What is the recoil comparison of the 30-06, 300 WM, and 338?
Both magnums kick somewhat more than a 30-06, but what matters is how you handle the perceived increase. That perception depends on rifle weight, shooting position, stock design, bullet weight and velocity, recoil pad, etc., and on your experience, recoil tolerance, musculature, technique, etc.
I avoided owning a 338 for years because I had shot several Browning A-Bolts while helping customers get them zeroed in. These rifles weighed just under 8 pounds with a scope, which too light, and the stories of hateful recoil were absolutely true.
Then I traded into a Browning High Power in 338 right before an elk hunt last year. Recalling my experience with the A Bolts, I put a fixed 4x scope on it because it had more eye relief than any other scope I own, then sat down and gritted my teeth to get it zeroed. My first shot with 200-grain factory loads was an enormous relief. Recoil was far less than I remembered, probably because this rifle is built on a Mauser action with a walnut stock, and it weighs just over 9 pounds.
I clobbered a nice Roosevelt's bull with it a couple of months later, and now both the rifle and the cartridge are among my favorites. I have another 338 (maybe 2) headed for my safe as you read this.
And yeah, what people say about not noticing recoil in the field is 100% true. The recoil of my 338 felt like a 223 when I shot my elk.
Okie John
