.338 Lapua Rifles

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TheDisturbed1

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I was wondering if there are any good (tactical-like) .338 Lapua (or equivelant) rifles under (or slightly over) $1k...

I seen the Sako TRG go for 2k w/out optics...

If I was looking for a multi-thousand dollar rifle, I would look at Barrett or a Russian SVD (Tigr)...

.308 is a do-able caliber, but I'm looking into something with quite alot of range and good accuracy.

Come around October, the State spits out about $1000 and im gonna save up some moulah from work.

Help me find some good ones :uhoh:
 
The Armalite AR-30 is about $1000-$1500 depending caliber and muzzle break options. They can be had in .308, .300 Win Mag, or .338 Lapua Mag.

I'd love to have one in .338 Lapua w/ a nice Leupold M4 6.5-20X. The ability to drop a moose at 1500 yards is pretty awesome.

ETA: How's the weather in Fairbanks. I'm originally from Palmer.
 
The armalite is your best bet

But the TRG is TOP quality, and would take it over the other two that you listed (Barrett or a Russian SVD (Tigr)). The TRG is a built from the ground up long range "tactical" rifle. There are few others, if any, in that price range that are better than the TRG.
 
"Budget" and "338 Lapua" do not go together!

Factory ammo is currently over $4/round. Reloading is cheaper, but you're still talking $0.75 - $1/round depending on how long your brass lasts and what bullet you choose.

I don't think you'll be able to find a TRG-42 for $2k; list is more like $3500 now. The prices on the SAKO stuff are deceiving because the accessories are 2x-5x overpriced (e.g. scope mounts, magazines, bipods, brakes, etc).

What are the distances you will realistically shoot, and what are your accuracy expectations? There are a lot of 1000-yard calibers, and even 308 do OK that far. A factory Remington PSS will shoot sub-MOA with the right ammo.

The 338 Lapua is a great cartridge, but you pay an extreme cost for a relatively slight trajectory (drop & wind) advantage over the normal magnums (7RM, 300WM). It does have very impressive power at very long range, however.

Actually, as you step up in long-range performance, you end up paying dramatically increasing costs - through actual cost, time, barrel life, and recoil - for slight trajectory improvements.

Read this for a discussion of caliber and LR rifles
PRACTICAL LONG-RANGE RIFLE SHOOTING - PART I: THE RIFLE & GEAR
 
Arctic;

You might want to poke around a few reloading tables & think about the good ole .338 Winchester magnum. Shoots the same bullets, same sectional density & same B/C's. It isn't all that much slower, but it can be had in some very good rifles for a lot less money than the Sako TRG.

900F
 
My granfather has 2 338 lapuas that were both built on the winchester actions as mentioned above. Awsome guns but they were very spendy like 5k each for the build and he does some of his own work also. I am sure that you could get a 338 win for now and when the money comes make it a lapua.
 
On second thought...

I just noticed what guns you currently own. I'm not trying to tell you how to spend your money, but if I were in your shoes I would probably buy a Savage 10-FP .308 and a decent scope and go nuts. It just makes sense to me to take gradual steps up in caliber and cost.

A 10-FP in .308 would be plenty accurate out to 600 - 800 yards and .308 ammo is 1/100th the cost of .338 Lapua ammo.

I don't know about you, but $4/ shot would make me cry.
 
Many of us would like to go "All The Way" but it's not always practical. I think the .338 Lapua is the way to go if it fits your budget, why settle for less ? I don't know what the best format is, but the AR-30 would be my 1st look. And if you haft to back down get a .300 Win. Mag. :eek:
 
I've actually heard some really good things about the AR-30 in .338 Lapua...Surprisingly good, considering it's the least expensive gun in this caliber. I'd like to have one (and may have eventually). But, it's definitely a caliber for handloaders, unles you have LOTS of money.

P.S.I looked into converting a Mauser, but the cartridge is just too long (for the magazine)...However, it would be possible to use a Mauser action, but it would be a single shot.
 
If you want to go semi auto

308 does seem alot better, some of those DPMS 308 rifles nearly got me drooling
Click to expand...

Look at the 6.5 Grendel. It will work on a regular AR lower, and the Grendel is better after 500-600 yards then the 308win. By that I mean less drop and less drift. The 6.5mm's have awesome B.C.'s and S.D. Plus it is very soft shooting- much less recoil than the 308 (not that the 308 is bad). And now with wolf making brass cased ammo at the same price as decent 308, I think that the Grendel is the way to go.

But... If you want a more, DPMS's LR260 (260 Rem) is an awesome machine. The 260 being a 6.5mm uses the same slipery bullets, but throws them faster.
 
I'll go out on a limb here and say that nothing has the combination of extreem long range accuracy, and power of the venerable .338 Lapua Magnum. It IS very expensive, but if you intend shoot it a lot you can re-load it. It is still balastic at like 1200m. Here is what I will some day get that is chambered in all three .308, 300WM, and .338LM...you get the kit with all three barrels and mags for around $5000.00
 

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Consider the 7mm Rem Mag. I looked at a lot of rounds and figured out that it had about the best combination of long range ballistics vs cost in a factory round. Like the Lapua, it is supersonic to 1,200+, but costs maybe 40 cents per shot instead of $4.

Go to one of the ballistics sites and run the numbers on a 162 A-Max and you'll see what I mean. Also, the recoil is pretty mild for a bigger caliber and it won't beat you up in a heavy barreled gun

HTH
 
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