I've heard the 338 win is a great choice to hunt plains game and I don't have any plans to hunt Africa soon, but I think about it a lot and eventually might go. I want hear anyones hunting stories with the 338 caliber including bullet used how it performed on the game, the distance, and anything else you'd like to include in your stories.
Share your stories!

My son flattened bushbuck 200+ yds, impala75yds, and zebra 65 yds...TSX really hurt zebra could hardly hop after taking the hit...35 yds and down...
A good friend took a very nice buf with 250gr TSX bullet, was hunting kudu and a some dagga boys crossed in front and the X bullet did its job with a perfectly placed high heart shot and down in 50 yds...

Mike

i have taken at least 35-40 plains game(counting bait animals) including 2 zebras, 2 kudu, 2 blue wildebeast, and an eland, all using 230gr. winchester failsafes. none ran more than 150 yds. and most a lot less than that. the eland was shot broadside at 75 yds- broke both shoulders and bullet lodged under skin of offside shoulder. he dropped in his tracks and never moved. 1 zebra dropped in his tracks, the other ran 25 yds and fell. neither wildebeast ran more than 100 yds. all shots were less than 150 yds( thick bushveld).. as far as i am concerned, you couldn't pick a better caliber. i would use either the 230 failsafes or the 250 noslers loaded by federal the failsafe is essentially the same as the Barnes X.

I have killed all sorts of PG with the .338 Win. Mag., including big ones, such as gemsbok, kudu, oryx, zebra and hartebeest.

I have also killed a big lion with my .338.

I have shot these animals from ranges of 20 to 300 yards - using 225 grain TBBC or Barnes X bullets.

It kicks a bit more sharply than the .375, but it shoots flat and hits hard. Nothing hit well with a .338 will stay long on its feet.

For me, the .338 Win. Mag. has always done the job extremely well, and it is my favorite PG cartridge by far.

my new ruger hawkeye 338 win is turning out to be a very accurate rifle. It seems to shoot every load I try accurately. I used 225 gr 3shockX and 250 gr sierra game kings and they shot 1"-2" @200 yards with every charge I tried. I know some of those loads would have printed 1" or less @ 200 yards if it wheren't for my mess ups.
keep the stories coming as this rifle will stay with my forever. I love it so far, just need to kill something with it.

In SEpt 2006 I took a zebra stallion, oryx, kudu and red hartebeest with the .338 WinMag, 225 gr A-frames. Only the Kudu needed another shot because I pulled the shot almost 2 feet behind the shoulder. The Zebra and the hartebeest acted as if they'd been electrocuted when hit. Very nice for everything up to eland.

Dave

I have never named a rifle before, but my Win Mod 70 338 WM is the Africian Queen and she has acounted for 1 Eland, 1 Kudu, 4 Zebra, 2 Gemsbok, 1 Waterbuck, 1 Common Reedbuck, 1 Mt Reedbuck, l Bontebok, 5 of the tiny ten, 1 Warthog, 1 Baboon, 7 Springbok, and numerous Impala and oh yea 1 Leopard and none traveled more than 20 yds after the initial shot. Longest shot app 350 yds (baboon) using Barnes 225 Gr Xs all the time Git'er done!

The 338 is GREAT, but stay away from the 200 gr Ballistic Tips and Power Points, they are too soft.

Most any other bullet does just fine, but when I really need to get the job done on and big Eland or Zebra, I reach for Federal 225 gr Bear Claws.

gohip,

Prior to my first African plains game hunt in 2005 I paid alot of attention to the posts on AR and did a couple of searches. Everyone had their favorite caliber that was successful on PG, but from my very unscientific study it appeared to me that the .338 did have an edge on being preffered over others.

That is what I purchased for the hunt, talked with the PH on what bullet type "he" liked best and ended up with 250 grain nosler partition. One wart-hog, one Kudu, one Heartebeest, one Wildebeast, and one Impala all only required one kill shot but not all dropped in their tracks. The Warthog ran maybe 8 yards, the wildebeest 40 yards, and the Kudu 100 yards but this was all due to "my" shot placement and not the rifle. Every rifle I own shoots better than I do.

I am surprised nobody has said it yet, but shoot what you are comfortable shooting on a regular basis as shot placement is the priority.

Fred

On my first ever hunt where I accomponied a PH and a client in 1995 the client was using a 338 don't recall the bullets used but it flatened everything up to and including zebra.

The klipspringer was shot at close range and the full mount was out of the question but except for that no hiccups at all. I would definetely not hesitate to take any plainsgame with a premium 250gr bullet and the 338.

quote:

Originally posted by retreever:
A good friend took a very nice buf with 250gr TSX bullet, was hunting kudu and a some dagga boys crossed in front and the X bullet did its job with a perfectly placed high heart shot and down in 50 yds...

Mike

Just to keep things clear here, the 338 Win Mag is illegal for Cape Buffalo in every country where Buffalo are hunted. That is not to say it will not do the job, it will, but is illegal, none the less! IMO, it is about the best cartridge one could use on Lion, but that is only opinion, since I have not taken an African lion. I have seen several taken with the 338 WM, and the 340 WBY Mag, however.

I think for a plains game safari the 338 Win Mag is about as good as it gets, and with heavy bullets is perfect for Eland. Addtionally, the heavy tough bullets tend to bore a clean hole right through the smaller animals, and does less damage to the mount, than the lighter, faster bullets which tend to open too fast, and tear large exit holes, in very thin skinned game.

As you say it is only a future idea that you may go to Africa,and with that in mind, the 338 Win Mag is pleanty for anything North America has to offer, including the large Coastal Brown bear of Alaska! The little Hawkeye is a nice rifle as well!

As the other guys have said there is no doubt that it is a fantastic PG cartridge - provided you use the right bullets. I have personally seen a large number of animals taken with the .338 and it is a great calibre. Although not the norm i have seen Lion taken with it and it is just as effective as the .375 H&H - for a first shot. Although it is capable of taking DG it is best used on PG. Fantastic for Sitatunga when you often have long shots and want to put the animal down on the spot

One of my best friends has taken his 338 Win mag to africa on three occasions, taken a grizzley and polar bear with it, a female lion,leopard, buf,,,,,, nope, on the buf and elephant, male lion and hippo he used a 500 nitro express double,,he uses it here in North America for elk, mule deer, feral hogs, etc as well and it is a very accurate rifle with great knock down power on Plains game size animals...whatever you hunt,, use enough gun!

gohip2000,

The 338 WM is just excellent with premium bullets. I shot one almost exclusively for about 15 years and it just performed great on everything.

I used the 210 Nosler Partions, 225 Swifts, 250 Nosler Partitions and 250 Trophy Bonded. All worked well but I think the 338 is better served in Africa with the heavier bullets.

Personally I would take on anything in Africa up to buffalo with complete confidence when using the 338.

Mr. Gordon did have a good point in that the 338 is great but it kicks quite hard and it is most important to put the bullet in the right place. If you are more confident with an 30-06 that is what you should be shooting. I recently killed 14 amimals with an '06. It works even better in modern times with the new bullets that are on the market.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
It works even better in modern times with the new bullets that are on the market.

That's a really good point. All of the old calibers work better with the new bullets on the market. So who needs any new ones?

The only negatives I have heard about the .338 while on safari center around the hunter not being able to shoot it well. This caliber does have a rather sharp recoil, and the novice hunter who is afraid of his own rifle will certainly develop a flinch from the .338, usually leading to wounded or ost animals.

There is no question it is an excellent caliber, with plenty of knockdown power. The bullet must be placed well, of course. As Mark mentions above, even the old time 30.06 has sufficient energy for most plains game, even up to eland. The .338 is clearly better on the large animals, but not if you don't place the bullet well. Practice, Practice, Practice....

Off my soap box.

Bill

A .338 with 225 grain Nosler Partitions is what I used on my plains game hunt last June. No complaints at all, even on small game out to past 300 yards. Mountain zebra, black wildebeast, and others folded to a single shot -- but would have done so with a lesser caliber with the same shot placement. My .338 has a good-fitting stock of excellent design and recoil isn't a problem. But if that is not the case for you then you would be better served by a smaller caliber that you can shoot accurately. While the .338 would not be my first pick for sprinbok at 350 yards, my guide encouraged me to try one at this yardage, mostly to gauge what kind of shooter he had on his hands. The .338 did the trick with a single shot to the chest, but the little springbok wandered around in a circle for a minute or two before dropping, something that would have been less likely to happen with a lighter caliber and bullet. But I would rather be slightly disadvantaged for springbok than undergunned for eland.

There are no poor performing .338 bullets when plains game is concerned. Use whatever shoots best in your rifle. Since returning from Africa, I've had a chance to load some 225 grain Accubonds, and their accuracy equals or exceeds the very good accuracy I've had with the Partitions. Their ultra-streamline shape should make them stellar performers for long shots from this rifle.

I think the 338 win mag along with the 416 Rem mag will handle any big game on the earth.Craig Boddington said this was the perfict two gun combo for all African Game.My Ruger model 77s all shoot under 1" at 100 yards and most will shoot under an inch at 200 yards.I think the 250 gr Nosler partition is an awesome bullet for game over 400 pounds.The game under 400 could be taken with the Nosler 225 gr accubond bullets.I like Nosler partitions alot.My taxidermist droped a nice buffalo in its tracks with a 338 win mag with the 210 gr Nosler partition with a head on chest shot.I trust the 338 win mag for thin shinned game up to 2000 pounds such as moose and eland.I think its a very good flat shooting accurate round.I have 12 338s and always use them unless I shoot my 338-378 in the wide open.Its just a super speed 338.I grab my 416s in the thickets for stuff that stomps and bites.

The .338 is a great cartridge that earned its way to the top by hunters that used it, it wasn't an overnight advertising success.

I have use it on everything from Duiker to a couple of Cape Buffalo with success..Its not the greatest of buffalo calibers but it will kill one as well as say a 9.3x62 IMO..

I finally settled on two loads, a 210 Nosler at 3007 FPS, and a 300 gr. Woodleigh in soft and solids at almost 2500 FPS..It will also shoot the 250 Nosler..All to the same POI in my gun and it can't get any better than that.

great stories! thanks for all the replies.
I don't plan to shoot anything less than 225 gr because they heavier bullets are shooting great in my rifle and they are plenty flat enough for 300 yard shots. a few people mentioned recoil, but my 338 has a hogue full aluminum bedded stock and the recoil is not painful at all, hence the accuracy I'm getting.

First, I have only been to Namibia one time so I am not an expert. My "heavy" rifle was a Remington 700 BBL in .338. I started with my Remington 788 in .308 and took a Red Hartebeest with two shots at about 150 yards. First shot standing and second shot on the run. I then thought bigger is probably better! I took a Hartman's Zebra with one shot at about 100 yards, a springbuck with oue shot at about 200 yards and a gemsbok with two shots at about 200 yards. I did not not do my part on the first shot at the gemsbok and hit him high in the shoulder as he was quartering away. He stopped and I did not repeat that mistake. I am by no means a crack shot but found the .338 in 250 grain Nosler Partitions very shootable. I did not feel any of the recoil in the field and just slightly off the bench. I do have a little more "padding" than some but I thought I shot the .338 reasonably well. I am planning to return to Namibia in 2009 and will most certainly be taking my .338 back too! Just my two cents worth!!
John

A friend of mine hunted Moz about 10 years ago with a couple of South Africans; he took a 338 loaded with 250grain Barnes X's.

After he killed 2 buffalo with a shot apiece and numerous plains game the Portuguese "PH" wanted the rifle as a tip

I have some 300 grain Woodleigh's in solid and soft design on my shelf for the .338WM. Has anyone used these in Africa?

This appears to be a common question - The 338.
It is a fantastic calibre, the ballistics are superb and should be legalised in the taking of buffalo. I have one for my personal hunting,and love it. Barnes X - great.

The 338 Win mag is a superb caliber for anything up to cape buffalo as stated previously. I have taken a variety of plains game with one including a couple of zebra and one leopard, although I don't think that leopard are all that hard to kill, it none the less did in all the game I shot in short order. I don't want to recommend it for buffalo, elephant or hippo besides being illegal in most cases the big bruisers should be taken with a large caliber, in my view starting with the 416. When hunting with the 338 in African dangerous game countries I load a couple of solids in the bottom of the magazine just in case. I have taken most of the african game with the woodleigh 250gr pp but, I found this bullet to be too soft (came apart inside the leopard of all times to fail and almost failed on a sable) and recommend the Barnes X, North Fork or Partition in at least 225gr, or more. Better yet 250grs. For NA game anything between the 210 partition through the 230gr fail safes will work fine.The lone exception for me would be the huge coastal brown bear in which case I'd use a 250gr partition or North Fork in the same weight range. While many proclaim the virtues of the 375 for all around use I favor the 338. What can't be done ballisticly with the 338(legal issues aside) requires something in the 416 class or more.

Pathfinder
Can I slip in a question?
I plan to use my Ruger M77 in 338 Winmag on my next pg safari in RSA 2008.

I got a good deal on a couple of hundres Woodleigh 250 round nose bullets.
Since you mentioned the Woodleigh 250 gr PP, do you think the round nose will be even softer?

Biggest game will probably be zebra and waterbuck this time, smallest duiker if I can find any

We will hunt Limpopo close to Stockport Border Control, but also hunt for three days in Northern Cape / Vandercloof Dam area, and the outfitter says range can be 200 m+ for springbuck and black wildebeest there.

I´m a bit in doubt wich bullet to use

Use Nosler Partitions in 250 gr.They hit hard and will penitrate like crazy.I think the 275 gr swift or Kodiak might even go a bit further.I like the 250 Noslers better than the 210 gr.I am wondering how good the 225 gr accubands would hold together at around 2850.That would be a flat shooting hard hitting load.
As for 338 Win mag recoil I have fired 300 rounds from 2 of my 338s in a day.I did cheat some my winchester model 70 has a boss and I used two past pads.I shoot standing only off of a milk crate off the bench with a 60 pound bull bag on top.I push with my left hand forward and let it roll me in recoil.I learded to shoot my 416 Remingtons the same way.I never end up with brusies either.I have shot alot of groups under 1" with the 338 at 100 yards and more than you would think under an inch at 200 yards.My Rugers beat the Winchester with the b

Arild,

Let me begin with a disclaimer in that I have no experience with the round nose woodleigh but since you asked I will give you an opinion. I think they would be softer. The woodleighs that I used we're very accurate and by and large have a good reputation. Perhaps I bought a batch of bullets that were an anomaly but I was disappointed in their performance. One could make the argument that they did kill about 15 animals from impala to Zebra but with the bigger animals they were shaky. The performance on the leopard, while he didn't go far, was luck because the bullet fragmented and there was nothing in the way of the nice clear chest shot. From my experience on that trip and others I would stick with North Fork, Barnes X or Nosler Partition. I think that any of these in the 225gr range at about 2800fps would be superb for the game and range you'll be hunting.

.338 Win Mag is a great caliber and kicks like a mule. Enough said.

Buckeyeshooter,
I have used the 300 gr. Woodleighs both soft and solids on buffalo, and about all the plainsgame in Africa at one time or another..

I have used the 300 gr. RN and PP both..The soft is my elk round and its a great deer round that kills very well indeed and does not bloodshot the whole side of the animal..

FYI, the RN is a tad softer than the PP and I like it for herd shooting buff first shot followed by solids. It is great for plainsgame, but either will work fine.

I have never had a failure with a Woodleigh in any caliber. They have proven themselves for nearly a century and most PHs that I have talked to consider them the ultimate game bullet..

alright! I've gotten a lot of good replies. Some personal stories, and some advice. I'm sure this poat will die soon, but if anyone adds to it, I now want to hear stories of hunts with your 338, no advice. This now includes any game taken with the 338 including down to squirles.

took a genet at night with a spotlight but about all that was left was his tail

Thanks for the info Ray!

I've had a good bit of experience with the .338 Ultra Mag. I've killed duiker to eland with it and I believe it is one of the best plains game calibers you can use. When you get off the truck and begin tracking you are never really sure what you may end up shooting and at what range. I have killed leopards at under 50 yards and eland at 300 with the .338 RUM and it has performed flawlessly on all such game. My favorite bullets are the Barnes 250 TSX and the Swift 250gr. A Frame. MUFASA