The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting American Big Game Hunting 338 too muchGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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I have hunted with my wife's 270 Supergrade all year. I have taken 2 boar in Europe, Fallow Deer, and two whitetail. It is a specially nice rifle. I believe the stock was a left over from the Jack O'Conor tribute rifles. With this rifle, I have fell in love with the 270. I for years looked down on the 270 Jack. So, I am looking for my own. I would want something a little more rugged than her Supergrade. I am also wired, I like long barrels. In larger bores I can be happy with 23 inch tubes, but I really like 24 and 25 inch barrels. So, the problem Winchester only makes 24 inch barrels in 270 in the Supergrade. The Alaskan is wood stocked, I could be very happy with an laminate Alaskan in 30/06. However, they are more scare than double rifles. I found a really nice pre64 Winchester today. It is in a solid, trim fiberglass stock, Leica 2x8, and 25.5 inch barrel. The weight 8 pounds. The price is just above a factory rifle, and I will be honest looks a lot nicer than most "custom bolt actions" at half the price. The problem it is in 338WM. I have three 375s and have used them on everything. I will again in the future. Obviously, I see the 270 as a deer, mouflon, medium size pig rifle with a lot of performance and little recoil. If the rifle would have been a 270 or even a 280 or 30/06, I would have bought it. Honestly, what do you guys think: too much overlap with the 375s right package wrong engine, or you idiot Elemer said 338 equals deer cartridge go buy it. | ||
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Why worry about it? Choose to use what you like. I have killed a javelina with a .458 Win Mag., at least 2 white tail does with .458 Win Mags, can't remember how many white tails with a .375 H&H, and at least one white tail with a .22 Hornet. Find guns you like to use and use them, I don't remember any "Set Rules" concerning what any individual "Has To Use" or is "Limited Too". I like the larger calibers my self, but that is just my preference. Life really is too short to not experiment with different calibers and settle on the ones you like. Even the rocks don't last forever. | |||
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My son uses his 338WM on every thing kills deer very dead. A Ruger sty stainless MKII. I carried it today but didn't shoot anything with it. 250gr Hornadays over a max load of IMR4831 bears, hogs and deer have all died to this. | |||
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Thanks guys. I too like big bores. I have killed deer with 375 and will again. My most overkills were bevers with 500 ne and 458 Lott. I really like this rifle, just feel the 338 is kind of redundant in my armory given my 375s. I am really looking for a 270. This rifle is just perfect though. Think of your favorite sports car but with the wrong engine. There in lines the seduction. | |||
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Hey if you don’t buy it- let me know. I am looking for a good .338. I will be in Turkey from 11/27-12/5, but email me at tim@trophyadventures.com if you decide not to buy it. Is it in our neck of the woods? Good Hunting, Tim Herald Worldwide Trophy Adventures tim@trophyadventures.com | |||
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Shucks, Dad and I used his 375 on prairie dogs several times. Not many, but, enough to get in some practice before hunting trips (and use up some ammo he felt was getting old). Prairie dogs are the best practice I can think of to learn and keep in practice with the big bores. Never had a .270, was raised on an '06. George "Gun Control is NOT about Guns' "It's about Control!!" Join the NRA today!" LM: NRA, DAV, George L. Dwight | |||
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keep looking until you find the right .270. It is an excellent caliber and fills a nitch. I also have a .375H&H and am considering selling my .338 Win. for the same reason. | |||
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Nah, you cant have too many .338's............ my favourite do all cartridge for NA is the .338 WM. My wife has used one for many years to shoot everything......coyotes to bison. Had to work hard to finally get her to acquire a .243 to shoot coyotes and perhaps pronghorn/deer....if I can ever get her to hunt those "little runts" as she calls them. Moose and elk are her favorites......as well as big black bears. I am also a fan of the .270 Win. for a light rifle. It is a great cartridge and I have taken everything from antelope to moose with it. The .30-06 is also a do everything cartridge with the advantage of handling heavier bullets. All things considered though.......if I had to pick one cartridge to use for everything in North America from speed goats to polar bear, it would be the .338 Win Mag. Globally it would still be a .375 H&H due to calibre restrictions for DG. With the current selection of .338 bullets it is extremely versatile and the recoil is just no big deal. My 5'3" wife thinks it is not an issue and she does not use a MB. ______________________________________________ The power of accurate observation is frequently called cynicism by those who are bereft of that gift. | |||
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I agree! The .338 is too much for almost all North American Hunting -- IF recoil is a significant consideration. Having hunted for awhile with the .378 Weatherby Magnum and .348 Winchester I found that I was using the large cartridges as much to prove how stout I was rather than being serious about game harvesting. My uncle took several Elk at ranges out to 600 yards with the .264 Win Magnum in the late '50s and the '60s. The .270 Winchester and the .264 are not that different in terms of ballistics and hunting bullets. Choose the rifle and cartridge YOU like - Go for the .270 Win if you like it. | |||
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Let's say I was going to build a like rifle in 270 what action do you recommend. A do not have a spare rifle to part out. I was thinking Montana's CRF action, but the folks in the big bore forum are not very high on them. | |||
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I am a big fan of the Winchester model 70 platform, that's where I would start. You may find exactly what you want as a production rifle. In my opinion the .338 is a great round but it is "overkill" for most North American game. Depending on which game you will be hunting most frequently something from 6.5x55, 270,.284, 30/06 will probably be a choice more fitting. I find that for my hunting if Antelope, Mule Deer and Whitetails are the main course on the menu something like .243, .257 Rob, 6.5x55 is more than enough rifle. | |||
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LHeym500 I'm in the same camp as Skyline. To me the 338 is a most versatile caliber and my favorite do everything round. In NA you'll never be under gunned with a 338 and it shoots flat enough with the lighter bullets to work nicely for smaller big game. A 210 NP at 2900 fps works amazingly well on caribou and deer size animals. Buy it. You'll not regret it. Mark MARK H. YOUNG MARK'S EXCLUSIVE ADVENTURES 7094 Oakleigh Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89110 Office 702-848-1693 Cell, Whats App, Signal 307-250-1156 PREFERRED E-mail markttc@msn.com Website: myexclusiveadventures.com Skype: markhyhunter Check us out on https://www.facebook.com/pages...ures/627027353990716 | |||
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buying a new rifle is never a redundancy regardless if the calibre. Aim for the exit hole | |||
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Plus One. Additionally, Over Kill really does not exist when using any caliber of modern sporting rifle. There is only one degree of dead, which is what we are trying to achieve when we are shooting at something. It is up to the individual as to their choice of tool to use. Over the years I have had both a .338 and a .340. As I got closer to retiring, I sold the .338 and kept the .340. A couple of years later I sold the .340 because I also had a .300 Weatherby and I really could not discern that much difference in performance on game between the two, but there was a good bit of difference shooting them off the bench sighting in. Also at the same time I had both a .35 Whelen and a .375 H&H so I had as whole lot of overlap and I was not going to be hunting all that much so I ended up with the .300 B the Whelen and the .375 and I am quite happy and comfortable with those choices. Even the rocks don't last forever. | |||
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I used a .416 Remington on an elk about 6 years ago. Killed it dead just like my '06 and .300 WM. Only difference was the hydrostatic shock. Only tore up about an inch around the entrance hole instead of the whole shoulder/quarter. Big is good Guns and hunting | |||
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I use a 180 grain Nosler BT in a 338.You get 3150FPS and it knocks the snot out of deer.Sighted 2 1/2 "high at 100 yards you are good with no hold over at 350 yards.How ever I have a sweet spot for the 270 Win and it is my go to caliber.Nosler has a sale on their model 48 Liberty right now for $1200 and has a 24" tube.Really nice ,well balanced rifles that are accurate right out of the box.Good luck finding what you want,OB link to sale: http://shop.nosler.com/nosler-...les/m48-liberty.html | |||
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How is this for a way to waste money. I really like the Bell and Carson stocked current Winchesters just not that damn sort 22 inch barrel. I could buy the Bell and Carson stocked 270 and replace the factory barrel with either a Kregier or a Hart 25 inch barrel. Th price would be the same to me as the 338. Assuming I do this, which barrel would you choice Kregier or Hart price is the same. I do not want to be disrespectful to any one who has offered advice in favor of the 338, but if you guys think this is a good way to get the 270 I want then I am going to go this route. If you feel this is a stupid way to put together a 270 let me know. Stupid as in that will not physically work not stupid as in that is interesting. If this is stupid as in that will not work, I will relent to the big bore lust and get the 338. | |||
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I personally have no need for the 338 WM too much recoil for not enough punch. If I am going to endure 338 WM recoil, I might as well be shooting a 375HH class cartridge, Anything I would feel a 30-06 is under-gunned for, I would want to step up to 9.3+ But that is just me...I would hold out for the 270, I want. Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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LH, take your time...there are plenty of 270 rifles out there. Like you, I had drifted away from the 270 as a rather moribund cartridge, but if you look at the ballistics, there's not much more anyone could ask for...for 90% of our hunting needs. If you like barrel length, find a Browning 1885 single shot, with their 28" octagonal barrels. I shoot a Mauser 66 telescoping bolt in 270 now; works well. | |||
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If you like the Winchester CRF platform. I would look for a New Haven production Custom Shop .270 Win. $1,800 3,000 depending on options. secondly a Super Grade version. $1,100 1,400. Both are in a different league compared to the regular production gun. As a right hander, it is not difficult to find one on Gun sale sights. | |||
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I have a 338 win mag and have shot more animals with it then any other caliber. I got tired of the recoil and now it is in the shop and getting a new barrel in 7 mm rem bag. To me the 375 H&H has less felt recoil the 338 win. I have 270 win and I love it but the 7mm/284 have a wider range of bullets and are more versatile especially if you get into long range shooting | |||
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Unless you hunt elk, moose, bear or similar game, I wouldn't shoot deer with any larger caliber, although Ive shot all the plainsgame in Africa including Diker etc. with a ,338 win as well as a 375 and .416 as I hate dragging more than one gun thru airports, BTW, they all worked. The .338 for instance worked with 225 and 250 gr. bullets, but I was over gunned and in some cases blood shot meat was a problem and since I normally eat what I shoot... That said if I liked a certain .338 as you profess, then I would buy it and load it with heavey constructed bullet even flat nose solids where legal, if not legal then a tough soft point.. The .338 is my idea of a perfect deer/elk/bear combo for Idaho or any Pacific NW hunt as it r works well on all the available game allowed on a single hunt., as these seasons run parrell,in most cases.. I don't see the .338 or 375 as strictly a deer rifle, nor do I see anything larger than a 30-06/270 as strictly a deer rifle. I prefer the 7x57 and 250-3000 for most of my deer hunting. Its a decision that only you can make. Why let someone else make such a decision for you... By the way, the 338 has less recoil than the 375 measured in pounds of back push, if otherwise its a stock that doesn't fit the shooter or shooter imagination. I understand recoil is a nebulas subject. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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For whatever reason the 338 seems to recoil harder than my 375. That said, you don't have to deer hunt with full power loads in a 338. I load the 165 and 180 grain bullets to 2900 and 2700. This gives me a 30-06 with bigger diameter and is effective on deer. For larger game, you can load up with faster and heavier bullets. | |||
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I do not really understand the term "overkill". Dead is dead. Shoot the biggest thing you want, that you shoot well. The 338 WM is an excellent caliber for just about anything, where it is legal. | |||
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It is one of those statements that folks like to use when they see or hear that someone is using a caliber that they feel is too big for the game being hunted. Even the rocks don't last forever. | |||
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I do not have a problem with overkill per say. I have a had few of overkill , kills. I will have more in the future if the Almighty allows. I have decided that the 338 does not have a place for me right now over a 270. If I did not have the 375s I would go with the 338. I just can't shake the fact when I look in my gun cabinets, I think what a 338 would do I would use a 375 or 416 including using it on lesser game. I think I am going to have a 270 put together in the near future with a new Model 70 action and Kregier barrel. Unless, I find one that fits my wish list prior. I can use my wife's Supergrade anytime I want, obviously. I just want a little more rugged general use rifle, and I want it in 270. Thank you everyone. | |||
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I have a model 70 Stainless sporter walnut in the 270 with a 24 inch barrel. I shot mu SD deer this year with it at 198yards with a 140 grain Accubond and had perfect quick killing performance. There may not be over-kill but there is or can be over penetration or under expansion with big-bore bullets designed crush big bones and feet of muscle. The .270 will give a great wound channel on deer sized game with all the required penetration without beating the shit out of the operator. It is boringly perfect. My 270 will probably go down the road just because its too perfect, pretty, and boring. | |||
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Whoa there!  Overkill can have many different meanings...To me over kill is both shoulders and back straps blood shot..Ive latterly blown a deer in half with a 210 Noser in my .338 and ruined a complete deer with a 225 Accubond that was wounded and going south. that's over kill to me. If you use big bores keep the shots in the rib cage, neck or head, if you hit bone with a 338 or 300 your going to have a lot of waste and a mess..Common since should prevail when picking a caliber IMO..Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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