Killed an elk in 1985 with the Sako carbine, no complaint with the 210 Nosler, best accuracy (1.5 moa) was with 4064 and velocity around 2550 fps. At 225 yards the elk went over the hill and was found quickly, bled out and on it's back in the "field dress me" position. That was probably the only 338WM in Utah back then. Maybe the only Zeiss 4X too.
Any big game cartridge that would group around a foot at 225 yards would have worked more or less as well on that elk. 'Just could not get great accuracy in any of the four (338s) I have owned, Chrono numbers were less than I had hoped for.
I tried hard to like the.338WM. I was making progress with H414 the cost was flintlock-like delayed ignition, my testing was in Winter...never the less. Yup, tried the slowish stick powders too.
Three 338 WMs and a move to Alaska...Nothing (as far as I am can tell) will the 338WM do that cannot be done as well by an '06, 338/06 Whelen or 9.3 MM, with a bullet up to the task.
No problem with the belted case... (but five plus one beats three plus one) I took the filler block out of the M-70s 338s, fitted expensive express floorplates and tried quite a bit of off the lands load developement.
My Road to Damascus happened when I half heartedly started working with a 340 WBY. Why waste a long action on a short mag like a 338WM? Never looked back.
The big 338 bullet in the old days was the 275 Speer, that was an accurate bullet in my friend's 338WM at 2200fps or so, it made big holes through things like Caribou.
Today's bullets are better in every way. Lots of powder choices, perhaps I am, after all, just not open minded about the 338WM.
I am guilty of an agenda, I confess to verymuch dislike a compromise with the equipment I actually have any control over in the field.
1917, would you recommend Echo re-do his 338/06 into a 338WM?
Sincerly, with Best wishes to you all, Bill
