Oppinions on .338 Win Mag?

[MudRunner2005]

The .338 Win Mag is one of the cartridges that will be with us after many more really good cartridges fade from memory.

I have a .338 Win Mag. I've had it for 30+ years. It's doable at benches, but not for many shots. It will kill everything in North America, but so will the '06. That's why I have never hunted with it. In fact, I've never taken it hunting. The way I have it figured is that the 7MM Rem Mag will kill every bit as dead yet won't kill my shoulder. So when I have a tag for a critter larger than mule deer, I take my 7MM Rem Mag. I'm fixin' to modify that somewhat. I think from here on out, I'm hunting everything with my .270 Win. Funny thing about the .270 Win is it seems to kill stuff just as dead as my 7MM Rem Mag, & it has only a 22" barrel.

The .338 Win Mag is extremely accurate, and it ain't half-bad with versatility. It can be used with great success on repeated hunts for Alaskan moose, coastal griz, interior griz, and polar bear. But then again, I believe that Inuits & Eskimos use the '06 exclusively for these critters.

Here's my advice: you probably won't regret buying a .338 Win Mag. It truly is an excellent cartridge. It will kill every bit as dead as the .338 RUM & just as effectively. It will shoot far farther than 95% of hunters can shoot. For a big magnum, it's not all than expensive to shoot. It will work as advertised out of a 24" barrel and 8 pound gun, but it will hurt when bench shooting, but nothing like a .338 RUM.

BTW, if you hand load, you can get 2700 FPS with 250 grain Partitions. Ain't nothing walkin' away from from one of those.

I my lifetime I've seen a lot of what I thought were excellent cartridges bite the dust. I'm sure that there will be many more that will wind up with sand in their cases. But I think that the .338 Win Mag is here for the long haul. Were it legal, with a FMJ bullet, it'd shoot through-and-through an elephant. The question, which I should have asked when I was a lot younger and susceptible to gun magazine propaganda, is whether one needs a .338 Win Mag to hunt everything in North America.

The way you feel about the .30-06 and .270 Win, is the same way I feel about the .280 AI and the 7mm RemMag. Both will kill anything in N America, the 7mmRM just does it with more prejudice and a little bit faster and flatter trajectory. The 7mmRM is my all-time favorite hunting cartridge for anything and everything. I feel it is truly the do-all caliber, with 120's for coyotes and smaller game to 168-180's for the big game. It can do it all.

 

[Gene R.]

I have two and enjoy shooting and hunting with both and I can attest moose don't walk far from a well placed shoot. Both are fitted with brakes which tame to 270 levels. No it's not the uber 1000 yd hammer some of the other 338's. But when egos and bs is set aside a lot of the 338 lapuas and such are listed in classifieds because there to much gun and nowhere to shoot to the calibers potential. Could I afford one and would it be cool to have a super 338 sure but I can only shoot to 568yds at my house and most ranges in my area without driving a hour plus aren't that far. So, if you can't practice at 1000yds what good does a 1000yd gun do that a 800yd gun can only be verified to 568yd? knowing your gun always trumps hype.

Gene

 

[SansSouci]

MudRunner,

Many hunters consider the 7MM Rem Mag to be the single best cartridge for all North American big game. It is the world's most popular magnum cartridge. There is zero doubt in my mind that a 175 grain Partition will shoot through-and-through the largest bear's shoulders.

The reason I prefer the .280 Rem, a rifle that I do not own, is because it comes with a 22" barrel, and I like short-barreled, fast-handling rifles.

If I had to choose between a .280 Rem & a 7MM Rem Mag & both were fitted with 24" barrels, it'd be a no-brainer: I'd go with the 7MM Rem Mag every time.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Honestly, inside of 750 yards, it's hard to beat a .308 Win with a Berger 210 VLD backed by Varget in Lapua brass and lit by a Fed 210M primer.

My 24" 700 5R Milspec will put 5 of them into 1 ragged hole at 100 yards. It is THE most accurate rifle I own, and it's all stock, other than replacing the trigger and adjusting it. Inside of 750 yards, I would have no problem putting that rifle and load up against ANY big game in N America, including Moose, the biggest of grizzly's, and elk. With surgical precision like that, I can put it exactly where I want it to, including a headshot if I wanted to.

 

[WildRose]

The .338 Win Mag is one of the cartridges that will be with us after many more really good cartridges fade from memory.

I have a .338 Win Mag. I've had it for 30+ years. It's doable at benches, but not for many shots. It will kill everything in North America, but so will the '06. That's why I have never hunted with it. In fact, I've never taken it hunting. The way I have it figured is that the 7MM Rem Mag will kill every bit as dead yet won't kill my shoulder. So when I have a tag for a critter larger than mule deer, I take my 7MM Rem Mag. I'm fixin' to modify that somewhat. I think from here on out, I'm hunting everything with my .270 Win. Funny thing about the .270 Win is it seems to kill stuff just as dead as my 7MM Rem Mag, & it has only a 22" barrel.

The .338 Win Mag is extremely accurate, and it ain't half-bad with versatility. It can be used with great success on repeated hunts for Alaskan moose, coastal griz, interior griz, and polar bear. But then again, I believe that Inuits & Eskimos use the '06 exclusively for these critters.

Here's my advice: you probably won't regret buying a .338 Win Mag. It truly is an excellent cartridge. It will kill every bit as dead as the .338 RUM & just as effectively. It will shoot far farther than 95% of hunters can shoot. For a big magnum, it's not all than expensive to shoot. It will work as advertised out of a 24" barrel and 8 pound gun, but it will hurt when bench shooting, but nothing like a .338 RUM.

BTW, if you hand load, you can get 2700 FPS with 250 grain Partitions. Ain't nothing walkin' away from from one of those.

I my lifetime I've seen a lot of what I thought were excellent cartridges bite the dust. I'm sure that there will be many more that will wind up with sand in their cases. But I think that the .338 Win Mag is here for the long haul. Were it legal, with a FMJ bullet, it'd shoot through-and-through an elephant. The question, which I should have asked when I was a lot younger and susceptible to gun magazine propaganda, is whether one needs a .338 Win Mag to hunt everything in North America.

Solids are the go to bullet for dangerous game in Africa and no the 338wm will not shoot through and through one. If you want to hunt elephant with a 338wm you'll have to do it in a zoo because none of the African Outfitters will allow you to use one. You'll be very hard pressed to find one that will even allow you to use it on Buffalo and no, you won't shoot through and through on a big buff with one either.

 

[bigngreen]

There are a few posts of guys running a 250 Berger in a 338 win mags and pushing them 2700 plus in 26 inch barrels, take the ballistics on that and combine it with an almost infinite barrel life and a good brake I think a guy could knock himself out having a good time shooting. At my elevation at 1000 yards your well within operating velocity and your over 1670 ft lbs of energy.

 

[boattailed bandit]

MudRunner i have a guy offering me a savage 10 in 308 thats tempting me awfully hard. Im definitely liking commercially available rounds that arent 50 bucks a box of 20. Plus theres a ton of load data and balistics out there already. Your confidence in it gives me confidence. Lol

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

I'm not seeing how you can get to that velocity with the 250gr bullet in a .338wm without going way over max pressure looking at the available load data I can find with a quick search.

AmmoGuide Load Finder

It depends on the barrel length and what you are using for powder.
I'm using rl19 with 225's in my 26" bbl #1 in 338win and hitting an honest 2900 fps with either the 225ab or 225 hdy. 2 body heights over the back and a nice mule deer was mine at 550yds some years back. I don't think you really need a brake on a 338win but a good pad might be nice; my rifle has neither and some people I know are leery of shooting it.
I am able to get my 250 sierra's to 2750 fps with either rl19 or 4831 with ease, but I usually shoot them at about 2700 fps as they cloverleaf at that charge at 100.
I've been working with the 285's but it seems like I'll need to re chamber to a bigger 338 case if I want to get speed and accuracy with them.

 

[Pdvdh]

Quite a few 338 Win Mags in Alaska due to the numerous bears. ~2700fps with 250gr bullets is pretty commonly obtained with hand loaded ammo, as I recall. I used, and loaded for, a 338 Win Mag for quite a few years. Killed one moose at 762 yds many years ago, before laser range finders with a 250gr Nosler Partition. A round nosed partition at that.

 

[WildRose]

There are a few posts of guys running a 250 Berger in a 338 win mags and pushing them 2700 plus in 26 inch barrels, take the ballistics on that and combine it with an almost infinite barrel life and a good brake I think a guy could knock himself out having a good time shooting. At my elevation at 1000 yards your well within operating velocity and your over 1670 ft lbs of energy.

I don't doubt that for a minute. I bought a .338wm in a classic stainless M-70 to use as a donor action because it was cheap. I've backed off on doing that build to make up my mind for sure if I want to add yet another new caliber to the firearms zoo I currently have.

As much fun as I've had shooting my 375Ruger since I put a good brake on it I'm quite sure the .338 could be just as much or even more fun.

I've pretty much got a floor velocity of 2850fps for all of my hunting rigs (other than the big bores) but 2700fps is definitely knocking on the door of a whole lot of fun.

 

[SansSouci]

WildRose,

Are you telling me that a .338 Win Mag with a solid will not shoot through-and-through the thorax of an elephant? Is that what you're telling me?

It ain't outfitters that prevent hunters from using minimum cartridges. It countries' laws. Last I heard, some countries have raised minimum caliber to .40, which leaves out the venerated .375 H&H.

BTW, a steel jacked 7.62 will shoot through-and-through the front end of a car, and that includes its engine block, and penetrate a cop's ballistic vest. A steel jacketed 7.62 would probably shoot through-and-through an elephant's thorax.

How many elephants would you suppose have been killed by the 7x57 and other similar cartridges?

 

[MudRunner2005]

MudRunner i have a guy offering me a savage 10 in 308 thats tempting me awfully hard. Im definitely liking commercially available rounds that arent 50 bucks a box of 20. Plus theres a ton of load data and balistics out there already. Your confidence in it gives me confidence. Lol

Well, alot of people underestimate the .308 Win these days, because of magnumitis. It seems to be a disease that can strike anyone, anytime. And when it does, it reaches pandemic proportions.

I have lots of large-caliber and magnum rifles, but I will always have atleast 1 .308 Win in my line-up. With today's technology and how far we've progressed with powders, brass, bullets, and even barrel & rifling technology, even old or "outdated" calibers that were once considered slow or short-range calibers, are now being able to really reach out there and finally stretch their legs with new abilities that were only dreamed about before. The .308 Win is one of the best examples of this.

 

[MudRunner2005]

WildRose,

Are you telling me that a .338 Win Mag with a solid will not shoot through-and-through the thorax of an elephant? Is that what you're telling me?

It ain't outfitters that prevent hunters from using minimum cartridges. It countries' laws. Last I heard, some countries have raised minimum caliber to .40, which leaves out the venerated .375 H&H.

BTW, a steel jacked 7.62 will shoot through-and-through the front end of a car, and that includes its engine block, and penetrate a cop's ballistic vest. A steel jacketed 7.62 would probably shoot through-and-through an elephant's thorax.

How many elephants would you suppose have been killed by the 7x57 and other similar cartridges?

Never tried to shoot an elephant with a .338 WinMag, but I'm pretty certain WildRose is correct. That caliber just doesn't have the massive amounts of energy needed to penetrate that far.

Hell, even a .700 NE or a .577 Tyrannosaur doesn't always have the energy to travel ALL the way through an elephant.

 

[Deleted member 46119]

BTW, a steel jacked 7.62 will shoot through-and-through the front end of a car, and that includes its engine block, and penetrate a cop's ballistic vest. A steel jacketed 7.62 would probably shoot through-and-through an elephant's thorax.

A car will stop of a steel jacketed 7.62 goes through the block.

An elephant probably won't stop until after something bad has happened to the shooter, guides, PH, trackers and sherpas. It's not about penetration alone....

On and yes, poachers have probably taken more elephants with 7x57 than we would like to know about. 10,20,30 or more shots and it will eventually go down.

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