I was doing a homeowner concrete job. Big guy and he started talking hunting. Seems he was drawn for elk here in az and heard he needed a 338 over his 3006. He sighted it in and it hurt him. He hunted it and wounded an elk. Went home for the 3006 and killed an elk.
Wanted to know if I wanted a 338 for part of the work.
I said I'd add some extra for it. He agreed... cost me 80 bucks in extra material and not much extra labor.
Almost new ruger 77 tang.
I had no problem shooting it and I'm a small guy... but no one else I knew could. So I braked it and it killed elk by family and friends. 7 different people have killed with it.
Problem is it's heavy and hard to carry... and the worst rodeos I've had were caused by it's difficulty for the average shooter to shoot when on an animal.
Secondly it didn't kill any better even on good hits than my 06 with barnes... or my 270 with NPs, or my 7X57 with barnes, or my 308 with GMX... or my 708 with 120 nbt. Bad hits were just a big mess.
The vast majority of folks can't shoot a 338. But many hear the BS on hunting sites and try. My policy now is to have a hunter shoot all my guns and decide which one they like. I've been successful and no messes for the last 10 years.
My nephew used the 338 last year, started reloading and it's a good gun for him.
Kent
