- Location
- white rock
Any idea which is a better hunting rifle?
300 mag vs 338 mag?
- Thread starter 84studebaker
- Start date
338 Win Mag is the King of North American big game cartridges
338 Win Mag is the ultimate "standard" long range big game cartridge.
Almost all reloading manual state that this cartridge is pretty much the best North American big game hunting cartridge.
If you want the best in long range big game cartridge, 338 Magnums (including 338Win Mag, 338RUM and 339Lapua Mag) are the way to go.
If you want something more "reasonable" and plan on reloading, 300Win Mag is a better choice.
Again, I've never heard anything negative said about 338 Win Mag (excepts for the massive recoil),
Alex
338 Win Mag is the ultimate "standard" long range big game cartridge.
Almost all reloading manual state that this cartridge is pretty much the best North American big game hunting cartridge.
- massive killing power (better than 375H&H at long range)
- massive recoil (a muzzle brake solves this)
- ammo is not common (300Win Mag ammo is)
- .338 bullet choice is smaller than .308 bullets
- .338 bullet price is higher than .308 bullets
If you want the best in long range big game cartridge, 338 Magnums (including 338Win Mag, 338RUM and 339Lapua Mag) are the way to go.
If you want something more "reasonable" and plan on reloading, 300Win Mag is a better choice.
Again, I've never heard anything negative said about 338 Win Mag (excepts for the massive recoil),
Alex
What massive recoil? The 338win is very nice to shoot... It is my primary hunting cal in a Ruger M77 canoe paddle stock. My wife can shoot it without a problem and it does not have a brake. It is not light in the recoil department but massive would imply way more than there is.
I had a .338 Winchester Magnum in a Weatherby Vanguard. (New generation, first run stocks with no raised comb) The recoil of that rifle using 225 grain bullets was quite mild all things considered. About the same time I had a Model 70 in .300 Winchester Magnum that had a pretty good bark. With the original hockey puck recoil pad the .300 had a real snap to it. Once I replaced it with a Decelerator it was much more tame. Comparing those two rifles as is, the .300 recoiled far worse. In fact I bought the .300 from my friend because she was a bit much for him. He was scared to touch off the .338 the first time but once he did he found it very managable.
- Location
- white rock
what about stopping power over long distances?
Okay, I agree massive recoil is too strong!
- super-awesome killing power
- super-awesome recoil
(even sounds positive now)
My point is this: recoil is twice that of 30-06 for a given rifle weight and most hunter can't shot well a rifle with this recoil level.
As for long range killing power, almost nothing short of a 50 BMG beats the 338 Magnums...
Alex
+1. I have a tang safety Ruger 77 in .338 Win Mag. With 225gr bullets it is certainly no worse to shoot than my buddy's Rem 700 in .300 WSM shooting 180's. 250's do hit harder, but not terribly so. It isn't a gun that I would choose to shoot 80 rounds with in a day, but it isn't brutal, either.
Mark
Northman999
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Yukon
Which is better, the 300 wm or the 338 WM...
Kind of hard to really answer without more specific information.
They're both "big" big game calibers, not really best suited for deer and black bear (can be done of course - I have), but more of elk, moose, bison, and grizzly calibers. And they'll both do the job out farther than 95% of hunters can shoot accurately. The 300 winmag will shoot flatter (a fair bit), but, in my experience, the .338 will hit with significantly more authority, and is more comparable to the .375 H&H in terms of impact trauma on big game. Recoil is not really so different between the two cartridges that it will make a big difference; the fit, weight, and style of your particular rifle will be a bigger factor than the difference between these two calibers. Availability and price of ammunition favor the .300 winmag.
Kind of hard to really answer without more specific information.
They're both "big" big game calibers, not really best suited for deer and black bear (can be done of course - I have), but more of elk, moose, bison, and grizzly calibers. And they'll both do the job out farther than 95% of hunters can shoot accurately. The 300 winmag will shoot flatter (a fair bit), but, in my experience, the .338 will hit with significantly more authority, and is more comparable to the .375 H&H in terms of impact trauma on big game. Recoil is not really so different between the two cartridges that it will make a big difference; the fit, weight, and style of your particular rifle will be a bigger factor than the difference between these two calibers. Availability and price of ammunition favor the .300 winmag.
I had a late friend that literally hunted the world with the 300 Win Mag taking everything from Couse deer to Cape Buffalo with it. It was his favorite round and he was a public champion of it. Late in his hunting career he switched almost exclusively to the 338 Win Mag. He confided in me that the 300 was creating a flinch with both, noticeably, sharper report and sharper recoil than his 338. Both rifles weighed and were stocked the same. This coming from a guy who fired thousands of rounds per year.
westcoaster
CGN Regular
- Location
- Central BC
I'm assuming that you mean which is the better hunting cartridge.
Huh...well thay are both good and will both deal with anything in North America well and properly. Having said that...
Recoil is highly subjective and varies significantly between individuals, will vary with stock style, will vary with the load, will vary with the overall rifle weight, and how you hold it. From my experience I don't see much of a difference in felt recoil between my 338wm, the 300 weatherby, and the 300wm. I would however venture that I am probably on the more recoil tolerant end of the scale.
A well placed shot from either will down anything in North America. Although the 338 makes a larger wound channel. From my own experience banging steel at distance with my hunting partners the .338wm will put deeper divots in mild steel at 400 and 500 yards. Up to that distance I cannot tell the difference.
From my observation they are both good at distance. Ballistic gak will say that the 300 only drops x compared the 338's Y. Based on what I have experienced I do not think there is a meaningful difference in holdover out to 500 yards.
In my opinion the 338 wm carries a modest edge for North American hunting.
