.338 lapua mag/ optics
- Thread starter Farmerchris
- Start date
What's your price range? What kind of ranges do you consider long range? 500, 1000, 1600 and beyond? I own a fairly customized Remington 700 MLR, and have a Nightforce NXS 5.5-22x56mm scope on it, and it has taken me to a mile, but the money I had to put into it would probably put it reasonably close to a midrange system like the Savage. Depends if you want an out of the box rifle or if you like modifying your rifles. General rule of thumb, the more you pay, the better the accuracy tends to be, and the more desirable features come as standard, like adjustable stocks, integral rails with cant built in, quality barrels and stocks, proper bedding and free floating, etc.
My opinion?
Low budget? Remington 700MLR with a sightron, you can be in the .338LM game for a bit over $2,500-3,000, and get reasonably good results.
Mid range? Savage 110BA with a Sightron or a Nightforce. Probably will run you around $5,000-6,000.
High end? Prairie Gun Works Timberwolf with a Nightforce or S&B, cost will be in the $8,000-9,000 range, but that is probably the best off the shelf .338 money can buy.
And of course there is always the custom build route, and price usually starts around $4,500 for the build as a minimum depending on what you put into it, but you get exactly what you want to own. Of course this takes time to acquire all the parts and then send to a good gunsmith to assemble, so it is not a short term option, so bear that in mind, I figure that the quickest you can usually get a build done is 4 months, but it can easily get up to a year depending on wait time for your components to be built and shipped.
My opinion?
Low budget? Remington 700MLR with a sightron, you can be in the .338LM game for a bit over $2,500-3,000, and get reasonably good results.
Mid range? Savage 110BA with a Sightron or a Nightforce. Probably will run you around $5,000-6,000.
High end? Prairie Gun Works Timberwolf with a Nightforce or S&B, cost will be in the $8,000-9,000 range, but that is probably the best off the shelf .338 money can buy.
And of course there is always the custom build route, and price usually starts around $4,500 for the build as a minimum depending on what you put into it, but you get exactly what you want to own. Of course this takes time to acquire all the parts and then send to a good gunsmith to assemble, so it is not a short term option, so bear that in mind, I figure that the quickest you can usually get a build done is 4 months, but it can easily get up to a year depending on wait time for your components to be built and shipped.
Last edited:
If you have money there is the Accuracy International AXMC, PGW Timberwolf and Sako TRG. These are the big three.
All very nice rifles but there is one area where AI outshines the others and that is the magazines, 10 rounds double stack even in .338 the others are single stack. Besides that, its apples to apples.
With the AI you can change your own barrel but while this works out great down south, here in Canada you have to order in your barrel from the distributor and this takes time. PGW has the advantage there, they are in Canada so they would have a quicker turnaround time for getting your rifle re-barreled. As far as I know getting a replacement barrel for the TRG is not that easy here.
Both AI and PGW have a bolt mounted safety (win 70 style) the Sako's is trigger mounted. Sako and AI are 60 degree bolt throw PGW is 90 degrees.
Those are the key differences and they are all top quality firearms. You can't go wrong with any of them, they are proven systems, very reliable and accurate. The Sako TRG is the most affordable of the three.
Pic of AI mags, 338 and 308.
For optics: S&B, Hensoldt, Nightforce.
All very nice rifles but there is one area where AI outshines the others and that is the magazines, 10 rounds double stack even in .338 the others are single stack. Besides that, its apples to apples.
With the AI you can change your own barrel but while this works out great down south, here in Canada you have to order in your barrel from the distributor and this takes time. PGW has the advantage there, they are in Canada so they would have a quicker turnaround time for getting your rifle re-barreled. As far as I know getting a replacement barrel for the TRG is not that easy here.
Both AI and PGW have a bolt mounted safety (win 70 style) the Sako's is trigger mounted. Sako and AI are 60 degree bolt throw PGW is 90 degrees.
Those are the key differences and they are all top quality firearms. You can't go wrong with any of them, they are proven systems, very reliable and accurate. The Sako TRG is the most affordable of the three.
Pic of AI mags, 338 and 308.
For optics: S&B, Hensoldt, Nightforce.
Last edited:
- Location
- Houston, TX
AI stocks are weird, they don't fit a lot of people. If it works for you great, but don't expect an automatic fit. Maybe it's the grip. I know I don't like them. I'm pretty average in size.
Bird Blaster
Regular
- Location
- Northern Ontario
I went nightforce atacr 5-25x56mm. Haven't been able to push it yet as the snowpack is still plenty heavy where I am. But it should get the job done.
AI, PGW, SAKO.If you have money there is the Accuracy International AXMC, PGW Timberwolf and Sako TRG. These are the big three.
All very nice rifles but there is one area where AI outshines the others and that is the magazines, 10 rounds double stack even in .338 the others are single stack. Besides that, its apples to apples.
With the AI you can change your own barrel but while this works out great down south, here in Canada you have to order in your barrel from the distributor and this takes time. PGW has the advantage there, they are in Canada so they would have a quicker turnaround time for getting your rifle re-barreled. As far as I know getting a replacement barrel for the TRG is not that easy here.
Both AI and PGW have a bolt mounted safety (win 70 style) the Sako's is trigger mounted. Sako and AI are 60 degree bolt throw PGW is 90 degrees.
Those are the key differences and they are all top quality firearms. You can't go wrong with any of them, they are proven systems, very reliable and accurate. The Sako TRG is the most affordable of the three.
Pic of AI mags, 338 and 308.
For optics: S&B, Hensoldt, Nightforce.
Those are good choice.
