Not if you are shooting VMax's or varmint grenades. Choose the tool, choose the bullet.
All purpose hunting rifle
- Thread starter Spydr
- Start date
Staying home and never owning a gun is A WHOLE LOT CHEAPER.
canadaman30
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Far from the City
If you want a 338winmag, go buy one and enjoy the recoil.
I take a lot of solace in the knowledge that the luckless critter at the other end of the explosion will get hit onehellvalot harder than I will.
When you are dealing in death, a little nudge at the padded end seems like a minor investment.
westcoaster
CGN Regular
- Location
- Central BC
For what you are talking about anything from a 3006 on up will work fine. In my experience a 338 wm will do less meat damage than smaller faster bullets although the last wolf I shot with mine had a hole the size of a pie plate on the exit side.
If you want a 338 - get one. I use mine almost exclusively for everything and it works fine out to 500 yards. IIRC the difference between a 300wm or a 7mmrm and a 338wm at 500 yards is about 10 inches - not significant in my experience.
Recoil is highly subjective and an individual experience, my 338wm with 250 grn bullets doesn't feel much different to me than one of my 3006's, but that's me. Some guys will say it's bad and for them it probably is. This is not good or bad it is just how recoil tolerant you happen to be.
Whatever you choose learn to shoot it well and it will work fine.
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Well thanks for all the replies. I believe I have decided to go with a 300 weatherby. There's plenty of bullet weights and powder combos and I can get 100 fps slower rounds with 30 % less powder than a rum which will also be nice and it still hits hard enough at 500 meters to kill anything in north America. But I haven't bought it yet so I could very well change my mind. It's like picking the perfect rum that will get you smashed without the hangover or the early mornin squirts. Lol.
.338 do it all? You only hear that kind of stuff on CGN! It's an awefull lot of cartridge at the big end best suited for elk, moose and very large bears. As others have stated, the old '06 and it's bretheren (.270, .280. .308) are still the best bet for all around use at recoil still "tolerable" for the average joe.
I suppose you can use any cartridge and call it do-it-all, but that's like driving a big pickup around for pizza delivery. Sure you can, but who wants to?
Over-sized cartidges get old real fast at the range once the "big boom" syndrome subsides and the reality of the downright displeasure of recoil takes over. You'll be selling it before the year is over.
I suppose you can use any cartridge and call it do-it-all, but that's like driving a big pickup around for pizza delivery. Sure you can, but who wants to?
Over-sized cartidges get old real fast at the range once the "big boom" syndrome subsides and the reality of the downright displeasure of recoil takes over. You'll be selling it before the year is over.
Several years ago I sold off most of the calibers listed above and kept only 30.06 for serious hunting, and 30.30 and 7.62x39 for bushwhacking and not so serious hunting. Each to thier own, but 30.06 gets my moose and deer tags filled every time.
Northman999
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Yukon
Likely.
I've got a wolf hide in my room that was taken with a 375 H&H and it's got an entry hole that looks like it was made by pinky finger and an exit hole like it was made by an index finger and that's if for pelt damage.
Larger bore rifles do not always mean more explosive damage.
ILoveBigRacks
Regular
- Location
- Beaumont, AB
That's my thought process too. I enjoy shooting too much to only burn powder when hunting. I like spending time at the range, both with paper punchers as well as getting intimate with my hunting rigs. I had a 300 WM as my first hunting rifle and while it shot great and took quite a few animals in the couple of years that I owned it, it also kicked like a bugger for some reason. I couldn't put more than a box of shells through it at the range. After the first 10 or so my shoulder muscles had that jittery, shaking feeling like I'd just been working out heavily and my shoulder spent over a week going from purple to several different shades of yellow as it healed. Not a whole lot of fun to shoot.
For only one rifle I'd want something fun to shoot that didn't kick the #### out of me. A few rounds is one thing, multiple shots down range is quite another. As mentioned, .30-06 seems a likely choice. I'm partial now to my .280 Rem but then again, I don't think I'll ever limit myself to one calibre ever again and if I get drawn for a bison I'll most likely be packing something a bit heavier.
Given that the hunter actually shoots his rifles (a few hundred or thousand rounds each year) I couldn't disagree more with that statement.
The 338Win might have intolerable recoil if you don't shoot much or never learned to manage a rifle properly, but otherwise I pretty much disregard the recoil of a 338.
Yes the other choices are just fine, but the 338Win offers less meat damage and has a bit more authority if you ever need it.
If you have any aspirations to become a rifleman the 338Win will serve you very well.
Mostly we should buy the rifle and cartridge that inspire us...Short magnum, long magnum, no magnum...Whatever gets you out in the field hunting and shooting...Preferably shooting.
Another thread here had a fellow bashing the 300WSM as garbage while on the other hand considering the 30-06 perfect?
Not that I personally like the WSM, but it sure as hell will do the job as well or better than the 30-06. In the end if the owner just has to have that special selection he should have it!
Perfection of form, function, or ranging qualities have little to do with our love affair of a rifle or cartridge. Consider that the 284, 300Win, 300WSM and 45/70 have either supposed design or performance flaws yet people continue to buy and kill game with them...Frankly....The moose still dies.
Can you give us a reasonable, day to day hunting scenario where that "extra authority" will be called up on? Nobody disputes the right to have and enjoy any caliber you wish, but the person is asking for an "all purpose" rifle.
CptnBlues63
Regular
- Location
- Northern Alberta
As has been stated by many, the .270, .308, and 30-06 are a better choice. Each has a wide variety of factory ammo available and the shells cost less than a .338
I own a Savage 99C lever action with a 4 round removable magazine. I bought a couple spare mag's for it from the Numrich people and found a old Mauser ammo pouch at a surplus store. The twin pouch setup slips on a belt and each pouch can hold two magazines for my rifle.
I can't tell you what it weighs offhand. I can tell you that it doesn't weigh so much it's not easy to handle. It's an accurate gun and I like it so much I'm going to buy another 99C to have as a backup. I presently have a 99F which has the built in rotary magazine. I prefer the removable for obvious reasons.
I own a Savage 99C lever action with a 4 round removable magazine. I bought a couple spare mag's for it from the Numrich people and found a old Mauser ammo pouch at a surplus store. The twin pouch setup slips on a belt and each pouch can hold two magazines for my rifle.
I can't tell you what it weighs offhand. I can tell you that it doesn't weigh so much it's not easy to handle. It's an accurate gun and I like it so much I'm going to buy another 99C to have as a backup. I presently have a 99F which has the built in rotary magazine. I prefer the removable for obvious reasons.
The OP did state that he had 338 on the mind. Some of us western folks fill upwards of 6 or more big game (moose, elk, deer, bear, goat, sheep) tags per year and numerous coyotes and wolves. I'd call that "all purpose".
You ever hunt BC in your life?
I have never packed an extra magazine. Just a few extra rounds.
ILoveBigRacks
Regular
- Location
- Beaumont, AB
I'll have to disagree with you here. Yes, improper shooting technique and/or unfamiliarity with a rifle can contribute to and enhance felt recoil but you're leading the OP down the wrong path if you're trying to convince him that proper technique and "knowing your rifle" will eliminate felt recoil to the point of disregarding it. It's still going to be there and to some can be a discouraging enough factor that they DON'T shoot their rifles hundreds of time during the year. The important thing is finding a rifle that fits properly obviously enough and that the shooter can manage the recoil enough to actually enjoy spending the time getting to know the rifle. Ever wonder why we've seen so many T3 Lite .300 WSM's come up in the EE over the last couple of years? They were all the rage for a while there. It's a manageable recoiling calibre in of itself but in that configuration it's not that comfortable for the average hunter to enjoy shooting. Some folks are fine with it, others not so much.
