Had to get my $0.02 in here. Have owned and hunted a U.S. made 340 Weatherby Mark 5 Stainless for many years. My hunting partner of many years used a 338 Remington Magnum. Can't remember the number of times we went around on this topic. Bottom line is that the 340 will do a little more, i.e. shoot a little flatter, hit a little harder. Is that significant? Probably not, unless I was arguing with him, of course 
. The 338 is a fine rifle and certainly adequate for anything one would want to do on this continent. So is the 340 Weatherby, of course. When I bought the 340, I was influenced quite a bit by the difference in velocity between the two cartidges, but now I don't feel it to be all that important. What I like about my Mark V is that the stock is straight enough that I don't find the recoil too bad and it holds my head in a good position to look through the scope (vital with big boomers right!). I agree that 250 grainers give alot of recoil, but the design of the rifle makes this doable for me. I had a 300 Weatherby Vangard Classic with a Monte Carlo stock on it that would slap my right cheek over by my left shoulder with every shot. The only thing it was good for was hanging on the wall imho. Still, I hunted with a guy in the Kootenay one year that just loved the identical rifle. Guess you have to try these things out. The trigger on my 340 is very good and the throw on the bolt is almost perfect. Long action or not, I doubt that I have another rifle as good with a follow-up shot. I like the strength of the action too, though sometimes I wonder about the multiple lug design and I'm not crazy about the freebore. Still, the rifle does shoot. So, who would complain. If one doesn't like the recoil of the heavy bullets one can always load down or use a lighter bullet. Mine just loves the 210 grain Nosler Partitions. You know, I considered selling my 340 a couple of weeks ago as I haven't gone north to hunt for a few years. But I went downstairs and shouldered the rifle a few times and I just can't do it. It is good in every way and almost indestructible. Don't see how a guy could ask for more in a rifle.
. The 338 is a fine rifle and certainly adequate for anything one would want to do on this continent. So is the 340 Weatherby, of course. When I bought the 340, I was influenced quite a bit by the difference in velocity between the two cartidges, but now I don't feel it to be all that important. What I like about my Mark V is that the stock is straight enough that I don't find the recoil too bad and it holds my head in a good position to look through the scope (vital with big boomers right!). I agree that 250 grainers give alot of recoil, but the design of the rifle makes this doable for me. I had a 300 Weatherby Vangard Classic with a Monte Carlo stock on it that would slap my right cheek over by my left shoulder with every shot. The only thing it was good for was hanging on the wall imho. Still, I hunted with a guy in the Kootenay one year that just loved the identical rifle. Guess you have to try these things out. The trigger on my 340 is very good and the throw on the bolt is almost perfect. Long action or not, I doubt that I have another rifle as good with a follow-up shot. I like the strength of the action too, though sometimes I wonder about the multiple lug design and I'm not crazy about the freebore. Still, the rifle does shoot. So, who would complain. If one doesn't like the recoil of the heavy bullets one can always load down or use a lighter bullet. Mine just loves the 210 grain Nosler Partitions. You know, I considered selling my 340 a couple of weeks ago as I haven't gone north to hunt for a few years. But I went downstairs and shouldered the rifle a few times and I just can't do it. It is good in every way and almost indestructible. Don't see how a guy could ask for more in a rifle.
