The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Rifles Medium Bore Rifles Which rifle between 300 and 375Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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I have two very dependable medium bore rifles in 300win and 375Ruger. I consider the 300win my go-to rifle and will use it for just about any whitetail large or small plus mulies and elk. The 375Ruger is a longer term commitment to go back to Alaska for Brownies and eventually to Africa for whatever is on the menu. I have been debating over splitting the difference with a cartridge in between these two. I keep coming back to the 338win as an obvious choice. It's a classic cartridge and I love the ballistics. Just not sure whether it really will improve the arsenal that much in the mulie/elk category. i.e., that much better than the 300win. Another option is the 340Wby, but I've never been enamored with the Weatherby cases because they are fairly inefficient even though they certainly pack the most punch of 338 calibers. What say the gurus? | ||
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35 whelen? | |||
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Go for the fantastic 340 Weatherby. Do not look for efficiency from big magnum rifles as it is meaningless. Look for absolute terminal performance to make good clean kills on the game you are hunting. Free men should not be subjected to permits, paperwork and taxation in order to carry any firearm. NRA Benefactor | |||
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338 Lapua, or go small and get a 338 Federal | |||
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Why bother? Keep the .300 and .375, use the money saved on a .338 to get you a little closer to Alaska or Africa. | |||
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how about the 358 norma mag, if you reload. brass can be made from a bunch of cheap magnum cases and performance is between the 338 win and 375 h&H. jim | |||
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That's your answer. You can't go wrong with the .338 WinMag as the natural step between .300 and .375. Namibiahunter  . | |||
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The 300 Win Mag and 375 Ruger both cover a lot of ground. There's not a lot of need for something in between unless of course you just want a new rifle.  If that's the case, think about a "low intensity" medium bore like the 338-06 or 35 Whelen. The 338 Win Mag, 340 WBY, 338 Lapua, etc are just going to give you more of what you already have. I've been playing around with a new 338-06 and so far I really like it. ______________________________ "Truth is the daughter of time." Francis Bacon | |||
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It's really hard to recommend something simply because of the amount of overlap in the cartridges between .300 and .375. Since you're really focused on magnums judging by your post, I'd say check out the .325 WSM, 8mm Remington Magnum, .358 STA, and the 9.3x64mm. If none of those really grab at you, then the .338 should be a clear choice. I say .325 simply because you can get a nice lightweight rifle that doesn't feel "magnum-sized", so that might be something different. Otherwise, they are all pretty effective across the board. ________  "...And on the 8th day, God created beer so those crazy Canadians wouldn't take over the world..." | |||
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Interestingly nobody mentioned a 338RUM. Cheers... Con | |||
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I've always thought the 338-06 an intriguing cartridge. I was a bit soured on it when a compadre had a custom one barrelled in a Ruger No. 1. It didn't shoot worth a damn, but still conceptually it's a good idea I think. I also have been thinking hard on a 35Whelen. Great charisma. Maybe since I've avoided the 30-06 all these years due to the fact it is such a boring, commonplace cartride (though admittedly kicks ass) I'm getting sucked into some its' offspring. | |||
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Just shoot 250-260 grain bullets in the 375 ruger and call it a 338 improved. -------------------- THANOS WAS RIGHT! | |||
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I have the same requirement in Africa for the bigger antelope at longer distance like the kudu and gemsbuck. If only there was a standard factory round of 8mm based on the 458 (338) or 300 Win case it would be ideal for me. Needs to fire a 200 to 220 grain bullet at about 2800 fps.[URL=www.graaffreinetsafaris.co.za] | |||
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Either the .338-06 or the .35 Whelen would be great choices. They both make up into such nice light, portable rifles and both work well with 22 inch barrels. A 9,3X62 also fits in this niche but it a bit closer to your .375. If you want something a little different, how about a 8mm Remington Magnum? I know they are not very popular anymore but it is a superb cartridge and I can hook you up with some brass. I shoot 220 grain Swifts in mine and it shoots like a .300 and hits like a .338. I built mine by just taking a 7mm Remington Mag. that I had and re-barreling it with a 26 inch Douglas medium sporter barrel. Dave Dave DRSS Chapuis 9.3X74 Chapuis "Jungle" .375 FL Krieghoff 500/.416 NE Krieghoff 500 NE "Git as close as y can laddie an then git ten yards closer" "If the biggest, baddest animals on the planet are on the menu, and you'd rather pay a taxidermist than a mortician, consider the 500 NE as the last word in life insurance." Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading (8th Edition). | |||
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With Africa on your menu - GO BIGGER! ________ Ray | |||
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Assuming you will indeed dispose of your 300 and 375 and replace them with one gun?? I would opt for either a bolt gun in 9.3 X 62 or a double or single (Ruger #1) in 9.3 X 74R. Top either with a scope in the 1.5 X 6 range in detachable mounts. Load with 232Grainers for plains game, most American game and load up to 286Gr/300Gr for African DG or those Alaskan bruins. You end up with a light, highly manuevable, accurate rifle with very modest recoil. Enough said. Larry Sellers | |||
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x2!!! | |||
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Don't let one bad experience ruin you on a 338-06; especially if it's an accuracy problem in a Ruger #1. They can be fickle. I was shooting test loads of 210 Partitions, 217 A-Frames, and 225 North Forks and every load shot well and printed very close together. Recoil is noticably less than a 300 Mag or 338 Mag. My rifle is definitely a keeper. I'm with you on the 30-06. I've never owned one and really have no desire except maybe in a M1 Garand (but that's all about the rifle - not the cartridge). I have multiple 300 Win Mags, multiple 300 H&Hs, multiple 375 H&Hs and a 338 Win Mag. I've used the 300s and the 338 on a several head of plains game and I've never been able to see the difference in killing power between them. I do know that I can hit better at long range with the 300s. I like the IDEA of a 338 Mag much more than I like the cartridge in the field. 300 Mags, 338 Mags, and 375 Mags have such a large footprint in terms of usability, every biggame hunter should own one or two. The problem with that is that it makes a bunch of other cartridges choices redundant. ______________________________ "Truth is the daughter of time." Francis Bacon | |||
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If you are thinking .35 Whelen, you should also be thinking 9.3x62, 9.3x64 and 9.3x74R too. The 9.3mms are real killers and growing more popular in the US everyday. I know a 9.3 will be my "heavy" rifle on my next safari.  | |||
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Depending upon the type of hunting you do, longer range or shorter, I would go with the 338 Win Mag or the 9.3x62. Both are adequate if you have to use them as a DG rifle and will kill anything you hit well with them; both are excellent in their venues; and both have plenty of good bullets available for them and are readily available in factory loadings. Kudude | |||
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 The Natural_--- 8 X 57  rogerOld age is a high price to pay for maturity!!! Some never pay and some pay and never reap the reward. Wisdom comes with age! Sometimes age comes alone.. | |||
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I sure like my Ruger 350 rem mag. Not a long range, ultra fast shooter, but a nice, light and compact rifle that encourages stalking! JMO | |||
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Common guys , were talking guns here ! Need is irelevant. Want is all that matters ! All you are shooting now is bellted powders hogs. (I like um too) Why not got for the whelen or the .338 06. I bet you would be suprised to learn how close a .338 caliber 185 grain barnes tripple shock , come to matching you 300 win in terms off killing power even at fairly long range. If started at speeds close to 2900 FPS. Its right on the heals of a factory loaded 300 win 180 grain...tj3006 freedom1st | |||
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That was my first thought also, but who am I to talk.  I own 22-250, 257 Roberts, 270 Win, 338-06, 9.3x64 Brenneke (in the works), and 416 Rigby. So naturally my choice would a 338-06. I have not been disappointed with mine. You give up between 50-100fps over the 338WM. The only negative. It is not more popular and factory ammo is not widely available. It truly is a great cartridge IMO, when handloaded properly. I would not hesitate to use it on anything in NA, and almost anything in the world. Another thought would be to buy another 300WM, since you like that cartridge so much and have a spare.  | |||
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338 Edge? Try out your long range skills. Love shooting precision and long range. Big bores too! Recent college grad, started a company called MK Machining where I'm developing a bullpup rifle chassis system.  | |||
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There is no better caliber than the .338 Win. It is as well balanced a caliber as you can find...I have shot duiker to Cape buffalo with it and its one of my all time favorites calibers, and its not a wildcat..I don't think Wildcats are a good choice for a world travelor... It can do anything the 9.3x62, 338-06, or 35 Whelan can do and then a bunch more, or you can load it down to the balistic equivelent of the other calibers. My .338 shoots the 210 Gr. Nosler at 3005 FPS, the 250 gr. Nosler at 2700 FPS and the 300 gr. Woodleitgh at 2500 FPS..All to the same POI btw..How can you beat that? Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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Ray I don't think you can beat it. Won't stop gun nuts from trying though. | |||
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338 Win....is nice but , the 35 Whelen is a classic. | |||
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Couldn't have said it better myself. Excellent choices. | |||
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HI Slatts: I am a confirmed rifle luney. Like you my go to, bring it home dead rifle is a 300 ...only in the RUM caliber. I also have a 375, 416, 458, & 458 Lott in the upper calibers. My last rifle purchase & modified was a 338 RUM. A 250 grain bullet traveling at 2900 FPS is hard to argue with. I love the RUM calibers and chose the 338 RUM as my inbetween the 300 Rum and my 375 H&H. It's a natural. Check out my 338 RUM rifle further down on this forum under (building a custom rifle my way) by PAHunter. Good luck with your decision. Regards... Jim P. The Hunters Hut Firearms Sales & Service PAHunter/ The Head Hunter DRSS,NRA,SCI,NAHC www.huntershut1.com | |||
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I have a .338 Win. Mag. in that slot and I love it. I don't even own a .300 magnum of any kind and neither do I feel any sort of need for one. If one of my '06s or .308s seems on the light side for any given hunt, my go to rifle is a .338 Win. Mag. with 225 or 230 grain bullets. It's also my favorite African plains game caliber. Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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I think a trim lightweight short action may be a good choice, considering that the 300 Win and 375 Ruger cover alot of bases. I think I would split the gap with a 350 RemMag or the 338 RCM chambered in a rifle that weighs around 7 lbs empty. In my opinion, the 375 Ruger can pretty effectively cover any base that the 338 RUM or Win can cover. Don't get me wrong, I have a 338 RUM and respect it alot, but with 235-260 grain bullets the 375 Ruger would keep pace awfully well I suspect. | |||
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338 win! But if I was in that position I wouldn't get anything as both are very capable cartridges. Save the money for a Brown Bear hunt with the 375 Ruger or Plains game/Buff hunt "Let me start off with two words: Made in America" | |||
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 You've got most everything covered by what you have. I guess there is still room for an adequate , light weight , walk aruond rifle. Had you not specified that you want it between the two that you have, I probably would have suggsted a 6.5X55 or a 7X57. Light weight, modest recoil,capable of taking any game in the lower 48 and than some, historical adequacy,---Voila--8mmX57. Not sophisticated---Right?  rogerOld age is a high price to pay for maturity!!! Some never pay and some pay and never reap the reward. Wisdom comes with age! Sometimes age comes alone.. | |||
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35 Whelen would be perfect, the power is there. A 225 gr tsx,partion or a-frame @ 2700ish is nothing to sneeze at. The rifles in the cartridge always seem to shoot really well too. The new powders and bullets have made the medium bores real deadly. There is also the 338-06 and 8X57, which are better than many think. They can be built light, hit like a hammer and don't kick like a magnum. PERFECT!  Straight shootin to ya | |||
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Some of these guys have it right - 338/06 or 35 Whelen. You got everything else covered, unless you go to a 7x57 or 280 Rem. Your two rifle battery will be about do it all - bt maybe you would want something really big - say a 425 WR or the modern version - 425 PH. A true stopper, and extends you more than something between the 300 and 375. | |||
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I´d go for the 8x68 -classic German cal. that will push bullets fast and accurately. | |||
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I vote .338 Mag Laupa Win or RUM your choice Now if you want a Thumper that stops what EVER is assaulting you go .378/33 , Baby you bang em they go down and stay down !.It delivers in Tons !. Shoot Straight Know Your Target . ...  | |||
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turn yer 375 ruger into a switch barrel to do 300 win, 338 win and 375 ruger or any other win mag ruger wildcat...416 ruger? 338 ruger? In the US a custom 35 whelen with a 1 in 12 twist and long throat to fit the 280 swift and 310 woodleighs For Africa the 9,3x62 how about a non magnum light medium? 6.5x57? 260 rem? 577 BME 3"500 KILL ALL 358 GREMLIN 404-375 *we band of 45-70ers* (Founder) Single Shot Shooters Society S.S.S.S. (Founder) | |||
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My dilemma was that I owned a couple of the .338 mags already along with various .30 calibers and a .375RUM so......now what. I went and had done 2 .338-06's and one 9.3x62 to fill in the niche sota speak I find the much spoke about "meat gun" to be the .338-06 so far. Can eat right up to the wound channel. You cannot do that with the magnums. Standard .06 action, easy to carry and worth the investment. Picked up a VZ24 8x57, considering a L-W step barrel and a scope for it-guess it tells you I like the 2500-2600fps range and medium bores-they work. | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Rifles Medium Bore Rifles Which rifle between 300 and 375
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