I just got rid of my 300 win and replaced it with a 338 win. I'm glad I made the choice. I'm shooting the 338 more accurately than my 300. my 338 seams less finicky to different loads too. so far I've used 225 gr triple shock and 250 sierra game king bullets with about 8 different loads, and they all keep 2" or under at 200 yards, and my rifle is just a basic ruger hawkeye witha nikon prostaff scope.
I just think the 338 is a better all around cartridge than the 300 magnums.

Slatts:

Your 300 wm covers practically any games in North America with the exception of brownies. For brownies you have your 375 to take care of. IMHO, it is about shot placement not so much of caliber.

Any caliber in between 300 and 375 provides marginal benefits. I am not sure it is really worth your while. However, it is obviously this is a case of WANT not need. You can justify anything you feel comfortable with.

Cheers!

You already have long range and heavy hitter covered. If it were me I would go with a 9.3x62, 35 Whelen, or 358 Win. Lou

If you are looking for 1 rifle the 340 weatherby is all the magnum you will need for a medium bore.

sounds like what is needed is a nice double in 9.3x74r, ask santa and tell him you've been very good

quote:

Originally posted by bartsche:
The Natural_--- 8 X 57 roger

Right there with you on that one, gram- eh,....sir!
And after some time, he is going to wonder why he never uses the .300 and .375 anymore.....

338WSM

quote:

they certainly pack the most punch of 338 calibers

That may have been true once... but check the numbers there are hotter 338 out there now.

I love the 338WM... but if it is too tame get the 338 Lapua

with a .300wm and .375 Ruger I think you have a good amount of punch, especially on the long range with the .300! I really agree with a lot of members here with maybe going to a milder, shorter range gun to complete things. Someone suggested a .350 Rem Mag, I think that would make a GREAT addition. If you're a handloaded, you could also step that up to a 35 sambar (358/300WSM) keep it light and short and pack a wallup in the think stuff

....I,ll add my vote for the 338 Win mag .....2nd would be the 358 Norma ...But like Ray said he,s killed everything up to and includeing Buffalo with it .......The 338 win mag is more authorative on Brown bear than the 300,s......Something many people don,t understand when they are looking at a dead bear picture in the alders is that is where the bear ran when it was shot with a 300. I don,t want to get off on that rant ,,,,But a 338 Win shoots to within a few inches of the 300 out past 400 yrds .......I can,t tell the difference in recoil between the 338 and 300,, but as I say , the impact can be seen on large animals ...The 358 does much better with the 300 gr bullets than the 338 but thats what your 375 is for....If it was me I would dump the 30 get another 375 Ruger and just shoot the daylights out of it ....Use it till it,s just an extension of you .......jmho..

You have one that hits far, one that hits hard.
The one in between should be that light, handy 35 Whelen or 358 Win for taking into the woods and the open glens and vales.

I am presently making that same decision and have decided to go with the .338 Win Mag. Lots of ammunition and rifle choices and a great single rifle choice for Africa (Non DG). Then I guess I'll hsve to fill the next gap with a 9.3 x 74 double rifle.

I have thought of this question as well. I have two 300 weatherby's. I also have a Weatherby MKV alaskan in the 375 H&H magnum. I'm not an expert but from what I have read there is not a lot I would gain from the 338. I am thinking I just need to go bigger. Maybe a 416 Rigby or Remington 416

Move up the power scale for a LONG range 338 and go with a 338-378 Wby... There is just something about 5000 lbs of muzzle energy with a 225 grain bullet that is intigueing...

Ken....

I would recommend the .338 Win Mag. I am assuming you want the power level also to be in between the .300 Win Mag and 375 Ruger. There are a lot of calibers in between the two that you specify, but there power level is not even up to the .300 Win Mag. Another thought is that there is plenty of factory ammo for the .338 Win Mag should you need any. I believe alot more people reload these days. It seems like at the major gun manufactors chamber rifles in the .338 Win Mag also. This is a great cartridge.

My 2 cents. . . .
Keep what you got. The .300 is flatter, the .375 a much heavier hitter ( my favorite caliber!) You will be giving up the best of both calibers by splitting the difference. Now, take the money you didn't spend on a new rifle, dies, and components, and go hunting.

The 338 win mag is alot better gun for all North American game than eather the 300 win mag or 375 H&H.It can be used for deer without tearing up much meat.It also can be found in alot more guns than the 375.The ammo is cheaper and its cheaper to reload.The 338 win mag with 250 gr swift or 250 gr Noslers is hard to beat for elk ,bears or moose.It kicks less than the 375.I have 12 338 win mags that all shoot under and inch at 100 yards and most shoot under 1" at 200 yards.All of them are just plain old Ruger Model 77s except one Winchester model 77.The 225 gr 338 bullet is fine for anything except bears that bite.The 338 win mag is one of the finest all around rounds for all North American Game.If I want a bigger gun I use my 416 rem mag .The 338 win mag was made for elk and is awesome on deer and moose.I would use mine on any North American big game.If I go into the brush for bears I do take my 416 rem mags but 99% of the time the 338 win mag is fine for any game.I have shot game with it from 3 yards to 425 yards.

The 300 mags are a bunch of overbore boomers in my estimation whereas the 338 is the real medicine. Had both and came to prefer the 338 for just about everything...I also have a 375 H&H and really like that gun as well...oh, I have three 338s...love them all...

More than one has mentioned the 8X57 and with good reason, but the way I see it, if the 8 is good, the 30-06 would be more gooder. That said, one thing the 338 offers is 20% more frontal area then does your 300 winchester. Bigger holes let in more light!

Hang me in effigy, but if I were headed to the dark continent for a once in a lifetime hunt, rest assured I'd be carrying a classic mauser rifle in 375 H&H, not 375 Ruger. My non-magnum "light" choices would be in 8X57, 30-06, 318 W-R or 9.3X62. The medium bores would probably consist of the 375 H&H, or a 416 Rigby.

Seriously tho, I'd consider the 9.3X62 as it's a classic African hunting round of proven background. On the modern side, you'll never go wrong with the 338, and as a bonus, they're both usable stateside without being ridiculously large.

I think it depends on where you live and hunt the most ... the .338s are great! I like both the 338-06 and the .338 WM. If ranges are shorter the .338-06 is plenty and rifles can be built from military actions with very few difficulties.

If the ranges are relatively short the 9,3x62 meets the ballistic and easy to build criteria. If you don't want to wag around a large rifle the 9,3x62 is a wonderful chambering that kills like the Hammer of Thor.

If weight or range is not a problem ... then either get rid of the .300 and replace it with one a .338-06 or a .338 WM and either buy a bigger rifle like a .416 or put the extra monies in an Africa account.

quote:

Originally posted by Dogleg:
Why bother? Keep the .300 and .375, use the money saved on a .338 to get you a little closer to Alaska or Africa.

+3

You have the perfect battery for what you're planning. If you're planning on dangerous African game, the .375 is mandated. For plains game, the .300 is more than adequate.

For big bears, the .300 will get the job done with the appropriate bullet, but the .375 offers better terminal effect and stopping power.

With deference to those who like the one-gun approach, the .338 is a hard-kicking sonofagun for light game; a poor compromise, in my view, that has less flexibility than the .300.

quote:

Originally posted by Winchester 69:
With deference to those who like the one-gun approach, the .338 is a hard-kicking sonofagun for light game; a poor compromise, in my view, that has less flexibility than the .300.

I see quite differently. The 300 is the hard-kickin' compromise here. It makes the same noise, kicks just as hard, has 20% less frontal area, and offers nowhere near the sectional density the 338 does unless you're shooting 200 grain or heavier bullets. It is at this point where one has already given up the flat trajectory offered by the 300 Winchester, that one is far, far ahead with the 338 Winchester. In the FWIW department, the 35s and even the great 375 H&H fall short when sectional density is in question, however, the 375 possesses more frontal area that makes up for it and is at parity when shooting 300 grain bullets. Bear in mind the 338 does all of this with 250 grain bullets, plus it has a much larger selection from which to choose.

Having said that, it is MHO that choosing the 300 over the 338 Winchester, is well, a poor choice for a one gun battery.

You obviously need more advice: 325 WSM in a Browning BLR Take-down!

I hunted for years with 300's (Win Mag and Weatherby) with no complaints. Then I bought a 338 Winnie and never looked back It hits noticably harder than a 300 and shoots practically as flat as the 300 Win Mag with no appreciable difference in recoil (at leastnone that I could tell).

I personaly think you have your bases pretty well covered with a 300 & 375, but if you want to split the difference, you can't go wrong with a 338.

Given so much good feedback on this question, I decided to tally the cartridge "mentions". No surprise on the 35 Whelen and 338 Win. I'm somewhat surprised by the amount of 338-06 and 9.3mm fans.


Cartridge Votes
338 Win 15
35 Whelen 9
338-06 8
9.3x62 6
8x57 4
9.3x74R 3
340 Wby 2
338 Lapua 2
358 Norma 2
325 WSM 2
9.3x64 2
338 RUM 2
350 Rem 2
358 Win 2
338 Federal 1
358 STA 1
8mm Rem 1
338 Edge 1
338 RCM 1
8x68 1
338 WSM 1
358 Sambar 1
338-378 Wby 1

quote:

Originally posted by gruvco2:
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

Don't you mean performance is the same as a 375?

I'm a minimalist. I'm over having ten rifles in six different calibers so I'm down to one for my needs, not desires.

But to answer your question the obvious choice to my mind is the .338 Win Mag. I also agree with Atkinson. World hunters don't travel with wildcats. Or new calibers either. Because if you lose your ammo you're sunk.

Stick with what's widely available worldwide. Unless you're only going to hunt near home.

9.3X62

In EQUAL rifles the 338 kicks more than the 300.

More powder, bigger bullets = more recoil.

You are well covered with your current setup.

A 338WM or a 340WBY wont do anything that you can't already do.

I would look for a more specialized rig for closer shots that you might find hunting timber, or over baits for bear or leopard.

35 whelen or 350 rem mag might be a choice to consider. Or god forbid the 45-70 would fit the bill also.

I can't believe how many posts it took for someone to offer up the best....9.3 x 62!!!

If it was me, I buy or build a x62....Oh Ya...I did!!

Payed less than 400 w/scope for an HVA 649!

LeRoy

quote:

You are well covered with your current setup.

I would look for a more specialized rig for closer shots that you might find hunting timber, or over baits for bear or leopard.

Bingo. Scout rifle in a smaller caliber for deer-sized forest game. Like .308 Win.

CZ550

Steyr Scout

How about this....



in 9.3x62, of course!!

LeRoy

Tikka T3 Battue Lite? Nice.

quote:

Originally posted by KC Carlin:
In EQUAL rifles the 338 kicks more than the 300.

More powder, bigger bullets = more recoil.

You are well covered with your current setup.

A 338WM or a 340WBY wont do anything that you can't already do.

I would look for a more specialized rig for closer shots that you might find hunting timber, or over baits for bear or leopard.

35 whelen or 350 rem mag might be a choice to consider. Or god forbid the 45-70 would fit the bill also.

Doesn't the 300 win hold more powder than the 338. I thought the 300 case was bigger than the 338.

On paper the .338 WM has some more recoil than a 300 Mag. I personally think the characteristics of the recoil is different ... the 300s are sharper in rifles of similar weight. I find them to be more uncomfortable as a result.

The 340 Weatherby is legendary as a hard kicker.

You actually have overlap with what you have. The .300 and the .375 are a decent two gun battery. I like the middle stuff (.338-06, .338 WM, 9,3x62) better than the .300 by far ... but you really don't need one unless the .375 is a bit heavy to carry for bear and elk where you hunt.

.325 WSM

quote:

Originally posted by Dogleg:
Why bother? Keep the .300 and .375, use the money saved on a .338 to get you a little closer to Alaska or Africa.

I don't know much about the .375 Ruger, except that, unless you handload, you're stuck with Hornady bullets, but if you do handload, I would imagine, speaking from .375 H&H experience only, you can pick a wide variety of bullets for everything from elk and moose to elephant. I would stick with those two calibers and load it down for American game and up for grizz and African game. Nothing wrong with the .338. There's a lot right with it. We don't see many back east, but the Ruger and the 300 Win wil kill anything that walks on the planet's surface.