.338 LM recoil... What's it like?

[.Scarecrow.]

I am a smaller frame guy looking to get a .338 Lapua when I acquire sufficient skills. With a proper brake, shooting position, and lighter rounds. How would recoil be for a smaller guy like me. I really want to get into this cartridge.

-Thanks

 

[excaliber]

Re: .338 LM recoil... What's it like?

I shoot the Lapua at steel targets so I like em around 19-20 pounds so I can spot the shot better. If your going to use it for hunting, I`d go with at least a 14 pounder. I don`t like a hunting gun over 10 pounds because too much weight to pack around. If your just going to watch a field and don`t have far to walk, go heavy to tame recoil. I don`t like brakes on my hunting rifles either. Who wants to wear ear plugs while hunting?

 

[Bluegrass Tactical]

Re: .338 LM recoil... What's it like?

Depending on the weight of the gun, muzzle break design, shooting position, and ammo it can go from very pleasant to brutal. I had one in an AICS, 26" Sendero barrel, Suppressed Armament Systems QD brake. I could shoot as long as my wallet could afford. I've shot a couple light weight hunting rigs in 338LM with shitty breaks and thought my shoulder was going to break. When you are ready for one I'd suggest giving Crescent Customs, GAP or Accurate Ordnance a call and discussing what you are looking for.

 

[Topstrap]

Re: .338 LM recoil... What's it like?

Think you really need to go to a shoot and/or find someone that has one so you can shoot it for yourself. What some consider pleasant and comfortable others may find brutal and intimidating. Much easier to start small and work up to a caliber such as the 338 Lapua than getting one and wishing otherwise.

Seems the larger calibers are the fad now with lots of shooters and videos stretching them out towards 2 miles. You'll find that a lot of ranges won't let you shoot it at their targets, most ranges don't have the distance to let you stretch it's legs and you better have deep pockets to feed while learning to shoot it well enough to become proficient with it.

Topstrap

 

[sib1948]

Re: .338 LM recoil... What's it like?

Just purchased a Barrett MRAD a few months ago. weighs about 17 pounds with scope, but muzzle break tames recoil to less than 308. Just shooting targets and would certainly not want to pack the thing around hunting. Many good aftermarket breaks available for reasonable price, but will need threaded barrel.
I'm 5' 10" and weigh 165. I can shoot all day until funds run out for ammo.

 

[TimResin]

Re: .338 LM recoil... What's it like?

I have a GAP built M2008 with a 30in mtu barrel and a fte brake feels like a 15 pound .308 unbraked. I am shooting 250gr scenars at 3000fps and I am a smaller guy. 6'3 165lbs. Prone get your stance right and load that bipod its nothing. I even shot it of the 4 wheeler at 1k and it wasn't that bad.

 

[turbo54]

Re: .338 LM recoil... What's it like?

My TRG42, which wears the Sako brake, is totally decent with 250s@2850fps, and recoil is not an issue. With 300s@~2700, it "thunks" a lot more.

I used to bring Advil with me to shoot it because I'd develop a headache after 20 rounds or so, but I've gotten past that...just have to ride the recoil down properly.

I'm in the Ann Arbor area, you're welcome to come take it for a test drive sometime.

Say, what are you up to tomorrow afternoon?

 

[Badshot308]

Re: .338 LM recoil... What's it like?

I have one of the original MLR's in an AICS 1.5. Recoil isn't that bad at all. Muzzle blast from a braked .338 can be nasty after a while and that adds to the difficulty for a new shooter. "Lighter rounds" as you put it, tend to defeat the purpose of this cartridge. You were given sound advise in your other post to work your way up and not jump into this round for a while.

 

[snax90]

Re: .338 LM recoil... What's it like?

Savage 110 FCP HS. About 14 pounds loaded. I would say less than a .308

 

[Nostradumbass]

Re: .338 LM recoil... What's it like?

If you could get behind a 50bmg bolt gun for a bit, when you go to the 338....it won't be s#%t!

 

[armada]

Re: .338 LM recoil... What's it like?

I have one built on a Surgeon XL with a 28 inch rock and badger FTE, A5 stock. It doesn't really kick, but pushes. So I guess it kicks a little less than a 308 but has a push behind it. My 300 WSM kicks way harder even with a brake. I actually shoot my 338 more than my WSM.

 

[The_FNG]

Re: .338 LM recoil... What's it like?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: turbo54</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I'm in the Ann Arbor area, you're welcome to come take it for a test drive sometime.

Say, what are you up to tomorrow afternoon? </div></div>

What an offer

Jealous for sure.

 

[mavrick10_2000]

Re: .338 LM recoil... What's it like?

You need to find someone with a .338 LM (preferably) in the model you want or close) and shoot it.

We can describe it all day, but people perceive felt recoil differently. I personally think the muzzle blast from the brake can cause a person to flinch more than the recoil, but that's me.

Braked or suppressed I think the recoil is manageable to shoot in a t-shirt for most of the day with 250gr bullets. Then again my rifle is probably at or near 20 lbs with chassis, scope and bipod. Others may not agree and I've see where they turn around and sell the rifle very quickly.

My best attempt to describe it is based on the fact I've never shot a braked .300 WM. The 12 lb .300 Win mag used for hunting an no brake or suppressor with stout loads and 210gr bullets was a more abrupt/faster recoil impulse and not nearly as pleasant to shoot as my TRG42 in .338LM The .338 is a slower or longer push - the duration of the impulse you have to ride out a little longer and you'll notice it as it is more difficult to keep your perfect sight picture. To slow it even more shooting suppressed feels even a bit more like a push, but the duration lengthens a little bit vs. braked and the boom is gone so that's nice.

I developed a nasty flinch that I had to work through for quite some time with the .300 WM. Due to the fact I didn't need it for hunting any longer (Overkill) I sold it. I've had my TRG for a few years and I shoot it fairly regularly and never had a flinching or tensing up issue with it - but the properties of the rifle, chassis, recoil pad, brake or suppressor make it an apples vs. oranges comparison.

 

[sib1948]

Re: .338 LM recoil... What's it like?

Take up that generous offer and just get out and shoot and I guarantee you'll be happy. The cost of ammo is the biggest limiting factor on the 338-more than 50 cal. While I love my 338, I spend more time practicing on my 308, which I bought afterward. Until you shoot more you won't know exactly fits your needs AND your budget. Good shooting.

 

[mavrick10_2000]

Re: .338 LM recoil... What's it like?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Nostradumbass</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If you could get behind a 50bmg bolt gun for a bit, when you go to the 338....it won't be s#%t!

</div></div>

Lol that's no joke. The recoil isn't horrible (a good shove) on a 50, but the muzzle blast is horrendously obnoxious. Like a cannon going off a few feet from your face.

 

[mdavlee]

Re: .338 LM recoil... What's it like?

My 338 is a savage long range hunter and it's not bad at all to me. Every one that's shot it has said it wasn't near what they were expecting. I Have shot off a bench and prone with it free recoil and it has only touched my forehead once. I must not have been behind it just right when it did that.

Reload for it and the price isn't that bad. You can reload a 100 rounds for around $165 figuring the brass reloads 5 times. I shoot mine at least 20 rounds every time I go out and have not had a sore shoulder yet. When I get done with load development I hope to start loading 50 rounds at a time and maybe get that much shooting in on a longer session.

 

[Hawk45]

Re: .338 LM recoil... What's it like?

I've not shot the 338LM, but I used to have a Savage 24" non-braked 300WM in a Choate stock (@14lbs) and it was "snappy". I've also shot a friends 50BMG single shot braked (@17lbs) and found it more pleasant than the 300WM. The WM is like a .40 cal or 357sig in a semi pistol compared the the .45ACP. The .40/.357sig are real "snappy" where the 45ACP is more of a push. If you can try both, do so. The quality of a good brake makes a big difference, but not as much as good form. Whatever you do.. don't get a flinch.

 

[.Scarecrow.]

Re: .338 LM recoil... What's it like?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: turbo54</div><div class="ubbcode-body">My TRG42, which wears the Sako brake, is totally decent with 250s@2850fps, and recoil is not an issue. With 300s@~2700, it "thunks" a lot more.

I used to bring Advil with me to shoot it because I'd develop a headache after 20 rounds or so, but I've gotten past that...just have to ride the recoil down properly.

I'm in the Ann Arbor area, you're welcome to come take it for a test drive sometime.


Say, what are you up to tomorrow afternoon? </div></div>

While that sounds INCREDIBLY enticing. I am rather busy these days with College and working. But I will keep you in mind should I get some free time. Thanks bud!

 

[Nostradumbass]

Re: .338 LM recoil... What's it like?

I'll be honest....I've been shooting a suppressed 6.5X47 for the last three years, and I'm at the range right now with my new 338 lapua and.....it's a big difference! Recoil will tell on you. Back to basic fundamentals for me, but l think you'll be just fine with the big caliber, as well as anyone else up to a challenge.

 

[E. Bryant]

Re: .338 LM recoil... What's it like?

My .338LM is actually pretty mild when it comes to recoil; the Badger FTE brake, combined with 18lbs of rifle weight, really takes off the edge. It feels kinda like shooting "magnum" slugs from my Mossberg 590. The muzzle blast from the brake is obnoxious, though.

 

[LineofDeparture]

Re: .338 LM recoil... What's it like?

My TRG42 33lm's recoil is significantly less than my 308 Remington xr-100... I prefer to shoot my 338 lapua over my 308 any day of the week... now my Gap-10,308... thats like a 22lr

Both have TRG and Gap have surefire 338brakes on them..308 rem has no brake..

 

[W54/XM-388]

Re: .338 LM recoil... What's it like?

I've been shooting the AI rifles in .308 and .338 for quite awhile & both have similar factory brakes on them, (Single chamber on the .308 and dual chamber on the .338), they are the kind where it is mostly straight out the sides with a bit of a curve internally towards the rear.

Both come in around 18 to 20 pounds when loaded up with all the stuff.

The recoil on the .338 is a fair bit more than the .308 one, but especially in prone it is not that much of a problem.

You can get much more agressive brakes that will soften up the recoil a lot more, the only issue will be the overpressure blasts getting your head pounding a fair bit.

It is not a gun you want to blast away with all day long, but you can easily do 20 round strings.

The biggest issue with the .338LM is that the rounds are expensive, so you either need to reload (in which case you can be around the $2 range +/- per round), or have another gun such as .308 / .243 etc that you can use for getting a lot of round count in for your fundamentals practice, and then shoot the .338 so that the shots count.

I did see a Sako .338LM at the local gun store, it was the hunting model with no brake and a super light plastic stock, internal round storage only, and not much of a recoil pad to speak of, the gun felt like less than 10 pounds. Apparently the owner shot it a couple times and headed out to resell it pretty quickly. so the moral of that story is Heavier is better!

 

[sib1948]

Re: .338 LM recoil... What's it like?

Got back from the range a few hours ago, shooting my MRAD 338 and the guy next to me had a 50 cal Bushmaster with huge brake. 36 or more pound rifle. They stick all the high calibers with breaks on the far end of the range together. We traded shots and several others came down to give them a try. All agreed my MRAD had a much lighter recoil and friendly muzzle blast. Most with 308s felt the recoil was noticely lighter than their rifles. Just saying. Still new at this and shooting .75 MOA at 100 yards with ease all day.

 

[HOGTOOTH5R]

Re: .338 LM recoil... What's it like?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: turbo54</div><div class="ubbcode-body">My TRG42, which wears the Sako brake, is totally decent with 250s@2850fps, and recoil is not an issue. With 300s@~2700, it "thunks" a lot more.

I used to bring Advil with me to shoot it because I'd develop a headache after 20 rounds or so, but I've gotten past that...just have to ride the recoil down properly.

I'm in the Ann Arbor area, you're welcome to come take it for a test drive sometime.

Say, what are you up to tomorrow afternoon? </div></div>

LOL...WOW...Now that is Crazy!!!

 

[bm11]

Re: .338 LM recoil... What's it like?

I had a DTA in .338 and have a TRG-42 in 338, and have had both rifles in 308 also, and there is a HUGE difference in recoil. I am learning to shoot my TRG better and I am not apprehensive to go and shoot it, but I do have a flinch issue with it not present in other calibers. With the 250 grain loads I can shoot quite a bit without getting sore, with the 300 grain loads I do get a sore shoulder after a range session and I can feel the bruise the next day.

 

[Jmilera]

Re: .338 LM recoil... What's it like?

What about with a thunderbeast. 338P-1?