I've shot a variety of calibers over the years, ranging from a .264 that I love dearly to a .470 NE, for all sorts of game all over the world.

In 1984, I purchased a Winchester model 70 in .338 win mag, after using a friend's .338 on a bighorn/goat hunt in British Columbia. In 1985, I shot my first animal with that rifle, a nice spring bear on Kodiak. Since that time, the .338 using 225 grain bullets has been my go-to gun for everything from blacktails to brown bears. The smallest animal I've shot with it was a klipspringer (note to self, use solids next time) up to Brown Bear at the other end. It is an excellent elk rifle, perhaps the best elk caliber out there. In fact, just last Friday I shot a beautiful Nevada bull with my .338 and 225 grain Trophy Bonded Bearclaws.

For North America, I don't know if there's a better all around caliber than a .338 win mag using 225 grain bullets. The nosler partition is still my favorite bullet in that gun. One key is to get a fiberglass stock with a good pad, as that'll dampen a lot of recoil by itself.

.338 win mag. Ammo is readily available, and it is more than proven on both sides of the pond.

Anything the .338 can do, the .375 can do with a little more authority.

Talk about using 225 grain bullets in the .338, try 235 grain bullets in the .375. Personal choice, there is no RIGHT answer.

Neither will do anything that a .30/06 with 180 grain bullets will do. Pick the caliber/cartridge you personally like best and go with it.

There is no perfect cartridge/rifle combination just as there is no perfect hunter.

I've got a few 375's and used to have a 338 Win Mag. Traded it for a 340 WBY Mag. I also use the 225gr bullet but prefer the TSX over the Partition after having a couple of the latter come apart on me.

Anyway, for North America, I think the 338 (340) with the 225gr bullet is just about the cat's ass! I agree in that it has to be the finest Elk rig out there. The only thing I'd step up on in NA is the big bears. I've taken two Brownies, one with the 375 and one with the 416. Personally, I prefer the Rigby for the big bears, but I'd really have no problem using the 340 for that purpose.

The 338 is usually found in a little lighter package and will really reach out there if necessary. The light for caliber 375's can give you the velocity as well, but you'll sacrifice BC.

So I'll put my vote in for the 338 if you can only have the one. I took 2 Elk with the 338 WM, 5 Elk, 1 Alaskan Moose, Caribou, a couple of Whitetail Deer, Hogs, and a host of African Plains Game ranging from Warthog to Eland, Zebra to Nyala, Blue Wildebeest, and too many more to list with the 340WBY. Looking around at my trophy room, I've taken more animals with the .338 caliber than any other. You can't go wrong with that selection and would only need larger for some of the really big and nasty stuff such as Cape Buff and Elephant.

I think I'm just going to have to wait. I have a sako A7 30-06 and it's just shooting too well. If it wasn't shooting 5 shot 1/2 moa with 165 gr hornadys and 180gn partitions, I'd probably do it because I really like the bigger calibers. just took the sako out again today and I can't bring my self to sell it.

One of my favorite rifles is a Ruger 77 that started out as a .338....great gun, but I couldn't leave it alone. After a few years I rebarreled it to .375/.338...the best of both worlds in a light, handy package.

9.3/06 ~

For North America: .338WM.

quote:

Originally posted by tasunkawitko:
9.3/06 ~

If I shoot out the 30-06 barrel i was thinking about re-barreling to 338-06, 35 whelen, or 9.3x62

Or turn it into a 280 AI and buy a 338 win