The McMillan TAC-338a rifle, chambered in .338 Lapua, is an excellent long-range rifle, not just because of the performance of the cartridge with respect to drift and drop, but retained energy at extreme ranges. In the right hands, a McMillan TAC-338a can offer an effective range in excess of 1900 yards, which is more than a mile - and the bullet will still carry a great deal of energy at that range.
Which means, among other things, that this rifle is not just for punching paper and ringing steel targets - although those are effective applications. Because of the performance of the cartridge, it is also an excellent rifle for long-range hunting, especially of large game. With appropriate shot placement, there is no game in North America that a .338 Lapua bullet can’t drop - including grizzlies, polar bears, bison, and even muskoxen.
With that said, a good muzzle device is something with which you will definitely want to equip your rifle. Now, the McMillan TSC-338a comes with a compensator, but with a threaded barrel, you will have the option to drop that and upgrade with a suppressor if you so choose. Here’s what to know about the two.
Why It Comes with a Comp
The McMillan TAC-338a comes with a compensator (also known as a muzzle brake) threaded onto the muzzle, which is a versatile muzzle device with an attractive use case. With a compensator, you can enjoy the following benefits:
- Significant reduction in felt recoil and muzzle jump.
- No impact on shot power; full ballistic performance remains unimpeded.
- The ability to potentially make faster, more accurate follow up shots.
- A compensator can help you break bad habits like flinching.
All in all, compensators offer a much greater use case than flash hiders, despite the fact that they can actually make the muzzle flash more intense.
But you don’t need to settle on the compensator and since the TAC-338a has a threaded barrel, you have the flexibility to choose a different muzzle device.
On that note, here are just a few of the reasons that a suppressor might be a better option.
On the Benefits of a Suppressor
Whereas a compensator is a muzzle device the primary purpose of which is to reduce recoil, the primary function of a suppressor is to make the rifle quieter. With that said, that is not the only benefit that a suppressor can offer you. It can also offer the following.
- Recoil reduction
The nature by which a suppressor works also means that, in a roundabout way, it offers the same benefits as a compensator. As gasses expand forward from the chamber and into the bore, they will expand and get redirected and trapped by the baffles and vanes inside of a suppressor. As a result, the sound of the shot will not only be muffled, but the forces of felt recoil will be partly redirected.
While suppressors are not as effective as compensators at mitigating felt recoil and muzzle jump, they can be pretty effective nonetheless. With a good compensator you can expect reduction of felt recoil in the area of 30% to 50%. With a good suppressor, you can expect felt recoil reductions of slightly less efficacy, between 10% to 20%, perhaps in some cases a little bit more.
- Can potentially improve barrel harmonics
By extending the length, mass, and balance point of the rifle, a suppressor has the potential to improve the rifle’s harmonics, mitigating what is known as “barrel whip.”
This is not a guaranteed benefit, but it can materialize nonetheless. When you shoot a rifle, the barrel vibrates; this is called “whip,” and when the barrel whips in such a manner that the muzzle is not pointed in the “right” direction (the intended point of aim) when the bullet leaves the muzzle, it will have an adverse impact on accuracy.
However, if the suppressor tunes the barrel (thereby suppressing not only volume and muzzle pop but also barrel whip) it will have the added effect of making the rifle more accurate.
- Will add FPS to the shot
Another of the benefits of suppression is that, by trapping gasses at the muzzle (but behind the bullet nonetheless) doing so can add a slight boost to the bullet.
How much power a suppressor can add to a bullet is a product of the cartridge, barrel length, and load data, but generally a suppressor can add a boost of at least a few FPS to the bullet.
And that in turn can make the rifle shoot just a bit flatter - which can be a real benefit at extreme ranges when you’re dealing with more magnified bullet drop.
- It will reduce muzzle pop and overall volume
Lastly, there is the obvious benefit that suppressing your McMillan TAC-338a will considerably reduce how loud the gun is, protecting your hearing, and also serving as a courtesy to your range mates.
Despite the considerable (and obvious) benefits of a suppressor, it is important to note two things.
One is that suppressors run pretty dirty, which means you will need to clean your rifle not only more thoroughly but more frequently. The suppressor itself (depending on the model) will also likely need to be cleaned more frequently.
The other is that suppressors are considered NFA items, which means their purchase and possession are both heavily regulated by the ATF. You will need special permission - and to pay for a tax stamp - in order to get one.
But if you’re comfortable with that, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t get one and outfit your McMillan TAC-338a with one.
Have Questions About the McMillan TAC-338a Before You Buy?
Is the McMillan TAC-338a in the running for an addition to your collection? If so, consider getting it from B&B Firearms so you can take advantage of our interest-free payment plan. Only here can you finance the purchase without accruing any interest - you put down 20% and pay off the remainder in interest-free installments over the next few months.
The TAC338 is an excellent rifle built around an excellent cartridge and is one of the best rifles currently on the market for big game hunting, especially at extreme ranges. If you have any questions about rifle specifications or performance before you decide on one model or the other, feel free to get in touch with us.