Need advice on choosing a caliber

[JMP]

IMO .308 win and .338 Lapua rarely belong in the same sentence.

I think these two cartridges make a great pairing if you are shooting in the desert at unknown ranges.

[ScottsBad]

IMO ammo availability can hurt you if you choose a popular cartridge and everyone else buys it up during a panic.
I'd consider the 6.5 and 7mm calibers too.

The problem with this thinking is that the manufacturers replenish the common rounds first. So, if there is a shortage the manufacturers will ramp up on common rounds first. Also, it is usually cheaper for me to buy common rounds in bulk and keep them in storage than it is for less common rounds.

I don't rely on the LGS to keep my ammo stocked if there is a shortage, I stock my own as best as I can.

[ScottsBad]

@ ScottsBad For the .30-06, I own a beautiful M1 Garand and love that cartridge, however I only feed it surplus ammo or Garand load ammo when I can find it. I am trying to limit how much ammo I have to buy.

I don't know if I follow you. If you are already keeping 30-06, adding a Remington 700 in 30-06 would not increase the calibers you have to stock, just the QUALITY of 30-06 which could be shot in either rifle.

I makes little sense to have a semi-auto (say M1A) and a bolt rifle both in .308. The M1A can be early as accurate as a Remington 700 in .308. So what would it buy you?

You can hunt with a M1A if you want to. Just put a scope on it. I could hunt with my SCAR 17.

But if you add the 30-06 you are getting a more powerful weapon.

In any case I would add 300 Win Mag before a .308 bolt rifle f you are going to buy a semi-auto .308 rifle later. 338 Lapua is nuts for what you want to do.

JMHO

[CobraRed]

The M1A can be easily as accurate as a Remington 700 in .308. So what would it buy you?

Lets go down this rabbit hole of made-up-land again.

[russ69]

...The M1A can be easily as accurate as a Remington 700 in .308....

Lets go down this rabbit hole of made-up-land again.

It's true a $4000 dollar M1A will shoot as good as an off the rack 700 Remington. I've got the bucks, it works for me!

[ScottsBad]

Lets go down this rabbit hole of made-up-land again.

The confusion is that we are all interpreting the OPs requirements differently. Does he want extreme accuracy or a hunting rifle that has enough accuracy for hunting ranges and conditions.

I want to build up a remington 700 due to its ease to acquire and accessories widely available. I was thinking about 300 WM but then got turned to looking at .338 lapua. However to start that build would be more expensive. So I am looking at trying to get a rifle built to go hunting with and shoot long distance (nothing competition worthy) so I am stuck at 3 calibers and would like some advice from what others have done.

.308 , a common round, military, cheap (relatively), easy to get and can go long range

.300 WM another decent round, still easy to get, a little more expensive

.338 lapua great round, expensive, hard to find in stores, expensive to build up, unstoppable

Just curious on what others have done. I do plan to still put this on a ACIS stock on it. Any advice would be great, thanks.

These are conflicting to some degree. First, he wants accuracy, but he says, "So I am looking at trying to get a rifle built to go hunting with and shoot long distance (nothing competition worthy)." This indicates to me he does not want a dedicated target rifle or one that costs as much as a target rifle.

Then he says he wants to use it for hunting. Well you don't need to put a competition or sniper stock on a hunting rifle. So that is a bit of a conflict too. AICS on a hunting rifle? Why?

To me if you want to shoot an expensive round like .338 Lapua you want extreme accuracy and have time to fool with it. But he says, "nothing competition worthy".

It makes little sense to "build" a rifle if you are not using it for competition grade accuracy and you are using it for hunting. You can buy an off the shelf rifle that has plenty of accuracy for hunting if you know the range, game, and use.

In addition, I might use a different scope for hunting than I would use for long range bench shooting.

As another poster pointed out .308 and .338 Lapua don't even belong in the same sentence or discussion. I agree.

My point is that the OP is not clear what he really wants. Does he want an accurate hunting rifle? Or a very accurate bench rifle? Why .338 for hunting? Why a heavy stock for hunting? I'm just not sure it fits.

You can get a good hunting rifle and shoot long distances with it with good accuracy if you use good ammo. 300 WM will fill this goal. You can build (or buy) a target/sniper with all the goodies necessary for highly accurate bench or prone position shooting...

But taking a heavy sniper/competition rifle hunting is dumb. Just bench shoot the hunting rifle. And why bother BUILDING a .308 hunting rifle. There are plenty of off the shelf rifles that can shoot .308 600 yards or more. Which is plenty for game, but they don't give you as much stopping power as say 300WM. Game shooting seldom happens at extreme ranges, and shouldn't happen at extreme ranges.

I've got 300WM, 30-06, .308, .270 rifles, bolt and semi-auto. As well 5.56, 762x39 and .44 mag rifles. They are either tactical, or hunting rifles. The OP needs to decide what he wants to accomplish and choose the proper tool for it.

[chun12]

I guess I do have some conflicting statements. I am trying to multi-task with the same gun. I understand that it is not an ideal situation. I am trying to get a rifle build that I can both shoot medium/long range and go hunting with, same rig and the only difference being which bullet I use. Its the same concept I do with my shotgun, a Mossberg 590, that I use for HD and for Skeet/Trap (not in a competition matter, just for kicks). Yes that shotgun does not really belong on the trap range, however there is nothing saying that I cannot use it. I am just trying to multi-task with the same gun. The reason I want a bolt gun is because the state that I grew up in and plan on going back on occasion does not allow S/A for hunting (PA). Lastly, if I choose the .308 route I can feed two other guns.

[NapalmCheese]

I am trying to get a rifle build that I can both shoot medium/long range and go hunting with, same rig and the only difference being which bullet I use. Its the same concept I do with my shotgun, a Mossberg 590, that I use for HD and for Skeet/Trap (not in a competition matter, just for kicks). Yes that shotgun does not really belong on the trap range, however there is nothing saying that I cannot use it. I am just trying to multi-task with the same gun. The reason I want a bolt gun is because the state that I grew up in and plan on going back on occasion does not allow S/A for hunting (PA). Lastly, if I choose the .308 route I can feed two other guns.

Sounds like you like the .308 idea, go for it. Especially in PA where you're longest shots aren't all that long.

Just like your 590 is not ideal for trap, nothing is going to be ideal for both long range shooting and hunting.

If you're going to hunt more, buy a hunting rifle, shoot it at far away things, enjoy.

If you're going to long distance target shoot more, buy a target rifle, take it hunting, use a good carry strap that distributes the weight over more than an inch of width.

[ar15barrels]

The M1A can be early as accurate as a Remington 700 in .308.

LOL.
You made a joke.

[ScottsBad]

LOL.
You made a joke.

Yeah, well the whole thread was an exercise in futility. But the truth is that a decent M14 is plenty accurate for hunting and an off the shelf Remington isn't necessarily the most accurate rifle.

And then there is the shooter, who must practice with what ever they choose.

For me The SCAR 17 is sub MOA. Why buy a sub-MOA bolt rifle in .308 to hunt? LOL Of course I've never hunted with .308 anyway.

[Gutpile66]

25 Niedner. Bar-none.

[ultracovert]

Every one is overlooking the 7mm mag. common, available ammo, and its consistency is unmatched when shooting long range or with a cross wind. consistency translates directly to accuracy.

[JMP]

OP said he is choosing between .308, .300WM, .338LM. It really seems like a no-brainer to me. Get the AI PSR; it chambers all three of those cartridges with a kit. Why compromise?

[sjb269]

For anyone, who is anything short of an experienced rifle shooter, the .338 lapua makes VERY little sense.

Here are some considerations before a person runs out to buy the latest greatest .338 lapua

Do you have a good command of range estimation with and without "higher end" electronics? Do you have a good command of the mil dot system?

Will your current range finder even range a target at 1900 yards? Sending a few sighters downrange at $5.00 per trigger pull can get spensive.

Do you have a good understanding of external ballistics?

Do you have very sound shooting fundamentals to manage the recoil of a .338 Lapua effectively.

Are you willing to invest substantial $$$ in quality ancillary equipment to make hits at .338 ranges.

Do you have access to a range well beyond 1000 yards to make use of the .338 capability.

Do you have a healthy supply of disposable income to feed a .338 lapua. Do you reload?

Do you have a fair amount of discretionary time to dedicate for travel to the place where you can stretch the .338s legs? When you find this place, be sure to take pictures of the unicorns!

Do you have a like minded individual who can accompany you on these shooting trips? Cause setting up/tearing down and repainting steel targets in the hot Dez can get very tiring without someone to share the burden. Do you own a four wheel drive vehicle or ATV to access this 2000yd range?

In short, The .338 Lapua makes very little sense to 99.9% of rifle shooters.

BTW, yeah, I want one too! I just can't justify it.

[riftol]

Do you have very sound shooting fundamentals to manage the recoil of a .338 Lapua effectively.

In that regard a VERY STOUT shoulder helps.