Help deciding on a new rifle

[GunnerDan]

Ok, so I am getting a new rifle for Christmas and I am wanting to know which would be a better solution.

Option 1

Savage Arms .338 Lapua
No optics
No bipod

Savage Arms .308 heavy barrel
vortex 4-24X50 scope
Harris Bipod
Leopold Rings
NightForce top rail.

Both are in the 2K range

Thanks,

Gunner

 

[indybuell]

.308

 

[jontz]

I guess it depends on what you are planning to do with the rifle, but based on the information you gave I would go with the .308 as well as it comes with some accessories and the .308 caliber is more common. What are you planning on doing with the rifle? Hunting? Long distance bench shooting? Putting it in a safe and never taking it out? Some more info would be helpful.

 

[GunnerDan]

My lack of information was intentional because I was looking for some responses based solely on the type of rifle and any particular accessories. OK, so I want to ramp up to some long range shooting. I know that a .338 Lapua is not really a rifle that I would wanna tote out with me hunting where the .308 even with the heavy barrel would be fine as a hunting rifle. I would say that I would use the new weapon 95+% as a long range bench rest shooter.

Gunner

 

[PGRChaplain]

. I'm thinking the 308.

 

[42769vette]

I would go with the 308 aswell. your sholder and wallet can afford the pratice more.

on the scope vortex does not make a 4-24 scope.

did you mean 4-16 or 6-24?

 

[jwatkins383]

308

308.......Unless you live somewhere that you can enjoy the long range of the 338..then stick with the .308....Unless you go to big open country often. Just b/c you have a .338 doesn't mean that you'll really get to stretch its legs.

Ok, so I am getting a new rifle for Christmas and I am wanting to know which would be a better solution.

Option 1

Savage Arms .338 Lapua
No optics
No bipod

Savage Arms .308 heavy barrel
vortex 4-24X50 scope
Harris Bipod
Leopold Rings
NightForce top rail.

Both are in the 2K range

Thanks,

Gunner

 

[tat2clod]

I would go with the 308 too just more common not that theres guys who dont know about the 338.And if your wanting long range theres alot of guys on here that could help with different ammo and all that

 

[ssdoug]

.308 first then you have the reason for the .338 later

 

[GunnerDan]

I would go with the 308 aswell. your sholder and wallet can afford the pratice more.

on the scope vortex does not make a 4-24 scope.

did you mean 4-16 or 6-24?

You are completely correct, it was the 6-24X50

Thanks for the clarification...

Gunner

 

[42769vette]

You are completely correct, it was the 6-24X50

Thanks for the clarification...

Gunner

no problem bud, I currently have every 6-24 made in stock except the 6-24 ffp/moa

 

[red_zr24x4]

.308, Your wallet will thank you when you buy/reload ammo.
Whats the average yardage you have to shoot?

 

[GunnerDan]

.308, Your wallet will thank you when you buy/reload ammo.
Whats the average yardage you have to shoot?

300 - 500 yards

Gunner

 

[GunnerDan]

.308, Your wallet will thank you when you buy/reload ammo.
Whats the average yardage you have to shoot?

Yea I do reload my own, and .338 are pretty pricey compared to .308 or the .243 I am loading now...

Gunner

 

[avboiler11]

300 - 500 yards

Gunner

For 500yd and less, my vote goes to a 223 with a 308 a distant second.

If you want and can afford to feed the 338 more power to ya, but its arguably WAY too much rifle for <500yd.

 

[red_zr24x4]

Never shot a .338 but it seems to me shooting it at 300-500 yrds would be like shooting the .308 at 50-75yrds. Fun but not really up to the potential of the round. It would be like going to South Dakota and shooting prairie dogs, anything under 200 yrds is fun for a day or so but then it gets really old.

 

[GunnerDan]

Yea I think that I am going to go with the .308 with a heavy barrel. Also the Vortex optic looks like what I am going to go with. I was looking at some Night Force, but they are 3 times as expensive as the Vortex... Are they even worth the money?

Gunner

 

[42769vette]

Yea I think that I am going to go with the .308 with a heavy barrel. Also the Vortex optic looks like what I am going to go with. I was looking at some Night Force, but they are 3 times as expensive as the Vortex... Are they even worth the money?

Gunner

The nightforce scopes are no doubt better scopes than the pst. They are one of if not the most durable scope on the market, they have better glass, they typically have more travel (not important to you at your ranges.) Right now i have a used Nightforce in the classifieds that is 2x the price of the scope we just talked about, and the Vortex is new

Weather or not they are worth it to you is your call. Personally i sold one of my nightforce 5.5-22x56 nsx's and used the money to buy a vortex razor. It was a great move for me. The glass on those 2 are equal, the vortex had more travel, very very close on durability, and the razor was ffp. The new prices on both scopes are with in a couple hundred dollars. To me the razor better fit my needs when compared to the nightforce.

 

[kludge]

For 95% benchrest shooting at 300-500 yards I would go for something in 6mm +/- 0.5mm.

.223 Rem, .243 Win, or one of the many 6mm benchrest cartridges, 6mm AR, the 6.5 Grendel, the .260 Rem or 6.5 Creedmore or 6.5x45 Lapua.

If the longer distances (600-1000 yards) interest you then I would go for something in a 6.5mm or 7mm, probably 7mm.

What would you be doing the other 5% of the time?

My .308 heavy barrel savage weighs almost 12 lbs with the factory stock. It's not something I would tote around hunting. Ever.

 

[GunnerDan]

For 95% benchrest shooting at 300-500 yards I would go for something in 6mm +/- 0.5mm.

.223 Rem, .243 Win, or one of the many 6mm benchrest cartridges, 6mm AR, the 6.5 Grendel, the .260 Rem or 6.5 Creedmore or 6.5x45 Lapua.

If the longer distances (600-1000 yards) interest you then I would go for something in a 6.5mm or 7mm, probably 7mm.

What would you be doing the other 5% of the time?

My .308 heavy barrel savage weighs almost 12 lbs with the factory stock. It's not something I would tote around hunting. Ever.

I would be wanting to eventually graduate to shooting in the 600-1000 yard range. And yea a 12 lb weapon would be pretty heavy to tote into the field. I do like my .243 for hunting so I would say the .308 would be for bench rest shooting.

Gunner