I was looking at sportsmans warehouse at the gun dept when a ruger MKII M77 bolt action SS .338 win mag caught my eye.It looked really nice with a laminated stock.The price was $579.Is that a good price?I was thinking about buying it to fool around with at the gun range and maybe a future bear hunt.I do reload.My largest cal. now is a 45-70.Any opinions on this caliber?

quote:

Originally posted by RiflemanZ:
I was looking at sportsmans warehouse at the gun dept when a ruger MKII M77 bolt action SS .338 win mag caught my eye.It looked really nice with a laminated stock.The price was $579.Is that a good price?I was thinking about buying it to fool around with at the gun range and maybe a future bear hunt.My largest cal. now is a 45-70.Any opinions on this caliber?

I've owned .338's for thirty years and in my opinion it is the most broadly useful cartridge available. I also have a soft spot for the 30-06 and 7mm-08 but neither can touch the 338 for all around usefulness. As to the Ruger, my own preference is for stainless synthetic but I think you will find it to be reliable and durable. Due to the difference in currency, I could not say if that's a good deal or not but it sounds about right.

.338 winmag is a good choice. You can kill anything in North America. It is quite versitle. I haven't priced a Ruger M77 in a while so I cannot say on the price, but I do like the laminated stock ruger uses. I have a 77 varmit rifle in .220 swift with the laminate stock and matte gray finish and it is probably the most accurate factory rifle I have ever owned.

You cannot go wrong with a 338,I have one in a Winchester M70 bought it in 1974 still use it.
As for the 45-70 also anouther great caliber I have 3 rifles in this caliber, Winchester M86,
Browing M78,and a Siamese Mauser.

I have a stainless laminate Ruger MK 11 .338 in mag, I had it bedded and the trigger lightened to let off at 3 pounds. It will put 3 woodleigh 225 gr protected points into 1" at 110 yards. I like the gun and have killed 6 head of game with it to date.....................really it's just a more powerful 30/06 I am quite fond of it and can reccomend the rifle. Rugers have a fairly close copy of the m98 action with a good integral mounting systym.

Can't say about $$ as I am in Oz.

quote:

Originally posted by RiflemanZ:
.Any opinions on this caliber?

Sure...

It is one of my favorites. A 200 gr for light game, and 250 gr for Big game, with several choices in between. The 210 TSX pretty well covers it all.

One of the best shooting rifles I have zeroed in was a Ruger MkII .338 Mag for a buddy of mine. Remarkable shooter. I have 2 in my home and gave to both my boys. Alaskans quite seemingly like the .338 and the .30-06-you will enjoy it. Smooth it out some and do a trigger job and you are good to go.
regards

The .338 Win Mag is a very powerful round and suited to anything in North America and Africa as well. That said it's not legal for the largest and dangerous game of Africa.

A heck of a lot of elk hunters are using them and it's a lot of gun for a moose. Little doubt that a very large bear will also drop in it's tracks from one as well.

IMO it's the upper end of big game rifles as anything bigger sits on the other side of the fence as a DG rifle.

Recoil is similar to the .375 H&H and for those that cannot handle it, they should back off to something a lot lighter......a .30-06 comes to mind. If you can handle it I'd rather have the .375 H&H personally.

Make your decision from there.

I have a Rem M/700 in the Caliber and have had for 15 years. So far I have shot a number of head of game in each of the species below with this rifle:

black bear
black-tailed deer
wild boar
elk
wild steer (herford)
wild bull (brahma/watusi cross)

This thing is the hammer of Thor on these animals.

I wouldn't be caught without one and have considered getting another one as a spare. Nate

Well, I must be Big Nate's kinda guy...

I have a Winchester Model 70 in 338 Mag...

And a Browning A Bolt in 338 Mag also....

And a Model 70 rebored to 338/06 just for good measure.....

I really don't need them.. but then I really don't need any of my rifles... do I ?

But it doesn't mean that they are going to a new home anytime soon....Well actually, I have passed them onto my son at this point in life... I just get to use one anytime I need to.... ....

cheers
seafire

.338 win is my number 1 go to do all rifle. dont leave home without one. 160 gr x to 250 gr bonded it is very versitile and functional if I could have only one this would be it. lucky for me I now own 4.

I have one in stainless synthetic M77MKII. It is a great gun. It will shoot an inch or under at 100 yards.

Like was said above, it is basically a big 30'06. They fly about the same, only difference is the 338 packs a lot more ass behind it for those longer shots.

My only gripe is mine is heavy compared to my 30'06.

Great cartridge. You have to shoot it on a regular basis to stay accustomed to it however. Not a rifle for a box a year man.

I own a custom winchester 70 (23" barrelled) in this caliber. I have used it this year with 180 gr BT to hunt driven boars and deers and it worked as a champion. Last week I took two foxes with this rifle and load at medium ranges (200 m).
I used this load too to get an Ibex at a long (350 m)range and it did perfectly its work. I have used extensively in Africa to hunt in the bush (short and medium ranges) with 250 gr and it worked perfectly against any type of plains game (from eland to duiker). The recoil is reasonably affordable. It can be built in handy short barrelled rifles (22-24").

From my point of view, it is one of the best all around cartridges to hunt in the world, when dangerous game is not involved, in any type of hunting (stalking, driving hunting, ...)

I'm another .338 Mag. fan. I have a Ruger stainless with the laminated stock. As has been mentioned before, the stock on this one is a bit on the slick side when wearing gloves but I can live with that. I've had mine glass bedded and have a Timney trigger installed too. My standard hunting bullet is a 225 gr. Northfork and my scope is a Leupold, Vari-X III, 1.5-5x. This is my moose, large bear & elk (on Afognak Island) rifle. I can keep the groups pretty close to 1 1/4" at 100 yds. and think that with a higher powered scope, It would do better. Since the scope isn't for target shooting, I can live with what I have. For my purposes, the low powered variable is much desired. Ya don't wanna be up close & personal with a bear & have a scope set at a higher power.
My only thinking is that I've had problems accuracy wise, with 2 other Rugers before. No matter what I did, I couldn't get them to shoot as consistantly and tight as I like. For me, if I want another rifle in the future, I'm gonna try & get a Win., preferably a pre-64. In some ways I don't see the value of buying a Ruger when the trigger has to be replaced and it most likely will need a bedding job. More cost. Why not spend the money up front from the get-go? That's just me however. I'm not bashing Rugers, but rather that's just my thinking.
If ya like the Ruger I'd say get it. It should be a good functioning rifle.
Bear in Fairbanks

If you can handle the extra recoil, which isn't bad, it's one of the best rounds for almost any big game hunting. Use 200gr bullets @ 2900fps+ for deer size game & 250gr @ 2550fps+ for elk, moose & bear. A truly versatile round, & I like the laminated Rugers.

This is my favourite cartridge, I have shot it for 38+ years and owned 12 rifles so chambered, I have five now. I like the sts/lam Ruger 77MKII very much and would like to own one, I currently have four P-64 Mod. 70 Alaskans and a Dakota 76, but, I consider the Ruger, with a bit of tuning, a better hunting rifle in many respects.

I prefer to use 250 gr. bullets exclusively, especially Nosler Pts., usually over 76-RE-22 in Win. brass with mag. primers. I have a LOT of rifles and have various 9.3s, .375s and whatever; for me, here in B.C., the .338 Win. is the bomb. Buy it, tune it, bet you will love it!

WOW !!! There isn't much more good you can say about the good old 338 !!Seems everyone here complies .I have killed the majority of my elk with the 338 . 33 to date . I have had several , most have been Rem. 700 .I have tried all the popular bullet weight's , and setteled on the Noz. Part. 210 gr . with imr-4350 , and most recent RL 19 .All would shoot less than 3/4 " , 100 yd. groups .( usually 3/8 " to 1/2 " .)With vel. from 2935 to 3020 fps.It is my favorite cal. for game ! I have used it for coyote , antelope , deer and elk .( I always thought Rem. should have me on their payroll for promoting their products , HA HA )However , all that said , I no longer own a 338 .I'm 63 and retired now , have a lot of neck trouble , and found that prolonged secessions at the bench really bothered my neck , though I always claimed the recoil was not offensive , at least to me .I'm now using a Win. 300 winnie in the Tikka T-3 LS .with 180 gr. noz. part .I think the felt recoil is about half of the 338 .My elk this past season was 353 yds. and was a bang, flop . So that was a pleasant experiance even though I stepped down in cal.If were not for my health problem's , I would still be using the good old 338 .Go for it , you won't be dissappointed .

I like the 338 win mag so much in Rugers I have 7 of them.I have one Winchester 338 in model 70 stainless also.I thin that price is about the going rate for a laminated stocked one.I have one laminated stainless stocked Ruger 77 and it is a very sweet shooter.It always shoots an inch or less as long as I do my part.I started using the 338 win mag on deer over 20 something years ago.You will be impressed with its killing power over what the 30-06 will do.I also shot a 300 win mag and I liked the 338 win mags alot better.I have shot 84 deer ,one 300 pound hog,one good sized black bear from 3 yards to 425 yards.It always does its job without much meat loss with the right bullet.I found nosler partitions to hard for deer sized game but fine for larger animals.I use 200 gr power pionts by winchester for deer its an awesome load.I like Nosler pt for larger game.The 250 gr nosler is an awesome load for moose,bears and larger game.The 338 win mag is a very good all around rifle for all North American big game.I really like those Rugers best of all in the 338 win mag.I have shot alot of groups under 1" at 200 yards.

I currently own two. Both Winchester Classics. One stainless and one blue. I load down for them and use them, along with a .300 winnie, for deer and Elk, knowing that many loads from smaller calibers have killed elk and deer just as well.

I have a 700 SS/SYN . I really like 338's in general. I have always felt the 30-06 , 338 Win and 375 H&H are the 3 best cartridge's at balancing speed and power without being obnoxious.There are plenty of bullet weights avalible making it very versital. I'll preface this by saying mine has a Sims recoil pad but recoil is not as bad as many would have you believe . I have a friend that has a 270 WSM in a Savage rifle he hates the recoil of it , yet my 338 doesn't bother him at all. Mine seems to follow me to the range every time I go. I don't see how you can go wrong with a 338 . I also have a 338 RUM which I really like as well.

i own one also its built on a mauser mark10 action #5,26 inch stainless steel douglas barrel and sits in a bell and carlson carbelite stock. its shot more targets then anthing, i had it edm ported while i still lived out west and it really helped, those 338 bullets really fly well even to 600 plus yards, regards to all, jjmp

I have a MK II SS synthetic and think if I only kept 1-gun it would be this one. Great shooter and will take everything in US very quikly. I lucked out and got mine for $350.

Gents, I am a convicted 338 fan. I have found the only true love next to my wife is my model 70. I use mine for elk and deer. It has never failed me between the distances of 60 and 370 yards. I have used 270, 30-06, 300 win mag and the 338 is my choice hands down.

My wife bought herself a .338 mkII stainless. The LOP is a little short for me, but I have been impressed by the rifle. It is not a terrible kicker (as voiced by my wife), it is accurate, and functions reliably. What more could you ask for? The ruger scope mount system is one of the strongest on the market and the scope can be removed and replaced very easily (in case of breakage on a hunt).

John

I used to own a Remington M700 Custom KS mountain rifle, now I own a Blaser R93 barrel for it. Either way it's my second favorite cartridge after the 30-06, but before the 25-06.

Hell of a round.

I am going to buy another one, probably a Tikka T3 and a probably another in Kimber 8400 Long action, when that happens.

It's a hard cartridge not to like. Hammer of Thor, as they say.

Pretty hard to add much to all the replys postedbut the issue of recoil is significant. I had my Sako75 magnaported and replaced the Sako recoil pad with a Simms Vibration Labs pre-fit model(which fit perfectly). Recoil was greatly reduced and my heavy 338 Sako now recoils very much like a standard 30-06

I just picked up a Ruger M77/MKII (old style stock) in .338 Win Mag. And I must say that it is quickly becoming my favorite rifle. The recoil isn't nearly as bad as it's portrayed. Haven't had a chance to hunt with it yet. Plan on catching the '06 fall bear season.

mike

I am on my fourth 338WM, this one is a Blaser R93 semi-weight. It will put three of my 250gr Sierra handloads into 1" at 200 yards. As everyone else has pretty much said, it is my go to gun for anything, anywhere, anytime.

On my second one now; it was just a flip of the coin or I'd be LRH338.

The current one is a Model 70 blue/synthetic, 3x9 Nikon, worked over by Hill Country Rifles.

If no other bullet than the 210 NP existed I would neither wail nor gnash teeth, to quote Jack O'Connor.

Three elk, one mulie, two caribou, and it's going to Africa in July.

"The Alaskan" is perhaps the most popular cartridge up here, right there with the .30-06 and the .300WM.

I am a one-gun hunter and have used a stainless Ruger M77 MK-II, topped with a Leupold Vary-X III 2.5-8x for over ten years. I have killed most of my moose with one shot each, most with 230-grain Lubalox-coated FS bullets, two with Federal 250-grain NOS-HE, one with a 250-grain A-Frame.

I load the 250-grain NOS to a little over 2670 fps, the 230-grain FS (with RL-19 or 22) to 2800 fps, and the 250-grain A-Frame to 2620 fps or so.

I have owned two. Both were rugers. One was my first big game rifle that I got when I was fifteen. Shot my first moose , sheep and Sitka blacktail deer with it. I really liked the ones that I had.

Not really going to say anything that hasn't been said already a dozen times here in favor of the .338. I have an M77 in .338 win mag and couldn't be happier. It's a tack driver, it handles nicely, and it is a great round! Oddly enough, it's the only rifle of mine that I haven't blooded.......hopefully that will change sometime in the near future! Great find, you should very happy!

My first 338WinMag is being ordered next week, thanks to an early birthday present by "she who must be obeyed". It'll be a Ruger S/S as they're virtually indestructable. But ... if I find a buyer for its barrel, it'll never be fired until it returns 6 weeks later as a stainless 1:12" 358 Norma Magnum Ruger S/S. It'll get an old Leupold 4x and a trigger job and that's about it. If no barrel buyer turns up, I'll keep saving and enjoy her as she is for awhile. This will be my first cartridge (338WinMag) I have no intention of reloading for, straight factory fodder all the way.
Cheers...
Con

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
...Recoil is similar to the .375 H&H ... If you can handle it I'd rather have the .375 H&H personally.

Ditto, the reason I got a .375 H&H. 338 Win Mags are fine, but for the amount of "push" I'm gonna receive anyway, give me a .375.

I just bought one, a Remington 700 s/s, should get it next week. What do you guys think about a Leupold FX111 6x42 with a heavy duplex as a scope choice. I will hunt moose with it and then take it to Africa for plains game.

martinbns,
Personally I'd prefer a straight 4x on the size game your planning to chase. A bit more versatile in the thick-stuff too.
Cheers...
Con

quote:

Originally posted by martinbns:
I just bought one, a Remington 700 s/s, should get it next week. What do you guys think about a Leupold FX111 6x42 with a heavy duplex as a scope choice. I will hunt moose with it and then take it to Africa for plains game.

I love the 6 x 42 Leupold, but not the heavy plex.

I don't own a 338 and never have, but if all my guns got stolen or burned up in a fire, I'd get a 338 and a 30-06.


Okie John