Is this caliber easy on the shoulder, like a 30-06, or a much more 'hard kicker'?

Is it a flat or not so flat shooter?

It's a fairly flat shooter but it kicks... If you are somewhat recoil shy you would want one in a heavier rifle or with a muzzle brake...

Ken....

No doubt about it, the 338 kicks. The good news is that my shoulder couldn't really tell you if it was a 338 or 300 magnum that just went off as I find its recoil to be a heavy push, not a sharp jab like most king sized 300s dish out. I'm not immune to recoil, but I don't find -06 sized rounds to be punishing, not unless one is varminting and burning several dozen rounds at a time. If one thinks the -06 is punishing, they should probably pass on the 338s.

A word or two about its trajectory. The 338 Winchester with 250 grain bullets nearly duplicates that of the 180 grain 30-06 load. Considering the chunk o' lead going down range, it does shoot flat and will easily connect with elk sized game to the 400+ yard mark. You will not find a better big game hunting round that offers as much without a substantial increase in recoil.

great advice given as usual, try and shoot a friends 338 if you can. i had mine edm ported and it helped. when i 1st had her put together all i could shoot was 15 shoots off the bench,now i'll shoot her 25 too30 some rounds at the range for more than a couple of hours. it just takes getting use 2....and that goes for all bigger calibers.mine has a #5 conture 26 inch pipe.
regards

My 338 WM pushing 210gr TSX @ 2800fps doesnt kick bad, its not for women or kids, but its definately tolerable. Lighter bullets make a world of difference in this caliber, I have some 250gr bullets that are not fun to shoot at all.

As a handloader, one can cut down the kick by using mid range powders instead of slower ones...

for example, I use 4064 or RL 15 instead of 4350, or RL 19 and 22, and while I sacrifice 100 fps or so with any bullet weight, you get a definite lower recoil noticed...

I can live with a little less velocity for lower recoil, yet the accuracy is just as good, if not better with some bullets...

Even with 250 grain bullets, you are shooting 10 to 13 grains less powder, with the Rl 15 or 4064 loads.. that surprisingly makes a bigger difference than one would expect...yet my chronograph is telling me I am not loosing that much velocity...

a 338/06 can easily equal the 338 mag with these lighter loads tho.. because you only give up 100 fps or so with any bullet weight to the 338 Mag, with the 338/06...

How about splitting the difference and build yourself a .338-06. I wanted something a little different than the .338 Win and that is what I did. It isn't an .338 Mag but it sure as hell isn't the old 06 either. I get damn close to 2900 fps with 200 grain bullets. I haven't tried any 225's yet but I should get to 2700 fps pretty easy. Probably has 80-90% of the recoil of the .338 Win when loaded to max but it isn't 100%.

If you don't hand load I wouldn't buy it, thats the only downside I see to mine. Weatherby, A-Square, and Nosler all make ammunition but its at a definite premium compared to what you can buy .338 Win Mag for. Oops there I went and hijacked the thread again!

It is pretty flat shooting and does kick a bit. It is not bad at all with some practice. My first rifle at 15 years of age was a ruger 338 win mag. My buddy also 15 had one and I wanted a 340 wby but my Dad said it could be a 338.

quote:

Originally posted by buckshot:
No doubt about it, the 338 kicks. The good news is that my shoulder couldn't really tell you if it was a 338 or 300 magnum that just went off as I find its recoil to be a heavy push, not a sharp jab like most king sized 300s dish out. I'm not immune to recoil, but I don't find -06 sized rounds to be punishing, not unless one is varminting and burning several dozen rounds at a time. If one thinks the -06 is punishing, they should probably pass on the 338s.

I agree with one exception, I feel the .338 kicks less than a .300 Win. The .338, as stated above is a push where a .300 Win is a sharp rap which bothers me more. Same case, same powder, the .300 Win has a smaller pipe so the perceived recoil is much sharper. I shoot a 210 Partition at 3050 fps from a 26" barrel. It shoots very flat and kills like the "hammer of Thor". It is also an accurate caliber, or at least that has been my experience. If you get one, IMR 4350 is a powder you will want to try.

I bought a savage 30-06 that hurt me. I traded it for a ruger 300 win. it felt like the same recoil as the savage 30-06. I put a hogue aftermarket stock on it and it felt like a lighter kick than the Savage 30-06 and didn't cause any pain what so ever. I chould also shoot the 300 more accurately than the 30-06. I traded the ruger markII 300 win for a ruger hawkeye 338 win and put the same hogue stock on it. The recoil is slightly heavier, but still not painful at all like the savage 30-06 i first bought. I shoot the 338 more accurately than the 300. every hand load i make up shoots less than 2" @ 200 yards and will do better when I get more practice in.
I now have a 338 win rifle that I will never trade and hits hard at longer ranges with a trajectory similar to a 30-06 and sub MOA accuracy.
If you get can handle a 30-06, then a 338 should not be painful to you as long as you have a rifle that weighs around 8-9 lbs scoped and has a good fit and soft butt pad.
I flinched with the 30-06, but don't flinch at all with the 338.

I have never owned a 338 win Mag, but I have shot a few.

I do own a 300 Win Mag [I have owned 300 Weatherby Mags as well], and I own several 375 H&H's.

I "feel" that the 338 kicks the least of the three. And I have shot the 300 Win, and the 338 Win at the same time, on the same day.

The 338 kicks WAY less than a 375 H&H IMHO.

I did own a 340 WBY mag for a while, I thought it kicked less than a 375 H&H as well.

After reading Seafire's post I should mention that I am also using a fast for caliber powder, Varget.

It was only when I "maxed" a load for a 250gn bullet that I felt a noticeable difference to my "maxed" 200gn 30-06 Lapua Mega load.

Get a Ruger model 77 in 338 win mag and add a good recoil pad.Ruger puts a medium heavy barrel on their 338s which makes it easy to shoot.ASll my 338 Rugers shoot under an inch at 100 yards and most do at 200 yards.I think the 338 win mag is the best all around cartridge for North America.I use it for deer all the time.Its the smallest rifle I will carry in Alaska because of the bears.

quote:

Originally posted by dgr416:
Get a Ruger model 77 in 338 win mag and add a good recoil pad.Ruger puts a medium heavy barrel on their 338s which makes it easy to shoot.ASll my 338 Rugers shoot under an inch at 100 yards and most do at 200 yards.I think the 338 win mag is the best all around cartridge for North America.I use it for deer all the time.Its the smallest rifle I will carry in Alaska because of the bears.

Get the Ruger 77 and drop it in a Hogue Over Molded stock. Nice sissy pad, rubber covered & pillar bedded, all for $110.00

quote:

Is this caliber easy on the shoulder, like a 30-06, or a much more 'hard kicker'?

Is it a flat or not so flat shooter?

1. hard kicker
2. flat

Like Seafire, I went with a 338-06 also, but you can load the WM down.

I really like Varget and 210gr bullets.

quote:

Originally posted by reindeer:
Is this caliber easy on the shoulder, like a 30-06, or a much more 'hard kicker'?

Is it a flat or not so flat shooter?

As other have said, it´s not exactly easy on the shoulder, but I have shot 30-06 rifles that have kicked more than the 338 Winmag.

As always, rifle stock and weight means a lot to felt recoil, and my Ruger M77 SS / Laminate stock is actually pleasant to shoot.
I have added a Pachmayr Decellerator cap on it, wich helped quite a bit.

Depending on which bullet weights you use, it can shoot pretty flat, but with the standard 250 gr bullet, consider it to duplicate the 30-06 with 180 gr bullets (more or less).

It´s an exellent big game caliber though.

It's a superb round for anything North America can dish out and several things Africa can throw at it also .

One can always install a de accelerator in the stock butt and either a brake or magaporting the barrel all of which cut recoil quite a bit .

200- 300 Grain Pills all work . I prefer 225 Gr. seems to be just right for most everything I've ever encounterd .

Shoot Straight Know Your Target . ...

Get one with a muzzle break and it'll be like a .243

I borrowed a 338 win mag on my last 2 spring bear hunts in AB. Since recoil is a blend of objective/subjective, it is relative to what you can tolerate.

I do not shoot a 338 unless I borrowed the guides gun. But I shoot enough to where recoil, while noticeable, was not intolerable. I brought the 225 Accubond factory ammo and shot a few rounds per day. No bruises, no discomfort or post shooting soreness.

However, I would put a muzzlebreak on a 338 RUM, since I'm still thinking of getting one.

If you choose to get a 338, put a good recoil pad on it. This helps.

I love the .338, its about the best all around caliber for the USA.

Recoil is subjective, but recoil has never injured anyone seriously, once you concur the concept of injury, you can shoot about any caliber within reason..

The .338 recoils more than a 30-06, it shoots a heavier bullet, at more velocity therefore it recoils more but with proper stock fit and a good recoil pad and maybe even a KDF type muzzle brake anyone can shoot it...

Start out with the muzzle brade on the range and after every session take it off and fire a few off hand rounds, in a few months you will discard the muzzle brake and the .338s recoil will be a mere maidens caress and you'll be dancing in the streets!

.......The 338 kills like the 375 h&h but kicks like a 300 win ......
I have had a couple Ladies use mine for deer and they did great with it .......I know a man who killed a trophy bull Elephant with his in the early 70,s in Kenya with the 250 gr Hornady RN FMJ , 1st shot frontal brain shot .........With the 275 and 300 grain premium bullets it is very good and reliable on brown and polar bear ....with 200-210 gr bullets its a zapper ....... If you get one you will really enjoy it ...

I have had one for 20 years. A Ruger M77 mk1, and recently just wore out the barrel after about 5000 rounds. It is a great caliber, and the recoil is never noticable under field shooting conditions. I use an extra rubber pad (a sissy pad) when shooting fromn the bench but at least then I can shoot all day if necessary. Most of the shooting I do is off hand or kneeling and as long as you take the time to do enough shooting with this caliber you won't have a problem with recoil, it is very versatile, flat shooting, and a powerful game stopper.

I think the .338 WM has a different character to its recoil than the 30-06 or the 300 Mags. It tends to push you rather than snap kick you.

That being said, I am not all that sensitive to recoil and find the .375 H&H to be pretty pleasant. The .416s start to get interesting and the .458 Lott gets uncomfortable.

I really like the .338 WM but mine is perhaps my best rifle ... a pre-64 M70 with s SS Krieger cut rifled barrel fitted into a McMillan stock. At 8 pounds 3 oz. with a Zeiss 3-9x40 MC scope, it is a great field rifle. Holds a 2" group at 300 yards. Perfect for big animals at real distance.

I have a 338-06 in progress. It is a commercial FN Mauser with a 22" Douglas barrel. Is on a cheap Fajen's stock as it is intended for harsh weather use. Hoping this one will be come the "go to" rifle for hunting in the east. On paper it should have a free recoil of abt 24 lb-ft in a 7.5 pound rifle as opposed to about 19 lb-ft for the 30-06 in an 8 pound rifle and 33.4 lb-ft for the 338 WM in a 8.25 pound rifle.

I'll let you know when I get the rifle back from bluing soon.

Mike: I need some good .338 WM loads that will be suitable for my Alaskan brown bear hunt .... What should I load ? FRANK

Oh you lucky fella! I am so envious I can't see straight!

I'd go with either the 225 grain TSX or a 250 gr Nosler Partition or CT. Both can be loaded very effectively with IMR 4350 or AA4350. I'd start the workup loads with 64 gr of AA4350 for the 250 and 66 gr of AA4350 for the 225.

Frank, I gotta ask the question ... with your collection, why go with a .338 WM? Unless the weather is gonna be questionable or the terrain tough ... you have bigger rifles that would be very appropriate for a Brownie. Sounds like the perfect place for a .416 Aagard, .416 Taylor, or a 450/400 DR

When you going (you lucky Guy)?

Mike: I'm going in May 2009. We'll be staying on a boat, and then spot & stalk the shoreline & inland; consequently we've been told that we may need to wade the shoreline when we actually begin a stalk - because of this, & the foul weather that accompanies this region, I'm taking one of two stainless/synthetic .338 WM's that I have. Everyone says that the .338 will be plenty big. I don't think i'd want to expose a double rifle to the harsh environment that we'll encounter (we hunt for 10 days, but we get 12 days on the boat because of the promised wet, rainy weather - 2 extra days needed to ensure 10 days of hunting).

That's the kinda conditions my .338 was built for ... SS bbl and Gun-Kote finish ... so I do understand.

First shot placement is important as the .338 WM is OK but not a certain knockout.

The 250 gr Woodleigh PP is also a very nice bullet that will work well in this applications. If ranges are reasonable (generally under 200) I'd go with one of the 250s.

Sounds like a GRAND adventure! Congratulations indeed.

Funny about recoil.. of the .338 and under rifles I have shot from the bench the worst recoil by far went to my Brothers Ruger Mod 77 MK-I..it was a 7mm Rem Mag firing the 175 gr with a stiff load of 4350. My buddy got one of the 1st Sako fibre stock rifles in .338 Win Mag and it was a pussy cat with the 250 or 225 grain max loads! He also owned a Ruger Mod 77 MK-I in .300 Win Mag that we both felt kicked harder than the .338 but not as hard as the 7mm Rem Mag.
The only rifle that ever really hurt me was a Bubba'd .303 Enfield Jungle Carbine that weighed zip and had the origional butt plate shooting 180 gr loads that was one masochistic setup! Black and blue about describes it.

I run both a 338 wm and a 300 wm cant really pick the difference ,i would advise having a (safe)light trigger on either this seems to help me,i also run a 338Federal this is the rifle i reach for most often easy to handle recoil and hasn't failed me yet.. I use these for hunting sambar deer which i do 2or 3 times a week year round.I use handloads in all 190 grn in 300wm 200grn in 338 federal 225grn in 338wm

I would call it a pretty hard kicker - harder certainly than the '06 - and a flat shooter.

With hot loads, mine kicks harder than my .375 - subjectively anyway.

quote:

Originally posted by reindeer:
Is this caliber easy on the shoulder, like a 30-06, or a much more 'hard kicker'?

Is it a flat or not so flat shooter?

When I was considering moving up from a .270 Win to a .338 Win, I worried about recoil too. I wondered whether or not I could tolerate the recoil enough to practice regularly with it, should I buy one, and I had no answer.

At the time, I was living in Indiana, and I was a grouse hunter, and I own the world's best grouse gun (at least for Indiana): a 20 gauge O/U Franchi Falconette with 3 inch chambers and very short barrels (C/IC), which weighed, oh, I dunno, maybe 5.5 lbs., and which lacked a recoil pad. (It was a dream to carry, very quick to the shoulder, and didn't hang up on brambles -- but oh my! Did it kick!)

Then the light bulb went on. I calculated the recoil of the Franchi, and compared that to the recoil, with a variety of bullets and powder weights, to what a MKII Ruger stainless/synthetic w/Leupold VarX-III weighing — what, 8.5 lbs? — would generate, and I ran out and bought the .338 (the with the old canoe paddle plastic stock).

I can shoot that rifle all day.

Parenthetically, I didn't expect much in the way of accuracy, but with Hornady 225 grain bullets and 73 grains of Re-19, it'll shoot better than 1 MOA. And I was surprised to find that it is pretty quick to the shoulder, too.

Life is good!

JFWIW

quote:

Originally posted by reindeer:
Is this caliber easy on the shoulder, like a 30-06, or a much more 'hard kicker'?

Is it a flat or not so flat shooter?

It's a hard hitter. It's darn flat shooting too.
You can listen to all the BS,, or just makeup your own mind about it.

I was a little timid when I put mine together because of all the talk about it being a heavy kicker. It wears a Hogue stock and weighs nine pounds loaded. It doesn't kick any more than my grandsons Savage 110 in 06 shooting 180s. My load is 70 grains of H4350 with the 210 TSX at 2900 fps. I imagine heavy 250 grain loads would get your attention but these don't. DW