I'm considering one of these for a new 338. I am iching to build a new rifle and though a different 338 would be fun. Which one and why?

The .338-06 is one spectacular cartridge and the wissums can't compete because there's no room to load the long bullets.....

My vote goes for the 338-06.
A great cartridge

First off, if your action will hold the 338-06, it'll seat the WSM to kingdon come, no problem. Second, could it possibly be true that the WSM, even at 3" won't beat a 338-06 with any bullet? I'd heard it was just shy of the Win Mag. Seems like even in long bullets it would still leap over the '06 case, no?
That said, if I had a 338 Win I would certianly do the 338-06 before another mag 338. I think it may be the perfect non-DG NA big-game chambering. But I'd only consider it if I didn't have the Win Mag. Good to have a lighter, non-mag round though, for other purposes. Maybe even a 338x57 if using a Win short action. (And 7x57, switch-bbl?)
Do you already have a 264, 284, 308, 358, 375 and 416 -cal rifle? There's just so many things to do, I'm surprised you want another 338.

Don't know anything about the short mag, but my 338-06 is my most prized possession.

JAB,

As you already have a .338 Win Mag, my vote would be for a .338-06. Easy to make brass and load. A fine cartridge that basically duplicates the old .318 Westley Richards (.330" diameter bullet).

-Bob F.

It's my favorite cart. You can build a trim rifle, just @ 8# scoped & ready to roll, and it won't beat the snot out of you off the bench. I would go M70 action, 23" #2 (.600"). Synthetic, laminated or nice wood, take your pick. Top it w/a VXIII 2.5x8, w/ a 210grNP @ 2750fps, your good for hunting anything in NA.

Jab, I built a 338-06 even though I had a perfectly good 338 WM... the 338-06 is a neat cartridge but is essentially pointless as the 338 WM can be loaded-down with H4895 to run alongside it... both a "reduced 338 WM" and the 338-06 are handloading proposition's anyway. The only reason I can see for the 338-06 is if you absolutely "must" have five in the magazine or want as light a 33 bore as possible. Or, I suppose, just because you want one! If I ever built another (I wouldn't as I really doubt it offers much over the 30-06) I'd chamber it in a "modified" M70 featherweight pattern (tapered to .600 @ 21"). The 338-06 is, however, a very easy cartridge to load for.

Another nice feature about the 338-06 is that it lowers the expansion ratio of the '06 to that of the 308 Win. This allows the use of medium fast powders and cuts the bbl length by 2 inches. At the same time you are getting 300 Win Mag energies with a 20% reduction in powder and accessing bullet weights from 160 to 300 grains. You can add at least 100 fps by going with the AI version of the 338-06 if you want to close the gap with the 338 Win Mag, but it is fine just the way it is.

Are you making your decision on proven game-killing capability or on ballistic paper quibbles? Quibbling is a fine sport in and of itself but no animal on the planet could tell the difference between being killed with the '06 or the WSM case. If you have to use a standard length action to get the full use of the WSM case, then you might just as well use the '06 case. On that basis you could just as well chose the one that looks prettiest to you. Actual difference between them (and I don't accept that 100 fps makes any actual difference at normal game-shooting ranges) is imaginary.

All points well taken. Oldsarge, I wasn't thinking game killing ability at all. There isn't much difference. I was just looking for some reason to pick one over the other that I may not had thought of. The prettiest one may win out...and I suppose folks will argue over that too.

Why another 338? I like 30 to 38 calibers best. To me they are the most versital and I'm not trying to build a specialty rifle. I know I said I didn't want a bigger 338, but was discussing the 338 Dakota and got interested. Any opionions on that one as well?

The 330 Dakota is the way to go. The brass is pricey but usually lasts forever. It fits into a std length action and gives 150-200fps advantage over the 338 Win Mag. The brass is far more dimensionally uniform (I miked 100 cases of 338 Win Mag to confirm this), and the round is usaually very accurate. It's fat enough that you have to tweak a bit to feed right, but all set up it's a much better round than the Win mag. - I've had a bunch of Win Mags and so this is based on experience.......DJ

The 330 won't do anything the 340 won't do, or another round like it (338-8mm Rem Mag, STW, etc.) And if you're using a Classic M70, you have the room already, and will probably get another round down over the Dakota. The Dakota, like the Howell, its predecessor, or the Jeffery, even before them. are all great ideas for med-length actions. We just don't see many of those anymore, so the utility has faded a bit, in my opinion. If you're talking pre-64, and you want 340 Wby performance, then the Dakota is the way to go.
But again, you're looking at some seious overlap, here. Maybe it doens't matter to you, but there's a lot of chambers out there, and a 338 Win and a 330 Dakota (or WSM, for that matter) don't make sense together in my collection, at least.

I think the .338 is a heavy bullet bore size, and heavy bullets need bigger cases in order to perform at their best, especially for the kind of game you'd hunt with a .338. I think the .30-06 case is at it's best as a .30-06 or something smaller such as the .25-06.

I like the .338 Win. Mag. for my own use, but in lieu of the .338 Win., I'd go with the .340 Weatherby without a second thought. It's about a 150 fps. improvement over the .338 Win., and that Norma-produced .340 brass is of the highest quality, very consistent, and is much more widely-available that .340 Dakota brass, with no cases to neck-up or otherwise mess with as with the .338-06 or improved versions of same.

The .340 Weatherby also feeds very, very well, and you can get a Model 70 action made for the 7mm STW, .300 Weatherby, or .375 H&H and be in business. You can also go with a basic Model 700 from a 7mm Rem. Mag. and also be in business if you prefer that action. Either way, the .340 case is easier to work with, plus you can get a high-quality replacement magazine box and follower from Ted Blackburn (Model 70) that will allow you to hold four-down.

AD

I'm a huge fan of the 330 Dakota for all the reasons mentioned by djpaintles. Brass is wonderful, to my mind its a better designed case than the 338 win (which I also use and like), there is a significant velocity gain over the winchester (despite what the reloading books say, Nosler, in this case, has published very aneimic data for the 330), the cartridge feeds well and brass lasts, and its a little different which I admit to liking also. Mine with a Lilja barrel is incredibly accurate. If you're building on a Mauser or pre-64 its a better bet than the Weatherby. If money is a major issue, go with the 338 win it will do everything the Dakota will do at all reasonable ranges for less money all around. Try the 225 Accubond in any case, awsome performance and accuracy.

The .338 WinMag is one of the best large game cartridges around. It has plenty of reach and with a 250gr bullet has plenty of terminal performance. The .330 Dakota takes all the good things of the WinMag and adds another 150 fps to it. I get a little over 2850 with 81gr of H-4831SC in my .330 Dakota. Combine this with a Nosler Partition Gold (non-moly) and you have a long range/flat shooting killing machine. Nothing against the .340 Weatherby, but after all, it’s a Weatherby

If you really wanted to see a significant performance boost, consider a .338 Lapua or .338 Ultra. 3000 fps with a 250gr bullet will get your attention...

To know where you're going you have to start with a goal. What do you want to do? Do you want to shoot big bullets as fast as possible and get the flattest trajectory possible?

What if you just want to shoot stuff within that 300 yard range where most game is shot? If so then why get kicked harder?

If "Fast" is the goal, get a .338 RUM or something. If easy shooting is the goal, the .338-06 will work fine.

There's a place and a purpose for everything from the .22 Short to anything you can stuff in a necked down .50 BMG case.

Deciding where you want to go will tell you how to get there.

Zen Riflery lesson over, Grasshopper. You may go out and play now.

Why would anyone want a 338-06 when they have a .338 Win...The 338 Win will do anything the 338-06 will do and you will come to that conclusion..and you can load the .338 Win down to 338-06 balistics if you choose, recoil is the same for all practical purposes...I have been that route..I could find no advantage to the 338-06..

As to the larger cases, all I got was more blast and recoil...

The .338 Win is a tough act to follow with a 210 Nosler at 3005 FPS and a 250 at 2700 and a 300 gr. at 2500 FPS...

Have you considered a bigger jump, say a 9.3x62, 9.3x64 they have some awsome balistics or how about a 375 H&H or 375 Chatfield-Taylor.

as pointed out "logically" (whatever that has to do w/ wanting more guns) if you've got a 338winmag there's no reason for a 338-06. from a "use" standpoint. if that's irrelevant - as it is w/ abt 95% of my rifles - and all you're after is "another rifle" and fun the 338-06 makes perfect sense. can use the same bullets already stocking your shelf, is cheap to load, fire, easy on the shoulder, no bolt face mod, standard action length, etcetc. i'd certainly go down instead of up as - to my mind - even higher velocity just buys you extended range that virtually no one regardless of his self- estimation can even take advantage of.

i've got a 338win, 340 wby, 35 whelen and am STILL planning a 338-06 "someday" since a buddy has the reamer (he went 338-06 when i went whelen). "logically" i'd get rid of all but the 338win and get a 22-250 since that's what i don't have. don't mix logic and gun-nutism; is worse than drinking and driving.

Chalk up another vote for the 330 Dakota, again nothing against the 338 WM, but the extra velocity comes in handy. For all the same reasons given above I like the fact it can be made in a standard length action. Ditto for the 300 Dakota.
bigbull

I have a 338/06 and two 338 Win Mags.

There is a reason for a 338/06!

First, you can have a 5 round magazine if you want to, or think you need it.

Secondly, yeah it might use less powder, but then again, a 338 bore is not exactly a bore people use based on economy, or at least not in my experience.

Third, yes you can download a 338 Mag down to a 338/06's potential or you can "put up" with a 338/06 and wish it had 3% more velocity and foot pound potential of a 338 Mag.

Fourth: You can follow the crowd and go with a 338 Win Mag, or walk a path less traveled and hunt with a 338/06. A few guys will likely think you are pretty cool being a little individualistic. I was in an Elk camp with some people who were friends of a friend that had invited me to hunt with them. We had one 8 mm Mauser, a 45/70, a 7.65 Belgian Mauser, a 300 Weatherby, a 300 Win Mag, and two of the other guys and me ( three total) were carrying a 338/06. It did not apply to me,, but the other two 338/06 guys were very wealthy guys. Guys who go to Africa ever couple of years. And they haul along the 338/06.

Fifth, you will piss off all the 338 Mag guys because you only have about 10 feet less point blank range than they do, and you will also probably be one of those obnoxious " who needs a magnum" type guys like I am.

If none of this applies to you, then go with a 338 Win Mag. Or if you have more testosterone you need to burn, go with the 340 Weatherby or the 300 Ultra Mag. If your hunting truck has at least 35 inch Monster Mudders and 454 or 460 Cubic Inches for an engine, don't be caught dead with anything less than a 338/378 Weatherby.

Practice what you preach. I preach 338/06.

Cheers and good shooting
seafire

The .338-06 is a wannabe cartridge. It lags behind the .338 Win. Mag. by a good 200 fps., so not only does it not shoot as flat, it doesn't deliver as much energy at ANY distance as the .338 Win., and that difference in energy deliver is the same part of the puzzle that often gets left out of discussions that compare the .30-06 to the .300 Win., and this is omission is extremely misleading.

Not only can the flatter trajector make the difference between a hit and a miss, but that extra delivered energy can make all the difference in the world in terms of game-anchoring capability on the sort of big game animals that you'd hunt with a .338-size rifle to begin with.

To imply that the .338-06 is somehow "just as good" as the .338 Win. Mag. is to say with the same breath that the anemic .300 Savage is "just as good" as the .30-06. The .300 Savage CAN be if you only load the '06 to .300 Savage levels, but load both cartridges to their potential and the difference between the two becomes readily apparent.

Just as the .300 Savage can never equal the capability of the .30-06, the .338-06 can never equal the cabability of the .338 Win. Mag.

AD

quote:

Originally posted by BFaucett:
JAB,

As you already have a .338 Win Mag, my vote would be for a .338-06. Easy to make brass and load. A fine cartridge that basically duplicates the old .318 Westley Richards (.330" diameter bullet).

-Bob F.

To All:

One point: I think JAB went back and edited his original post (that started this thread), but when I first read it he mentioned that he already had a .338 Win Mag, hence my original reply (quoted here).

So, if JAB already has a .338 Win Mag, I don't think he needs to be convinced or told about the superiority of the .338 Win Mag versus the .338-06 etc. I think he was just wanting to do something different in the .338 bore.

Hell, I own both a .338 Win Mag and a .340 Weatherby. No need for both but why not? More toys to play with.

-Bob F.

There's only one reason for a .338 WSM, which would be to use a "short" action (actually, the WSM requires a "medium+" action, as a true medium action like a Remington 700 or Sako L579 is too short for it). Coupled with the fact that you may only get a useable magazine capacity of two rounds (three if you're lucky), then the WSM would seem disadvantageous.

If you just want "something different", the .338-06 is relatively inexpensive to build and shoot, due to the use of a "standard" action and plentiful brass (but I'd rather make my brass for it from .35 Whelen than from '06). You also get as many as 6 shots up the pipe and in the mag in some actions. Which would you rather have? Six .338-06 shots or three .338 WSM shots when pursuing a gut-shot elk running from you or a similarly situated bear running toward you?

In the "big" .338's, I have a good friend who built a .338-8mm Rem Mag. It is VERY cheap to build, easy to load for, and performs splendidly (210 Noslers at 3190 fps). If I wanted more than my current Sako .338 Win delivers (and I don't), I'd ream it out to accept the longer case and have a 5-shooter that uses cheap brass and you can load it with regular .338 dies backed out of the press by 3/8 of an inch. It's virtually the same thing as a .340 Weatherby without the screwy shoulder, freebore, or expensive brass and dies.

Allen Day:

Dear Fellow Oregonian.

I always respect your opinion, as you are an experienced man. But however, how much does your experience extend into the 338/06. Have you ever owned one?

A 300 Savage vs the 30/06 comparison, is more dramatic than the 338/06 vs 338 Win Mag comparison.

Even if we take your 200 fps difference in velocity ( my handloads are not 200 fps less than my handloads in my 338 mag), alittle look at the trajectory charts in the Hornady Manual tell us the following:

200 grain bullet: 3000 fps vs 2800 fps
Trajectory difference; 300 yd zero:
100 yds, 7/10ths an inch
200 yds, 8/10ths an inch
400 yds, 2 inches a
Energy differences:
100 yds: 3330 ft lbs, vs 2887 lbs
200 yds, 2757 ft lbs. vs. 2376 lbs
300 yds, 2264 ft lbs. vs 1938 lbs

225 grain bullet: 2800 vs 2600 ( really 2850 vs 2650, but then the charter don't show the 50 fps mid velocity numbers so we will have to punt here.)

Trajectory:
100 yds: an inch
200 yds: 1.1 inch
400 yds: 2.4 inches

energy:
100 yds: 3600 vs 3096 ft lbs
200 yds: 3304 vs 2834 ft lbs
300 yds: 2771 vs 2306 ft lbs

250 grain bullet: 2700 fps vs 2500 fps
trajectory:
100 yds: 1.1 inches
200 yds: 1.1 inches
400 yds: 2.6 inches

energy:
100 yds: 3453 vs: 2944 ft lbs
200 yds: 2830 vs; 2483 ft lbs
300 yds: 2470 vs: 2080. ft lbs.

To two guys this may mean a big difference in real world life, and then to two others not much at all in real world life.

Trajectory is not much a loss on the 338/06 and you can argue if you think the 500 extra foot pounds is a real maker or breaker on a hunt. However in my world, I will take shot placement over foot pounds and I sure think the average shooter is going to place a bullet better when he deals with less recoil. I don't think foot pounds on a chart kills anything.

I don't think in any situation, whether you or I would, loose an animal on 500 ft lbs of energy.
If you feel you need it then by all means haul that 338 Mag. However, I am not going to feel like a Naked baby in the woods carrying my "puny" 338/06.

It has never accomplished less than my 338 Mags have when asked to, except handing out a little less recoil. But my testosterone levels allow me to live with that.

But then again, I hunt Elk also with a 7 x 57 with a 160 grain bullet also.

Cheers
seafire

Seafire, I worked with a couple of custom .338-06 rifles built on Model 700 actions some twenty years ago. Mostly we used necked-up Winchester .30-06 brass, Nosler 210 gr. Partitions and 200 gr. Winchester Power Points, plus IMR 4320 and IMR 4064 propellants, but we worked with 225s, 250s, and other powders as well. All load development work was with an Oehler 33 chronograph.

I always had a hard time getting over 2700 fps with 210s, or much over 2500 fps. with 250s without getting into pressure problems, and this became pronounced with the heavier bullets.

I have never seen that the .338-06 could accomplish one single thing that the .338 Win. Mag. couldn't do better, especially with the heavier bullets, by a good 200 fps., and I've never found that the portability of my rifles in .338 Win. Mag. was an issue, nor that the slightly reduced magazine capacity was a practical handicap. My current .338 Win. holds four-down, and that's plenty of backup for just about any hunting situation.

AD

Of course the Win Mag will always be the better of the two. Of all my big game rifles my 338 Win Mag is my go to gun. However I too wanted a 338-06 ( yes even though I had the better Magnum ) Why, because just like everyone on this board I like rifles and you can only get so many before they begen to overlap a bit. Many people on this forum preach the ability of loading down the bigger rounds to mactch smaller ones. There are also those who will tell you there is no point in owning a bigger caliber if you don't load to its potential, so their you have it, both ends in the middle and and no place in between.

Do not ever let common sense get in the way of choosing a gun/caliber.

Agree totally on what Ray and Allen are saying. What is amazing is that there are those trying to somehow believe that the 338-06 is somehow parallel to the capabilities of the 338 Win Mag. Personally, I would have my 338 Win Mag any day over the 338-06 and simply for the fact that the Win Mag is temendously more versitile. 180 grain loads at 3200 fps; 300 grain bullets at 2500 fps.

As to the 330 Dakota, you will not see any greater killing power out at 300 yards when compared to the Win Mag. My longest shot on a bull elk was at 225 yards with a 250 grain bonded core Hawk bullet. Hunting south of Silt, Colorado, it was getting late in the day. Finally took aim on a nice, big bodied 5x5 elk coming down from 10,000 ft. to feed. They crossed a drainage basin and the bull stopped to wiff the air. I passed on a pure lung shot and instead took the left shoulder because it was geting late. I wanted to plant this guy and take his wheels out. The Hawk drove both shoulders and exited. The bull was flatted. Thats what a 338 Win can do. I have never thought the 338 Win Mag was tough to handle in anyway. My elk rifle scoped is 7-1/2 lbs. I consider it one of the better mountain rifle setups. Trajectories as flat as a 300 magnum, yet enough muscle to take on Cape Buffalo, again thats versitility.

I will acknowledge that at 500 yards, the Dakota will shoot about 2 inches flatter and deliver more energy, but I still do not believe the Dakota will show a marked difference over the 338 Win Mag when a game animal is struck with a lethal shot, even at 400 yards.

The .338 Win. Mag is a wannabe cartridge. It lags behind the .338 Remington Ultra Mag by a good 200 fps., so not only does it not shoot as flat, it doesn't deliver as much energy at ANY distance as the .338 RUM, and that difference in energy deliver is the same part of the puzzle that often gets left out of discussions that compare the .300 Win. Mag to the .300 RUM., and this is omission is extremely misleading.

Not only can the flatter trajector make the difference between a hit and a miss, but that extra delivered energy can make all the difference in the world in terms of game-anchoring capability on the sort of big game animals that you'd hunt with a .338-size rifle to begin with.

To imply that the .338 Win. Mag is somehow "just as good" as the .338 Remington Ulta Mag is to say with the same breath that the anemic .300 Savage is "just as good" as the .30-06. The .300 Savage CAN be if you only load the '06 to .300 Savage levels, but load both cartridges to their potential and the difference between the two becomes readily apparent.

Just as the .300 Savage can never equal the capability of the .30-06, the .338 Win. Mag can never equal the cabability of the .338 Remington Ultra Mag.

---------------

The .338 Remington Ultra Mag is a wannabe cartridge. It lags behind the .338-378 Weatherby Mag...

...and so it goes.

I know, I'm just being a pissy little trouble maker, but if one chooses to criticize something looking in one direction along the continuum then it is only fair for those further along that same continuum to look back and criticize by the same criteria.

Sure, some cartridges hold more powder and throw bullets faster than others. But in this race to prove who is most powerful an overlooked point seems to be "do you need more power?" If fast and powerful is the rule by which all are judged then you are all deficient if you are not using the .338-.50 BMG's on all your hunts.

There are always tradeoffs. A bigger case is going to throw the bullet faster and it will hit harder at all ranges, the tradeoff is more recoil and the need for a heavier and more unwieldly rifle with a longer barrel. Anything one does to make that rifle lighter and less unwieldly can be done to a rifle for a smaller case as well and the relative positions between the two will stay the same.

Conversely, if you want something light that holds more cartridges and recoils less, the tradeoff is that it will never throw a bullet as fast or hit as hard as a larger cased cartridge at all ranges. Anything you do to make it shoot faster can be done with the larger case, and the relationship remains static.

And so it goes...

So what really is the point here? To find out whose pet cartridge is "better'n yours" or to just find a comfort level that meets one particular shooter's individual mix of criteria?

IIRC the original point was:

"338-06 or 338WSM? add in 338 Dakota" "I'm considering one of these for a new 338. I am iching to build a new rifle and though a different 338 would be fun. Which one and why?"

So, pick one and have fun and let everybody else put their rulers back in their pants. Geez, it's just a hobby.

this whole "...will never be as good as..." attitude shows a very narrow minded perspective. the 338-06 will never be as good as a 338mag? SO WHAT! follow this line of logic and we'd all be shooting lazzeroni something or others and driving dodge vipers, or lambourghini's yet. let this sink in: just because one thing is not "as good" as another does not mean it's good in it's own right. go back in time and tell elmer keith his 333okh was no good. did he pass it up eventually for the 334okh (aka 340 wby - same round/ ballistics)? yes he did. does that mean he then said the 333 was no good? no. (virtually) ALL rifles ctgs are good and worthwhile - for their intended use. and much as living in a 70mph world w/ a lambourghini, there's many uses a rifle can have that don't call for the fastest in it's class. and there's nothing whatsoever wrong w/ that.

quote:

Originally posted by allen day:
Seafire, I worked with a couple of custom .338-06 rifles built on Model 700 actions some twenty years ago. Mostly we used necked-up Winchester .30-06 brass, Nosler 210 gr. Partitions and 200 gr. Winchester Power Points, plus IMR 4320 and IMR 4064 propellants, but we worked with 225s, 250s, and other powders as well. All load development work was with an Oehler 33 chronograph.

I always had a hard time getting over 2700 fps with 210s, or much over 2500 fps. with 250s without getting into pressure problems, and this became pronounced with the heavier bullets.

I have never seen that the .338-06 could accomplish one single thing that the .338 Win. Mag. couldn't do better, especially with the heavier bullets, by a good 200 fps., and I've never found that the portability of my rifles in .338 Win. Mag. was an issue, nor that the slightly reduced magazine capacity was a practical handicap. My current .338 Win. holds four-down, and that's plenty of backup for just about any hunting situation.

AD

Allen:

We are going to just have to agree to disagree.
However since you are fellow Oregonian, if we meet out on the Elk hunting circuits, My Puny, overloaded 338/06 will be more than happy to concede the back seat to the 338 Mag and the beer will be on Seafire!

As I say, I don't have to agree with a fellow hunter to respect his experiences and positions.

Most of my loads with the 338/06 use H 380 powder. Since I don;t have access to measure pressure, they may be over specs, but they don't blow primers and the brass is reloadable 5 times plus. My 200 grain loads, chronograph at 2850 out of a 24 inch Winchester Model 70 barrel, 2750 with the 225 grain loads, and 2650 with the 250 grain Hornady Round Nose loads. For this caliber I use Hornady bullets, almost exclusively.

If I am not loading H 380 for this caliber, I load 50 grains of IMR 4064. What I like about that load, is with a 200, 225 or 250 grain bullet, the velocity is right at 2500 fps. Check the reload manuals for verification. My chronograph reports the same. 4320, 4350 and H 414/ W 760 gave me less velocity and less accuracy than H 380 did. 4064 has excellent accuracy with the 2500 fps loads.

I know my Model 70 338 Mag, weights no more or no less than the 338/06 weighs. The 338/06 is really the only wildcat I shoot, maybe that explains my affinity for it.

I sure hope our paths cross some day out there hunting. It would be great to share a campfire with you.

Cheers and good shooting
seafire

For my part, I am not excluding one's right to choose or shoot anything. For me, I can load the 338 Win Mag to 338-06 levels or push them to 338 Win Mag max performance. Therefore, I do not see the need of owning a 338-06AS.

Jim in Idaho,

The 338 Win Mag can not logically be a "wannabe" when compared to the 338 Rem Ultra. It has 40+ years of existance prior to the introduction of the Ultra version, so it's existance did not copy nor proclaim anything with regard to the Ultra. It is the Ultra that is the improvement. But again, if one feels they want be kicked by 40+ ft-lbs of recoil and tote a 10 lbs Rem Ultra with its 26-inch barrel around the mountains chasing elk, more power to em.

Jim, I suggest you stick with the .338 RUM and .300 RUM and forget all lesser cartridges. In your case, it seems the right thing to do, and you can count on my personal blessing in that endeavor when you finally take that big step!

As someone pointed out here, I'm extremely narrow-minded in my perspective, so I'll just stick with my too-much-of-too-little .338 Win. Mag. and suffer the consequences thereof.

In my case, it's the right thing to do!

AD

quote:

Originally posted by allen day:

...In my case, it's the right thing to do!

AD

Eureka! My point exactly!

Allen, first let me say that I respect your opinion when it comes to things hunting related and apologize for commandeering your post, but it fit too well into what I was trying to say.

FWIW, I agree with you that the .338 Win. Mag and .300 Win. Mag are just right - plenty enough and not too much. I have no desire to ever own an Ultra-Mag anything either. In fact, my two most recent purchases are a .308 Winchester and a .270 Winchester, definitely on the cutting edge of 21st Century hyper-velocity technology.

My personal hot button is just this idea that faster is better. No, it's just faster. In some applications it is better, but then how much faster does it have to be to be "Best"?

Your last line is a good summary for my recommendation to any and all - find that point that meets your needs and is right for "you" and enjoy it, and don't worry what someone else needs or likes.

my first post to this site: I'm a balistics semi-rookie. I shoot a .340 Weatherby, the recoil is a straight back and not a problem. I never loose site of my game through the scope even while standing (I watch them drop like a bad habit). Will drive railroad spikes (not tacks) at 300 yds. If it wasn't for my girlfriend I'd sleep with it as well. Why shoot anything but a .340?