My ( then ) 18 year old son used a Ruger # 1 in 338 Win Mag on our plains game hunt in SA. He wasn't a shooter, just a trigger puller. Recoil was never a problem for him. I just told him it wouldn't hurt him and it never did.

I'm taking a Ruger 77 RSM in 338 as a companion to the RSM in 416 Rigby to Tanzania for buff and plains game in July. I will load 2 soft and 2 solid in the 338 in case while hunting kudu I happen upon a nice buff. After shooting 2 big Bison bulls with Woodleigh solids I am confident about the 338 penatration and its ability to kill a buff. Would it be my first choice for buff, no, but I won't pass on a 40 inch buff either.

I like the 338 lots....................JJ

quote:

Now, the real "thumpers" start with the .416, and that's why so many people talk about this rifle battery:

.22LR
.270
.338WM
.416

Well.....that's close.....but it really looks like this
22LR
.223 Rem
.260 Rem
.30-06
.375 H&H
.404 Jeff

I have a M700LSS in 338 RUM. It weighs in at 8 3/4 lbs. This rifle shoots Nosler 210 gr, 225 gr, and 250 gr PT's under .5" at 100 yds.
Recoil with the 250 gr PT's is stout but manageable.
I don't use a brake or porting, just a Decelerator recoil pad.

Under hunting conditions, you will never feel a thing!

Regards,

JD338

I've only hunted 1 time with a 338 and it was for deer in Kentucky. I shot it at about 150yds with factory 210 partitions. It hit the ground so fast I thought I had missed. But that is my only real world experience with it on game

I lugged a P.O. Ackley custom .338 Winchester, built on a FN Mauser action for years. It worked first time every time, grouped well with nearly every handload I concocted for it, and just seemed perfect in everyway. (Then I discovered the 9.3x62mm) Would have stayed with the .338 if not for the 9.3x62 Mauser, which is just a super heavy game cartridge. BUT if given just US choices, I would go back to the .338 Winchester.
LLS

While being no expert, when I set out to buy a rifle I resurched it and the caliber to death. After all my looking was over I desided on the .338wm. For two reasons over all others.

#1-Versatility
As I handload, bullets for the .338 came in weights from 165 grains on up to 300. I can load for any game situation I will ever incounter in North America. For big game there is none more versatile than the 338wm.

#2-Accuracy
The argument can be made that no other hunting caliber is more capable of fine if not out standing accuracy. I am litterally blessed with a 338wm that I have shot litterally every hunting bullet made from wights of 180, 200, 215, 230, 225, and 250 grains with astonishing accuracy for a factory rifle. Now Im not going to sit here and say it shot every bullet at sub moa .50" groups, with several it indeed did just that. I will tell you I never had a bullet exceed a three shot 2" 100yrd group with handloads.

As far as recoil goes, my friends 300wm definately kicks harder on this we both agree, even though his wood stocked rifle is exactly one pound heavior than my 338. Recoil is a non-factor for me, as I was born and raised a deer hunter in IL, and brother let me tell you that if you think a 7.5lb 338 kicks, try shooting a 12 ga 3" magnum 1oz, or worse 1.25oz slug out of a 6.5LB shotgun with its aufull for recoil stock design. You are dealing with recoil forces exceeding that of a 375 by a considerable amount. Dont even get me started on 12 ga 3.5" magnum 1.7/8 to 2.25oz turkey loads. My Lightfield IDS Commander sabot slugs shoots a 465 grain (1.1/8oz) projectile at 1800fps.

There is not IMHO another non-proprity caliber out there that does what the 338 does any better for ANY big game hunting situation in North America. What would I gain buy using a .270 or a 30/06 insted? The only advantage I can see would be in the weight factor of a smaller caliber like a 270, 280, or the 6mm/6.5mms would be on a sheep or goat hunt in which a rifle chamberd in the smaller calibers could be had for 1.5 to 2.0lbs less. But I have no desier to sheep or goat hunt.

If you can manage the recoil a .338wm just cant be beat. Now a days there are alot of recoil reducing products and rests out there that make even my dreaded turkey loads no big deel to shoot off the bench for sighting in purposses.

If the recoil of a .338 Win. is too much for someone then he needs to be shooting a 30-06 or 7x57...

The .338 Win, 375 H&H, 338-06, even the 300 win. are all about the same in the recoil dept. from a practical standpoint with the 375 holding the edge anyway you cut it, in like stocked rifles that fit you..

I do put the .338 way over the top of the .270, 30-06, and I have used them all on elk and other stuff...

Today in Idahos wilderness the elk are not the same elk daddy shot off the sagebrush hills, these elk live in the black holes of hell, the black timber and I have to shoot them up the keyster, and my .338 with a 300 gr. Woodleigh or 250 gr. Nosler will stick them on their nose as the go South, lighter guns won't do that, and I hear each year of folks wounding elk with the perineal favorites, the .270 and 30-06 and yes I have shot quite a few elk with the 30-06 in days past, but today I always grab my .338 and the tracking jobs are short...

One thing I would like to add:
When I was resurching what rifle/caliber combo to buy I had narrowed it down to one of the fallowing:
8mm Remington Mag
338 Winchester Mag
340 Weatherby mag.

I was reluctent to buy the 8mm because becuase one although a great caliber, it was not a popular caliber at that time and few rifle makers chambered for it and I was having a hard time finding the type of rifle I wanted, and a even harder time finding someone who had one to sell. The 340 Weatherby althogh a great caliber, was when you combine the cost of the rifle at $1000+, cost of brass at over $1.00ea, was cost prohibative. That left the 338wm.

To the point of this post. The final nail in the coffin so to speek was an article I read in Field and Stream. It was a how to story about do-it-yourself elk hunting and one of the pictures was of the man who the article was written about, a gentelman quite renowned for his elk hunting prowess. The article featured a photograph of him with an outstanding bull. His reccamendation of elk calibers was that he felt that and I quote "the 338 Winchester Magnum is the best elk medicine around". That pritty much sold me on the .338wm.

That man was none other than Mr. Jack Atkinson Sr.

I could not agree more with Mr. Atkinsons last post.

My perspective is this. This is not a matter of wright vs. wrong, it is a matter IMHO of what a hunter is willing to accept.

I am a 100% do-it-youself non-resident who puts in for limmited access elk hunts in all of the great elk states out west. When I do get drawn, Im traveling well over 1000+ miles from home, investing $1000s and $1000 dollars, hundreds of hours resurching and planing for the units I wish to hunt, as I am a born and rased, IL flat lander over 100 hours getting into shape for the hunt, and dozens of hours and countless rounds shot at the range.Im not going to invset all that time, money and effort and then travel out there with a caliber that places me in the handi-caped position (before I even set foot in the unit) of hoping that if I do get a shot its at 200 yards or less and broad side. If you can handel the recoil and shoot it accurately, it simply makes no sence to me to hunt with a caliber that limits my efective range by half like the 270 or 30/06 would. The 270 and 30/06 dont even come close at ranges beyond 200yrds to the pennitration and retained energy of a .338 pushing a well made 225 grain bullet like a Partition or Accubond at 2800fps. I can cosistantly hit a colman fuel can at 400 yards with my 338 while shooting off of stony point shooting sticks in a seated position. Ill be damed if I wont shoot a caliber that will allow me to kill an elk at the same range. Im not advocating unethicly long shots at elk, but if Im faced with a trophy bull about to dissapere into the timber at 275 to 300 yards away from me and all I have is his butt in my scope, with my .338 I can cleanly and quickly put him down. With a 30/06 or less, I might as well put it butt down, grit my teeth and turn it into a one legged camp stool. I am a strong believer in being as prepaired as possible for the worst case shot sinario. If you are a hunter content with accepting the limitations of less powerfull calibers than the .338, that is your right and I wont fault or critisize you for it, I just wont do so, and see no reason to. To me there is absolutly no down side to elk hunting with a 338wm, the same can not be said of lesser calibers.

If I didn't have a .375 H&H, then I would have a .338 Win Mag.