best 338 LM 300grain projectiles? lapua or SMK?

[par0thead151]

I have tried the SMK in 250 and 300 grain, and am pleased with the 300 grain projectiles results. would stepping up to the lapua 300 grain projos be worth the added cost?

also, i am looking to pick up a 500 piece lot, i see midway has them for $274.99, is there anywhere else i should look? i googled it but came up short of anything better than midways pricing.

does lapua even sell in 500 round lots?
thanks.

 

[Dogtown]

Re: best 338 LM 300grain projectiles? lapua or SMK?

The Scenar bullets tend to carry the distance better, from my experience. Shooting inside of 1000m wasn't much different with SMKs but towards the edge of the supersonic envelope the Scenar is worth the extra dough. The Berger 300gr hybrid ogive bullets have been getting great reviews, so you may consider them as well. When I was still in the States I bought most of my bullets through Powder Valley as they tended to have the best prices.

 

[mavrick10_2000]

Re: best 338 LM 300grain projectiles? lapua or SMK?

If purchasing Lapua bullets, Powder Valley or Brunos. Bruno's will usually beat anyone by a few dollars. Both good folks.

 

[bowstryder]

Re: best 338 LM 300grain projectiles? lapua or SMK?

I would suggest you try the new berger otm hybrids. You may find them a bit better than the other two if your rifle likes them. One thing to note, if you plan on hunting with these devils, the scenar does NOT expand reliably or at all. They are a great bullet for target and vermin but I would rather have something that "opens" up with large game. .02

 

[10sec72]

Re: best 338 LM 300grain projectiles? lapua or SMK?

I have just started shooting the .338 and worked up a load using the .338 300 SMK and these things are deadly accurate out of my gun! Shot the berger's they did not like my gun. Once again my .02 and Bruno's before Powder Vally but there next door for me.

 

[Dylanss180]

Re: best 338 LM 300grain projectiles? lapua or SMK?

I shoot the smk and it has been reliable out to a mile. They are very forgiving on seating depth and shoot well. The downside I have seen for me is the bearing lengths are not consistent. I had to sit down in front of a movie with calipers and ogive tool and sort out a box of 500. Then when you are seating each bullet you have to use your micrometer seating die to make the ogive consistent between each round.

With the bergers you just load and go but they are very finicky on seating depth.

this is what I found.

I have heard that Sierra when they do a run of bullets they setup multiple dies on multiple machines, so you will get different bullets out of different machines. That is why you have to sort them.

With berger it is just one machine making one bullet. It takes longer but more consistent.

 

[cali_tz]

Re: best 338 LM 300grain projectiles? lapua or SMK?

Lapua sells in 100 piece boxes. Lapua definitely has the higher BC, if you believe their data, so it should fly better than the SMK. I have not seen the conclusion on the Berger testing vs Lapua. I use exclusivly 300 gr Scenar and I find it has great windage resistance. But I have only compared to the 250 Scenar, not against the SMK or Berger.

 

[bohem]

Re: best 338 LM 300grain projectiles? lapua or SMK?

The consistency numbers that several friends have shown me from sorting the SMK, Lapua, and Bergers show that the Lapua and Bergers are much more consistent, with the 300 Scenars being more consistent in base to ogive than the Gen 1 300 Berger by a little.

The BC on the Berger is supposedly higher, however at common DA's (below 4000') I have not gotten any positive reports about the Berger transitioning the sound barrier to remain stable. I have seen the Lapua 300 Scenar transition without issue as low as 0' DA during the winter around me.

So, if the shooter is engaging targets where the bullet will arrive >Mach 1.15-1.2 then I would suggest the Berger, for a great "doall" at "rangeall" distances the Scenar would be my 1 bullet choice.

Until 2000yd though any of the 3 will provide excellent results and require only to be base to ogive sorted in terms of the SMK's for great results.

 

[cali_tz]

Re: best 338 LM 300grain projectiles? lapua or SMK?

Bohem, thanks for that data, very interesting. After I posted here, I went out and shot to 1600 yards with a Steyr SSG08 and the 300 gn Scenar/92.0 N570/215M, and the accuracy at 1600 yards was like using a laser designator, once we got elevation dialed in. 3 shots in a row all basically tighter than 6" of my different aim points. This was with some tail and cross winds (california high desert during middle of the day)... I still can't believe I hit as well as I hit. I have to go again and confirm that it was just pure luck.

Anyway, I digress. The 300 Scenar left me wanting absolutely no further gain in accuracy.

 

[bohem]

Re: best 338 LM 300grain projectiles? lapua or SMK?

 

[Spin Drift Tactical]

Re: best 338 LM 300grain projectiles? lapua or SMK?

I've shot quite a few of each and the Scenar is definitely the better bullet in every way.

 

[greentimber]

Re: best 338 LM 300grain projectiles? lapua or SMK?

The Scenar has a .785 G1 compared to the .6something of the SMK. I've found the Scenar BC to be very close to dead nuts correct. It has also been more consistently accurate in a number (12+) of .338 rifles I've spent a good deal of time shooting.

 

[mdmp5]

Re: best 338 LM 300grain projectiles? lapua or SMK?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: greentimber</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The Scenar has a .785 G1 compared to the .6something of the SMK. I've found the Scenar BC to be very close to dead nuts correct. It has also been more consistently accurate in a number (12+) of .338 rifles I've spent a good deal of time shooting. </div></div>

G1 of the 300 SMK is .768 over 2300 fps