The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting American Big Game Hunting 1 rifle for north America deciding between 338 win and 375 h&hGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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I'm trying to decide between these two calibers for a one gun for NA. the 270gn .375 bullet 2700fps has almost the same trajectory as the 225gn .338 bullet at 2800fps but the 338 carries a lot more energy out to 400 yards and bucks the wind a little better. I do reload an I would not mess with bullets under 225 and 270. it would be used on antilope,deer,elk,blackbear,maybe moose. not interested in any other calibers as I am set on one of these two | ||
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Based on the animals you mentioned I would choose the .338 win. I love mine and it is a hammer. I killed a moose last year with a 7mm rem mag and he didn't go 10 yards so I believe a 338 would do just as good if not better, providing you do your part. I have never shot an animal with a .375 but any terminal performance advantage it might have on the animals you mentioned would be negated by the additional recoil for me. Are you building a rifle or buying off the rack? | |||
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Why ask the question if you have already narrowed your selections down to two calibers and two bullet weights? Either caliber with the weight bullets listed will produce very little if any noticeable difference if you can properly place your shots. Even the rocks don't last forever. | |||
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Only because I can't resist violating my own rules...325 WSM...  Serioulsy...let me violate the rule again...I would go with a 210 grn TSX in 338... Okay okay if you insist...225 in the 338... BTW...energy doesn't kill...holes...do Mike 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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I have one rifle for NA game also-- a 280 Rem. I'm obviously not a bigger-is-better fan so I'd go with the 338 out of those 2 choices. Edit to agree with the best statement I've read on here for some time--- "energy doesn't kill...holes...do" | |||
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I I know energy is only a smaller part of killing an animal, but it with velocity does play a part on the smaller animals when you liquify their insides. it helps smaller animals to drop faster when the shot is right. I asked the question because I was looking for experience with the two calibers. I have owned both but only used the 375 on a hunt where I heart shot a small deer and it took of running for 50 yards. I know they are both good killers for large game. I like shooting both calibers at the range. I was thinking maybe the 338 would smack them harder out at 300 to 400 yards where the 375 would bore a nice hole. Yes it would be a factory rifle in the $500-$700 range so depending on caliber, ruger, winchester, browning, possibly remington. There was a browning xbolt 338 for about $625 and a bottom line remington 375 for $600 | |||
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Split the difference and build a 358 Norma mag. | |||
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I second that motion! I tend to use more than enough gun | |||
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I own both and shoot 225 Gr. Nosler Partitions in my 338 and 270 Gr TSX in the 375 H&H. For the game you mentioned I'd stick with the 338. The main reason is reduced recoil and most likely a lighter gun. Now if a hunt in Africa is a possibility I'd go with the 375 if dangerous game are on the menu. However, the 338 is a great plains game gun in Africa and I've shot everything from Impala to Eland with it and the 225 Gr. partition. Tom Z NRA Life Member | |||
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Either. I have a 375 because I include Africa but for NA the 338 is more than adequate and maybe a little more versatile. Have gun- Will travel The value of a trophy is computed directly in terms of personal investment in its acquisition. Robert Ruark | |||
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Dead is dead. A .338 or .378 does not kill deader than my 7mm Remington Magnum. It has produced one-shot kills on everything from eland, moose and elk down to javelinas and little duikers and grysboks. Unless you will be hunting brown and polar bears, you won't need anything larger than .30 caliber when hunting in North America. Bill Quimby | |||
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+1 for Bill's advice. While I have rifles in caliber larger than the 375, I have moved down from 375, 338,300 to the 7mm magnum for all large N/A non-DG game. Took my last massive elk at a distance greater than you propose with a lung shot and, as he turned toward me, a heart shot. With a good bullet and correct shot placement, the 7mm mag will do anything you wish w/o the recoil of the bigger boomers. I did use my 7mm on my desert sheep hunt with 168 gr Berger VLD as I expected to be presented w/a long range shot, and it was. I use the same configuration to shoot plates up to 1000 yards. | |||
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the 7mm is a good cartidge but I just don't have much interest in small bores. for me interesting calibers start with medium bores, 338 on up. Yeah the 358 norma has always been an interesting caliber to me. | |||
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Since we are severely limited in our choices, go with the .338. With the right projectile it will take even the big bears. But turning your nose up at the 7 RM is a serious mistake if you plan to stay in the lower 48! | |||
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The 358 Norma is a great rifle. Mine is a safe queen as is my 8mm. I should have mentioned in the above posts that I live in the desert/mountain west where distances are long. Hence my preference for the the 7mm mag and the Berger VLDs is one of practical utility, as opposed to my very real interest in the larger calibers. I note that a number of competitors are coming out with bullets that are approaching the B.C. of the Berger VLD. | |||
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I own and shoot both. I have a nickeled M700 Remington in a Brown Precision stock that is my North American gun in .338WM. My .375 is a Winchester M70 Safari Express. It has been to Zimbabwe 3 times and I have shot a lot of game with it. I did take the .338 to Africa and used it quite a bit also. The .338 makes a great compliment to a .458 or 416 as a light rifle on safari. I have carried the 375 in the same capacity with a 458 on an elephant hunt. Maybe I'm strange but I kinda go for blue/wood in a safari rifle and stainless(or nickel)/synthetic for NA or Northern Hemisphere. Anyway, my 375 is a little too heavy in weight for NA at least in my opinion. The .338 is much more portable and packs enough punch for anything here and, as was mentioned, lends itself to a little more versatility for the US and Canada. My suggestion is get both, but if you are going to stick to NA only, you will be well served by a .338. | |||
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I have killed three Moose with a BLR in 358.Just sayin!!!!  | |||
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338 is a killer. I know it's been used more than once on Buffalo and Elephant. I love the 270 gr TSX in my 375 H&H, but a slight edge goes to 338 due to a flatter trajectory. Good news is that you won't go wrong either way. | |||
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338 is a better choice if longer range shooting is a possibility. The 375 is just niiiiiiiice... If you know what I mean. Jokes apart, I always say that a rifles set up is more important than choices between similar calibers K | |||
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Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... 338 Edge, the FL RUM case. It is within 100fps of the 338 Lapua, and brass is a 375 RUM one pass thru the Edge FL die. I am prejudiced because after years of back and forth, I am going to build one on this nice Whitworth Magnum action I have sitting here on my desk. Keep reading here you'll be at Step One of "Analysis to Paralysis". | |||
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If I had to pick one rifle caliber/ chambering out of my group of rifles it wouldn't be a .338 or .375 it would be a 30/06. Anything in North America and great for all but a handful of animals worldwide. If you are really stuck on your two choices I'd go with the 338. I have a hard time picturing myself hunting Deer or Antelope with either of your two choices. | |||
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You don't say anything about the rifle. I would say that rifle choice should also have a lot to do with cartridge choice. What type action? Long heavy barrel or carbine? You can find a BAR in .338 but not in .375. Given the very limited choice between those two cartridges I would lean to the .338 for anything with a long barrel and with the .375 for anything with a short barrel. The .338 would make a nice all around rifle in a bolt gun with a 25" or 26" barrel. The .375 would make a nice carbine. I would also lean toward the .375 for a single shot or double barrel rifle. Both are much more cartridge than needed for antelope and deer. What is the rifle? . | |||
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I have to vote for the 338. With today's bullets it can do whatever you need in North America. My personal favorite! | |||
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My vote goes to the 375 H&H ! | |||
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For all of North America: 338 Win Mag.  | |||
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so it would be a bolt action with 24-26" barrel as I think a 8-9lb rifle is perfect for a hunting weight rifle. Easy to carry, easy to point, mild recoil. another reason i like the 338 win and 375 h&h is the recoil is fairly mild for the caliber. I currently own a 30-06 and it will handle NA, but the caliber is just too boring and too small for my taste. like I said I'm just not interested in small bores. I've tried them, but always end up going back to 338 or bigger I will also be getting a 458 lott in the future, so maybe the 338 is a better choice or a 358 norma if i can find one | |||
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gohip2000, I love both calibers but a 338 WM will handle anything in NA with ease. I shot a 338 in Alaska and Afica almost exclusively for about 12 years and never found it lacking. I tried a lot of bullets but the 210 and 250 NP's are going to be hard to beat from sheep to big bears. 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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Quite right; quite right. John Farner If you haven't, please join the NRA! | |||
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for me, the choice is easy. A .375. The recoil between the 2 is comparable, with a 235 gr bullet, which you can load down or load up to the neighborhood of 3000fps, it is not punishing and will still outperform the 225 or the 250 out of a .338. And for moose or bears, you can load the 250, 260, 270 or 300 grain bullets. The wider bullet selection and ability to load according to what you are after makes my choice the .375 | |||
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What blacktailer said. | |||
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+1 more When did the North American animals become armor plated? Remember Jack O'Connor and his .270 Win? I have taken dozens of elk, a couple of moose, and other than the largest bears, I have taken half of the North American 29 species of big game animals. All were easily killed with .30 caliber or smaller cartridges. NRA Endowment Life Member | |||
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I had the same choice to make 35 years ago and went with the 338 Win Mag. Now many rifles later I still have the 338 and it is my go to hunting rifle. It has killed a boat load of Elk, deer, and many African plains game. You can't go wrong with the 338 caliber. The only easy day is yesterday! | |||
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If Grizzly or Bison are on the menu with any regularity, .375....otherwise .338. | |||
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For one rifle for EVERYTHING in NA...a .300 Win Mag! Load it down to .308 Win levels with 165's or max it out with 200 TSX backed by 220 barnes banded solids. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ J. Lane Easter, DVM A born Texan has instilled in his system a mind-set of no retreat or no surrender. I wish everyone the world over had the dominating spirit that motivates Texans.– Billy Clayton, Speaker of the Texas House No state commands such fierce pride and loyalty. Lesser mortals are pitied for their misfortune in not being born in Texas.— Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Texas in May, 1991. | |||
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Read previous post! Its my favorite csliber. However, to answer your question, 338! | |||
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realistically, no big bear and probably not any bison. at least until the time where I can afford to build up a collection of rifles at which point I could afford those hunts. Again thanks everyone for the replies. I know logic says 7mm-300 win mag takes care of everything in america, but I've owned 270 - 458 lott and just seem to keep coming back to the 375 h&h and 338 win mag. I'll probably end up letting the best rifle I find for the money decide the caliber, but all things being equal in the rifle, I think I'll lean to the 338. if I hunted Australia, Russia, Africa, or AK, I think it would be a no brainier on the 375. | |||
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Have both, the .338 is used extensively, the 375 lounges in the safe. | |||
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I've owned numerous 375s (all H&H) and one 338. Either will work, but I enjoy shooting the 375 much more. For me, the recoil is more comfortable. Antlers Double Rifle Shooters Society Heym 450/400 3" | |||
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my experience exactly. if you EVER think Africa is a possibility, go with the .375. otherwise the .338 is ideal for anything on this continent. Vote Trump- Putin’s best friend… | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting American Big Game Hunting 1 rifle for north America deciding between 338 win and 375 h&h
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