Looking for 408

Cost is not a problem, I already looked into the price and it is also non-restricted. However I would like to hear from some of the people who have experience with this caliber (civilian or military)and if the claims of 2500yds plus is possiple with some sort of accuracy??
 
There are very few manufacturers that make a rifle in this caliber. I only know of three and one other is PGW. There is a fourth manufacturer that will be tooling up in the next little while but is very exclusive. Like I said before I am interested in finding someone who has experience with this caliber and has pushed it's limits.
 
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I heard guys shooting 7mm STW out to 2500m shooting 4x8' sheets of ply wood.
Think you might be better off with a 50 or 338. From what I heard this round isn't all that it cracked up to be.
 
plywood?? 408 was designed to penatrate any body armor at 2500yds plus!!

I would like to see if a 338 or a 50cal are as accurate or lethal at these ranges if the claims are true
 
The 408 is also claimed to be one of the only rounds that can cross from supersonic speed into subsonic speed remaining totaly stable throughout its trajectory.
 
Brian,

You're not likely to find anyone in this country outside PGW who has experience with this cartridge. A great wealth of information can be found on www.snipershide.com , www.longrangehunting.com , and to a somewhat lesser extent, www.snipershide.com .

From what I have become lead to understand, this cartridge has had some performance issues based on poor bullet construction and relatively few companies producing them. However, this is beginning to change somewhat and more momentum is gathering as the teething problems are sorted out.

For all intensive purposes this will be a hanloading proposition unless of course you are exceptionally wealthy. Component manufacturers are relatively few and far between so when you buy, prepare to buy BIG to ensure adeqate supply on hand. All currently available components are a US import basis.

FYI, Richard Graves of Wildcat Bullets (Canadian company no less) will eventually be making .408 cal. bullets as well. This will be great as there may not be a need to import expensive US made bullets. A home grown alternative is always preferable.

While considering this cartridge myself, my personal decision has been to lean towards a heavy .338 cal. cartridge like the .338 Ultramag or .338/.300 Ultramag. Both of which come close or exceed the performance of .338 Lapua.

Good luck on the research. Please keep us imformed of your progress. Building a rifle in this cartridge will no doubt take a great deal of time and money before you even drop the firing pin on the first round.
 
As far as country of origin for rifles and bullets for this caliber is concerned, I would not be buying in north america if I can help it. It is just a lengthy process to land these things here from out of country, not to mention cost preventative. By no means do I want to try and build this rifle, I would prefer to buy it complete and in a deployment package form.
 
I shoot .338 LM and 50BMG. Depending on what you want to do I recommend one of those. 408 sounds cool in some articles but I'm sure you would be better off with either the .338 or 50.
Hornady is announcing a .338 Amax this year! Then you still have SMK and Lapua.
 
Having shot against 2 408s that came to a 50 cal shoot last year, I think the cartridge has promise, but at the real long ranges the 50 still reigns king.
I have been toying with the idea of building a 408 version for my single shot bolt rifles that I currently build as 50s, It would not be a big deal to make a smaller boltface. The things that are holding me back is the total lack of bullets and brass available, and the cost is not significantly lower than the 50.
If Richard at Wildcat does in fact make the 408 bullets I have heard he is threatening to make, that will alter the situation a bit.
From sheer performance standpoint the advertizing done by Chey-Tac has been a little on the overstated side I believe. I shoot my 50s out well beyond the 2500 yard mark and after seeing what the 408 was capable of at 1500 am skeptical , but it does nicely fit the niche between 338 mid size rifles and the big 50s.
As far as the price they are commanding I am at a total loss as to how they can justify it.
 
alberta tactical rifle said:
Having shot against 2 408s that came to a 50 cal shoot last year, I think the cartridge has promise, but at the real long ranges the 50 still reigns king.
I have been toying with the idea of building a 408 version for my single shot bolt rifles that I currently build as 50s, It would not be a big deal to make a smaller boltface. The things that are holding me back is the total lack of bullets and brass available, and the cost is not significantly lower than the 50.
If Richard at Wildcat does in fact make the 408 bullets I have heard he is threatening to make, that will alter the situation a bit.
From sheer performance standpoint the advertizing done by Chey-Tac has been a little on the overstated side I believe. I shoot my 50s out well beyond the 2500 yard mark and after seeing what the 408 was capable of at 1500 am skeptical , but it does nicely fit the niche between 338 mid size rifles and the big 50s.
As far as the price they are commanding I am at a total loss as to how they can justify it.
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With the 50 what size of a grouping are you getting at 2500 and beyond?? Are u shooting ball ammo or custom match ammo? What rifle are you shooting and with what accesories?. I have two problems with the 50. First is the export ban from the united states. Second is all the talk about the 50 getting changed to prohib in the very near future.
 
Brian I build custom 50s so the rifle I shoot is 1 I made. A single shot with a Lilja matchgrade 36" heavy barrel, presently I have a Nightforce 8x32x56 on it but am finding it has not enough magnification for the 2 miles ( yes I said MILES) I am shooting out to now. The rifle is capable of .75 moa 3 shot groups without too much skill on the trigger. At 2 miles I am consistantly hitting a standard 45 gallon drum using 750 gr Amaxs that I load myself.
I am tooling up to build 408 caliber rifles as well, will probably have my actions scaled down by mid 2006.
Someone is ALWAYS threatening to ban something these days , it is politically trendy. I prefer to shoot today rather than worry about what MAY happen tomorrow
 
Brian46 said:
As far as country of origin for rifles and bullets for this caliber is concerned, I would not be buying in north america if I can help it. It is just a lengthy process to land these things here from out of country, not to mention cost preventative. By no means do I want to try and build this rifle, I would prefer to buy it complete and in a deployment package form.
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Brian, if you are seriously considering a .408 you would already know by now that this is definitely a proprietry based cartridge and a US import only situation and you'll just have to go through the hoops to do it. The Europeans don't have any experience with this cartridge with no commercial vendor offering rifles or components, as far as I know.

I'm at a complete loss to understand how you would have the financial wealth, shooting experiece/industry knowledge, and time to undertake such a project and have NOT contacted the proprietor of this weapon system for their assistance. What gives?

Do you have experience in shooting over 1,000 yds. to begin with? Complete deployment package? Do you intend on buying a ballistics computer as well? Know how to operate a barometer? Everything about this undertaking demands a high level of shooting experience that few on this board have, including myself.

I'm not calling you out, I just don't see how this is adding all up. There seems to be a lack of congruency here.
 
2bad4u2 said:
Brian, if you are seriously considering a .408 you would already know by now that this is definitely a proprietry based cartridge and a US import only situation and you'll just have to go through the hoops to do it. The Europeans don't have any experience with this cartridge with no commercial vendor offering rifles or components, as far as I know.

I'm at a complete loss to understand how you would have the financial wealth, shooting experiece/industry knowledge, and time to undertake such a project and have NOT contacted the proprietor of this weapon system for their assistance. What gives?

Do you have experience in shooting over 1,000 yds. to begin with? Complete deployment package? Do you intend on buying a ballistics computer as well? Know how to operate a barometer? Everything about this undertaking demands a high level of shooting experience that few on this board have, including myself.

I'm not calling you out, I just don't see how this is adding all up. There seems to be a lack of congruency here.
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Maybe I was a little vague in that post but I have reason to be. I am in contact with a european company that is currently producing a rifle in 338Lapua and will be tooling up for the 408 in the new year. The company is very exclusive and production of this rifle is very few a year, and all are pre sold years in advance. I'm sorry if I sound like some idiot wasting your time, but I have done tons of research on the subject and I was looking for some input from someone who owns a 408 and has streached the limits of it.
 
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