270 Win & 338 WSM cartridge photo

[WhelanLad]

Quite odd to Run into a 33 WSM of all Wildcats while out in the Vast Open Valleys of the Southern Alps.......
a fairly stout cartridge for Chamois and Mountain Tahr!

It was rebarrelled on a Tikka T3

No match for my Mossberg Factory chambered 270

 

[Buckmastr]

Friends of mine built a couple Kimber Montanas in 338 wsm. Shillen barrels, 300 wsm Norma brass necked up, crazy accurate with the 225 Accubonds.

 

[BlackRam]

Back when I was waiting 3 years for the gunsmith to build my 300 WSM (ordered when cartridge first announced)on a LH Rem 700, I was secretly hoping for a 338 WSM to be announced and I would have chaged my barrel and chamberinng order.
I was disappointed when they brought out the 325 instead. I get that they could not getthe velocity expected out of the 338, but when comparing to the other 338 that have been introduced since, I'm not so sure that it would not have done well. Not knocking the 325, those who own them really like them, but I am just a big fan of the 338 and the 8mm just doesn't do much for me. Just my opinion. I have had a lot of good perfromance out of the 338's. Loving my newer 338 Federal, love my 338-06 and really do miss my 338 Win Mag (although the shoulder prefers the two smaller rounds). Would love to find a 338 Marlin Express and a LH 338 RCM.
Have considered the 338 WSM, but prefer brass with proper headstamps. (reason why my two wildcatss are the 250AI and 416 Taylor; I could get proper headstamped brass from Quality Cartridge).
I would think that 225 gr AccuBond does a wonfderful job, both in accuracy and on-game perfromance, in this cartridge!

 

[WhelanLad]

Back when I was waiting 3 years for the gunsmith to build my 300 WSM (ordered when cartridge first announced)on a LH Rem 700, I was secretly hoping for a 338 WSM to be announced and I would have chaged my barrel and chamberinng order.
I was disappointed when they brought out the 325 instead. I get that they could not getthe velocity expected out of the 338, but when comparing to the other 338 that have been introduced since, I'm not so sure that it would not have done well. Not knocking the 325, those who own them really like them, but I am just a big fan of the 338 and the 8mm just doesn't do much for me. Just my opinion. I have had a lot of good perfromance out of the 338's. Loving my newer 338 Federal, love my 338-06 and really do miss my 338 Win Mag (although the shoulder prefers the two smaller rounds). Would love to find a 338 Marlin Express and a LH 338 RCM.
Have considered the 338 WSM, but prefer brass with proper headstamps. (reason why my two wildcatss are the 250AI and 416 Taylor; I could get proper headstamped brass from Quality Cartridge).
I would think that 225 gr AccuBond does a wonfderful job, both in accuracy and on-game perfromance, in this cartridge!

The only sensible thing i can really see out of the 2 cartridges Pictured, is a 270 WSM..... it makes sense.

Im interested to learn more as to Why Winchester did not do the 338 in favour of the odd 325 Cal?? you do touch on it in your reply... still seems weird.

You mention the RCM, man i had always wanted one of those, an two of my Sambar hunting friends own and one Uses his religiously... 225gr Woodleighs with (2206h) i believe... for around 2600-50 he said ..
Id rekon i would like the RCM, not sure if the 30 or 38 would tickle my fancy the most.... because the 338 Federal ive often wondered about, thinking it would be at home in the Hunt for Sambar..... just as the 308 and 35 Whelen (358w) have their place for the thick stuff, but the Fed would do a little more of the longer stuff as well as the thick stuff IMO>..

realistically, the 35 WSM would of been a bit more here an not quite so there as the 325 right ... aka the 35 Sambar

 

[BlackRam]

WhelenLad,
Winchester said that they chose to bring the 325 to market as they could get the velocities that they believed peopple would want from that case, because they could not get velocities that were comparable to the 338 Win Mag in the WSM case with e 338 bullets. Sure, velocity is ###y and many want the utost they can get. Others, like me, do not care for top velocities, as long as the velocity is good and the bullet will do what it is supposed to do on big game when it is placed there properly. We will take better accuracy over top velocity. Asthe old saying goes, "the only interesting rifle, is an accurate rifle".

The 35 Sambar is a neat cartridge. Read a little about it after it was first done. Have not seen a lot about it since.

I would love to do a hunt in NZ for red deer, fallow, sambar, rusa and sika deer. I would definitely take the 338 Federal on that hunt. Not because I think that they are super tough critters,but because I think hunting them in the brush doesn't require a long range rig and the Federal would be at home in that environment, and provide for quick, clean harvests, even if stretched out a bit across a ravine. I feel that either the 6.5x55 or 280 Rem would do just as well, but I am really fond of that 210 gr Nosler partition! You're there and hunting some of these species; your thoughts?

 

[WhelanLad]

WhelenLad,


\ You're there and hunting some of these species; your thoughts?

BR, i see what ya mean by that, it didnt really go too well in aus but did gain a small following, esp for sambar (325 wsm) .

now with NZ, i am using the 270 win, an im finding the Thar are rather 'dense' between the shoulders, ive recovered about 5 projectiles now, 130gr inerlock facotry whitetail ammo is doin ok - the common rifle here is a 7mm Rem mag as it has that edge / extra distance over the 270, an not uncommon to see 300 Win / WSM aswell! in the alpine.

im mostly only hunting the South island for Cham, tahr and a Red stag, one day maybe go for a sika in roar but not high prioritie this expedition!

those animals you mention are North island deer mostly, an i rekon you're spot on with the calibres as its not as vast open as the alpine tops, an can be quite thick an close range hunting..
its finding the game density, or putting in the time to work out the area to get succesful on DIY hunts on the public land! ya earn every one ya shoot.

cheers!