338 Win Mag vs 375 H&H

Gatehouse

Gatehouse

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Spring bear hunting is just aorund the corner, probably a good time to give your medium bores a work out...

We dont' have much else to talk abotu right now, so how about getting into a good old fashioned CGN cartridge debate.

Go on, do it...I know you wanna...:cool:
 
I'm kind of fond of the idea of using some calibre for bears. The .375 H and H wins in this department over the .338 magnum for bears IMHO. And is bloody nears as fast and as flat shooting to boot. :p

Besides its cooler. And that means everything. Plus the .338 is kind of a limp wristed communist typa cartridge. :confused:
 
Gatehouse, you must recall the vigerous debate last time this question was posed.

I'll say the .375 H&H is better. It has a larger cross section, can shoot a heavier bullet, has more momentum for crushing bones, shoots plenty fast and flat, has a wonderful history and the recoil is virtually identical.

Plus, as I have said before, the .375 H&H is what the .338 wants to be when it grows up.:p
 
I will be getting my grubby little hands on a 375 soon enough. I think I will be using it and my 9.3x64 for bear this spring.

The 338 will stay in the safe. (though I do have some 250g grand slams loaded that need some hairy test media)

If I see a huge difference between it and the 338 (not likely) I will report back.
 
As has been said on another thread by a big game guide,"The 338 is just right, the 375 is just in case".

I'll take my 358 Norma, bigger hole than the 338 and flatter shooting than the 375. On to the next nitpicker...:D
 
You know what we haven't debated?

9.3x62 vs. .375 H&H

I think for large game at ranges of 250 yards or less this is good comparision.
 
The problem with the 9.3x64, IMHO, is the lack of brass, ammo and rifle availability. The 9.3x62 can, on the other hand, be very easily formed from readily available and inexpensive brass. Plus the dies are reasonably priced.

Maybe a fellow should neck up the .338 WM to .366!
 
1899 said:
You know what we haven't debated?

9.3x62 vs. .375 H&H

I think for large game at ranges of 250 yards or less this is good comparision.
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IMHO, the .375 wins in virtually all catagories at any range but 250-300 yds is a good cut-off.
better ballistics with equal bullet weights
better selection of bullets for the handloader
better availability of factory ammo
great history
manageable recoil

Having said that, I recently sold my Interarms Mark 10 in .375 H&H. Why?? I didn't like packing a 10 lb rifle while hunting. I hated the sliding safety(too non-Mauser and basically cheesy). I didn't care for the lack of metal behind the bottom lug mortise(no big deal but it started wearing on me)

With the cash from that sale I had to do something so I'm currently having a 9.3 X 62 Mauser built on a Oberdorf Brazilian 1908 and a King barrel. Go figure
 
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dan belisle said:
I doubt you would actually need the horsepower
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Since when has that stopped us? :D

The 338 has no character. Cookie cutter standard magnum to be lumped in with it's brethren the 300 and 458 Winchesters and the 7 Remington. The 375 has the history, the bigger bullet and is just plain cooler.
 
well if the 338 is as good or better than the 375, then following that logic (whatever that may be), the 300 wby has to be better yet, and the 7 STW better still right ?
 
rgv said:
well if the 338 is as good or better than the 375, then following that logic (whatever that may be), the 300 wby has to be better yet, and the 7 STW better still right ?
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No. We're talking bears here the 300 and 7mms are only good for gophers.;)
 
This is a hard debate but I will go out a limb here for North American hunting, I would pick the 338 for a few reasons.
1- 338 ammo can be more likely found in small town stores, if need but who does not bring or forget there ammo on a hunt? i don't know
2- and the main reason I hunted the Palicer River this year and debated between the 2 ended up taking the 338 and a back up 30-378. I bought a real nice gun 6.5 lbs a 338 Tikka t-3 lite (the recoil not as bad as you would think)for lugging around the hills of B.C with a 1x5 Leupold on it was a nice carry. I am glad on some of those stocks we did up in 8000 feet I had a 6-7 lbs gun vs a 12.
For that in North America I vote the 338 in due to the factory availability of guns and moddles, ammo selection and the ability to knock down any North American game standing at great distance the 338 will stand out as a bear rifle for me.

I don't think anyone will vote down the 375 H&H as its a classic and who can argue its powed and ballistics.
I know we are talking bear hunts here but I base it on this. As honest as I can say it.
 
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