How are 338 Lapua guys feeding their guns?

[teddy12b]

Every so often I get the urge to hurt my shoulder and bank account with a big ole gun like the 338 lapua. Last time I was thinking about it I was able to find once fired brass on auction at a relatively discounted rate. I haven't seen that kind of a deal in some time. In any case, I'm just wondering how guys with 338 Lapua's feed their equipment.

Are people just buying factory ammo and shooting away?

Are people, buying all new reloading components and building from scratch?

Are people buying factory ammo to blast, then reloading the brass etc?

I'm just wondering what people are doing to shoot good quality match ammo out of their 338 lapua's and do it affordably. Any suggestions are welcome.

 

[patience0830]

Affordably for whom?
Trump?

.338 Lapua = not cheap.

 

[curraheeguns]

I buy factory ammo and reload for mine. I have about 500 cases now. I don't see myself needing any more.

The most I ever shoot at one sitting is maybe 20-25 and I rarely shoot it at less then 800-1000 yards.

 

[IndyDave1776]

Feeding the things by making withdrawals using a ski mask and a .38?

 

[Leadeye]

Buy a Marlin 45-70 and hot load 500 grain cast lead bullets if you're just looking for cheap bruises and loose fillings.

 

[teddy12b]

Buy a Marlin 45-70 and hot load 500 grain cast lead bullets if you're just looking for cheap bruises and loose fillings.

Already did that. If I'm going to get beat up, I want to be able to hit something far far away and with a lot of force. From what I've heard, the muzzle breaks on these lapua's are a must.

 

[stymie12000]

I reload this round. When you break it down, the cost isn't too bad.

8# of powder $160 + tax which gets roughly 622 rounds =$.275

100 lapua scenar 300 gr $80 shipped =$.80

100 lapua brass $235 shipped new. Average at least 10 loads before they go bad = $.235

Primers $35 per 100 =$ .035

$.275
$.80
$.235
$.035

= $1.345 per round. Not too bad. I also have never shot more than 25 in a sitting. Shoulder starts bruising. Probably my favorite gun to shoot.

 

[Sniper 79]

There is a dude at my club that has one. I get the impression he has unlimited funds. He blasted away factory ammo on the 100 yard line ripping up all the pistol targets.

Then he picked up his brass and dumped it into the trash and left.

I waited till he was gone and dug the brass out. Sold it at the last fun show for 25.

Cant imagine trying to feed one. My .223 barley has anything to eat and the 300Blk is starving. No place to shoot far either.

 

[curraheeguns]

My baby

 

[Yeah]

I wasted plenty of press strokes on 338 Lapua and never fired a round of factory loaded ammo.

To wit:

- Lapua brass is well worth its cost in this chambering, if one intends to shoot a lot.

- The 338267SP250 GSC solid might be one of the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse, for buffalo and bears. Whether out of a LM, LMI, or Ultra, it annihilated many of each.

- Were I hunting DG with a 0.338" I would shoot nothing but 338267SP250 GSC solids.

- The 300 Berger might be the best on paper, but it is likely to come apart when shot into anything made of meat, inside 600 yards.

- SMKs either don't make their advertised BC or they deform at 338LM launch velocities.

 

[Dead Duck]

My gun has been starving for so long that I'm sure it's decomposing in the corner of the safe by now.
Just can't afford it. Kids gotta eat.....

 

[danielocean03]

I've only fed my .338LM factory new ammo so far, S&B and Prvi Partizan. I'm saving brass to eventually reload, just need to "take the plunge" into the world of reloading. I've always been interested in reloading, but buying a caliber like this one is the push I knew I'd need to actually do it.

Here's mine:

 

[cncswiss1]

 

[Clay]

So my question is: What is .338LM so expensive when compared to other cartridges of similar size???

 

[Leadeye]

Demand maybe? I've never purchased any .338, bought 300 and 460 and it was expensive but few people were shooting it. Weatherby ammo in big calibers is expensive, but I think people expect that because of the name.

 

[teddy12b]

So my question is: What is .338LM so expensive when compared to other cartridges of similar size???

Economy of scale. There isn't a huge overwhelming market demand for .338 Lapua ammo. With that in mind manufacturers aren't lining up to invest in equipment and manpower to build the ammo. What is being built is typically for a niche market that's very demanding on accuracy expectations which takes more attention to detail which costs money. 338 Lapua is expensive regardless, but that's why I was hoping to here of guys finding out something clever that I hadn't figured out yet.

 

[danielocean03]

So my question is: What is .338LM so expensive when compared to other cartridges of similar size???

There are some good responses to this very question here: https://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=477559

 

[never2big]

Any know or care to tell what it cost per rnd to reload .338. Just looking for an idea of what the price differene between factory and reload. Please and thank you

 

[stymie12000]

Any know or care to tell what it cost per rnd to reload .338. Just looking for an idea of what the price differene between factory and reload. Please and thank you

Refer to post #7