[SafariSam]

What are your favorite .338 cartridges? What makes the .338 such a good caliber?

[Muliemaster]

Originally Posted by SafariSam

What are your favorite .338 cartridges? What makes the .338 such a good caliber?

The 338 win is what I use for long range shooting. My rifle is the christensen arms carbon one custom. The 338 is a serious flat shootin ,high balistic coe, hard hittin round. I shoot mine alot an I mean alot on the average week I go through around 250 shots with it. I shoot from 300 as a starting point an work my way out to 1000 yards. Optics play a huge roll in long range shooting my swarovski z6 was almost as much as the gun. So for hard hittin flat shootin at short to long range my 338 is my choice

[303tom]

As far as .338`s go, when I go hunting where it is dangerous I take my 700 Rem. in .338 Fed.

[SafariSam]

I'd like to have the most powerful .338 cartridge i could get without it being a barrel burner because i want to have a long range target rifle in .338. so far the best one i can think of for such a rifle is the .338 Lapua. i think the .338 Excaliber is a very impressive cartridge but i read that it is extremely hard on barrels.

[mrm14]

It doesn't burn the barrel so much as it burns the throat of the barrel. Expect about 1500 - 1800+ rounds through it before it is a bit too sloppy. Barrels in long range shooting are expendable. I use Kreiger or Bartlein barrels. My 300 WM got 1130 or so rounds through it before it was not good enough for long range target.

Next barrel I'm considering to Melonite it. Melonite process hardens a few micron thick layer surface of barrel to about the equilivant to rockwell hardness of 70. Some, in the 300 WM caliber, claim they see wear at 3000 rounds that looks like 500 rounds.

Heres a little info. on the Melonite process and what it does.

Melonite Surface Treatment for Barrels, Bolts, and Actions « Daily Bulletin

[SafariSam]

Originally Posted by mrm14

It doesn't burn the barrel so much as it burns the throat of the barrel. Expect about 1500 - 1800+ rounds through it before it is a bit too sloppy. Barrels in long range shooting are expendable. I use Kreiger or Bartlein barrels. My 300 WM got 1130 or so rounds through it before it was not good enough for long range target.

Next barrel I'm considering to Melonite it. Melonite process hardens a few micron thick layer surface of barrel to about the equilivant to rockwell hardness of 70. Some, in the 300 WM caliber, claim they see wear at 3000 rounds that looks like 500 rounds.

Heres a little info. on the Melonite process and what it does.

Melonite Surface Treatment for Barrels, Bolts, and Actions « Daily Bulletin

good info!! thanks very much