Can anyone who has shot both of these tell me how much difference there normally is in percieved recoil as well as terminal performance and accuracy?

I had a couple of 338 win mag ruger 77's. The first one I got when I was 15 .

Last summer I shot a 338 ultra in rem 700 bdl blue/wood unscoped. The recoil was about half again more. I was shooting my 8lb .458 win mag the same day and I would say the recoil of the .458 and .338 ultra were about the same. Recoil is stiff but not unmanagable . My wife can shoot my .458 .

With over 1100 rounds of 338 RUM fired I thing I can answer this one. I have fired only 40 or so rounds in a 338 WM and would have to say it kicks no more than a 300 WM. Down range performance from the 338 RUM is a lot more than the 338WM, more range, more energy, less drift, BUT more recoil. The 338RUM has the 338WM beat by 300-350 fps and at least 1000 foot pounds of energy. This is with hand loads of course. Recoil while hard is not unmanageable, my 16 year old, 5', 90# daughter has fired mine from the prone before I installed the brake. I did finally put a brake on the Remington 700 LSS after 900 rounds and brought the recoil down to a 30-06 level.The noise is not a factor as I hunt/ shoot with ear protection always. Even so the Harrells brake is not much louder than no brake. As for accuracy I would have to say the 338 RUM is by far the more accurate of the two. Both barrels on my switch barrel rifle will shoot .75 moa most all the time with most loads besting that. The 338 RUM will get you 3600+ with the 180 Nosler BT's and 3050 with any of the 250 grainers. My rifle is not picky as to it's diet and that makes it all the more fun to shoot. I have not fired any factory ammo and If you shoot factory in the 338 RUM you might as well go with the 338 WM as the RUM is down loaded big time in factory trim.

I have shot and handloaded both calibers extensively in the field, at paper and in my ballistics lab.

Given that introduction, I have a surprizing observation for you:

I would not own a 338 RUM if I did not handload and could not get good accuacy out of it at 338 WM velocities. The higher velocities of the RUM do not kill better inside of 300 yards, nor does the flatter trajectory at this range improve field accuracy over the 338 Win.

The RUM has the capacity to take big, tough game at very long ranges, but that is really the only advantage it offers over the 338 WM. If you want power that is a step up from the 338 WM in close with the range of the 338 RUM at 338 RUM recoil levels...get the 375 RUM.

I did.

I wanted a .338win for general hunting. I like the Sako S/S.

I also wanted a .338Lapua for long range target and some limited hunting.

So I thought of a Remington Sendero in .338RUM and two stocks from McMillan - a thumbhole sporter and an A2 tactical.

Swap stocks and you have two rifles in one. Without spending the 3200Euro for a TRG 42 in .338Lapua.

I do handload so it would not be a problem developing loads for both purposees.

Sound like a plan?

[ 12-01-2003, 04:40: Message edited by: EXPRESS ]

Both the recoil and downrange performance are noticeably increased with the 338ultramag.

Express

The 338 Winchester feels like a soft thump on my shoulder while the 338 Ultra is a sharp jab.
I can easily shoot 50-75 .338 Win rounds from the bench without feeling uncomfortable in the least while 25-30 rounds is enough out of the Ultra. A ten pound Sendero takes the "sharp" feeling out and adds at least 15 shots to my equation.
Recoil is not a good and bad thing it is a cumulative thing. The best illustration of this is an eight pound (field ready) .416 Rem I have.
Most beginners shooting it for the first time announce "its not that bad" (with a puzzled look on their face). Firing the "little .416" a second time will often result in a all day flinch for the same beginner (face contorted this time).

To give you a comparison I shoot 15 well aimed shots off of the bench before putting the 416 away while I will shoot a 9 pound 300 win all day.

In my experience the 338 Ultra is on average much more accurate than the 338 Win. The Ultra easily bests the Win. in the long range arena.

Small game are most often polaxed by the Ultra while they usually bounce 20 or so yards after being hit by the 338 Win. loaded with heavy bullets (very much "dead"). Big game (elk/moose) seem to be unimpressed by the extra velocity and violent expansion of the 338 Ultra. Both clobber game with authority.

I hope this helps.

Jamie

EXPRESS -

You have a good plan IMHO. The 338 RUM should shine as a long range target rifle. Make that stock plenty heavy!