338wm, does it do excessively damage on dear?

[nowarningshot]

I used to work with a guy that only hunted with 375 Ruger and he loved it. On deer the bullets don't expand hugely and seem to take them down really easy. Bullet construction and shot placement are the key here. I'm personally not a huge fan of 338 Win Magnum just because it just never was my go to 338 caliber choice. But it will do the trick just fine!

Well put. Most bullets for 338 are designed for animals with larger bodies; therefore, more resistance to create expansion. Anything with a small enough body to not expand its a overkill, so the extra power is not needed.

A good shot kills well with minimal meat loss. Its also comforting to have a 250 in the tube in case a four legged hunter disputes ownership of the animal.

 

[SuperCub]

Dear who?

Oh dear!

 

[Dogleg]

Bullet construction makes more difference than caliber, and theres no use discussing construction without target size and velocity being considerations.

The most reliable way to avoid meat damage is to not shoot them in them in the meat.

 

[BigUglyMan]

Any bullet will ruin meat if it's put in the wrong spot. High velocity seems to be responsible for more bloodshot meat than bullet weight or calibre. If you're consistently messing up shots, maybe you're using a bit too much gun.

True, but an overly fragile bullet driven fast will damage more meat than a hard bullet at the same speed. Compare a TSX to a Ballistic Tip. Everything else being equal, the BT will damage more meat.

You are right about being over gunned. Sounds like that's our OP's situation.

 

[dak47]

My Pops even lost 2 deer with his .338 with Nosler Partitions at under a hundred yards. Yes he was a good shot and they where close. Barely any blood and some hair. Penciled right thru I would think, they were incidental animals for the country we where in and he almost swore off that old Sako but then realized wrong tool and bullet for task at hand.

 

[rral22]

My Pops even lost 2 deer with his .338 with Nosler Partitions at under a hundred yards. Yes he was a good shot and they where close. Barely any blood and some hair. Penciled right thru I would think, they were incidental animals for the country we where in and he almost swore off that old Sako but then realized wrong tool and bullet for task at hand.

How do you know it "penciled right thru" if you lost them? If you lose 2 deer with a .338, it isn't the fault of the gun or bullet.

 

[Mike Webb]

Why do you want a .338 mag? If you are a deer hunter it is very much overkill in my opinion. If you are hunting heavier game and a deer may pop up, that's different. Seems to me a lot of people in the woods are overgunned badly. In my grandfathers day a .30/06 was considered a "big gun" much too heavy for deer. Nowadays it seems to .30/06 is considered "light" by the younger generation and even here in N.B. the deer woods are filled with 7, 300mag, various short magnums etc. The sad part is most of the guys lugging them don't practice, are afraid of their rifle and seem to have bought the thing so they can brag about power and spout off ballistics charts. Too bad they just wouldn't learn to shoot. They might find that there are many milder, shorter and lighter rifles that are super effective on deer without pounding the shooter or overloading your half ton on the way home. Flame away.

 

[Cameron SS]

mate shot his deer last year with his 338laupa

i refuse to post the pictures
it was excesive

338 LM and 338 WM are different beasts.

But like has been said. Bullet type and shot placement matter more than caliber.

 

[Cameron SS]

Why do you want a .338 mag? If you are a deer hunter it is very much overkill in my opinion. If you are hunting heavier game and a deer may pop up, that's different. Seems to me a lot of people in the woods are overgunned badly. In my grandfathers day a .30/06 was considered a "big gun" much too heavy for deer. Nowadays it seems to .30/06 is considered "light" by the younger generation and even here in N.B. the deer woods are filled with 7, 300mag, various short magnums etc. The sad part is most of the guys lugging them don't practice, are afraid of their rifle and seem to have bought the thing so they can brag about power and spout off ballistics charts. Too bad they just wouldn't learn to shoot. They might find that there are many milder, shorter and lighter rifles that are super effective on deer without pounding the shooter or overloading your half ton on the way home. Flame away.

Agreed. I have met more than a few hunters who think the solution to wounded and lost game is more gun. The idea that the heavier recoil of their last oversized gun is a contributing factor to their poor accuracy is lost on them. So rather than buy $500 worth of ammo and learn to shoot, they spend a $1000 on the latest, or oldest, boutique cartridge and the problem gets worse.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

I remember another thread in which an experienced and practical member commented on being able to eat to the hole when using his 375H&H. I too have found that the medium bores and shotgun slugs hit hard, drop game fast, without the excessive damage of the small and fast projectiles.