338s Are A Great Caliber

[freefall]

My business rifle for Lo! these many years is a first-run stainless Ruger MkII in .338 that I had cut to 20" open sights installed, bolt face relieved for CRF and bead-blasted to dull gray. With the ground-breaking canoe paddle stock.
I got it because the pilgrims were underwhelmed by the size of my .358 Win cartridges.
I now have several other rifles, but to this day if I want to go kill something, it's the one I grab because it just works so damn good.

 

[ldmay375]

My business rifle for Lo! these many years is a first-run stainless Ruger MkII in .338 that I had cut to 20" open sights installed, bolt face relieved for CRF and bead-blasted to dull gray. With the ground-breaking canoe paddle stock.
I got it because the pilgrims were underwhelmed by the size of my .358 Win cartridges.
I now have several other rifles, but to this day if I want to go kill something, it's the one I grab because it just works so damn good.

Interesting on the 20" barrel. It took me awhile to convince myself to do 22-23" barrels on the 338 Winchester. Even though I have a few rifles with 20" barrels in larger and smaller bores. I never really give thought to a 338 Winchester with a 20" barrel.

Though ironically, my son recently purchased a 338 Winchester Ruger guide rifle with a 20" barrel. I am quite anxious to chronograph some loads in his rifle. It may convince me to do one with a 21" barrel.

I have 338 Winchesters with ~ 22.5, 23.25, 24, and one with a 26" barrel. I am a fan of the 338 Winchester.

 

[Switup]

I bought just a old fashioned 338 win mag several years back . It’s an absolute tack driver with sierra 250 gr pills . I’m not certain that it’s obsolete but it shoots just fine for me out to 350 yards . I’ve killed several whitetail deer with it . Not really what I bought it for but it sure works

 

[ldmay375]

I bought just a old fashioned 338 win mag several years back . It’s an absolute tack driver with sierra 250 gr pills . I’m not certain that it’s obsolete but it shoots just fine for me out to 350 yards . I’ve killed several whitetail deer with it . Not really what I bought it for but it sure works

As they say: if you got them, smoke them.
I would imagine that 338 combination is a right fine whitetail basher. I certainly would have no second thoughts about using mine on deer.

 

[Flewis]

Great all around cartridge. I own 338fed. 33806, 338win, 340wby, 338rum and 338-378. Yea I know I’m missing a few.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Great all around cartridge. I own 338fed. 33806, 338win, 340wby, 338rum and 338-378. Yea I know I’m missing a few.

OMG! Just keep the .338WM and sell all the others here on AH classifieds, take the money and go hunt a buffalo in Zaire or Zanzibar! LOL

 

[CoElkHunter]

As they say: if you got them, smoke them.
I would imagine that 338 combination is a right fine whitetail basher. I certainly would have no second thoughts about using mine on deer.

Yeah, although I believe the .338WM is the best thing since Vegemite, I would use my .270 Winchester for deer. Just me.

 

[Flewis]

Just booked 2weeks for my niece and I at Harrisburg, if you recall I said I would come shovel you out. Hoping my nephew will come to.

 

[Ray B]

338fed. 33806, 338win, 340wby, 338rum and 338-378.

the problem that I see with cartridges of same bullet diameter but significantly different velocities is bullet performance. A bullet that would work well in a 338/08 will likely go to pieces at 338 RUM velocities and one designed for 338 RUM will likely not be phased by impacts at 338/08 velocities. So the shooter would need to know the performance limitations of whatever bullet he/she is using.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Just booked 2weeks for my niece and I at Harrisburg, if you recall I said I would come shovel you out. Hoping my nephew will come to.

I remember that and THANK YOU! But, I'll be shoveling out tomorrow HERE, as we're expecting a blizzard with 8-10" of snow. Yahooo! I can hardly wait!

 

[Flewis]

There are many bullets out there that will handle from 16 to 18 hundred fps to 32 hundred fps. I’ll be ok.

 

[CoElkHunter]

the problem that I see with cartridges of same bullet diameter but significantly different velocities is bullet performance. A bullet that would work well in a 338/08 will likely go to pieces at 338 RUM velocities and one designed for 338 RUM will likely not be phased by impacts at 338/08 velocities. So the shooter would need to know the performance limitations of whatever bullet he/she is using.

Ray,
Like many things here on AH, don't "overthink" it. Just use your .338WM and kill everything on the planet with it. LOL
CEH

 

[double rifle newbie]

i bought a used 338WM on gunbroker maybe 12 years ago for a flat shooting but hard hitting caliber for alaska. it had the original wood stock with hardly any buttpad. i shot it 3 times and the recoil was brutal. i went home, and ordered a bell and carlson synthetic stock for it. i also installed a recoil reducer in the stock. now i can shoot it all day. i took a caribou on the noatak river at a lasered 470 yards with handloads. according to the guys at sportsmans warehouse in ANC, the top two sellers there are 338WM, and 300WM. both flat shooting, hard hitting, and accurate. my 338 is a gun that i will never sell.

 

[Ray B]

Ray,
Like many things here on AH, don't "overthink" it. Just use your .338WM and kill everything on the planet with it. LOL
CEH

The great thing about the 338 Win Mag is that for many years it was THE 338 bullet cartridge, secondly, it is in the middle of the velocity parameters for the bore. As such, most bullet designs were for the Win mag, particularly the Nosler Partition and my old favorite for shots on big animals within 200 yards, the 300 grain Winchester PowerPoint. No reason to over-think it when virtually any bullet made will work well at the middle of the road Win Mag velocities.

 

[MS 9x56]

the problem that I see with cartridges of same bullet diameter but significantly different velocities is bullet performance. A bullet that would work well in a 338/08 will likely go to pieces at 338 RUM velocities and one designed for 338 RUM will likely not be phased by impacts at 338/08 velocities. So the shooter would need to know the performance limitations of whatever bullet he/she is using.

I do believe you have finally gotten to the crux of the matter. It is all about matching the right bullet to the right cartridge. I still prefer large holes on both sides of my critters with the least amount of meat damage.

 

[F. Vaccaro]

I have a friend who shoots the .338/06 & is very tickled with it. Elk melt at the shot!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Great all around cartridge. I own 338fed. 33806, 338win, 340wby, 338rum and 338-378. Yea I know I’m missing a few.

@Flewis
And not a 35 anywhere, shame.
Bob

 

[Flewis]

Bob I have 7 35s. I need 2 more 358win and 350rem. Of course I have 2 whelen.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Bob I have 7 35s. I need 2 more 358win and 350rem. Of course I have 2 whelen.

@Flewis
As you have enough 35s why do you need the 338s.
A 225gn 35 at 2,950fps will do everything thing the 338WM will do with the same weight.
There's no flies on a 310gn 35 cal at 2,455fps with the same sd as a 375 350gn. Mightn't hit as hard but still a bucketful of hurt.
To me the 35s make the 338s redundant unless we're talking the big ultra mags, then it's a wash tub full of hurt a looong ways out and a shit load of brutal recoil to go with it.
I'll stick either my mild mannered hard hitting 35s.
Bob

 

[Flewis]

Bob, you are right about that, but I just like stuff. I have at least 1 of every bore size from 17 to 585 except 9.3 and I’ll fix that. Frank