338 vs 300 win?

[track]

I've viewed a recent survey that placed the 300 Win. Mag. first, 7mm Rem. Mag. second and 30-06 Springfield third, for elk.

 

[Joel]

Cartridge, gun weight, recoil energy, recoil velocity.

300 Win. Mag. (180 at 2960)

8.5

25.9

14.0

338 Win. Mag. (225 at 2780)

8.5

35.2

16.3

Considering the 300wm is already too much gun for a lot of people, it's no surprise to me that some think a 338wm is a lot with its ~35% increase in recoil energy.

Huh! I didn't realize it was that much more.

Course, like FLTCHUI was saying with the Ruger #1, different rifle and maybe it would have seemed like even more than that.

As far as being a lot of gun, nah, everyone says they shoot theirs just fine and deny they shoot a .223 that much better at all right?

 

[Dorian Gray]

I wouldn't choose either one voluntarily.

But if forced to pick between the two, the 300WM would be what I'd go for. It's an incredibly versatile cartridge with more than enough power to kill anything that walks on this continent.

 

[Suther]

Huh! I didn't realize it was that much more.

Course, like FLTCHUI was saying with the Ruger #1, different rifle and maybe it would have seemed like even more than that.

As far as being a lot of gun, nah, everyone says they shoot theirs just fine and deny they shoot a .223 that much better at all right?

 

[Gatehouse]

I used a 338 WM for awhile and it didn't do anything that my 300 WM or 300WSM couldn't do. These days if I was looking for a standard action 300 it would be 300PRC

If I wanted something bigger than 30 caliber I would skip right past the 338's to the 375 Ruger.

 

[Joel]

I used a 338 WM for awhile and it didn't do anything that my 300 WM or 300WSM couldn't do. These days if I was looking for a standard action 300 it would be 300PRC

If I wanted something bigger than 30 caliber I would skip right past the 338's to the 375 Ruger.

Did you ever even notice that much of a difference in say, how far a similarly hit moose traveled before goin hooves up?

 

[Hardcorehunter83]

.300 win is what I shoot. Both calibres are great and can kill anything in Canada. Ammunition availability is the winning factor in my decision. That said, the best gun is the one you shoot proficiently.

 

[dan belisle]

If I hunt Moose/Elk in Places frequented by Grizzly Bears, the .338 WM with a 250 Grain Slug is my choice otherwise longer reach can be obtained by the .300 WM which for Elk is an advantage.

Cheers

This. Or my 340. Which gives you the better bullets for bears at speeds similar to the 300 WM. - dan

 

[Denver Steve]

300 WM Barnes 208 gr LRX BT, .633 BC@2900+fps vs 338 WM 250 gr LRX BT, .602 BC@ sub 2600 fps (Barnes published data)

Off the shelf 300 win mag rifle to shoot that load? Not very many.
Gonna need a 1-8.5" twist or faster to shoot that load.

 

[Evanguy]

i was thinking about getting a 300 winmag or a 7mm rem mag for my main hunting rifle but the went with a 257 Weatherby

 

[hawk-i]

Off the shelf 300 win mag rifle to shoot that load? Not very many.
Gonna need a 1-8.5" twist or faster to shoot that load.

And that's a very good reason to go 300 PRC over both the 300 WM or 338 WM

 

[hawk-i]

300 PRC, 212 LRX-BT Bore Rider, .705 BC, @2950 fps (Barnes Data)

 

[209jones]

All dependent on what you really want to do with it. the 300wm has some bullet limitations, it can be modified to suit, if you want to do that, the PRC fixed that issue. I bought a 338 in 90, seemed like it was a better choice than the 300 for my purposes, hunting NE & NW BC and AB Foothills, ran a 210gr and a 250gr load in it, didn't kill any better than my 7-08 did with a 140gr. In fact, I was carrying the 7-08 every time when I ran into moose or elk, never did shoot either with the 338, just the way things worked out. Both had their share of spectacular kills, both had some nerve runners. I really liked that 338, it was Rem 700 KS Mtn rifle, from the Custom Shop, with a McMillan stock on it, recoil absorption on that stock was great. Friends that had 300WM's liked it better than theirs. At the time I bought it, I wanted the lightest gun I could get with a 24" bbl, had 9 different ones on the counter, was no contest, and of course, was the 2nd most expensive on on the counter.

 

[BancroftBill]

To harsh for this dog. I use the little sister 7RM

 

[HeadDamage]

338 if you reload otherwise 300 ammo is easier to get and cheaper.

 

[Dosing]

If you dont reload, 300WM all day, every day. Lots of makers and loading available, can be had pretty much in any gunstore. I used to run 300 and 338WMs all the time, and while 338WM seemed to hit harder with its heavier bullets, it was a PITA to find ammo. I keep wanting a 338WM, but every time I go to a gun store the selection is next to zero.

 

[DGY]

For me it ouais either 30-06 or 9.3x62 or 8x57, all kill moose easily all the way to 300 yards and more( but never had to shoot past 280m) didn’t see much difference between the 3 to be honest!

 

[conor_90]

I bet this thread would be a lot shorter if only people who had shot an elk or moose posted in it.


Not to mention with the chamberings...

 

[pathfinder76]

Both of these bull moose were shot with a 338. They went virtually nowhere.

 

[MTM]

.338 is my main deer gun, kinda heavy at 8 1/4 lbs scoped. Shot lots of game with a 300 as well. Pretty funny people making such a big deal out of recoil. Ya I guess if you can only shoot little guns then shoot little guns.