Custom .338 Lapua Build - Remington 700 LA Mag

What rifle do you use to shoot under 1000yds now? Maybe making that gun better would be a better option for you, shooting at 1000 isnt easy by any means, no matter what gun, but with a less than $300 scope, I am not sure it will even be fun trying... You scope budget should be around $800+
 
If you want a scope under 300 dollars, there are two that are designed for tactical shooting, not target shooting, that will work.

Bushnell Elite 10x40 and SWFA Super Sniper 10x42. There are no serious competition shooters using these scopes, but for getting started they will work.

If you can double your scope budget to 600 dollars you start opening up some Vortex options. Go up to 900 dollars and you can shoot using glass that the professionals wouldn't pass up.

Jimro
 
Fixed power scopes are better if repeatability is important. Few people test variables zoom for reticule shift when changing power. A $400 Weaver T24 is hard to beat. My Weaver model T's have made my three 30 caliber magnum barrels perform admirably.

Spend less on the scope the put what's saved into a Kreiger Tight barrel with .2980" bore and .3075"'groove diameters 28" long with a 1:12 twist. It's capable letting one shoot .300 Win Mag bullets near 5" at 1000 yards if all else is right. A Shaw barrel won't even come close and may not shoot under 20 inches. They've got no track record for excellence. Barrels are many times more important than scopes, but most people put their big money on scopes and skimp on barrels. A 1/2 MOA barrel aimed by a bad scope with 1/2 MOA slop will shoot 1 MOA on paper. A 1.5 MOA barrel won't shoot any better with a perfect scope.

Whadda you wanna use testing your ammo?
 
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Building a .338 lapua on a 700 action is a mistake.
Just because Remington decided to cash-in on the market desire for the big medium bore ctg don't make it a good choice.

Like that long bodied Lapua ctg? Have you seen the .338 Norma? Then there is the .338 edge which needs no boltface alteration, no other gunsmith work if you begin with a factory Ultra Mag action.

Really a big deal to open that 700 bolt rim further, from .535" to .592" Really leaves almost nothing of the "ring of steel" surrounding the ctg head.

I owned senderos in .338rum and .300rum. Sold them. Got into the .338/300win as a better solution allowing more versatility with handloads. Basically it duplicates the .340wby and .338 Dakota, but can be downloaded to .338win levels. The case is large enough to go high velocity and not so large you can't load it light w/o risk of detonation.

Really a mistake to push the 700 receiver. The Weatherby action, The Sako M995, some of the non-700 clone custom actions are more suited.

Want to save yourself money and time? Buy a Sako TRG-42 and call it a day.
On the cheap? The .340wby chambered Fibermark.

Study the loading manuals and see for yourself that the .340wby is not lacking when compared to the .338 Lapua. Norma brass at $2ea. Once-fired is plentiful, or neck-up the even more common .300wby. Cheap brass from R-P and Federal also out there, plus lots of loaded ammo.

Got the itch to build? Doing a Rem 700 mod'ed action is the best way to be sure you will NEVER recover any of the couple thousand you will put into the project. The time you will never recover.
 
Reloading belted cases for best accuracy at long range is tedious. You've got to size the fired case body down all the way to the belt; not a few or several thousandths short of it. Which is why many won matches and set records with new belted cases. The collet die (www.larrywillis.com) is used after a full length brushing die has set the shoulder back a couple thousandths and sized most of the body down.
 
Ok, well I called my gunsmith and all I have to say it wow. It's expensive. Other smiths were similar costs so I don't know about this build. However, I was shooting my ar15 recently and I thiught, why not an AR-10? A 24 inch bull stainless barrel on a .308 ar should give be good accuracy (not match but good) and the ammo is nice and cheap and is very plentiful. I caught the black rifle bug last Summer I think I'm being forced to build this one lol!
 
After doing several days of research, I think a LR-308 rifle is what I'm looking for. What is your opinion on Kak Industries bolts?

John
 
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