nwwash, I don't hunt with $1200-$1500 rifles,although I whish I could. None of my guns are weatherbys, and most are pure stock out of the box. My 338 Laupa is a Sako TRG-S M995 that I paid $500 for used. It's accurate, has the slickst action that I have ever seen, and will shoot under 1 MOA. It also hase geater FPE at any range than the 375 H&H or the 338 wn. All in a easy to carry 81/8# package.
DrB

Well, the .338 "LOPP-WAH" is kind of a 'different' cartridge than either the .338 Win.Mag. or .375 H&H, too.
Isn't it a .416 'something' necked down, but the case is much larger than either of the the other two mentioned?
Still, pretty cool!

I'm hoping my .375 ULTRA splits the difference somehow...
Then there's that Remington 798 in .458 Win.Mag. reamed out to .458 LOTT that nwwash and I were talking about last night!!!

Any 338 round from the 338 win mag to the 338-378 is a fine big game rife way better than the .30 calibers.If you can shoot them which is not hard they are for the most part very accurate.I have not seen an innaccurate 338 rifle yet.My 338 rugers shoot down to 3/4" at 200 yards and the 338-378 down to .25 at 100 yards.That is varmit rifle accuracy.Skeaping of which I got my first coyote at 15 yards with my 338 last year.

how often do any of us see 9.3x64 ammo on the shelf. i bet if you even see it, it be alot more expensive than other calibers, it might be a decent caliber,but impratical if you loose your ammo and cant get it just any where.

the 338/06 and 338/08 are bad choices in my mind because the 338/06 necks up a 30/06 case to take a 338 bullet ( bfd) you dont get a flat shooting caliber or one that will compete with the 375 h&h. if all u hunted was on a game farm and 75 yds or less- well maybe.

why spend the extra money on laupa,rum or weatherbys--- all do well, but there just hot rods. bullet placement is far more important than splittin the hairs over a win mag to a laupa,tum or weatherby. the 338 win mags taken all sorts of animals,long before any laupa,rum came out and very effective at it too. and i can find ammo for a 338 win mag in alot of sporting good stores. how about laupa ammo?

All points well taken, but I'm forced to reply that the idea is to 'encourage' each other in our choices, whatever they may be!

"Thank you! I'll be here all week!"

I just bought a 338 WM from a lady in AK over the internet. I am setting it up to shoot 225 grain bullets. Will start with the Fed Premium 225 TSX and am seriously considering the 225 grain NorthFork SS. If I have the opportunity to return to AK to hunt again, will likely bring this rifle and leave the 416 Rigby in the gunsafe. I think the only thing I now need my 416 Rigby for is Dangerous African Game, sure can save the wear and tear on the shoulder.

Going to try it out on TX hogs end of the month and bought it for elk and moose. Think I will try it on deer also here in NC later this year. Next to the 375 H&H this is one of the more versitile cartridges I have found for big game.

bhw, to keep velocity up, i sujest reloader powders. i personally have had great luck with 210 noslers. at 2900-3000 fps a very excellent all around animal load

I've carried a .338Win Mag for twenty years. Not that Caribou or Moose are hard to kill, but it's those big brown fellows that hang out in the same country that I carry the .338 for. Anywhere you go in Alaska you can find .338WM cartridges. Most hunting camps will be made up of hunters carrying mostly .338s. I now carry a TCR in .338WM, a single shot. As for the .338Rem Ultra Mag, I know a few people that have them. They are not as impressive in real use as they were supposed to be. Cartridges are hard to find, and recoil is tremendous. Velocity and energy is too low compared to the .338-378 or the .338 Lupia. I also carry my .338 win Mag for whitetail back in Tennessee. My brothers are really impressed when I make a 600 yard shot from the front porch and knock a whitetail flat.

quote:

Originally posted by Sourdough:
My brothers are really impressed when I make a 600 yard shot from the front porch and knock a whitetail flat.

You had to bring that up, didn't you?!

nwwash and I have talked about 500 yd. shots, but 600 yd. shots?
He will maintain it's a good thing to do.
I will maintain that it's good ONLY if you CAN do it.
I congratulate you on your expert marksmanship, but I'm so inexperienced I don't think I'll ever try a shot that far on a live animal.
Admittedly, it would be very impressive, indeed!

just takes some practice

I would like to add my two cents on weather coatings for rifles.. I've seen two threads recently asking for help .. I've been amazed that no one has mentioned Rougard or NP3 from Robar.. www.robarguns.com.. Please check it out ..They offer the best in protection for pistols and rifles... Also many different looks..Combo Patterns..
I've got four firearms with these coatings and think you can't find anything better..Maybe cheaper..Not better..
This comes from field testing in some very wet places.. AK,Scotland Etc..
As for the 338 WM.. 338-06 is my pick.. 7mm RemMag next
AK

For what it´s worth the 338 is still number two behind the 30-06 in Alaska but is a close second. In my opinion there is no better all around cartridge for Alaska and a good case could be make for world wide use as well.

458
I think the 7mm Mag is the most popular U.S. round in the world..
Your son shoots a 35 Whelen if i'm not mistaken..
AK

I have a high opinion of both the 338 Win Mag and the 338-06. I own them both and for me, each has it's place. I choose to spend my money on the best rifles I can afford and don't feel I have to make any apologies to the "nwwash" types who feel they need to belittle someone who appreciates and can afford fine rifles.

There are those who like to sit down at a rest with their dick in hand while they try to take an animal at 500 or 600 yards and call it fun.

There are others who enjoy the stalk, appreciate what it takes to get within 200 yards to take an animal with any one of a variety of cartridges pushing heavy for caliber bullets between 2500-2800 fps and they call it fun too... to each his own.

quote:

Originally posted by nwwash:
just takes some practice

Well, then...let's take my NIKON Laser800 and some paper plates out to some undisclosed location and get some practice.
Bring your .338 Win.Mag. rifles and let's see if you can put ALL of your shots in an 8" circle at that distance.
I know I can't --- YET.

I've always been impressed with the .338 Win Mag... My stainless M77/MkII in .338 with 250's kicked harder than my RSM in .375 H&H with 300's at 2500 fps! It was NOT fun off the bench at all. The RSM I can shoot off the bench no problem, but that .338 seemed to really belt me for some reason.

brianbo, why dont you take your dick in your hand to the corner, where you belong. too bad you cant understand english.

if you want a necked up 30/06 and think its that hot besides if you want to stalk something, get a damn bow and arrow and act the part.

try understanding this- 3 brand new weatherbys out of the box that the 3 round in each rifle went high or off to the side. now each of those were $1500.00 rifles- thats crappy work hands down. no belittling at all. tottally unacceptable from any manufacturer no matter who did it or the cost of the rifel.

and to takin long shots,if i can take an animal humainly,i will. if i cant, i wont take the shot.if you choose to stalk and waste your time an possibly not have meat in the freezer- thats your right, not your right to push onto others

akrange, go look into the stats. the 30/06 is the top seller. but the 7 mag is in the top 10. whats your point om the 35 whelen? maybe it works for him for what he does or maybe he is one that cant take recoil of the larger bores. if i did nothin but close cover deer hunting,it be a caliber to consider

nwash
What's you take on the Robar .. Looked at it.. It's good info..
Also, I own a 35 Whelen.. With a 250 gr. slug I'd take on the world.. Of Big Critters in AK..
AK

quote:

Originally posted by nwwash:
akrange, go look into the stats. the 30/06 is the top seller. but the 7 mag is in the top 10. whats your point om the 35 whelen? maybe it works for him for what he does or maybe he is one that cant take recoil of the larger bores. if i did nothin but close cover deer hunting,it be a caliber to consider

You are correct about. The .30-06 is the number one rifle with most hunters, and very popular in Alaska. Also, when bears are mentioned, must hunters up here use .300's and .338's.

I prefer the .338WM with heavy bullets, but I mostly hunt moose. I do load a few rounds with 275-hrain A-Frame bullets just in case, but haven't use them on game.

nwwash, I never said the 338-06 was "hot" only that it's effective for me. I don't have anything bad to say about Weatherby calibers, but I wouldn't own one of their rifles.

The thread was about the effectiveness and popularity of the 338 Win Mag in Alaska compared to the 30-06. On that, I guess you and I agree. Though if all I had was a 30-06, I'd hunt with it.

In Alaska; hunting critters where you'd need a 338 and LRH techniques, are mutually exclusive.

I have on several occaisions taken coyotes and rockchucks at ranges in excess of 500 & 600 yards and enjoy the hell out of it. When it comes to big game animals; elk, deer, etc., long range hunting does not fit within any ethical parameters that I adhere to. To each his own.

In this state, if you were to shoot an elk at 500 or 600 yards, odds are that by the time you got to it, some other hunter will have put his tag on it.

quote:

Originally posted by brianbo:
...When it comes to big game animals; elk, deer, etc., long range hunting does not fit within any ethical parameters that I adhere to. To each his own.

In this state, if you were to shoot an elk at 500 or 600 yards, odds are that by the time you got to it, some other hunter will have put his tag on it.

I agree with the first part, and that is where nwwash and I disagree to a point...
As to the second part, well, I guess I'd have to let nwwash be the 'designated hunter/back-up sniper', as one of us would have to go tag the animal.
Although, I'd STILL have reservations about somebody shooting at 500-600 yds. BEHIND me!

I can see it now ---
Me: "Hey, my buddy shot that animal, and I'm gonna tag it!"
Other Hunter: "Oh yeah, well, PROVE IT!"
Me: "You see that tree up there about 500 yds. away? My buddy, nwwash has YOU in his sights, just like that animal I'm about to tag. OK?"
Other Hunter: "Yeah, right!"

BusMaster007, that post made me laugh. Don't we all wish we had a buddy like that??

brianbo, i can see your point on others taggin your animal. it happens in alot of states. theres nothin wron with a 30/06 but we both agree on and prefer a 338. nice thing about 338 is its the same lenght action as a 30/06 but has the power level of a 375 h&h and shoots flatter than a 375 h&h. either you will or wont shoot past 200-300 yards. but with a 338 it can be done ethically and humaily if your comfortable doing it. i have seen elk taken down with 1 shot out to 450-500 yds. but i dont recomend this to inexperianced shooters and it takes dedicated practice to be done ethically an humainly. i find other hunting methods more ethically and humainly wrong, personnaly

Game theft does indeed happen. I had a nice 3x4 pt muley taken from me at gunpoint in 1986, north of Cle Elum on the West side of Hwy 97. I had just finished dressing him and 3 guys walked up, held me at gunpoint while they replaced my tag with theirs, finished skinning and cut it up and packed it off. They left my gun, but took all my ammo out of the gun & my day pack. I talked with the DFW officer the next day, described the 3 but never heard any more about it. Really pissed me off.

I carry a .338-06AI now, but have had 3 .338 Win Mags, all Rugers. The best IMHO was the last being a Ruger No1 with iron sights and 1.5-5x Swarovski. Had her cut to fit and a decelator pad installed. She was capable of 1/2" groups with hunting loads from Federal, 210 Nosler and 250g Barnes hand loads. One of those I should have kept. I don't feel handicapped with the .338-06AI, and I will be working up loads for 225g Barnes MRX, which will be the new home for the Swarovski.

quote:

Originally posted by brianbo:
Game theft does indeed happen. I had a nice 3x4 pt muley taken from me at gunpoint in 1986, north of Cle Elum on the West side of Hwy 97. I had just finished dressing him and 3 guys walked up, held me at gunpoint while they replaced my tag with theirs, finished skinning and cut it up and packed it off. They left my gun, but took all my ammo out of the gun & my day pack. I talked with the DFW officer the next day, described the 3 but never heard any more about it. Really pissed me off.

A good reason to never hunt alone, and preferrably in groups of 3 or more.
ALWAYS have someone ( or two ) out of sight watching the camp or the dressing of the downed game.
It's just good insurance.
With the correct signals, the scenario might've had a different outcome with the classic 'cowboy shot out of nowhere'...
Even 3 desperados with guns would comply with the request to leave THEIR guns and ammo on the ground until the next prearranged step was taken.
Hey, it sounds good in theory.

BusMaster007, on the trail back to the truck, I'm sure I had gone through a dozen different "what if" and "next time" scenarios.

akrange--- never heard of a robar. cant say much on it. i never meant any thing negative on a 35 whelen. its not my first pick like a 338 win mag is, but i would shoot one in western wash.

quote:

Originally posted by Sourdough:
As for the .338Rem Ultra Mag, I know a few people that have them. They are not as impressive in real use as they were supposed to be. Cartridges are hard to find, and recoil is tremendous. Velocity and energy is too low compared to the .338-378 or the .338 Lupia.

I'm surprised to hear that!!! I have a 338 RUM and shooting 225gr accubonds @ 3140fps I can't see it as that far behind the 338-378 or Lapua. I have found that retumbo is the go to powder for the RUM. All the data I have seen leaved the lapua and the rum pretty much neck and neck with a slight edge to the RUM. The bigger weatherby will beat it out by 150-200fps. Brass is fairly readily available too.

The main reason I got the rum was I got a good deal on one when looking to replace my 338 WM. There were some durability issues with my tikka. I really can't complain, a muzzle break solved any recoil issues. I know a few other guys with 338 RUM and all of us are getting comparable velosities and excellent accuracy. One downfall to the RUM is it really NEEDS a long tube to attain these velosities, mine has a 26 3/4" barrel, and weighs in right at 8lbs. 3 shot groups averaging around 3/4-1" with the accubond.

A lot of the bad press about the 338 RUM comes from the underloaded factory loadings. Remington toned them down to help control recoil. When handloaded to thier potential there is much more room for improvement.

quote:

Originally posted by Thebear_78:

Nice 'LAUNCHER' for your projectiles.

My next trip to Alaska, I will be taking my 338 WM in my Browning A-bolt.

458RugerNo1,I too have the M77 stainless in 338. It came with the canoe paddle that Ruger called a stock. I replaced it with a Pacific Precision (now Rimrock) stock and it really tamed the recoil. I also owned a Ruger No.1 in 458 and can't understand how you think the 338 kicks. It nearly took my arm off with factory 510 grain bullets and I am not particularly recoil sensitive. Jim

If I didn't like rifles so much I would always hunt with a stainless .338 Ruger MK II with sights and scope.It has been a killing tool for me here in Alaska.From 20 yds. out to too far.I don't think it is always ideal. It could be lighter in the mountains,shorter in the woods,longer on the tundra. It could have a bigger cross section when shooting bears up close. For all it's shortcomings it works. Now since I like rifles I don't have to worry about it,I just get another one. I absolutely do not need anything up here but a great .338. My biggest problem now is giving my rifles some exercise and blood.It is tough leaving that .338 at home. If my dishwasher was big enough, I would wash it in there when I come home. Not really,but it gives me the feeling of a tough , useful, carefree tool.I have washed it in a creek when hunting around saltwater.

quote:

Originally posted by DavidAk:
I think your comparison of recoil vs the 300wm depends on the rifles used, however.

My .338 kicks viciously...much worse than my brother's .300wm.

The .338 is a Sako Finnbear, the .300wm is a Ruger M77.

I have found this to be true no matter what the cartridge.

I have a Win70 Classic 338WM and my friend has a custom Mauser 338WM. I was working up some loads for them. His is a lighter gun and kicks like a mule. Mine does not.

I have a 1950 Styer 270 carbine that kicks harder than my 338.

Am enjoying reading all these posts aboutthe great land and bb's. Lotta a pissing going on with the last few. Too bad there's always a couple to ruin a good discussion it seems.

I've got a dislike for any gun except those old dog leg 1917 Enfield's because of the safeties. I haven't found a gun of any make yet with as solid and easy to get along with as they are. Sure, I'm trained that way as that's the gun I was raised on. But, I've got several of different makes including two Sako's. Finnbear 7mmag and rebuilt Vixen that's now a .223. I just don't like the safeties is all. Otherwise they are fine guns.

My first '17 is now a .300Win with the original barrel and now has a new stock and scope. Looks real nice and shoots as well as I can yet. Even though the barrel is worn so smooth the grooves can barely be seen it will put them ALL in a typing page at 300yds. I've gone to 200gr Sierra BTSP since a 180 CoreLokt blew up on a cow elks ribs at 200yds. It never entered the near lung, not even with bone chips, but the hole in the side was 3 ribs +meat long x 2" wide. The range was far enough the bullet should have gone all the way thru.

Anyway, I've got another old 17 saved back for the action. Been trying to figure out what caliber to build it into. Two things, it will have at least a 26" tube, and weigh at least 10#, will balance at the floorplate.

After reading Bryce Towsley's story about building a: .35 RUM, and a couple letters between us. He claims to get 3000fps with 250gr.

Other than ammo availability. What would you north country bb, moose hunters have to say about this one? The only .35's I've seen listed herein has been the .35 Whelen. At one time I was considering this in Imp version.

I'm an elk hunter in CO and doubt I'd ever be able to make the trip north. I just want another bigger gun is all. Dad's 88 and given up hunting, yet hasn't given me his FN .375H&H yet.

Would a .35 cal with equal velocity be as good, or any better than a .338WM??
Remember I said, local ammo has no bearing on this.

The best shooting practice ever is using the big guns on prairie dogs, which I've done. That makes the long shots much easier to figure. Down here, we're in wide open country. Even in the mtns where I hunt is mostly meadows a mile or more across. 300-400yds shots at elk can and will come along quite often so anyone hunting these areas sure needs to practice for them.

Thanks much for the opinions.

George

The 358 norma mag and the 358 STA are both excellent calibers and would give you 338win ballistics in a 35 caliber.

either of the .358's, s.t.a. or n.m. with 270 gr. bullets is an excellent choice.

the usual brands, north fork if handloading, swift a frame, n.p., barnes, no t.b.b.c..

quote:

Originally posted by georgeld:
Am enjoying reading all these posts aboutthe great land and bb's. Lotta a pissing going on with the last few. Too bad there's always a couple to ruin a good discussion it seems.

Agree with you on this. That said, since the original post was "about the .338WM in Alaska," the answer is: the .338WM (The Alaskan) is perhaps the most popular cartridge up here when the word "bear" is mentioned. The .300WM and the .30-06 are just as popular as all around cartridges too, but the .338WM with 250-grain bullets is king. Now the .30-06, .300WM, and .338WM outnumber every other cartridge we can think about by a wide margin. The 7mm Magnum is perhaps in 6th place behind theses three. The .375 H&H, even though is not as popular as all around cartridges as the trio above, is an excellent bear cartridge. The answer to the original post has been told numerous times by Alaskans in this forum.

My rifle of choice was a 338 WM for the first couple of years that I lived in the Kenai Penninsula. I realized that I carried a rifle more than I shot it so built a lightweight rifle in 35 Whelen using 250 Barnes X bullets. Sold to a friend here in Wi but after reading these posts am going over to his house and do some trading.