Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game .300 Weatherby vs. .338 win mag for hunting ?

In my last question I was asking about the .300 Weatherby a friend of mine ( and maybe a few posts ) suggested that maybe a .338 Win Mag would suit my needs better. I have looked at the .338 win mag recoil charts ( for my boy ) and seen that it kicks similar overall. This rifle is more for my son ( to grow into ) than for me. But right now it is more for me. If I choose the .38 Win Mag I will get a Savage 111 Trophy Hunter XP and handload and make reduced recoil handloads for my son. Which would be a better rifle for using all over the world ? I would not handload for the .300 Weatherby ( if that's what I get ) for awhile after I get it ( 1-3 years later ). The .338 Win Mag I would handload for right away.

BTW, could anyone share reliable reduced recoil load data for either cartridges ?

I've used the .338 considerably, and around 60 grains of IMR4895 with a 200-grain lead-cored bullet will get 2650-2700 fps, depending on the bullet, barrel length, etc. Such a load kills very well, and doesn't kick any more than the average 180-grain .30-06 load. Accuracy is usually good, though the load may have to be tweaked for an individual rifle.

I've had better luck with that load than reduced loads for lighter bullets, but those would be worth a try as well.

I've had one 300 Weatherby (sold it) and now own two 338 win mags. I really like them. Of course, I download the cartridge most of the time. I don't have my load data in front of me but I've shot a reduced load (60% of max load of H4895) with a 225 Nosler Accubond - very comfortable to shoot and accurate in my rifle.

I am a hardcore 300 WBY fan and I don't download it. With 200 grain bullets you can go long or go hard. You can shoot lighter bullets- 165s for less recoil if you choose. Nothing wrong with the 338 either though!

300 Wby w/165's has done well for me. The 2 elk I've shot with that combo didn't seem to disagree with its performance either

I'd go with the .338 Win mag between the two for all around hunting. I'd feel more comfortable on the large bears with .33 caliber but that's just my opinion.

I have been shooting the 300 Wby for over 30 years and like it. It kicks and the best ammo is to go with the Rem 300 Wby. The brass is very good and cheaper than the Wby. Wby ammo is $60.00 and up and some C&C 338 Win ammo is cheaper and easier to find than 300 Wby. The 338 is a nice case to load for, several of my 340 Wby loads are at 338 velocity. The 338 will work great on bear but it may be too much for your son. Good luck! Randy

I haven't shot either extensively but I would question both as being ideal for a younger hunter. I can only shoot a few rounds before I feel myself concentrating on recoil or straining rather than placing the shot accurately. After shooting about a box worth of rounds both are out of the fun category for me.

As for hunting they are both excellent for everywhere there is not a caliber restriction. I would think more on the lines of a starter rifle for your son and then the 300 or 338 for yourself.
I would also think about something in the .260-30/06 range paired with a .375 but that would be two rifles.

The single all around rifle is a myth to me, if you hunt extensively then you will probably end up with more than one sooner or later.

..........Which is the better all around cartridge for all over the world you ask?

You really cannot go wrong with either imo. But aside from any recoil comparisons and timelines for handloading, as a suggestion, what you should do when really comparing any two rounds with a fine tooth comb, is go on the Hornady site and play around with their external ballistics calculator.

Type in your choice of 30 and 33 caliber bullets, the BCs for those bullets, the bullet weights, your prefered scope`s zero in yardage, probable temps and wind speeds, the est MVs and take alot of notes along the way.

Compare all of the downrange #s for the 300 Wby and 338 Win;;; the velocities, ft lb energies and the trajectory bullet drops at all of the given distances shown. If I recall, you can see exactly what the bullets will do from the muzzle out to either 500 yards on one chart and out to 1000 yards on another using 50 and 100 yard downrange increments.

Of the two, the flatter shooter for longer ranged work will be the 300 Wby.

If you do that comparison using the external ballistics calculator and just using the Hornady bullets BC info on their site, you`ll be able to really get down to the nuts and bolts performance ballistics comparison between them.

Then after your comparing is all done, determine which best suites your hunting needs most of the time and for the terrains and game you`ll be hunting.

Depnding on what you are going to hunt and if it's REALLY big game, the 338 will have an edge. Otherwise the 300 is more versatile I think,

Exactly what are you hunting brown bear or elk...if you answered no then...if you are look at recoil charts you shouldn't be shooting either nor would I let my son "grow" in to a .338
Go get yourself a 7mm-08 and be happy your son will thank you

+10 on what George said. Right now you are long on theory and short on practicle reality, get the kid a 243/7-08 let him learn to shoot intelligently and kill some ORDINARY GAME like deer and antelope. After he has learned which way is up and doesn't have to be coached on bullet placement etc., then you can offer to get him a bigger rifle to beat the crap out of him with more than necessary recoil.Yes I am sure you didn't want to hear that but YOU needed to and you did ask. Magnum Man

I've had a 300 Roy for 30 years and have shot about everthing in the West with it. Most several times, i.e. bull elk, mule deer, various kinds of sheep. I have always used Weatherby factory 180 grain Nosler Partitions. It is very flat and very deadly. Especially good for cross canyon shots on elk and deer. I had a 338 Win for several years and shot 225 grain Speer Grand Slams in it. I shot several bull elk with it in CO, NM, and AZ and it worked fine. One day in NM I was trying to make a long range shot, read 400 plus yards on a barbary sheep and it didn't work near as well as the 300 Weatherby. I thought recoil was a little worse on the 338 but it would be pushing a 225 grain bullet versus a 180 in the Wby. I'm just a 30 caliber guy when it comes to magnums. Better for all around hunting because you can use a 150 grain or 165 grain (best ballistic coefficient) if you want to.

I think a guy ought to use whatever he pleases regarding caliber/cartridge selection for general BG hunting, far as I know there are no rules. I have experience with 300 magnums of various forms and like them a lot. I don't currently use them much because as I age recoil has become an issue for me. I've tried to like the .338, but I just don't see where it fits. A 300mag is plenty of gun for our biggest cud chewers and in my opinion a little light for the really big bad stuff. So from the 300's I go to the 375H&H which is a fine bone cruncher with very little more recoil than the 338 with its heaver bullets. So if I'm going to put up with a lot of recoil it'll be with one of the all time greats, the .375H&H.

I've owned two MK V's in 300 Weatherby. Shot factory ammo only. I found the recoil to be sudden and violent. It took concentration for the follow through, and back then due to my eye sight, I was a nasty stock crawler. Worst I have ever been beaten was a prone shot from my 300 Weatherby.

I've since sold both those rifles, purchased perscription shooting glasses, and gone to a longer LOP than Weatherby rifles have. I now own a .338 and a 375 H&H and have braked them both. They both shoot at around 2700-2800 fps, and have the recoil of a 30-06. In the field I do not notice the noise of the brake. Around any kind of structure, say a roof over the bench on the range the noise of the blast seems to be amplified.

The 375 H&H is my plan B elk rifle, and the money gun is the .338. It has the BT turret on the Swaro scope so I'm good to 600 yards and change if need be. I have found it easier to find ammo for the .338 and 375 than the Weatherby, and when I do its a lot cheaper than Weatherby factory.

Having said all the above, a 200 grain Accubond or 168 TTSX out of a 300 Weatherby is damn tough to beat.

Several years ago I had a .450 Marlin for sale in the local classifieds. A guy called me and he wanted it right away. He came right over and bought the gun. I asked him what his plans were for the gun and he told me his 15 year old son wanted it. I asked him what shooting experience his 15 year old had and he said this was going to be his first gun. I've wondered since how that worked out? Not well I figure.

Yea I agree for a first rifle neither the 300 Roy or 338 is a great choice. But that's the question he asked.

I Own both.Shoot a 200gr NP outta your Roy and never look back

I think that the "Mighty Little" 7mm-08 helped to make my son the highly competent hunter that he is today.
He has no flinching or trigger jerking habits brought on by hard recoiling magnum rifles and has dumped beautiful trophy animals out to 500 yards with it.

The Remington 300 Wby ammo is the worst stuff I have ever used and the brass is horrible compared to Wby brass. The Remington ammo is a full 100 fps slower than the proper ammo too! Go with the good stuff, either Wby or Norma ammo. There may well be other "good stuff" but I haven't bought any factory Wby ammo in a while. Had a client give me a box a year or so ago and it was good stuff; Hornady loaded factory ammo with Norma made brass.

The 200 grain loads, to me, are noticeably harder recoiling. I have killed more than 10 bull elk with 165 grain bullets; all at less than 100 yards however. I killed a few with 200 grain soft points and a couple of 180 grain soft points. I even shot one with an Barnes original softpoint (250 grain) roundnose. Shot quite a few of the Barnes softpoints back in the 80s. Accuracy was not great but performance at the killing end was! Back when I only timber hunted, 100 yards was a long shot!