01-16-2015, 03:53 PM
rabiddawg Wrote:Im gonna ask a dumb question. Keep in mind im coming from a whitetail hunting/target shooting mind.
Is there another market for this big of a gun aside from extra long range target work? And is the market really big enough to offset the expense of developing it?
Seeing we are discussing 338LM use outside the military.
I have a half share in a 338L bolt gun. We tried it on kangaroos one evening while spotlighting. Had high hopes it would cut them clean in half at 200M etc, etc. Getting ready for the impressive explosion of pink mist. A mob of three or four come into view, BOOM! ($2.50) "Missed?, go again." BOOM! ($5.00) Missed? BOOM ($7.50)...The roo's were being hit, but hopping off to die somewhere else. The rounds were going clean through and out the other side without the kinetic shock of lesser calibres. We had a few different loads and tried them all, including 225gn SST's through to 300gn monoliths. Never used it hunting again.
We take it out and shoot gongs with it on the range every now and then. It's impressive the damage to steel but the rest of the time it sits in the safe. The rounds are $10.00 factory each here but we've managed to get it down to $2.50 each by re-loading. What's also impressive is watching the powder level drop in the Chargemaster hopper every time 90grains gets thrown. Mesmerising.
No doubt it works nicely on elephants but back to hunting with 223 and ballistic tips.
That Ulberht looks nice, but then again I want one of everything!