338s Are A Great Caliber

[bruce moulds]

having owned a 338 and a 375, i see little use for a 338.
real world loads revealed that the 375 shot as flat, and just has more versatility.
recent use of 9.3x64 puts that ahead of the 338 as well.
bruce.

 

[Badboymelvin]

I reckon here in Australia the .338WM would have to be almost the perfect round...

Loaded with the 225gn Woodleigh it will handle anything from deer to camels to buffalo.

When I contacted Geoff McDonald from Woodleigh about various bullet weights for Sambar, he told me to simply load the 225gn Woodleigh for absolutely anything in Australia.

It shoots pretty flat too...

I own a Winchester M70 CRF Synthetic Matte in .338WM topped with a Leupold 3-9x and for hunting anywhere in Australia it is absolutely perfect in my eyes...

Cheers,

Russ

 

[CoElkHunter]

Personally I won’t! But; I am very sensitive to the muzzle blast.
Handling characteristics - I can understand but in reality I don’t see that much of an advantage,
This is just my opinion.

+1. Don’t cut the barrel! The .375/.416 Ruger cartridges were designed for rifles with shorter barrels. The WM was not. My Browning A Bolt .338WM has a 26” barrel and has never been a problem when hunting in deep forest blowdowns and brush. The scope has been caught on more stuff than the barrel ever has. Just remember, barrel first when walking, crawling, etc. Just my 2 centavos.

 

[bruce moulds]

russ,
with your love for the 300 wby, i am surprised you don't also have a 340.
i wonder why roy didn't bring out a 350 wby.
bob would have promoted it for him.
bruce.

 

[Badboymelvin]

russ,
with your love for the 300 wby, i am surprised you don't also have a 340.
i wonder why roy didn't bring out a 350 wby.
bob would have promoted it for him.
bruce.

Hey Bruce,

I've thought about it mate - and I really like the looks of the .340 Wby, I've read up on it heaps but have never fired one so have no personal experience with one.

A mate has a Weatherby in .340 and it's a beautiful rifle. He bought it with a matching Weatherby in .460 and he has more than once offered me a shot of the .460... but I haven't built up the courage yet!

But no doubt, I'd love a .340 - and never say never!

Russ

 

[bruce moulds]

if roy has no 35 cal, maybe bob could look at a 358 stw for when he really want to get down and boogey.
his enfield actions are big enough to take it.
bruce.

 

[flatwater bill]

BBMelvin...........I agree. I have used the 338 on Australian buffalo and general culling. It is a hammer. This is an Africa Hunting site, and as such, there are many 375 fans here. I am one of them. Someone on this site once suggested that the 338 Win Mag be the new minimum for DG............and the consensus was that not only would millions of people die, but there would be "Complete Protonic Reversal". Maybe. And yet a good Bowtech or PSE is legal many places. Most people assume that when you talk of a 338 you are referring to the Win Mag. There are many others, filling most niches. My fav is the RUM. Above is just a few random thoughts on 33's........good shooting....FWB

 

[PaulT]

BBMelvin...........I agree. I have used the 338 on Australian buffalo and general culling. It is a hammer. This is an Africa Hunting site, and as such, there are many 375 fans here. I am one of them. Someone on this site once suggested that the 338 Win Mag be the new minimum for DG............and the consensus was that not only would millions of people die, but there would be "Complete Protonic Reversal". Maybe. And yet a good Bowtech or PSE is legal many places. Most people assume that when you talk of a 338 you are referring to the Win Mag. There are many others, filling most niches. My fav is the RUM. Above is just a few random thoughts on 33's........good shooting....FWB

Very true, Flatwater bill.

Another fine .33 is the Dakota cartridge.
Not often seen nowdays but extremely effective.
I guy i knew took Cape Buff, lion and a ton of antelope with his, as well as a host of other game in many different countries.
Flat shooting, hard hitting and effective.

 

[Whacker]

if roy has no 35 cal, maybe bob could look at a 358 stw for when he really want to get down and boogey.
his enfield actions are big enough to take it.
bruce.

Maybe I could make a set of dies and we could neck down a 460 Weatherby cartridge to a 35 just for Bob. Could be the “.35 Whacker” . I was going to suggest the 375 cartridge necked down but I believe that is what the 350 G&H is. All kidding aside Bob...you did turn me on to that cartridge...I am thinking the Whelen is gonna be the cartridge I get for my lightweight all weather mountain rifle soon whenever we start seeing ammo and reloading stuff available again.

 

[JimP]

Maybe I could make a set of dies and we could neck down a 460 Weatherby cartridge to a 35 just for Bob. Could be the “.35 Whacker” . I was going to suggest the 375 cartridge necked down but I believe that is what the 350 G&H is. All kidding aside Bob...you did turn me on to that cartridge...I am thinking the Whelen is gonna be the cartridge I get for my lightweight all weather mountain rifle soon whenever we start seeing ammo and reloading stuff available again.

That would be a very easy endeavor.

Just start with a .338-378, run a .35 expander ball through it and you would have a fantastic .35.

You could start your loads with the same loads that are listed for the .338-378 Weatherby.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Now we also have the .33 Nosler? It never ends.

 

[JimP]

Now we also have the .33 Nosler? It never ends.

A couple of years after I bought my .340 Weatherby they came out with the .338-378 and I was tempted. I knew how good the .340 was and figured that the .338-378 would be like Thor's hammer on animals. But I never did go for it. I was quite happy with the .340.

But a friend has a .30-378 and I swear that in the early morning or late afternoon hunts that you can see that bullet flying through the air, it looks just like a tracer that's on fire.

 

[fourfive8]

I have read Bell inside out, front to back and between the lines several times trying to fully understand his thought process and evolution as an ivory hunter. That was a different age and different culture to be certain. But he had a luxury we will never have to hone his skills in the field by trial and error. He hunted ivory for one purpose, to make a good living providing long term retirement security. He perfected his marksmanship skills and shot placement ability. He developed the skill to deliver a bullet to the brain from various angles by studying in precise detail the anatomy of the elephant. All for the purpose of killing them in the most efficient manor possible given the limited options of rifles, bullets, calibers and reliable ammo in Africa from about 1902 to post WWI. He happened upon or discovered, by both choice and fate, the effectiveness of a small caliber penetrating bullet to the brain. While he was most known for his use of the 7x57 for elephant, I believe he actually held the 318 WR in higher regard as an all around effective elephant killer. The 318 WR is an older equivalent to our current 338-06... thus the segue to the topic in this thread The only reason he settled on the 7x57 over the 318 WR was the reliability of the ammo at the time. He recalls never having a single misfire nor malfunction of any kind when shooting the 173 gr FMJ 7x57 DWM ammo. He reported having all manner of trouble with the ammo for both the 318 WR and the 6.5 MS. The famous incident of him pass shooting cormorants on the wing just to get rid of faulty 318 WR ammo will forever stand as a testiment to his exceptional rifle skills.

Currently my rifles/calibers for Africa PG and DG include: 338-06, 375 HH, 416 Rem Mag and 450 Watts.

I have 100% confidence hunting everything up to but not including eland with good tough bullets in the 338-06. I have 100% confidence hunting everything up to and including eland with good tough bullets in the 375 HH. I have 100% confidence hunting everything up to and including buffalo with good tough bullets in the 416 Rem Mag. The 450 is in a different category of best use.

I have had a couple of really accurate, fully capable hunting rifles in 35 Whelen and 35 Whelen AI and have nothing against the caliber. For whatever reason, I prefer the 338-06 and it has proven absolutely effective for what I've wanted it to do.

 

[CoElkHunter]

I have read Bell inside out, front to back and between the lines several times trying to fully understand his thought process and evolution as an ivory hunter. That was a different age and different culture to be certain. But he had a luxury we will never have to hone his skills in the field by trial and error. He hunted ivory for one purpose, to make a good living providing long term retirement security. He perfected his marksmanship skills and shot placement ability. He developed the skill to deliver a bullet to the brain from various angles by studying in precise detail the anatomy of the elephant. All for the purpose of killing them in the most efficient manor possible given the limited options of rifles, bullets, calibers and reliable ammo in Africa from about 1902 to post WWI. He happened upon or discovered, by both choice and fate, the effectiveness of a small caliber penetrating bullet to the brain. While he was most known for his use of the 7x57 for elephant, I believe he actually held the 318 WR in higher regard as an all around effective elephant killer. The 318 WR is an older equivalent to our current 338-06... thus the segue to the topic in this thread The only reason he settled on the 7x57 over the 318 WR was the reliability of the ammo at the time. He recalls never having a single misfire nor malfunction of any kind when shooting the 173 gr FMJ 7x57 DWM ammo. He reported having all manner of trouble with the ammo for both the 318 WR and the 6.5 MS. The famous incident of him pass shooting cormorants on the wing just to get rid of faulty 318 WR ammo will forever stand as a testiment to his exceptional rifle skills.

Currently my rifles/calibers for Africa PG and DG include: 338-06, 375 HH, 416 Rem Mag and 450 Watts.

I have 100% confidence hunting everything up to but not including eland with good tough bullets in the 338-06. I have 100% confidence hunting everything up to and including eland with good tough bullets in the 375 HH. I have 100% confidence hunting everything up to and including buffalo with good tough bullets in the 416 Rem Mag. The 450 is in a different category of best use.

I have had a couple of really accurate, fully capable hunting rifles in 35 Whelen and 35 Whelen AI and have nothing against the caliber. For whatever reason, I prefer the 338-06 and it has proven absolutely effective for what I've wanted it to do.

I really like your choice of cartridges. The .450 Watts fascinates me after reading a little about it. My hunting buddy is a Browning BLR .30-06 guy, but wants a BLR in .338 Marlin Express, but doesn’t want to pay what sellers are asking for one. So, I’ve mentioned to him the .338-06 as it probably wouldn’t be a major cost to have a .30-06 BLR converted to that cartridge? Actually, they might chamber the BLR in .35 Whelen?

 

[bruce moulds]

the 318 and the 338/6 similarity is undisputed.
it is also said that the 318 was so effective that it killed some people.
as they worked their way up in game size its effectivenss lulled them into a false sense of security.
when they tipped the scale it was sometimes fatal.
bruce.

 

[Ray B]

I have used the 338/06AI, 338WM, & 375H&H. I have developed a preference for the 338WM because it does everything the 338/06AI does & without the case forming, etc. and if I need something more than the 338WM I find my preference is to pass up on the 375 & go heavier with a 404 or 458.

 

[Dr Ray]

Good luck
1760 yards is a long shot. I have hit a 12"x12" steel plate at 1200. But adding another 560 yards would be a challenge

I reckon

 

[Dr Ray]

I have a Sako 338 WM topped with a 3-9x40 Leupold scope. I use factory loafs but this is the issue.
I use my 270 for deer etc and above that I use my 416 Remington magnum.
I sold my 375 because I have the 416 and now the poor 338 is rarely used.
As for recoil I cannot tell any difference between the 338 and 375 (although mathematically the 375 is very slightly heavier).

 

[bruce moulds]

hi ray,
you need to get out in the desert country more.
camels and donkeys might ring out the 338 for you.
i often wonder if a 338 and a 416 might not be ideal for africa in some ways.
bruce.

 

[colorado]

Nice to hear all the people that love their 338s. For myself and my two sons we jump from 270s to 375 Weatherby, the next step up is either a 416 Rem or my 500 Jeffery (my sons do not like the 500). I probably should have a 300 Win Mag to round things out. The 375 Weatherby is light (7 1/2 lbs with scope and rings unloaded), pretty fast (shoots 300g A-Frames at 2800 fps) and kick is light. Both of my sons like the 375 Weatherby.