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Gunsmithing Savage long action 300WM to .338 Lapua

nso123

High Speed Steel Stinger
Full Member
Minuteman
Mar 20, 2010
1,447
2,330
Tennessee
I see that Midway sells a factory .338 Lapua bolt head for the Savage 110BA, and I have a 110. Does that make a conversion possible from a factory 300WM to the Lapua? If this conversion is possible, are there any known drawbacks to it? I ask because I have an action laying around, and have access to .338 Lapua reloading components.
 
If your rifle action is a large shank it is doable (if your serial number begins with a G it should be a large shank), but you would have to open up the mag well and ejection port and modify or buy a new baffle. I did the research on this. It's not really recommended. There is a suggestion by a major savage guru (fred at sss) that receivers dedicated to 338lm are also made of a harder steel.
 
Like boilerup mentioned, though, you could do 338 edge/338RUM and get similar ballistic performance. You'd be better served to just make it a single shot, though, because it's a pretty long round.
 
look up 338 Sin round also.

from what I have read, and will probably go this route with my savage LA, it is based off 330 dakota case using regular LA like a WSM round in SA would but in 338. velocities very close with 338 Edge, Lapua, Norma.
 
look up 338 Sin round also.

from what I have read, and will probably go this route with my savage LA, it is based off 330 dakota case using regular LA like a WSM round in SA would but in 338. velocities very close with 338 Edge, Lapua, Norma.

It's actually based on a shortened RUM case. Devin later found out that it was easier to form from the Dakota case.