What does it cost to shoot .338 Lapua?

A bit of digging brought out the 338-416Rigby improved. This case is equal or bigger then the Wby without a belt, excellent brass, and accurate. An instant success. With a 36" barrels, reaching 3300fps is not out of the question. That is serious horsepower. Just drop those numbers into a ballistic program then look at impact velocity and energy at 1500yds on out.

I was surprised to find out that this case was tested by the US Army in the 80's as a LR sniper/material destruction rd. Pity they didn't adopt it. Could you imagine the surplus brass
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i read about it, its because it was a belted case.
the 338 lapua is very similar but unbleted.
 
i dont no what it cost 2 shoot 338 here in nz but i tell yous in a week or 2 as i have just broght a 338 trgs
 
Dskd said:
$6 every time it gos bang or should i say boom
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A 100 round day should just about do you in financially and physically.

My condolences to the family ...NZ'r's must be tough. :D

NormB
 
Dskd said:
$6 every time it gos bang or should i say boom
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Man, I'm sure glad that I'm not buying my loading supplies where you do.

Roughly $2 per piece for brass, $0.75 for the bullet, about $1 for the powder, $0.10 for the primer, grand total $3.85, and that drops everytime you re-use the brass. Loaded ammo, on the other hand, runs about $8.00 apiece for Lapua, I haven't seen any of the Black Hills stuff locally to know the price (although I hear there's some in town).

You'll drop at least $1000 on a rifle to shoot it, unless you get very lucky buying used. Do the math, and it's an expensive proposition compared to say, a 308. Still not outrageous amounts of money tho'. It's kind of like building hot rods, "going fast costs money, how fast do you want to go?". FWIW - dan
 
I have a 338LM. Once fired brass can be found for $1 each. I have got 10 firings out of my brass and it isn't quite done yet.
Say it was done thats 10cents for brass. Primers are 4 cents each.
Powder is $22 per lb at Higginson, that gets me 76 loads at 92 grains, only 30 cents per shot. Bullets, 300SMK from lockstock.com are less than $300 for 500 to my door, thats 60 cents each.

Total price:$1.04 per shot

I load up 50 at a time and maybe shoot 30 in a day including letting other people try it. You spend more on gas and food that day.
 
nov 13?
maybe CFC will deliver and i'll be able to show up with my spanking new 700p :roll: ya right, who am i kidding?
 
TheCanuck said:
1.25 per bang is not expensive

Federal Premium Nosler Partition 30-06 180gr come to around 2.25$ a pop. 43.something$ a box
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I used to live in the "It Just Ain't Worth The Hassle" camp when it came to reloading because I don't shoot enough in a year. Once you aspire to shoot at distance, however, doesn't reloading just become part of it all anyway? If so wouldn't comparing costs of factory ammo hold little relevance for a LD shooter? If this is true then the huge $$ saving associated with reloading .338 LM is just an added benefit so you really can't afford not to do it. Thats what I told my wife anyway.
 
If you buy h872 surplus powder, like me, at $8 a pound it is even cheaper. Less than a dollar a shot. That is some cheap excitement if you ask me and you will only be able to ask me if you can find me because I'm always out shooting my 338 Lapua. Oh yeh did I mention I am getting a 7mm AM built on a SAKO TRG action with a 32" Lilja 3 groove 1-7 twist barrel. Those that are not familar with this wildcat it is a 338 lapua necked down and blown out with a 45 degree shoulder. It will push a 200gr wildcat bullet to 3300fps and with a ballistic coeficient of .940 that bullet just keeps on going.
 
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