Beltless magnums

[CTI1USNRET]

I've been toying with the idea of getting a non-belted medium caliber magnum for 300 yard target shooting. Why magnum? Because I hope to someday stretch the range out to 1000 yards or farther, a lot farther.

Please let me know whether I've got this next part right. Headspacing on the shoulder is more precise in aligning the cartridge with the bore than headspacing on a belt. If so, I would rather reload one of the new RUM or WSM cartridges, 300 or 338.

I reload 223 Rem and 45-70 Govt.

I've reloaded the 45-70 to near max in my Guide Gun and am not recoil shy. But when I looked up the recoil on the 338 RUM I got second thoughts about putting it on my list of choices. Benching that thing on a rifle less than 15 lbs has got to hurt.

So my two questions are:

1) Am I right about the headspacing?
2) Is the 338 RUM too brutal to consider?

 

[ClarkEMyers]

Pick your game then look at what others use now.

Pick your game then look at what others use now.

Reminds me of building a nice dragster then taking it racing only to discover it doesn't fit a class.

Depending you might want anything from a 6.5-.284 to a .338 Lapua to the proverbial .50 Browning.

It is generally accepted that having been once fired in your own gun belted cases should not have the shoulder set back - Wilson makes an adjustable gage for the belted magnum cases so you can quickly check case length when setting dies. Notice too that Redding, among others, will sell you neck sizing and shoulder bumping dies for use as separate operations. You won't be just raising the shell holder to the top of the stroke and screwing a full length sizing die down to bump the shell holder anyway.

Given the popularity of .338 Lapua I wouldn't eliminate the .338 RUM for recoil only but then I might decide there are better choices than the RUM just the same for reasons of say brass quality or what have you.

Then too, for starting I might decide the 6.5-.284 is much more pleasant and all around easier on the shoulder and the pocketbook.

Depending on your schedule for someday and your choice of places to shoot a lot farther I'd think it possible that a mere 1000 yard gun (say a Palma style .308 with a nice long barrel) might well be amortized by the time someday comes.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

If it's accuracy you're worried about, don't worry about the belt. Most people who reload simply neck size so as to have them headspace on the shoulder.

The questions are, what do you plan to do with it? And how much recoil can you take?

For competition target work, you need a cartridge that is legal under the rules of the game. And you need to shot it a lot. For what it's worth, most long range shooters don't shoot anything as jarring as the .338 RUM.

 

[dakotasin]

right, and for a dedicated target shooting rig, the 308 is ok. don't get me wrong, i'll take a magnum everytime it is offered for any task, but you don't need a magnum to punch targets at 1000 yards. you do need an accurate rig and primo glass, but most any cartridge will work well.

if the rifle is mostly a dedicated target shooter, then look to something like a 6.5-284.

if the rifle is going to mostly hunt, and occasionally shoot 1000 yard targets or whatever, then look into the 7 rem mag...

basically there are a lot of ways to skin this cat, and cartridge is the least of your worries. you will spend far, far greater time (and money) agonizing over glass (first and foremost), and the rifle (and alterations it will take) in order to reach 1000...

my first time at 1000 yards was w/ a 308 win, so i do know it will get there.