Tikka T3 338 Winchester Magnum

Jim870 said:
I am trying to resist the urge to purchase a medium bore and a deal I found on a Tikka T3 stainless 338 Win mag has me reaching for my wallet. Before I do What should I know about the cartridge and rifle? I know that the recoil could be very stout because of the rifles light weight and the less than impressive recoil pad. I don't think there is any other medium bore cartridge with the support for components, dies and ammo availability that the win mag has. It likely won't get shot much, I'd probably find a load it likes with a 225 grain or 250 grain bullet and then unless drawn for a moose hunt locally or chasing moose or elk outside of New Brunswick it may only see the occasional foul weather hunt for whitetails and black bears not getting shot much.
If I didn't already have an accurate 7mm Rem Mag I'd probably just add a .300 Win Mag or WSM and stuff it with a 200 NAB and call it a day.
Click to expand...


I’d pass on the 338 and buy some thing you will actually shoot and use. There is no sense buying a safe queen.
 
I had a couple, recoil was harsh in the synthetic I had......but I was loading everything to the pin. I now mostly shoot a T3 in a boyds laminate prairie hunter in 300 Win mag. Far less felt recoil.

That said, if you want a bigger hole the 338 isn't going to feel a lot different then a 300. I'd say if you reloaded buy it, but if you don't stick with your 7.
If you reload, you can always lob a 250g bullet out at whatever speed is comfortable. I rarely suggest not buying :)
 
Jim870 said:
Why do you have to go and be so pragmatic...
Click to expand...
Because I've been there and done all that several times with so called "moose rifles" that I just had to have. Several 375s (H&H and CT), 35Whelens, 358Winchesters and a semi-custom 358NM have come and gone. The only one that remains is an ugly 35Whelen that I really don't need. Lots of money and hardly any moose hunting here in NB. If we lived in a different part of Canada where there was more moose hunting and larger game, I'd be all over it. Truth is that anything I've ever shot with the above med-bores would have died just as fast with a 30-06 with a lot less hassle, recoil and money.

I guess, the older I get to more practical/pragmatic I get. Still not there yet, but it's in the works.
 
SuperCub said:
Because I've been there and done all that several times with so called "moose rifles" that I just had to have. Several 375s (H&H and CT), 35Whelens, 358Winchesters and a semi-custom 358NM have come and gone. The only one that remains is an ugly 35Whelen that I really don't need. Lots of money and hardly any moose hunting here in NB. If we lived in a different part of Canada where there was more moose hunting and larger game, I'd be all over it. Truth is that anything I've ever shot with the above med-bores would have died just as fast with a 30-06 with a lot less hassle, recoil and money.

I guess, the older I get to more practical/pragmatic I get. Still not there yet, but it's in the works.
Click to expand...

We have no moose here an I have a 35 Whelen an a 9,3x62 in the safe :S
:D

il chime in an say a 9.3x62 loaded with some powder behind 250gr lets ya know its gone off, no real issue in field...but off bench not fun.
38 win mag be similar in every way, those limbsavers an kickeez air dealios help a lot, worth putting on the T3s period.
 
I have three 338wm, they are not the cannons people believe. Think of them as a more powerful 30-06 shooting large projectile, rather than a larger 300mag. They will not necessarily bang flop or destroy meat either. Just as people would say, using a overly small caliber for larger medium game; it's bullet placement. Your on the right track for load development with 225-250 grain premium projectile.

The T3 with the hockey puck recoil pad it comes OEM, is brutal. My solution, that worked, was a Limbsaver pre fit pad. They are about 50-60. Simply consider it like taxes, something included in the purchase. Without that pad, I would see the rifle, and 18 rounds ammo, on the EE shortly.
 
I doubt you'll enjoy shooting it, even with a Limbsaver. However, the T3 synthetic has lots of void space where you can add lead mixed with low expansion foam for ballast to knock the recoil down to a reasonable level. You won't have a lightweight rifle, however. The good part is, you can dig the stuff out when you decide to sell it.
A well designed stock will help a bit with recoil in a hard-kicking rifle, but light weight carries a penalty that your shoulder picks up the tab for.
I don't hunt much, plus I like nice wood. I converted my T3 Lite from .308 to .243 first, even the mild .308 was uncomfortable from a bench to me. I'm sensitive!
Finally I picked up a gorgeous Hunter stock on the EE, now I have a super accurate deer rifle that I can shoot all day if I want to that's also easy on the eyes.
 
savagelh said:
It'll be stout recoil for sure but nothing unbearable unless you're quite recoil sensitive. Having said that, your 7mm with 160gr partitions is totally fine for elk and moose. The 338 won't kill them any deader.
Click to expand...

A T3 Lite in .338 is borderline unbearable. And I've owned .375 H&H and .416 RM. With a 2.5x Leupold M8 it weighed 6.25 pounds. Add plenty of H4831 and a 250 Partition and believe me that it was not pleasant at all during sighting in.
 
Yeah I had a friend load up some 200 grain bullets for his .300 win mag T3 to give me an in the ball park idea of how the .338 would treat me. It was right on the borderline of being more than I wanted. I know it would be more in a .338 likely shooting 225 or 250 gr bullets at a similar velocity so I have elected to not pursue the T3 338 although it was a very hard decision to make.
 
1899, a lot of tough guys have touched off my iron sighted tikka, never seen one come back for more than 2 rounds.

As per usual those with actual experience with a product/situation get ignored on cgn.

Waiting for someone to come along and post a recoil impulse chart...
 
I had a T3 lite in .338 win mag. I have a nice crescent shaped scar in my right eyebrow from the recoil giving me "scope eye". I bought it used with an already installed scope. Dying to try it out, I didn't really notice how far back the scope actually was (at least an inch further back than I set my own scopes) and low-and-behold, I got a nice trickle of "salty red tears" flowing from my eyebrow. I just reloaded and continued to shoot it. It was a lot of fun. VERY LIVELY.
I did take off the scope and put a different one on when I got home. (I put a Bushnell with the rubber eye ring on just in case I touched skin again!!!)
The .338wm actually feels a bit more like a good hard shove compared to the .300wm. I find the 300 has a bit more velocity rearward. The .338 is a great, versatile round. I loved the 250gr bullets behind a pile of reloader 25 or reloader 22. It sure put down 2 decent black bears with grand authority. Only sold the gun to get a gun I had lusted after since I was a teenager, and needed to raise cash. That Tikka still, to this day, had one of the smoothest bolts I've ever owned. Like it was on ball bearings.
 
I have a boat paddle ruger m77 338 win. It is what I use for anything bigger than deer. The 338 is not as bad as what people here make it out to be. I shoot federal premium 225gr trophy bonded bear claws out of it and have 0 issues with the recoil. I would say buy it, I do know people that use 7mm for moose and kill them... I also know people that use 270.... If you don't like it you can always sell it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom