kansaswiderack

i have posted quite a bit on here about my remington 700 338wm that i bought this year and not being happy with the groupings. i sent it back to remington and they replaced the barrel. since then i have shot 1 box of core lokts thru it and i am still not happy with the groupings. i had a friend shoot a group and they were no better than mine. my groups out of my 270 & 7 mag are considerably smaller than the 338. i am at the point of considering trading for another 338wm or going to a gun smith for help with the setup. my local cabelas where i purchased it has a savage bear hunter that is looking good to me. it has a much heavier barrel and i am wondering if that wouldn't be a good idea with a magnum gun like this. i have a leupold scope on it which i don't think that should be an issue. what are your thoughts on the savage or having a gun smith work it over. i kinda hate to put more money in this gun as it just seems to be jinxed. also since i got the gun back it can be extremely difficult to chamber a round after i have shot a couple of rounds. its like things swell up with the added heat.

Big Uncle

Considering the issues that you are having (recoil, accuracy, time, etc.) have you considered selling the .338 and shooting elk with your 7mm? Some things are just not meant to be.

I still think your problem may be cured with a bedding job and proper handloads, but if you are feeling like this is a losing proposition it may be time to cut your losses. Somehow I doubt that the Savage .338 will be the answer, but maybe you will get lucky.

emtrescue6

The first thing I would do is try a different ammo...not all rifles shoot all ammo equally. Plus, core-lokt's aren't the highest quality ammo out there...I've only ever had one rifle that shot them well...a Marlin Model 336 30-30. Go buy 2-3 boxes of different branded ammo and try that...any premium ammo loaded with a premium bullet is where I would start (Hornady, Nosler, Federal, Wnichester)...while some people will claim Core Lokt's are ok (and they might be) it doesn't mean they will shot well in your gun. Finding the ammo your rifle likes sometimes is easy...other not so easy. I have a Savage Model 99 in 308 that I hand load for that took me ages to find a load it liked...on the other hand, my Tikka T-3 Lite in 270WSM has shot everything I have put in relatively well.

bronko22000

You're saying your groupings aren't what you like. What are they? Also, emt does have a point. Try some different ammo. You don' need premium ammo for elk out of a .338 WM. But if that's what your rifle likes it is worth the extra cost. Let's face it, a 338 is not a rifle you will shoot a lot on the range. If other ammo doesn't fair out any better I would dump the Remmy. Savage is usually accurate right out of the box but the accu-trigger, although great, takes some getting used to.
Brownings and Tikkas have beautiful triggers. I haven't tried the triggers on the new Rugers but the 77 is also a solidly built rifle as are Winchesters.

Sheridan

Trying different types of manufactured ammo is certainly the less expensive thing everyone should try with any new gun to find the "bullet" your gun shoots best.


There are other ways to "tweak" your gun to get tighter groups, but there are also such a thing as "lemons" out there.

Mojotex

Here are my $.02.

I have shot countless rounds through probably 250-300 different rifles over the years, and if there is one constant it is that an individfual rifle will "like" a certain round more than it dopes other rounds, and often dramatically. By "like" I mean group well. Here is just one example .... and I have no dog in the hunt as far as recommending any manufacturer or bullet (other than using a quality bullet for the specific game that you are hunting). The most dramatic example that I have come across in 40+ years of setting up hubnting rifles has to be a buddy's 2011 vintage BAR in 30.06 Spr. The groups of the initial hunting cartridge selection were miserable. I am talking in the range of 5 MOA. This is about as lousy as I have ever seen from a NIB, hunting rifle made by a reputable company. Frankly he had gone overboard (but he usually does) and had purchased 13 different factory loads for this 30.06 Spr. Some of this stuff was over $70/20 !

To make a long morning at the range short, we came across 4 cartridges that grouped great, including one clear winner. Just happened to be a Federal Premium loaded with the 180 gr. Nosler Partition bullet. I am talking groups of 3 consistently in the 1.00 MOA range. I advised him to head back where he bought this particular ammo an buy all of that lot that he could afford !

So I suggest you try other loads before you quit on this rifle.

kansaswiderack

saturday i took my rifle to to remington repair center in tulsa. they will test fire it and tell me what they think. 190 miles each way but i am hopeful i will find out what is really going on with this gun. i was told it would be 2-3 weeks before they would get to it. i did try some federal premium 250 gr nosler partitions before i took it in. they grouped at about 3" @ 100 yds as compared to 4" with the 225 core lokts. with the price of ammo i hate to keep going thru various loads when i really don't know if it is the gun or the ammo.

Superpig

Anytime I've had a Remington 700 that wouldn't shoot I've pretty much cured that by having the action bedded and the barrel free floated. While this work is being done I would have the trigger adjusted to your liking. In the many rifles I've owned I had only (1) that was not greatly improved by the work above. It was a Browning A-Bolt in .300 Win. Mag. that was returned to Browning. They replaced the barrel and returned the rifle. This cured the issue. Good luck!

kansaswiderack

Superpig-Remington has already replaced the barrel and the trigger. the grouping did not improve. i am still trying to work thru this, but is a bit frustrating. i bought the gun to take to alaska bear hunting. it was @ remington when i was in alaska. i ended up using the outfitters 700 in 338wm. it worked great. so i think you can see my frustration.

fritz1

Are you sure that it isnt just you?? The thought of the 338 might be causing you a flinch whereas you are used to the 270 and 7 mag. I personally never seen a 338 Win mag that wouldnt shoot. I mean if Remington has replaced the barrel and trigger and you are getting the same results, I would look at the one variable that cant be fixed at the factory, you. I have a Rem. 700 that shoots almost every load at a 1" or under and I have never touched it, never even adjusted the trigger.