Help on building a 338 edge

Dogleg said:
If I were after a general purpose hunting rifle of more conventional weight and for use from zero to 500, frankly I'd get something else. Actually, just about anything else.
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I work with a guy that shoots a remington stocker 300RUM with a 4.5-14x Leupold. Claims not to be recoil sensitive but I've got money that says he has a wicked flinch.

My ATRS 300WM weighs right around 12 lbs including the Mark 4 3.5-10x scope it wears. It's got a 29" heavy barrel (no brake) and the factory wood stock and bottom metal. That's about as heavy as I'd want to contend with on a hunting rig, which this one is. FWIW I'm getting around 3100 FPS with an assortment of 200 gr bullets and had one load with 180 NPTs go 3450 FPS with no pressure signs (other than the wicked fast speed). Now, even if that 3450 FPS load is an anomaly, 3100-3150 FPS with 200 grain bullets is right up there in 300 RUM territory with a serious decrease in powder burnt. None of these loads exceed book max for the given bullet (I tried 200 gr NPT, Speer, and TSX - couldn't make myself fling 200 gr A Frames down range for fear they shot well!) and were shot with IMR 4831, IMR 4350, IMR 7828 and RL22 so not inordinately slow powders. Now to try the 200 gr SMK, 208 A Max and 210 Bergers to see how they behave (and maybe the 168 AMax and 169.5 Wildcats for laughs).

The long-winded point is, if you can get there burning 25% less powder, why wouldn't you? Recoil of around 28-30 Ft-Lb beats the arse off 35-45 (depending on rifle weight). There's no prize for lugging a boat anchor up hill and down dale or having the tripe kicked out of you with a lightweight cannon that can be bested by a rifle that weighs the same and shoots the same bullet at the same velocity with WAY less powder and recoil.
 
BigUglyMan said:
..... It's got a 29" heavy barrel (no brake) and the factory wood stock and bottom metal. That's about as heavy as I'd want to contend with on a hunting rig, which this one is. FWIW I'm getting around 3100 FPS with an assortment of 200 gr bullets and had one load with 180 NPTs go 3450 FPS with no pressure signs (other than the wicked fast speed). Now, even if that 3450 FPS load is an anomaly, 3100-3150 FPS with 200 grain bullets is right up there in 300 RUM territory with a serious decrease in powder burnt. None of these loads exceed book max for the given bullet ........
.
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Just so as I am clear.
You are getting 3100fps from 200 grain bullets and are running 180 grain bullets at 3450fps?

Are you using a Mike Rock 5R?
 
I would say the same thing as a few have already said. Get a good scope (Leupold M4 or Nightforce) and shoot a good bullet with a high BC (like a Nosler 160gr Accubond at 3300fps), and you will have the ability to dump anything I can think of out to 700yds easy. The 7mm RUM is an excellent long range cartridge.

BUM, when did you work at WSS with Rick? I worked for Brad and Russ a while back and don't remember your face. Shoot me a pm when you get a chance.
 
BigUglyMan,
I have a heavy barrel 300 WM as well, a fluted Lilja barrelled PSS with Mark 4 6.5-20. It is considerably lighter that the Edge, which I primarily got because I didn't have one. That sort of thing seems to happen a lot.
Last summer I was shooting alongside a fearless guy with a .300 WM built on a Sako with Gaillard barrel if I remember right. Anyway he was lighting up the chrony to the tune of 3450 to 3500 with 75 grains of RL22 and a 180 NBT. Considering that that's my load in a couple of rifles I'm a little puzzled since my speed is more like 3050-3100 depending on the rifle. He didn't seem concerned, and neither was I after I moved down 4 more benches.:D Darned if I know why, but I was cheering for chrony error until you mentioned your experience. Beyond the difference between the 2 rifles the only difference in the loads was the Nosler brass he was trying for the first time.
 
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Dogleg - I'm not sure if it was a Chrony gone goofy, an accidental overload (I don't have my notes but I think it might have been 75 grains of RL22 in fact), or the planets aligned right when Rick cut the chamber but those were the numbers on a fairly cool December day in Imperial SK. I'll be back at the bench once the bench arrives (damned movers) and the temps climb (stupid -35C!). Got another trip planned yet?


Rem338Win - I worked there in the summers from 1997 to 2000.

Amphib - zing muthaf*cka...zing
 
X-fan said:
Just so as I am clear.
You are getting 3100fps from 200 grain bullets and are running 180 grain bullets at 3450fps?

Are you using a Mike Rock 5R?
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Yes and this type of velocity is NOT uncommon from the 300WinMags I have built. Precisely how they achieve these velocities, I have no concrete reasoning for, but just about 10 for 10 shoot these velocities.
I believe it is partly the chamber reamer I use, partly the fact that Rock barrels are known to be fast, and most of us use GunJuice which DOES increase velocities.

BUM your Rigby brass is about .200" longer than 338 Lapua.
1 of the 2 mods that were made, was to shorten it for the TRG mag system as well as to beef up the web.
Sorry bro, but it won't work.:(
 
X-fan said:
GunJuice???
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Come to think of it, he was using Gun Juice. Now I don't know a damn thing about the product, claims or anything else but he had it on the bench and mentioned it numerous times.
I was too busy moving and only heard blah blah blah gun juice blah blah blah juice. I don't think I'd ever even heard about it before then, and never paid any attention after.
What's this stuff all about?
 
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