.338 Win Mag for lrh elk

[DR Ray]

The muzzle blast will be horrendous!
You'll lose 25-50 fps if under 26 inches. So conservatively 25fps x 6 =150 fps. Even if 300 fps it's still a very great cartridge. I use a Sako s/s 85 Hunter model.

 

[P7M13]

Definitely a good round for Elk.
At 20", like many say, if you do not have a brake attached, your recoil will be hard, and if you don't shoulder it right, painful.
By using a shorter barrel, you aren't saving much weight compared to a full length (24" or 26") sporter barrel. However, with each inch of barrel beyond 20", you will have a noticeable decrease in recoil and muzzle blast.

 

[shortgrass]

I have always viewed the .338 Win Mag as an 'intermediate range' cartridge. Seems to me, for LR there are better suited chamberings. I can't ever see running a 20" barrel on a .338WM. Just doesn't make sense in my simple mind.

 

[TopPin]

Does anyone consider this a good lrh round? I may be rebarrelling to it for elk.

The beauty of a 338 is there is no question whether or not you hit something with it. It is a hammer of a round better than 30 cal, better than 7mm, and I'm not even going to argue over a 6.5. I've hunted with a 338win for over 15 years, and 30 cals even longer. A 338 hits so hard you can't even find where the stream of snot out of their nose began. Shoot 225 gr. Bullets out of the win and watch it pile drive them to the underworld. They say it's a slow cartridge bs, it's faster than a 308. And hits like thors hammer. It will kill any animal in North America with ease and full grown elephants (probably not as far as 6,890 yards like a creedmore) but inside of 1000 respectively. If you build it they will fall.

 

[Hinterlandr]

Thank you all for the insights!

 

[Bret GRAVELINE Graveline]

Don't be afraid of a short barreled 338 win mag, A 338 bore does not suffer velocity loss as severely as smaller bores, I went without lunch throughout most of High school saving money to buy a elk rifle in 338 Win, over the summer of 75 I accomplished just that, a round top ruger 77, i topped it with 2x7 leupold, i found 78 grs of H4831 would launch a 210 gr nosler partition at just under 3100fps although it would be about 6 years before i got my first chronograph to realize it, Took my first elk that year a 5 point raghorn at 45 yds, in those days Elmer Keith and Jack O'Connor dominated the gun world, being a Keithairian rather than a O'Connorite, i religiously followed Elmer, shortly after taking that first elk, Sierra cameout with a 250 gr boat tail, following Elmers advice I found 76 grs of H4831 produced a velocity of 2840 fps, I eventually get into stock making and being tired of toting a rifle over 9 lbs I reworked that elk rifle, I fitted a slimmed downed classic sported stock turned down the barrel profile shortened the length to 23 and had it mag na ported, the rifle now clocked in at 2820, back in the 90's I started playing in africa, I put together a second 338, using another ruger 77 action this one was fitted a 22 inch Light spotted barrel that I cut a muzzle break into, fitted a Brown precision classic stock and topped it with a 2.5x8 leupold, 4 rounds and a1 inch nylon sling it sat atop the scale at a even 7 pounds, this rifle with IMR 4831 would print Nosler 200 gr BT and both the 210 and 250 gr partition to the same POA with velocities running from 3080 for thev200 gr BT to 2740 for the 250 GR, I had planned on it staying in Africa but that didn't work out so I brought it home, if I had planned on keeping it here in the states I decided I would have done things a little, so I started again this using the colt produced ultra light arms action, the stock came from six surprises a pacnor barrel thatI turned down to a muzzle diameter of .550 finished at 22 inch including a internal muzzle break, and then I fitted A Remington long action BDL trigger guard and floorpoate, again I topped the rifle with a 2.5x8 Leopold with a Boone and Crockett reticle and then had all metal work electroless Nicole plated, finished weight with 4 rounds and a 1 inch nylon sling topped the scale at 6 lbs .02 oz, this gun will shoot 185 gr Barnes under 1 inch at 3160 FPS, the Barnes 225 gr leave s the muzzle at even 2900, these bullets at these velocities pretty much match the trajectory of the 270 WIn in both the 130 and 150 gr bullets, I've used the gun out to 600 yds, it a joy to carry its quick to the shoulder and no reason to hunt big game with anything else,

 

[CapeBuffalo]

I've got a 338 WM Model 70 with a 24" Kreiger barrel. I've shot lots of African game with it. Certainly enough gun for a 2000lb eland. I shoot 225G TSX Barnes.