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

My hunting buddy has used 160g in his 7mm Mag. Very much like North Fork performance, as in everything I want in a hunting bullet except a high BC and low cost. Wish Federal made the Tipped version available as components.

FN made Win M70 Extreme Weather .338 Win Mag with 250g Partitions is the ticket for me. My go-to for everything from deer sized game on up. Recoil (to me) is not that bad, but I limit my bench sessions to under 20 rounds and of course you never feel the recoil in field situations. It's a killer for sure, so long as I do my part.

One of my all time favorite elk cartridges.... or anything elts far as that goes.

My m-70 with a compact leupy for glass, shooting from prone once managed to split my hide between my eyes. That is the only time recoil had bothered me from this classic caliber.

My longest shot on an elk was done with the 338, 305 yards. Two shots, second shot fired as the spike was tipping over, dead. Not far for some, but thats the furthest I have had on an elk.

The closest shot I also had on an elk was with the 338. At a measured 33 feet or 11 yards. I head shot a fat ol' mountain cow as I waited a while for it to top the ridge I was on to save me from packing it to the top of the ridge.

Smart man...

Hard to beat that combo. I will be using my new to me model 70 338 as well. It's not an EW, but will work nonetheless...

You know it buddy! It's the rifle that I look forward to hunting with all the time.

The older non tipped TBBC are my elk loads for my 280 Rem. Both the 140 factory Federal till I ran out and now I'm using up the last of the 160 factory Federals.Total penetration on deer and I've only recover 2 of the 140's on elk. The 160's all exited elk.
If I wasn't shooting TSX's out of my 338 I'd be shooting Bear claws.Buy them and kill some elk.

I have a Rem. 700 SS in .338 that has been a very lucky gun for me. On the odd occasion when I start to think of taking something else on our moose hunts my son-in-law starts to push me back into using the .338. He feels I am much more likely to see something when carrying this gun.

Jim

If you've not tried them you should look at the Woodliegh Protected Points in 250gr. I absolutely love them. They aren't cheep but they will go head to head with Northforks, Grand Slams, TBBC's, etc.

Woodleigh's are a great "find" for most hunting cartridges. They work well, are accurate and are all tested on feral flesh and bone before being released.

AGW - The 250gr PP are about $60 US a box are they more competitive there?

Thats actually a pretty good price for premium 250 grain bullets. I think I just paid 52.00 for a box of 225 PTs.

338 mmmm yes!

That is all

338 It's a great caliber.

I have used it in the Win. Mag. Now I use it in 338-06 and 338 RUM. Both of these guns are great shooters that kill very well.

I live in the US but the last time I got them in Oz a dozen years back, there were around $40 A Box. $60 US in today's climate is still an awful not of dead game.

My point was that they are utterly reliable on game and I have never shot an inaccurate one, in fact, I have shot some of my best groups with them in a range of calibers.
John

AGW - Completely agree with your assessment.

I was just curious, I don't see them available widely stateside, and it's a shame as they really are great. I have been using them for years as I got a screaming deal on several boxes and have been bragging on them since.
I have been using Nosler Partions for practice as I pick them up in Bend on my way through to visit relatives. They shoot similar in my rifle.

Midway has Woodleigh 300gn Weldcores on clearance for $47.51 a box.

That is a real thumper in .338 caliber.
John

Wonder what it would take to stop that bullet. Seems like a 338 could push it pretty decent too.

Cartridge : .338 Win Mag.
Bullet : .338, 300, Woodleigh SN WeldCore 58
Useable Case Capaci: 72.595 grain H2O = 4.714 cm�
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 3.340 inch = 84.84 mm
Barrel Length : 25.0 inch = 635.0 mm
Powder : Alliant Reloder-22

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 2.0% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step Fill. Charge Vel. Energy Pmax Pmuz Prop.Burnt B_Time
% % Grains fps ft.lbs psi psi % ms

-20.0 83 56.00 2036 2760 31356 8135 94.0 1.826
-18.0 85 57.40 2086 2899 33505 8369 95.0 1.776
-16.0 87 58.80 2137 3041 35810 8592 96.0 1.728
-14.0 89 60.20 2187 3186 38277 8804 96.8 1.678
-12.0 91 61.60 2237 3334 40924 9002 97.6 1.626
-10.0 93 63.00 2287 3485 43762 9187 98.2 1.577
-08.0 95 64.40 2337 3639 46810 9356 98.8 1.529
-06.0 97 65.80 2387 3796 50085 9510 99.2 1.483
-04.0 99 67.20 2437 3955 53599 9648 99.6 1.439
-02.0 101 68.60 2486 4117 57344 9768 99.8 1.396 ! Near Maximum !
+00.0 103 70.00 2535 4281 61359 9870 100.0 1.355 ! Near Maximum !
+02.0 106 71.40 2584 4447 65672 9953 100.0 1.315 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.0 108 72.80 2632 4615 70311 10027 100.0 1.277 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+06.0 110 74.20 2680 4785 75307 10097 100.0 1.241 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+08.0 112 75.60 2728 4957 80695 10164 100.0 1.205 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+10.0 114 77.00 2775 5131 86517 10227 100.0 1.171 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

Results caused by � 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba 103 70.00 2634 4620 74537 9439 100.0 1.257 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba 103 70.00 2388 3798 48878 9972 96.6 1.486

I saw those but like the 250's and would even go 225 if they were available. I've not recovered a 250 from an elk yet. I don't see how the 300 would be an advantage.

Beretzs ol buddy. Hold out for the seconds. They are a lot cheaper!!!