I like it. To me it sits at the top end of 30-06 loads, recoil isn't bad. I used a 340 Wby and an 8 Rem Mag a lot more though. - dan
The 338 Winchester Magnum Overlooked or Overhyped?
- Thread starter Coolhand_Luke
- Start date
I must say, in the .338 caliber, I like the idea of a 338-06. Bigger chunk of lead in a 3006 size round, and modest recoil. I also see the attraction to the bigger 338's- like the 338 Lapua - to take advantage of heavy, good BC bullets for long range. I don't own either one, but I've shot them and I see the appeal.
But again, the bullets of today make so many cartridges redundant. When you see a really big black bear dropped cleanly with a .223 and TSX bullets, or a really big moose/elk drop at 300 yards from a 7-08 and a TTSX bullet...Well, why do we still need to blah blah blah about cartridges that much? Good bullet, right place, it always wins
But again, the bullets of today make so many cartridges redundant. When you see a really big black bear dropped cleanly with a .223 and TSX bullets, or a really big moose/elk drop at 300 yards from a 7-08 and a TTSX bullet...Well, why do we still need to blah blah blah about cartridges that much? Good bullet, right place, it always wins
bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
When you see a really big black bear dropped cleanly with a .223 and TSX bullets, or a really big moose/elk drop at 300 yards from a 7-08 and a TTSX bullet...Well, why do we still need to blah blah blah about cartridges that much? Good bullet, right place, it always wins
Are the lakes in BC open for trolling season already?
338WM was the most commonly available ammo chambered in inexpensive rifles in its power range. For non-boutique caliber snobs it's the easiest option. Hard to rationalize a 375 for hunting NA when you have a 338WM. I have both, but this is gun nutz. If you have a taste for multiple classic cars you might not drive a Hyndai to work, but the person who works next to you certainly is well served by one. Dodge Caravans get slagged a lot. Mine does a fine job.
I think that's a very valid point, especially for some years ago. If you wanted a bigger bullet than a 30-06 or 300, and you were buying factory ammo, a .338 WM was much more accessible than the now obsolete 375 H&H or WBY options.
Cool story. Bella Twin is legendary
Thank god someone went there!!
Probably could have done the same thing with a 338 though.
I have a 338. I have it because I had the barrel and needed to do something with it. The same rifle also has barrels fitted in 308 Norma and 7mm Rem. I like the Norma best but I like the others too. I'm not sure why I have half the junk in my rack.
I almost built myself a 375 Ruger but (and I'm thankful for this each and every day) someone else wanted one and I sold the barrel to him. Close call. I'm over the urge now and think I'm safe.
I have a 338. I have it because I had the barrel and needed to do something with it. The same rifle also has barrels fitted in 308 Norma and 7mm Rem. I like the Norma best but I like the others too. I'm not sure why I have half the junk in my rack.
I almost built myself a 375 Ruger but (and I'm thankful for this each and every day) someone else wanted one and I sold the barrel to him. Close call. I'm over the urge now and think I'm safe.
And just what is that experience, pray tell.........I have successfully hunted and taken game with both larger and smaller calibers and cartridges, so it is not my shooting as you insinuate. I quite handily shoot 375s and 416s with great aplomb and many 1 shot flops, as well as my 340 so obviously it is not my shooting, the cartridge is flawed and does not kill like it should..........period. I can assemble a herd of guys I know who have tried it and all found it lacking in it's ability to anchor and kill game as it's paper ballistics says it should. I can also assemble a herd of guys who will tell stories of how the 350 RM kills all out of proportion to it's paper ballistics. What the paper and tables say is not necessarily what happens when taken afield and used on actual animals.
OK. Please do.
Not a firm believer in MV as our friend.
My 338 now launches 240 grain Northforks at 2650 FPS and I'll not hesitate to use it anywhere in North America or Africa (if allowed)
Put it in the right spot and stuff dies........faster.....gooder.
A 300 WM will push 220gr at 2850 easy. And 240 Woodleighs at 2600. It's sort of a wash.
But again, these days bullets are the real champion with the .284-.338 calibers. I've seen a really nice big coastal BC grizzly go down hard with a 160gr Barnes bullet. Tough to argue anything bigger or heavier would have worked better.
Good bullet, right place..you know
A 300 WM will push 220gr at 2850 easy. And 240 Woodleighs at 2600. It's sort of a wash.
But again, these days bullets are the real champion with the .284-.338 calibers. I've seen a really nice big coastal BC grizzly go down hard with a 160gr Barnes bullet. Tough to argue anything bigger or heavier would have worked better.
Good bullet, right place..you know
T'is indeed.
Just could never convince myself that any elk/ moose/bear ever knew the divide between what we hit them with, provided we hit them with the right bullet in the right spot.
Some of the fastest kills I've ever made on elk and moose have been with 25 caliber bullets.
If I'd had my choice I'd have had in hand my .338 ,but such is hunting.
Picking a favorite between 338 WM and 340 Weatherby and 338-378 comes down to shot placement and bullet choice.
Do not want to get into 1000 yard shooting but surely someone will pick up on this.
Cheers Brother
After some thought on why this cartridge is lightning for some hunters and an abysmal failure for others, it has dawned on me that the differences are probably due to ranges at which game was taken. I'm sure the 338 is quite a capable cartridge at under 200 mtrs and has done what some on here say it has. However my experience has been with it at somewhat longer distances, not ridiculous but out to 400 or so mtrs, which I consider realistic hunting ranges. I can assure you that past 250 mtrs the 338s killing capability does not come close to my 300 Wby with 200 ABs nor my 340 using any bullet from 225-275 gns.
Anyone who says that velocity has nothing to do with how well a bullet kills has not shot very much game. There is a very distinct difference in reaction to a hit at 200 mtrs from a 180 gn 30-06 and a hit in more or less the same place with the same bullet from a 300 Wby. The same can be said of the 338 and 340, having used both I can tell you very few cartridges kill as well as a 340 Wby out to 400 mtrs on thin skinned game. The reaction to the bullet impact is something to behold, it is truly a devastating cartridge on game. I have shot bears, caribou and goats with my 340s, and not once have I ever had to track or even look from where they stood at the shot.
So I guess if one uses the 338 at bow ranges or even 45-70 ranges then maybe it is Thor's Hammer, but I can say from experience that past 250 mtrs it leaves a lot to be desired and is no where near as effective as a 300 WM or 300 Wby both of which I have extensive experience with and isn't even in the same class as the 340.
Anyone who says that velocity has nothing to do with how well a bullet kills has not shot very much game. There is a very distinct difference in reaction to a hit at 200 mtrs from a 180 gn 30-06 and a hit in more or less the same place with the same bullet from a 300 Wby. The same can be said of the 338 and 340, having used both I can tell you very few cartridges kill as well as a 340 Wby out to 400 mtrs on thin skinned game. The reaction to the bullet impact is something to behold, it is truly a devastating cartridge on game. I have shot bears, caribou and goats with my 340s, and not once have I ever had to track or even look from where they stood at the shot.
So I guess if one uses the 338 at bow ranges or even 45-70 ranges then maybe it is Thor's Hammer, but I can say from experience that past 250 mtrs it leaves a lot to be desired and is no where near as effective as a 300 WM or 300 Wby both of which I have extensive experience with and isn't even in the same class as the 340.
- Location
- In the shadows of the Rockies
The advantage I see with my 338 WM are the VLD bullets available for it like the 265gr AB LR (0.778 bc) so it retains speed extremely well downrange. Extends its effective range.
Sub 40's need all the help they can get.
Sub 40's need all the help they can get.
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All of this experience gleaned from a self confessed three times using a 338WM? Extensive experience? Don't break you arm patting yourself on the back, with aplomb, as you say (You do know that it is a ballet movement?).
Welcome to the internet. There will thousands of people, including me, that have been more places and done more things, more often, than you.
I have a deep despise for all things 30 cal. No secret. I also have a deep despise for all thing Wby. No secret either. Each to his own, as it doesn't really matter. Results matter. Dead on the ground, with the least amount of fuss, matters. I have travelled all over the world , and use a 338WM loaded with 225 Accubonds behind a healthy dose of Reloader 17. It has taken all sorts of animals well past your 400 yard threshold, with little to no tracking required, when it wasn't my fault. It works. Others? They can use what they like. Better? Better for me within the set hatred parameters. If more is needed, then the appropriate tool is selected. Same with less.
A larger bullet, moving faster, or at the same speed , performs better? Sure. Maybe? Again, depends on what one wants to accomplish.
Lots of trails lead to the same place. Results matter. Everything else is pretty much fluff.
R.
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