458-338 lapua? Anyone done this?

[kfreeze]

I was thinking of necking up the lapua to 458 or even 416. Have any of you done this for hunting in Africa? Only saw guys doing this for ELR stuff mostly on other forums. What kind of performance did you get?

Thanks,

Kyle

 

[318AE]

I thought a 338 Lapua was a necked down 416 Rigby. Would this be the long way around to get to a 450 Rigby (or just back to a 416)?

 

[kfreeze]

I thought a 338 Lapua was a necked down 416 Rigby. Would this be the long way around to get to a 450 Rigby (or just back to a 416)?

They shortened the case up. I haven't really look into if they bumped the case pressures up though. The main thing for me is to be able to use good 338 lapua brass that I already have a lot of.

 

[IvW]

So you want to create a new cartridge, of which many exist already in 458 and 416, which will be one of a kind and now have the wrong stamped brass to hubt Africa just because you have some extra 338 Lapua brass?

 

[kfreeze]

So you want to create a new cartridge, of which many exist already in 458 and 416, which will be one of a kind and now have the wrong stamped brass to hubt Africa just because you have some extra 338 Lapua brass?

Yes and no. I just like the idea and want something to do for fun. No big deal to have a local guy laser etch the case head to make it all match the stamp on the barrel. I'm more interested in the lapua brass.

 

[grand veneur]

I thought a 338 Lapua was a necked down 416 Rigby. Would this be the long way around to get to a 450 Rigby (or just back to a 416)?

Not entirely true despite the fact that something like this can be read again and again. Initially, attempts were made to designed the cartridge 338 Lapua Magnum by necking down the cartridge 416 Rigby, but apparently it did not work so well so that a different new case was ultimately designed.

Necking up the cartridge 338 Lapua Magnum does not make much sense to me either, since we have the good old 416 Rigby cartridge at our disposal, and in the meantime the cartridge 450 Rigby as well. I don't know what advantages the case geometry of the cartridge 338 Lapua Magnum can offer, but you can always play, and developing needless wildcats is part of that.

 

[kfreeze]

Not entirely true despite the fact that something like this can be read again and again. Initially, attempts were made to designed the cartridge 338 Lapua Magnum by necking down the cartridge 416 Rigby, but apparently it did not work so well so that a different new case was ultimately designed.

Necking up the cartridge 338 Lapua Magnum does not make much sense to me either, since we have the good old 416 Rigby cartridge at our disposal, and in the meantime the cartridge 450 Rigby as well. I don't know what advantages the case geometry of the cartridge 338 Lapua Magnum can offer, but you can always play, and developing needless wildcats is part of that.

I was tempted to improve the case as well, but was mostly after a 458 bullet in it.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Not entirely true despite the fact that something like this can be read again and again. Initially, attempts were made to designed the cartridge 338 Lapua Magnum by necking down the cartridge 416 Rigby, but apparently it did not work so well so that a different new case was ultimately designed.

Necking up the cartridge 338 Lapua Magnum does not make much sense to me either, since we have the good old 416 Rigby cartridge at our disposal, and in the meantime the cartridge 450 Rigby as well. I don't know what advantages the case geometry of the cartridge 338 Lapua Magnum can offer, but you can always play, and developing needless wildcats is part of that.

They reinforced the base and web of the Rigby case to handle the Lapua pressures.

 

[CoElkHunter]

If you just want a wildcat cartridge, why not? We have the .458 and .50 B&Ms from .300WSM brass. The .416 Taylor is necked down .458WM cases, .376 Steyr from 9.3x64 cases, .375 Dakota from .404 Jeffrey cases but are no longer wildcats. The list goes on. Do it!

 

[Muskox]

A 338 Lapua case would have a ton less volume than a 450 Rigby case.

 

[Jefferry404]

@kfreeze
not a bad idea. I noodled this in QD & QL, similar performance to a 450 Rigby but in a std OAL of 3.34"
I used the same shoulder at the 450 Rigby. Due to the thicker web and consequently, higher pressure rating, could get to 2400fps in 24" barrel.

Steve

 

[Kevin375]

It makes me think to this video :

The full video