338win mag brown bear

[MagTen]

There is a lot to be said about larger calibers. Size does matter more than speed. A great comparison between the 30-30 and the 35 Remington. Both on paper on ballistic charts only vary a little but the extra caliber makes a big difference in punch. Just like the 338 verses the 35 whelen. I think the extra caliber of the 35 whelen makes it shine. Going to the 375 Ruger is a large jump. Find a rifle that fits you and feels good.gun)

 

[Pdvdh]

I like mono metal bullets. But I don't have anything against lead bullets.

Ever used the Trophy Bonded Bear Claw bullet on large bear? Either Jack Carter's original, or any of the later version manufactured by Speer?

 

[Cold Trigger Finger]

No, I don't think so. But that's only because I didn't bump into any bears I figured I needed to kill when they were in the rifle. . I really like the Bear Claws!!!! The last 375 H+H that I had they were my all time favorite bullet and load. Factory Federal High Energy 300 gr. They chronographed 2700 out of that 23" Montana barrel. They had a very low extreme spread velocity wise and shot as small a group as I could shoot that rifle. Stainless Montana action. Ramline stock Leupold fixed 3x scope. Made the single longest game shot of my life on purpose with that combo. Hit within 5" of where I called the shot. . It was in excess of 500 yards so not a true long range shot! I wanted to dump a bear with that combo up close but I think the bears knew that as they stayed pretty scarce when I had it with me.
It was a pretty good meat load on deer tho. Almost no blood shock!!! I shot several Sitka Blacktails with it and the biggest exit hole was about 2".

 

[Pdvdh]

I really like the Bear Claws!!!! The last 375 H+H that I had they were my all time favorite bullet and load. Factory Federal High Energy 300 gr. They chronographed 2700 out of that 23" Montana barrel. They had a very low extreme spread velocity wise and shot as small a group as I could shoot that rifle. Stainless Montana action. I wanted to dump a bear with that combo up close but I think the bears knew that as they stayed pretty scarce when I had it with me.

I wish the bullets were still available for handloaders. Speer stopped marketing them as a reloading component a few years ago, but they're still available loaded in Factory ammo.

I shot one 10 1/2 foot brown bear on Kodiak from about 130 yds. 225gr TBBC from a .338 Imperial Magnum. Broadside shot to the middle of the ribs. That bear dropped as if struck by lightning. Instant lights out. I waited a good 15 minutes before I began to approach, because I didn't believe the boar could expire like that from a shot to the ribs. He was indeed dead. He never flopped, tossed, turned, or twitched.

I shot a 9' 3" boar on Kodiak with the same bullet. This bear was wounded with the adrenaline pumping. Same bullet placement. The boar collapsed and never regained all fours.

Gotta say after those two experiences, I have a lotta confidence in the TBBC in .338 caliber. Those were the original Jack Carter TBBCs, before he sold out. Never shot anything else with them in that caliber or any other caliber. However my brother owns a gun shop and I knew he had carried those bullets as he had some customers that were devote TBBC fans. So I asked if he had any left and sure enough, he did have a few boxes in a variety of calibers, however none left in .338. So I just recently acquired and loaded up some 200gr TBBC for my .300 Win Mag for bear/camp defense loads. I expect them to be reliable performers, and deadly, in my .300 Win Mag also.

 

[Cold Trigger Finger]

That 338 Imperial is kinda like a 338 RUM isn't it. As I remember they were based on the 404 case. . Wonder what ever became of that company. ?? Seems it would make a great long range rifle also.
It would be great if this thread could be a sticky on brown bear hunting!! It has a ton of the right info on the subject from some very experienced people.

 

[Pdvdh]

That 338 Imperial is kinda like a 338 RUM isn't it. As I remember they were based on the 404 case. Wonder what ever became of that company?? Seems it would make a great long range rifle also.

Yes. It's between the .338 RUM and the .338 Edge, but closer to the Edge than the RUM. It is based off the 404 Jeffery. The shoulder on the .338 Edge is about .020" longer than the shoulder on the .338 Imp Mag. Other than than, they're identical. My .338 Imp Mag is now a .338 Edge. Kirby Allen set the barrel back 5/8" and chambered it to the Edge a few years back - before he was as busy as he now is.

 

[MagnumManiac]

Can't agree more about making sure they are dead. I tell the clients to shoot till they drop than put one more in them for safe measure. After a point blank experience I don't take any chances. I am having a 416-375 RUM built on a montana 1999 for guiding hoping to push 400 grain a-frames at 2800 it will be wearing a 1-4 nightforce. When it comes down to brown bears there is no such thing as over kill. My 350 rem mag has been a stellar performer with the discontinued 250 grain Barnes, but every time I walk up to a big bear I tell myself I need a bigger gun.

Reuben

May I enquire where you get the load data to push 400gr pills to 2800fps in the 416 Ruger?
I have a 416 Rigby, it can push 410gr pills to a little over 2700fps when 416 Weatherby load data is used in it, but I wouldn't recommend doing this often, as brass life is seriously reduced.

To the OP, the 338 is ample for bear when the correct bullets are used, I have shot buffalo with 250gr Nosler Partitions and 250gr Woodleigh PP's, if those 2 bullets can take down buffalo, they will certainly take down a brown bear when placed correctly.

Cheers.
gun)

 

[Paparock]

Hi, I don't spend a lot of time on these forums and I have never been to Alaska or shot a grizzly. Lived and hunted in Wyoming for ten years solo in a grizzly use area that on occasion had problem bears as the mature bears drove the younger grizzlies out of Yellowstone into the area I hunted. These "teenagers" would sometimes get an attitude. A friend of mine had a cabin with an outhouse so you had to carry protection to the john. Meeting a grizzly at night in the dark on the way to the outhouse could cause problems with control if you know what I mean. I carried a custom .375 H&H when I hunted that area as I liked to hunt the blowdown timber for elk. It's like jump shooting whitetail at times as it can be fast and close just as bumping into a grizz can be. At hand shake distance you are only going to get one shot if that and I wanted to make as much impression as I could hopping if necessary it would allow me time to get in a second shot if needed.

Dale Story made my rifle and he recomended a "quite brake" that had its last set of holes slanted forward slightly to lessen the mussle blast. It worked great to! The rifle was lite but kicked less than my heavier custom .30-06. I would suggest you look at the controled expantion bullets like the Nosler Partion, Swift A-frame, or the Barnes X bullets.

Gentry Quiet Muzzle Brake - http://www.gentrycustom.com/muzzle-brake

Check out the second generation quiet brakes - http://www.activetuningsolutions.com/AboutMuzzleBreaks.html

 

[86alaskan]

speaking from very recent experience, saturday, the 338 tikka's are plenty. 8ft sow brown at 50yds, 250gr hornady at 2600fps and thats all she wrote. 2 of 3 shots recovered under the offside skin with over 50% retention nice nasty expansion. third shot dusted the spine at the base of the neck for the finishing shot at 15yds. mine has a 4-16x50 vortex viper hs-lr, rifle is the cabelas tikka boar hunter in 338wm. load heavy and hot and nothing stands in your way of a great bear.

 

[etisll40]

Any advantage on using a 375 H&H or 375 Ruger over the 338wm? Seems like more power and the shots are close anyway?

 

[86alaskan]

i think its for the thump and stop factor. no a whole lot more energy, but more frontal area on the bullet to smack the bear. I actually have a ruger alaskan 375 ruger that i purchased for brown bear hunting, but was carrying my 338 because its lighter on the pack. may be selling the 375 soon since it doesn't have much purpose any more

 

[Pdvdh]

Any advantage on using a 375 H&H or 375 Ruger over the 338wm? Seems like more power and the shots are close anyway?

The advantage would be to stop a bear at close range a little more emphatically. Like in self defense. So the advantage would be the closer range shots. Longer range shots past 125 yards, less advantage and the cartridges become similar, with equal quality bullets.

 

[etisll40]

I think I get what you are saying, a great bullet and a bit more accuracy at various ranges. The 338 win mag does sound like a do all-er type caliber. If you had a 375 Ruger in a lighter package, would you be keeping it. I may be interested in your 375 Ruger. What do you have and how does it shoot?

 

[86alaskan]

etis, sent you a pm on the rifle