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New to this long range lead delivery...I just picked up my first LR rifle....Its the basic 338 Lapua Magnum

Thank you for your interesting although irrelevant replies.
Let me try to ask the question again.
My recent purchase of a 338 LM is an introduction into the long range arena.
Obviously, no one who is looking to acquire experience start's by buying the most expensive weapons platform on the planet.
Having said that, starting out with a 375 or 408 Chey tac or even a Barrett 50 equipped to the gils isn't an intelligent first step weapon, hence the .338 LM
Thank you for your invaluable input
 
I don't know what you consider long range. That is a question that brings in a variety of opinions.

I have shot my 338 LM to a mile without issue. 300 PRC and 300 Norma are also good to that distance.

If you're talking about shooting greater than a mile, well that is out of my wheelhouse. The ELR sub-forum is something to go through and read. Although it seems like many use the 375 and 408 Chey Tac as you mention, many ELR guys roll their own and use exotic solids in a variety of calibers that are not commercially available in a loaded form.
 
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What is your "long range"? If it isn't 1500 yards or more I wouldn't have bought a 338LM.
 
Yup. What is long range for you? If you aren't shooting regularly over 1500 yards then the 338 isn't a great choice.

Also I know you already bought it but the 338 is a terrible first rifle for someone getting into the sport. Recoil will cause you to pick up bad habits and hurt your fundamentals. You will really need to watch your fundamentals when shooting the 338.

Also the ammo is so expensive you won't be able to shoot as much, unless you are wealthy, to actually learn the skills for long range shooting.
 
Thank you for your input
I'm not looking to build a clock....lol
I just want the thrill of ringing steel at ELR.
I appreciate your reply
Thank you
Yup. What is long range for you? If you aren't shooting regularly over 1500 yards then the 338 isn't a great choice.

Also I know you already bought it but the 338 is a terrible first rifle for someone getting into the sport. Recoil will cause you to pick up bad habits and hurt your fundamentals. You will really need to watch your fundamentals when shooting the 338.

Also the ammo is so expensive you won't be able to shoot as much, unless you are wealthy, to actually learn the skills for long range shooting.
Thank you
That's all I was asking
 
While I appreciate your enthusiasm for getting into long range shooting, it’s obvious that you never read anything on here or much else before making your decision. The responses you’ve received are about as good as you’re likely to get since your question is non-definitive and vague. The words “best” and “long range” are both relative terms that need definitions from you if you expect any serious input.

Most of us have seen these questions before and they are often just people looking for validation for their choice. That’s exactly what your post is too. Yes, you’ll get defensive and mad even, but it’s truth and you know it.

Had you asked for opinions of what caliber should a new shooter choose to get the most solid experience out to say 1000 yards or 1500 yards, you might get serious, though wildly varying opinions. Many of us have seen over and over guys that have read that only a .338 LM is adequate for long range and therefore that’s what they get. We’ve also seen how many .338s end up on the market used with 50-100 rounds through them. It’s not the best starting platform to learn with, as has already been mentioned.

Once you realize that we are not just being dicks when we say that, you’ll probably ask more focused and less generalized questions.

Good luck in your adventure. Read up here a lot before asking a bunch more questions and you’ll find that there’s a ton of great information here for you. Hey, you might even find an answer for your question. 😉👍🏻
 
Why not just learn with the 6.5 to the distance it is accurate to? Why not learn on something cheaper and better to learn on? You can’t enter grade school with high school books and expect to succeed. This is what you are effectively doing. You are skipping steps, and lots of them.

But I think the OP is not serious.
 
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