So, I Waited Patiently for a Long Ranger...

S

Shane Tuttle

Staff
Three years ago, I said I was going to pick up a rifle of my own for long range target shooting since my wife has her own toy within a year. Well, never really found anything worth picking up, hit a rough patch like just about everyone else when the market tanked, or had other stuff I wanted to buy.

Fast forward to today. I think I found one. As my wife has a Savage Model 12 in .22-250Rem, ironically I found a Savage 110BA in .338Lapua Mag. I've been trying to find a rifle in .260Rem to stay in the same ballpark cartridge as hers for 300-600m shooting. Eventually, I wanted to find one afterwards chambered in 6.5X.284Norma or .338Lapua Mag. for 1000m. Guess when oppurtunity falls in your lap, you modify your plans a bit to fit the times. Here's a basic rundown provided by Bud's...

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/60958

I love the cheekrest and adjustable length for the stock. Grip is to my taste as well. Only thing I see overkill is the rails. Don't think I'll need them, but not a dealbreaker.

Any last minute protest before I get serious with this one? Are there rifles that give serious competition at this kind of price that I haven't seen? Recoil isn't a problem for me. I'm not going into professional competition. Mainly for fun/interest and local matches. Our range near us is up to 600m. I think the .338 is overkill at this distance, but still useable when shooting alongside my wife. There are ranges that will accomodate longer distances with some drive time. Friends have land to make use of its potential as well. We'd load up the truck and make a weekend stint out of it without blinking an eye.

Questions? Comments? Concerns?
 
I think those are great looking guns. I'd love to get one!

Pistol grip or vertical grip is definitely what I prefer for long range shooting. And of course its got Savage reliability, accuracy and Accu-trigger.

Can't go wrong with them in my book!
 
Here would be my take...
You didn't elaborate on your skill level at LR shooting; but it sounds like little to none, since you said this would be your first LR stick.
I'm in that "boat" myself, we've become proficient at 200M (which is nuttin'), but that's the longest we've got within a reasonable distance. There's a range which goes to 1000 about two hours away, and I'll soon be shopping for something that'll fit that bill.

Getting proficient at LR shooting takes a lot of practice- meaning time behind the trigger, and lots of rounds sent down the tube. Given the expense of "practice" (ammo) with a .338LM, I wouldn't even consider it.

Yeah, it's a "sexy" caliber. But to me, it's for experienced LR shooters that either need the extended range where other lesser calibers can't compete as well- well beyond 1000 yards, or the extra energy for knockdown power at long range for hunting big game.

I mean, up to 1000 yards (and you said most of your shooting will be 600 and less) the .260 you mentioned will hang very well with the .338 LM.

Carefully consider the ammo costs of the .338- and if you think all that extra dough is worth the marginally better performance at the ranges you'll be shooting, go for it...otherwise, my pick (and I really do hope to pick one of these up soon) would be the Savage 12LRP in .260.

Check out this very informative piece, and the ballistics info, before making your decision:

http://demigodllc.com/articles/the-case-for-260-remington/?p=4

Good luck!
 
A 308 will make it to 1000 yards and be much cheaper to shoot than a 338 Lapua.

A 300 Win Mag will make it to 1600 yards and be much cheaper to shoot than a 338 Lapua.

If you are going to spend that much on a rifle, plan on spending some money for training. I don't know where you will be when you get back from the 'stan but there are plenty of reputable long range instructors stateside.

Jimro
 
Unless you reload it will be very expensive to shoot.
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Powder/primer: $.33 round (roughly,100 grains)
Bullet: .65
Pro-rated brass (let's say 10 firings if done properly, mebbe more) $.20

So, it's about $1.20 round I think. Certainly not astronomical, about what commercial match grade .308 would run.

But, as a guy that routinely dumps 100 rounds+ every time at the range, I'd rather spend half of that when I can do it with a round that'll do it almost as well as the LM.

Hey, if ammo cost is not a concern, I'd go for it...
Personally, I like the more traditional look of the 110 FCP more and I'd put the extra $$ towards the glass...
 
I can't argue for or against it, and I certainly would not be interested in buying it, but, if you do, I'd love to shoot it. If that isn't possible, I'd love to read your review of it.

I'm a big fan of Savage and that gun looks like it would be a lot of fun to shoot and that's really what it's all about.
 
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I would continue looking into it. I remember seeing a couple threads(on SH) on guys not being able to get their 338 savage below 2MOA, and seemed like others said that alot of people were having that problem, while others had excellent accuracy. So I'm not sure if it was their fault, or if these rifles are a hit or miss... But I'm just saying there are definitely some threads on this rifle on other forums.
 
I think the .338 is overkill at this distance, but still useable when shooting alongside my wife.
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If you mean "alongside" in the literal sense, make sure to give her (and other fellow shooters) fair warning, that rifle has a bark that rivals it's bite!
Personally, I'd choose a cartridge that is less expensive to reload, and there are several smaller cartridges out there that are more accurate at the ranges that you are talking about. The 6BR Norma has been near or at the top of the mid range heap for some time, and Savage offers it in several models. I will admit that I am a little biased though, I have three rifles in this chambering. Good luck in your decision, and I will agree that the 110 BA is one bad machine!
 
I think that's overkill for 600 yards. Maybe the .300 Win Mag version would be more practical?

I want to get one myself one day, so I can make a 1 mile shot (goal of mine).
 
Jimro said:
A 308 will make it to 1000 yards and be much cheaper to shoot than a 338 Lapua.

A 300 Win Mag will make it to 1600 yards and be much cheaper to shoot than a 338 Lapua.

If you are going to spend that much on a rifle, plan on spending some money for training. I don't know where you will be when you get back from the 'stan but there are plenty of reputable long range instructors stateside.
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I certainly agree .308 and .300Win Mag can make it those distances. However, are they just as accurate and easy to obtain that accuracy compared to a .338Lapua? I'm asking in earnest. You hear the claims that a .223 has the capabilities of touching out at 600m. I don't doubt it. But there's far more work in setting the right loads, purchasing barrels with 1:7 twist to accomodate 77gr bullets to buck the winds, and such compared to other cartridges that can do it in their sleep.

Training? Absolutely. It's a plan in the early stages. I love taking courses and would welcome suggestions via PM.

tobnpr, thanks for the link and input. I'll look into that here soon. I really don't mind the cost of reloading it. The reason why I leaned towards it is I like practicing with what I'll ultimately use at said range. I'll be using it mainly when I go to ranges with 1000m availability. Otherwise, I'll just use it when the wife wants to stay local until I purchase another rifle more suitable for 600m. I wasn't going to dedicate it for use of that distance.

To all others, I've taken heed to your advice as well. It's given me the input I've been needing...someone looking from the outside in. I'm not wet behind the ears shooting up to 800m. But I'm certainly no crack shot at that distance. 1000m is out of my realm which I'm ready to remedy that.

bigautomatic and timelinex, that's one of my concerns...accuracy with the .338. Does it live up to the hype? Or is it overrated while there are without a doubt more accurate cartridges? I mean, I love the .50BMG and all. But I'd move right past that and pick up a .416Barrett instead if it were even possible for me.
 
A 308 is accurate at 1k as long as you use a 175gr SMK at 2550 fps or better, or a 155gr HPBT Palma bullet as fast as you can drive it. There is a ton of reloading data available for the 308. The 175gr SMK is pretty stable when it goes transonic, so I've had snipers under me who have data out to 1400 meters with M118LR (although they were also at 4,000 feet ASL).

The 300 Win Mag pushing a 190 gr SMK is the "A191" load for the US Army, and the new 220gr SMK load the Navy cooked up is even better for long range projectile, staying supersonic past 1,300 yards.

Vern Harrison of Central Virginia Tactical has used both the 300 WSM and 300 Win Mag out to 1,600 meters (one mile) repeatedly. And his students with 300 Win Mags can usually repeat that level of shot after a day or so of instruction.

If you look at the actual ballistics of the 338 Lapua, they don't really get better than the 300 Win Mag (or any 30 caliber magnum) until you get past 1400 meters. So if you have a range available that is longer than 1K you might be able to take advantage of the 338 Lapua.

So yes, the 308 and 300 Win Mag are every bit as accurate as the 338 Lapua. If you want serious accuracy the various 6.5 Match cartridges (6.5x47, 6.5 Creedmore, 260 Rem, 6.5x284 Win) have a flatter trajectory and higher BC bullets available.

And shooting 223 at 600 is easy, even a 1:9 barrel can do it shooting 69gr SMK's accurately. I've used issue M855 to go to 600 plenty of times, and while M855 accuracy isn't anything to write home about it stayed in the black if I did my part.

What part of the country will you be in when you get back to the states?

Jimro
 
Fellas, fellas. If I'm in the neighborhood, I'd be honored to buy you both a couple of brews....as long as we sit and chew the fat for a while and it's AFTER our fun at the range...:)

Jimro and sheepdog, it's becoming more apparant after I've been surfing around the net and also getting advice here that the .338 is probably best suited for distances even longer than 1000m. I have a long ways to go before I set my belly on the ground to fire past that. The ONLY reason why I'm shying away from .308Win is because everybody and their dog has one. Has nothing to do with it's potential. It hasn't been around the block for no reason. I've been leaning towards the .260Rem for quite some time after experiencing the 6.5x55Swede. That's probably my very favorite cartridge to play with and basically the sister to the .260. As it's been repeated here and other places, I need to look into the .300Win Mag as well.

Sorry, Rookie. Not my style. I want a stock with the cheekrest and such similar to the 110...
 
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