Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Which 338 chamber and why?

[u]My next build will be around the .338 diameter. Although I have access to a couple of 338 Win Mags I was thinking getting my own. Spoke to a few gunsmiths about the chamber's but wanted to ask the fire:

338 Win Mag
338 Lapua
338 Norma
338 Edge

Edit
I should add, it will be a long range shooter with a 20 MOA scope base and a few other creature comforts.

For what purpose? Long range dinging or hunting?

340 Wby mag-Muddy

Extended hunting distances

Yardage?

I have two 338 chamberings
338 WinMag
338 RUM
I have no desire for any other 338. Granted, they each have their place but my next something is a 300 WinMag. My opinion is it's more versatile and useful for a single rifle hunter.

338 Win Mag. Because I'm a hunter and never needed, nor will ever need more in NA. If I get another 338 it will be 338-06. Because it would do most anything I've done with the 338 Mag.

The 338 Win Mag is all you should ever need. I suspect you may handlaod, but there is lots of 338 Win Mag ammo out there.

donsm70

.340 wby for hunting and a light rifle.

.338 Norma for long range hunting

338 win mag is one of my favorites. A good 250gr. sierra gameking with a .565 BC would also be good for "extended" ranges in the ol win mag...

I like .338 Win Mag for an all around hunting rifle. RL 19 and 225 grain Noslers ... either kind.

Long range ... personal preference, of course, but IMHO if you're buying, Lapua, if you're building, RUM up to 250 grain bullets, Edge for bullets over 250. However, I think brass availability has to considered and may favor the Lapua right now. I'd rather hold the weight in the 10 pound range with any of them and use a brake to moderate recoil.

That's the beauty of the 338 win mag. You can go a little lighter in overall weight and it's still deadly further than most of us can shoot anyway...

This ^^^

Even loaded with a 225 Accubond, the ole Winnie has some pretty impressive down range numbers.

Which does less damage to meat a 300 win mag or 338 win mag?
Can the 300 win mag be loaded up to 338 energy with 200gr, 220gr or 240gr bullets?

Bullet construction, velocity and range is what does "meat damage". Something like a 200 gr. partition is just as powerful as a 338 win mag when you take pure energy into account. You guys have to remember the 300 win mag can be stoked with more powder than the 338 because the case volume is greater. This is one of the reasons I have commented that the 300 often times kicks harder than the 338 win mag. A 200gr. partition or accubond (from a 300 win mag) moving along at 2950 fps is devastating on critters.

All of these critters, plus a blue wildebeast and two wart hogs, fell to a .338 Win Mag in the RSA four years ago. I used hand loaded 210 gr Barnes TSX bullets and all were one shot kills.

Ranges were from 70 to 225 yards.





donsm70

Extremely cool Don.... Proof the 338 win mag can get er done with a little guidance from someone with mad skills...

I like my .338 Win Mag just fine. When I decided i wanted more ass, more speed, flatter trajectory and less turret input for LR I went to the .338 RUM.

My rationale was reasonable action and DBM cost (Rem 700 with HS DBM), decent brass with reasonable cost and availability, no belted case and its not "uber tactical"

Mine is a slightly worked 700 with the barrel set back and rethroated for the 250 scenar. It and the 210TTSX shoot MOA all day long as far as I care to shoot it from a 9# rifle.

I haven't been with out a 338 WM for almost over 35 years. They just work. Even now I'm down to only two. I've had as many as 4. Just a good cartridge.

You may want to consider a wildcat I dreamed up a couple of decades ago, before anyone on this side of the pond knew much about 338 Lapua's. It is an 8mm remMag case aka full length H&H case with minimal body taper and a nice abrupt shoulder, necked up to .338

Mine gets higher velocities with the 225gr TTSX bullets than the loading manuals give for the Lapua. I.E. I chroographed my loads at 3100fps. A bit faster than the Lapua or the WBY numbers.

If one is packing a rifle in this caliber and is separated from his ammunition, 338 WinMag or 340 WBY ammo can be used with perfect safety and to good effect.

338 Lapua performance, plus a little, with easy to find and inexpensive brass. Plus some cartridge interchangeability to make the rifle a great fit for a travelling hunter.

Mine has been to Zimbabwe three times and used much there, as well as Alaska a few times. Lots of hunts here in the west for Elk, black bear and the like. To me, a shootable and very deadly round.

My second choice would be the similar 340 WBY. Again, 338 WinMag ammo could be pulled into service in a pinch with a rifle so chambered.

ALL of them are capable of excellent accuracy, and all are very deadly killers of game large or not so large.

For feed, fit, function, and overall length in a 700 action the 338 rum is hard to beat. Better brass and more options say the 338 lapua but the fatter head size doesn't look right to me in a 700. The rum just works and has enough to go long.

Bb

Godfree..

OP you should give this another try in the LR forum..

338 Lapua built for long range sniping. Cost more, uses a heavier action, faster than the Win Mag by about 300 fps give or take? Typically running a 250 grain bullet? Better brass but expensive and not sure the availability at this point and time.

338 win mag designed as a hunting rifle. Less expensive, ballistics not as good but plenty for anything in N.A and then some.

I guess if you were going beyond 1000 regularly, would really make the decision to go the Lapua route where it is just warming up. Depending on the animal being hunted other possible options would be a 300 win mag or 300 wsm?

338/06 Ack Imp......

good dies right now...Luppa '06 brass....good boolits..

I'm an AI slut..........

Nothing wrong with the ACK IMP not sure how far the OP is planning on shooting and the game though? Too many good calibers and some mirror each other too close to really say the advantages/disadvantages.

Having several .338wm's and a .340roy I'm in favor of the winny in a sub 8lb rifle I want to carry. The 225nab at .550 and the Berger 250 at .682 cover a lot of ground. With that being said my next one will be a .338/375 Ruger just because.

RUM because its a death ray.

All kidding aside, any will fill the bill. The lapua components seem to cost more. A weatherby or rum are about the same performance. The wm is most available
I run my RUM with 210 Sciroccos and its deadly on elk, deer and antelope that I have killed with it. I refer to it as the dragon slayer. My comfort range moves out each year with additional practice and currently resides at 550yds. Longest kills have been antelope at 433, whitetail at 418, and elk at 370. All DRT. Elk usually stumble off a few yards. Deer and antelope take heavy punishment and go no where.

RickBin built one of these Several years ago but hasn't Said much about it. Seems perfect to me; that or a 338-26 Nosler?

Is that sub-8 all in or bare?

Mine will be sub (or right at) 8 with 4 down and 1 up . Beat that in a wsm... . Sukkas...

I'd go 338-375 Ruger.

My brother killed his black bear at 1104 yds this year with one well placed heart shot from a 338 win mag. He was using a Sierra Matching. Can't remember exactly what gr bullet but the exit hole was the size of a baseball even at 1104 yds.

Shod

.......and that's why you don't use matchkings on bear. Unless you like holy rugs...

Big fan of the plain old 338 Win Mag but I am not a LR shooter. More of a 0-500 guy, so just about any of the bullets you feed it will do well out to those ranges. The 210 PT is an excellent bullet for all around use out of the 338 Win and I have used it to excellent effect on elk. This year I ran 225 PT's/225 BBC's at 2900. Probably a touch better on energy than the 210's, but still very similar.

If your going long, the RUM or Wby make a lot of sense.

FWIW, my Alaskan goes 9lb's on the nose scoped and loaded. A little hefty, but it balances well and shoots great in the field.

330 Dakota. Brass and dies have been around a long time, and are very easy to find. Pretty much equals a 340 Wby. beltless.

What weight rifle are you looking for? Makes a big difference in recoil.

My Alaskan is 9 pounds too and very comfortable to shoot off the bench. Field positions are a breeze too. Scotty, have you ever tried the Sierra 250 gr. gameking in yours???

BSA is gonna talk me into a 338 one of theses days.

What, you mean like this one:

I have two. A 338-06 and a 338 RUM. They are both fun to shoot, and have their spot on different hunts.
If I were to start new, I would prolly just go with the win. mag.

Merry Christmas

.338 WM.
Easy to shoot, can be in a lightish rifle, has a burning rate that will clean up all your spare powders from Rel 15 to the 4831's.

Rel 17 will lift it a peg with 225's loaded to 2950fps which is fast enough to shoot very flat under most field conditions and generate enough power for 99.9% of game.

John

338 Laupa does not have to have a heavier action. I have a 338 Laupa built in a Rem-700 action and have seen a few built on a M-70 CRF actions

How far is extended hunting distance?

O/P; 338 Win Mag hands down of your choices. Will do most everything you might ask of it anywhere on the planet. My Model 70 has been from the Arctic Circle to the Cape (and lots of places in between) and never let me down. AND... if need be your odds of buying ammo are much, much, much higher than any other 33

I have never fouled my barrel with the 250 Sierra's BSA. I have ran a lot of the 250 PT's through it though and my rifle dotes on them with a good load of RL22. Speeds run nearly 2800 as well. I tend to use the 210's or 225's, but maybe one of these years I'll run the 250's. I also have a good stash of the old 275 Speers that shoot equally as well. Just haven't found many .338 bullets I don't like to be totally honest.

FYI, your custom 338 looks PERFECT!

Inspired my back yard 77 223 paint job and fitting a red Decelerator!

Not listed but gotta insert 338-06! Will do it all!

Yeah, I really like my 338-06.

I gave a moose a dirt nap, a few years back. Shooting Nosler Partitions 225 grain bullet at 2700 MV The shot was about 200 yards.

Randy, same story! Guide was standing off about 40 yards at the shot he asked "where did it go" reply "DRT" at the shot! Mine was at 150 yards. Like the caliber so well I got two both on bored out pre 64's. One a fwt all in at a little over 7 lbs and the std at 9 lbs.

Freeking awesome. Looks great buddy!!!

Thanks Scotty. It really feels awesome as well. I also like the 5 round capacity for those just in case scenarios...

.338-280 RCBS, just because I have one!