I would like another 338 LM after the Savage debacle,,is the AR 30 a decent rifle or does it take 3 grand plus to get a decent 338??
- Thread starter mrbig
- Start date
If you can find a old AR30 for $1500 or so they're a great buy, by far the best 338 for the money. They leave a bit to be desired though, mainly the cheek piece. It's not adjustable and a bit lower than it should be. There's an adaptor to run a magpul PRS stock but then it makes the LOP retarded long. The new ones are overpriced for what you get though. At that price point a TRG or even a custom is well worth the added cost.
For $1100 you can get a stiller TAC 338 action and for another $800 you can get a quality barrel installed and cerakoted. Call it $2k total with a brake. Drop it in a chassis and you've got a nicer custom 338 for under $3k. Personally though I'd do 300 win or norma mag over a 338. With 230 bergers they will kick the 338's ass to a mile with less recoil and loading costs.
For $1100 you can get a stiller TAC 338 action and for another $800 you can get a quality barrel installed and cerakoted. Call it $2k total with a brake. Drop it in a chassis and you've got a nicer custom 338 for under $3k. Personally though I'd do 300 win or norma mag over a 338. With 230 bergers they will kick the 338's ass to a mile with less recoil and loading costs.
CDNN (a firearms distributor specializing in clearance and discontinued items) has the gen1 AR-30 in .338 Lapua for $1999 right now:
ARMALITE AR30M .338 LAPUA 26" BOLT ACTION PACKAGE
ARMALITE AR30M .338 LAPUA 26" BOLT ACTION PACKAGE
Nevermind, found it. Had a tight chamber and softer brass was binding it up, huh? I've shot a friend's AR30, nice rifle. The brake seems a bit overzealous with the amount of screws holding it together. He was able to order a buttstock from XLR Industries instead of using the PRS.
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using Lapua brass it would stick cases at least half the time with 300 gr bullets and as low as 82 grs H1000,,Savage wouldnt do anything since the original owner pushed it off on ma fater he shot it 10 times,,claiming bad recoil when the evidence pointed towards the Hownady factory ammo locking the rifle up,,
Will the .300 win still be better than a .338 if you run the new 300 gr Bergers ?
I am happy with my AR-30 the only problem with it besides being right handed is the stock. It is too long and the cheek rest is too low. I chopped the stock and cheek rest and washers under it to line it up with the scope. Now I am very happy with it. It is the best hunting caliber out there for how I hunt.
Can you post pics? Are you left handed?
Hello,
I have the Armalite AR-30 a1, nightforce ATACR 5x25x56, Badger 20 moa base; it is the best gun I ever bought
out of the box and I have owned many guns. I have sold all long range target rifles and only working with this one.
My load of 88.0 grs of retumbo with 300 gr SMK puts 5 shots apx 1" at 300 yds. Last week at the long range club
shooting at 500, 600 and 800 was easy; 800 was a whole lot harder with a .308 win with 168 gr bullets. The only
things I did to the gun was lighten up the trigger, carefully put it back into the stock adjusting the wedge against
the recoil lug and changed the bolt handle to the competition style. Feel free to contact me---hope this helps.
I have the Armalite AR-30 a1, nightforce ATACR 5x25x56, Badger 20 moa base; it is the best gun I ever bought
out of the box and I have owned many guns. I have sold all long range target rifles and only working with this one.
My load of 88.0 grs of retumbo with 300 gr SMK puts 5 shots apx 1" at 300 yds. Last week at the long range club
shooting at 500, 600 and 800 was easy; 800 was a whole lot harder with a .308 win with 168 gr bullets. The only
things I did to the gun was lighten up the trigger, carefully put it back into the stock adjusting the wedge against
the recoil lug and changed the bolt handle to the competition style. Feel free to contact me---hope this helps.
Hello again,
I forgot----there's no recoil---I can see my hits on steel at 1000 yds.
.338 lapua is my favorite cartridge; I used .30-06, .308, .300 win, .300 weatherby, .338 win,
7 rem, 7-08, 7 STW, .270 win, different .375's, .50 bmg
I forgot----there's no recoil---I can see my hits on steel at 1000 yds.
.338 lapua is my favorite cartridge; I used .30-06, .308, .300 win, .300 weatherby, .338 win,
7 rem, 7-08, 7 STW, .270 win, different .375's, .50 bmg
Yes I am left handed. Yes there is only the aluminum butt plate for recoil. That is how good their muzzle device is. My spelling is not very good.
That's wild! So you're shooting on the left side now?
Yes I do shoot it on the left side. Always have. I really want one in left hand but they do not make one. So I am holding out.
I love the 338 300 gr load,,I get off on how hard it hits the plate at longer range,,
the Savage rifle shot really well but extraction was nearly non existant,,I carried a cleaning rod every where I went with that rifle,,I tried everything and spent enough money trying to get it to work that I could have bought a TRG 42,,I pretty much knew it was a crap chamber but Savage wont work on your rifle unless you bought it new,,and no Savage prechambered prefit barrel vendors will sell you a barrel in 338 LM,,so that left me with one option,I could buy a barrel and pay someone to chamber it in 338 LM for the Savage action,,I guess I had two options,,I parted the 110 FCP-HS out and recouped what money I could and had a custom rifle built in the 6.5x47 round and plan on having another one done the same way in 338 as it looks like the best way to go to get a quality built rifle made to handle the 338 LM round,,
I really dont have anything against the Savage rifles and dont mean to piss the Savage faithful off but it seems to me to spend that kind of money on something it should function and if it wont I dont think I should have to be talked down to for wanting something different that will function,,
the Savage rifle shot really well but extraction was nearly non existant,,I carried a cleaning rod every where I went with that rifle,,I tried everything and spent enough money trying to get it to work that I could have bought a TRG 42,,I pretty much knew it was a crap chamber but Savage wont work on your rifle unless you bought it new,,and no Savage prechambered prefit barrel vendors will sell you a barrel in 338 LM,,so that left me with one option,I could buy a barrel and pay someone to chamber it in 338 LM for the Savage action,,I guess I had two options,,I parted the 110 FCP-HS out and recouped what money I could and had a custom rifle built in the 6.5x47 round and plan on having another one done the same way in 338 as it looks like the best way to go to get a quality built rifle made to handle the 338 LM round,,
I really dont have anything against the Savage rifles and dont mean to piss the Savage faithful off but it seems to me to spend that kind of money on something it should function and if it wont I dont think I should have to be talked down to for wanting something different that will function,,
What he said.
