pros and cons of each?

comparison of the two?

The 300 ultramag shoots flatter and has more energy.Factory loads are very mild and do not take advantage of the large case capacity.The 338win mag throws a heavier bullet and has longer barrel life.If you take shorter range shots at very large animals or do not handload, the 338 would be my pick.For a handloader that shoots at longer ranges and has above average shooting skills to take advatage of the ultramags flat trajectory the 300ultramag works well.

how about accuracy between the two?

Accuracy depends almost totally on the rifle and load and very little on the cartridge.Both of my custom 300 ultramags average 1/2" groups with handloads but factory rifles average around 1-1/2" or so with factory loads.The same could be said for the 338winmag.

[ 08-20-2003, 08:38: Message edited by: 4bambam ]

You already received excellent information above. I will add that perhaps your question should be something like: ".300UM vs. .338UM," or maybe...".300WM vs. .338WM.

shooter65... Is this for a decision on buying a new rifle? If so, what would it be used for?

[ 08-20-2003, 09:56: Message edited by: smallfry ]

will be a new rifle. purpose would be to add a large caliber to collection.

I wrestled with a decision like this (although I really had no reason to consider the RUM) recently when considering a rifle for Africa. The largest caliber rifle I had previously was a 6.5mm (6.5X55 SE), so there were a lot of options on going bigger. I narrowed it down to three options: .300 Win, 8mm Rem, and .338 Win. I would have loved the 8mm, mostly to be different and play with something a little more out of the ordinary, but I couldn't find one in my price range that I liked. That narrowed it down to the .300 and the .338. I finally decided that anything big enough to warrant leaving the Swede at home (they shoot hundreds of moose every year with this cartridge in Scandanavia) would probably need the extra thump provided by the .338.

So, that's what I have now and so far I couldn't be happier. There are large selection of reloading components for the .338 (like bullets from 160 to 300 grains), and a relatively accurate load is not hard to find. Couple that with the fact that .338 factory ammo can be had nearly everywhere in the US, and many places around the world, and I think it's a cartridge that just makes good sense. Additionally, the recoil isn't too rough for the average shooter to manage with a little practice. I found it more pleasant to shoot than a .300 Win even.

That's my story, have fun with whatever you choose.

I've never shot the .300 RUM, but I do have a new .338 Winnie and a .300 H&H. While I love my .300, I really like the versatility of the .338 and the different bullet weights. I also like the idea of being able to buy ammo almost anywhere. Something I can't do with my H&H and you might not be able to do with the RUM.

If you handload, the 338 Win is far more flexible. For long shots at thin skinned plains game, the Nosler 180 gr BT shoots just as fast as the 300 RUM 180 gr and the lower BC of the 338 gives you a 4 inch drop vs the 300s 3.7 inch drop at 300 yards, with zero at 200 yds. All this and you or a friend can still drop a Cape Buff with a 300 gr Hawk or Woodleigh at 2475 fps.

Another BIG plus is that the Hornady Heavy Mag and Federal High Energy 338 Win loads offer premiun bullets less than 100 fps behind the 338 RUM factory loads at LOWER pressures, so extraction is not going to be a problem an a dangerous situation. One of these loads is a 225 gr partition at 2950 fps and they chronograph a bit higher than that. Either round can shoot 1 MOA if you work with them in a decent rifle.

Like the European 6.5s, the 338 has a fairly fast twist rate for the caliber, and shoots very heavy bullets quite well...its the same philosophy on steriods.

Finally, the 338 shoots reduced loads much better than the 300 RUM, and a Hornady 200 gr PSP at 2700 fps is a very nice deer load.

[ 08-21-2003, 05:21: Message edited by: Sabot ]

Shooter 65
You are comparing a needle to a spike!

If you plan to shoot elk, moose, and bears, the .338 will positively kick the 300 Ultra's skinny ass! Though it doesn't look it on paper, the .338 is a real powerhouse.
If you want big bore pick the big hole.

The handloaded 300 Ultra is in a different class on the far side of 300 yards. The questions you must ask yourself are: (1) Are you prepared to shoot that far? and (2) Do you want to eat what is left of a deer shot at 50 yards? Yup! the 300Ultra is messy!

You can eat the bullet hole left by a .338 winchester!

I have them both and and a bunch more after that, but the .338 win has to be one of the greatest cartridges of all time.

Enjoy the choosing! A new gun is never a bad thing!

Jamie

Uh oh, another meat damage claim. I have shot a few deer with my 300RUM, at close ranges. And I don't see all this horidous meat damage as long as I shoot them broadsided lower lung area. Think its another myth.

shooter65, are you a reloader? Too me I have no use for the 300UM, and would choose the 338. If you already own a 270-280-7mag-or 300, id go for the 338. Infact, anymore if what I am hunting is a bit beyond the 270 or 300, I wast no time and grab my 375H&H.

You don't need the trajectory of an Ultra Mag. Get yourself any Burris scope with the Ballistic Plex reticle and follow the calibration instructions for your cartridge.

The bullet drop tick marks on the lower reticle means that once you know the range, you will NEVER need to guess holdover.

Get that scope, a rangefinder, and a 338 Winchester Magnum. There will be nothing inside of 500 yards that won't die when hit. If you can shoot accurately to 500 yards, that is.

338 bore and 250 grain bullets:

This is what the 338's have over ANY 30 caliber bore.

If I were choosing between these two, I'd go with the .338 Win. Mag. I could name a whole bunch of reasons why, but barrel life is one of the major reasons I'd go with the .338 in this particular case. From what I hear, many .300 RUM barrels are shot at something less than 1000 rounds, whereas the .338 Win. Mag. has a barrel life approaching that of the .30-06 or .375 H&H. Since I shoot quite a bit, barrel life is a real issue with me when it comes to cartridge and powder selection.

Besides, the .338 Win. Mag. is pretty much like a a big, expanded .30-06, and it's even more versatile. What the .30-06 will do with 150 gr. bullets, the .338 Win. Mag. will do with 200/210 gr. bullets. What the '06 with do with 165 gr. bullets, the .338 will do with 225 gr. bullets. And what the '06 will do with 180 gr. bullets, the .338 will do with 250 gr. bullets.

How's that for power and versatility?

AD

X-man is on the right track.

The question is one of exterior ballistics (bullet in flight) versus terminal ballistics (bullet's impact characteristics). That is, how much drop can you tolerate at range versus how much energy you want to transfer to the target when the bullet impacts.

Assuming a reasonable range ... say 400 yards or less ... if sighted at 300, the drop of a decent 250 gr .338 projectile is roughly a foot at 400 yards and always within a "minute of elk" (+-8") out to 360 yards or more.

When the .338 projectile hits, its larger area assures much better transfer of the remaining energy than is possible with a .308 projectile.

May not be an issue for closer ranges or for smaller animals. Gets to be an issue for larger or more dangerous animals. At short ranges the possibility of violent energy release by very high velocity projectiles also becomes an issue as alluded to by previous posts.

.338 is a great field caliber! Want to be a "shooter that hunts." or a "hunter that shoots"?

My personal thought is, to take advantage of what the 300 RUM is capable of, requires a custom rifle. The factory guns don't have long enough barrels, nor tight enough chambers.

In 338's, I think you'd be better off with the 338 win mag.

If you're looking for a big gun for the rack, go with at least a 338, 30 cal magnums are fine for what they can do, but they are still small bores in most peoples book.

Why not consider the .338 Ultra Mag? I use the .338 Win Mag and prefer it over any 300 but a buddy has been working with a Sendero in 338 Ultra that is extraordinarily accurate and flat shooting. If I were buying today I think I would go with the .338 Ultra myself.

JBD
Good point! This was my first thought as well.
I have a .338 Ultra and although I like it I realise that the extra recoil makes it difficult to use the extra range afforded.

This cartridge is not for newbys.

I think the 338 win is the best choice for at least 90% of shots taken. The extra recoil of the Ultra will make the first 90% more difficult.

I often hunt in wide open spaces and am very experienced with the big 33's, so I carry an Ultra.
To be honest I still think the 338 would be a better choice for me.

BIGCOUNTRY
When you get into some meat around the shoulders or something that opens bullets quickly let us know or better yet, send pictures!

Just my thoughts.

Jamie

I've thought about this quite a bit and my next gun will be a 338 RUM. It has the advantages of both... it shoots hard and flat.

With that said I'm not particularly recoil sensitive and not too worried about that aspect.

With that said... if you can't handle the 338 RUM recoil you probably can't handle a 300 win mag either not to mention a 338 Win or a 300 RUM.

[ 08-26-2003, 20:55: Message edited by: Crosshairs ]