Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting All hail the wonderful and mighty .338 Winchester Magnum

I think the real need for a 338WM in the lower 48 is pretty low.
But that doesn't mean you can't hunt with one. The only critter that we can hunt with often that "might" need a 338WM is elk. But one sees many pics here and elsewhere with bulls and cows taken with .270's and lighter cartridges. As said here many times, when you put a premium bullet in the right place you will need a frying pan!
Merry Christmas to all.

Dober: Thanks and same to you and yours!

This thread looks like it is concentrating more and more on rifle weight which is very appropriate when talking about the .33s. I guess I'm coming down more to Brad's POV as I've a 284 that is 6.25 lbs all up and soon, hopefully, will have a '06 that will be right around 6 ready to go. I've the aforementioned 340 at 8.5 and picked up a 350 RM at a little less. As far as I'm concerned it's too heavy but the price was right and it's simply a beauty. I see it as a niche rifle for elk or moose should the chance come but not a over-hill-and-Dale piece.

The 284 and the '06 will likely get carried much more than I would have thought even 20 years ago and I think that may be a natural progression of the hunting rifleman, both in terms of going "down" to smaller but effiicient cartridges and rifles that are much lighter. There is still niche hunting where you post or stand with big heavy rifles and as we are seeing with John Burns, armament that is a compromise, still carried but substantial and set up for the extreme shot. But I don't think either of these will ever be in the majority and that's not to be critical of either type.

A sub 7lb all-up 30-06 makes a ton of sense... 165/68's at 2,900 is a lot of elk medicine. Whenever Kimber produces their 84L Montana in 270 and 30-06 I think a lot of hunter will have their ideal rifle... I'll likely be one of them.

One of the troubles with being a southpaw is the "white bread" offerings by the the gun makers and none by the smaller concerns. Although in my hunting life time that has improved a lot.

My bud has the SA Rem Ti in a 260--he about has to wrestle his boys for it when Deer hunting; talk about a cartridge-rifle match-up. He also has the Kim in the 300WSM, a very nice "mountain rifle" too.

If only..

The Kimber Montana in 300 WSM is one of the all-time great factory hunting packages- IMHO. Just ask Brad: he's owned like 6 of them!

Haven't owned one perzactly but my .325 is pretty close.

First, FELT recoil has as much (or more) to do with stock design/materials/fit as it does with the chambering. My most used 340 was custom built by Richard Scott about 25 years ago and features a Commercial Mauser action with a whippy 23 inch barrel and with the Leupolod 3.5X10 scope all mounted, it weighs in at around 7.5 lbs and the FELT recoil is not at all bad, but I only shoot 225gr. bullets @ 3050 fps, not 250's.

Both of my 338's wiegh in at just under 8 lbs with thier scopes and I find the FELT recoil to be 15 to 25% less than my lightest 340.

Light weight rifles are a wonderful thing...........I have several 06's and 7mm's that weigh around 6.5 to 7 lbs with thier respective scopes mounted, but these are all custom made or highly customized rifles.

My Kimber Montana chambered in 325 WSM (Barrel shortened to 22 inches) wiehgs 6 lbs, 14 OZ with a 2.5X8 Leupold mounted in Talley QD rings and the FELT recoil is similar to or SLIGHTLY LESS than my 338 WM's that weigh roughly one pound more.

My next two rifle aquisitions (I'l be buying them next month) are going to be Kimber Montana's chambered in 300 WSM and 270 WSM as the Kimber, MT's seem to be accurate and are lightwieght and a wonderful deal for $1,100.00 US. Never mind that I prefer thier CRF actions and all stainless construction for serious low maintanence use.

Sundles, you have too many rifles. Please send those light 7's and 30's to me and well drop the whole matter

I'd have to agree as you can load it down to 06 levels or nearly all the way up to 300 Win. Mag. levels---in a rifle that will weigh about 7.5 lbs with a Leupold 3.5x10 mounted on it and if you want to shorten that 24 inch barrel....................I thinnk a Montana 300 WSM with the barrel sawed of at 21 inches, would make a great Rocky Mountain kick around rifle. I dont know about you guys, but I spend a lot of spring/summer/fall time, just kicking around in the mountains and there are a lot of uses for a fairly powerful, scope sighted, light weight rifle.

No.

Brad,

If you have been loading for the 300 WSM and shooting them in the Kimber, I could use some actual tried and true load data help for the 165-168gr. TSX and or the 180gr. TSX. IF you would not mind helping me, it would be better than me needlessly reinventing the wheel. WOuld you mind sending me a private message?

Tim

If you need some 45-70/454 Casull data,just ask(laughing)..Keep up the good work and I hope you win that SSS Rifle.

Jayco

Jayco - get a clue about your measurement system. Even a Canuck stuck in MetricLand knows that there is a difference between ounces in weight and liquid ounces.

Past that, any backpacker/mountaineer can tell you that even 1 lb. of weight multiplies many times the longer that you pack it.

It does,John..I packed a 15-20lb saw around for 45 some years and know regardless of doing it every day,it gets heavier towards the end of the day.But I would never have sacrificed weight for power or I would still be on the hill limbing my first tree..

When the normal Joe hunter buys a factory built rifle and adds his scope/sling and ammo,he is hauling around close to 8.5 pounds and never thinks about it.My .300 Win weighs in at 9 pounds loaded for the hunt and it's no big deal.

One pound how ever you put it, isn't much and something you can work at and over come.

To each his own.

Jayco

And one more thing..Most hunters are anal about getting in shape aka running/walking or weight training which are mostly cardio.The thing they always seems to leave out,is carrying the rifle around in a ready position all day which is a total different set of muscles than you get in basic weight training.

I use my saw atleast once a week( I cut two cords last week) cutting firewood for money and after lugging that puppy around most of the day,my 9 pound 375 H&H or .300 feels like a toy because it is the same muscles used.

Just saying....One pound ain't nuttin!

Jayco

I agree on that.

Whats a 45-70?

I left out the Mag in 45-70...Getting old,I guess.I could be a smart azz and mention the .457 Wild West wonder bomb,but I won't!!!You fixed that...

Jayco

All the talk about rifle weight got me to thinking. I weighed the 338 win mag XTR in a winlite stock that I just bought and it came in at 7.6 lbs with scope. I plan on changing the factory pad to a pachmyer decelerator. I haven't shot it yet...

7.6 is a nice weight with scope so "all up" it'll be 8 or a bit more or less. Very user friendly!

Dober