessary. The premium you pay for a custom rifle is a fixed cost and it's worth every penny. You get a stronger action, bigger bolt, better barrel, better stock, better everything. To me the bigger bolt is important.

I plan on taking my GAP to a mile. If you don't have a place to stretch it out or don't plan on hunting at long range, you probably shouldn't be exploring the 338 lM. It's not a beginners caliber. If you want something in between, check out 300 WM. You can stretch the WM a long ways.

You all should know that I'm a big fan of Remington rifles. I have a 5R and I absolutely love it. I'm no gun snob either. I'm a run what ya brung type of guy. I don't buy into names or prices. I've just been down the MLR road and i don't recommend it to anyone, and it really has nothing to do with my accuracy issues. Looking back, I should have bought a custom rifle like I wanted right off the get go.
 
Re: 338 Lapua Entry Rifle

mtechgunman, the old adage is certainly true in this case; you get what you pay for. The MLR fills a gap in the market for people looking for an entry level .338 - some shoot and some don't. With hindsight I'd have waited for a custom build or just bought an AI, as it happened I'd forgotten I'd placed the order for my MLR and it appeared in the UK at the start of this year (order was placed a year ago!). The jury is still out on the performance, I think I've found a good load and will be taking it out to a mile in a couple of weeks to see.

The MLR does handle considerably better dropping it into a LA AICS however, although I'm now limited to the shorter non CIP mag length.

Regarding suitability of the Rem 700 action for .338, I'd be interested to know if anyone has had a custom barrel installed and if so how does it perform?