Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Who has killed an elk with a cartridge > .338 WM?

When the first few threads of the forum are about .223, .243, and .270, I believe we are obligated by the Cartridge Fairness Doctrine to start threads about the other end of the spectrum....

FC

I have taken two bulls with the 35 Whelen and two with the 375 H&H. Still own the Whelen, a tweaked factory M77 RS. The 375 was a M700 Custom Shop KS Mountain Rifle. It was an incredible shooter and weighing just 7 3/4# scoped was a joy to carry. I have since sold it off. Still regret it. Used a 250 gr Partition and a 225 gr TSX in the Whelen and the 260 gr Partition in the 375.

I've shot two bulls, one spike (70 yards) and one 6pt (45 yards), up close and personal in the timber with my 22" M70 338WM. 210 NP's at a bit over 2,900. Seemed to work just fine!

Too big....338 mag

Too small.....223


Just right...30-06

Not sure if this qualify's or not but I'll submit it anyway. Have used the 338 WM a bit, it was my first 33. I had a 700 Classic in it, what an accurate beast.

Then I went thru a fairly serious .340 stage (wore out 2 tubes). Guys at elk camp called the rig "Thunder".

Next 33 phase was a 338/06 and a rig I call "Fat Bastard" which is a 338 WSM.

Thing I've liked best about the 33's is how dang accurate they are! Easiest bore size to date for me to find accurate rigs in.


Dober

2 raghorn bulls with a 375 H&H, a few with a 340 Wby and 1 with my 450 Marlin. They work every bit as good as my 270, with often less meat damage.

Last November's Bitterroot raghorn via 375 H&H with 260 Partition. Awesome round.

Side note of Gack. I really like the combo or a lightish .270 and lightish 338 or 375 for elk.

Add Talley's and 6x36 w/dotz and get to filling arks...grin

Dober

I had a 338-06 but never killed an elk with it.

The 340 is too much of a good thing for me.

My fave is Dober's "Fat Bastard"... it's a pity Olin never made that one. The RCBS dies could be found on the shelves around here for a number of years.

But it's hard to beat the plain-jane 338 WM... I really think it's the logical "next step" from a 30-06.

It's likely the "ideal" elk cartridge but I just don't want to deal with the recoil anymore.

The 30-06 is the "Everyman's Elk Rifle."

270/338 was my combo for a few years Dober.

I'd take that 300WSM of yours and start on filling em up, if it were me... I wanna be on the list when you sell that bad boy!

The OP was looking for > .338 WM... I have taken a few with the 338-06 as well. Used the 185 gr TSX and 210 gr Partition.

My first 13 were with an 06. I then moved up to the 300 Win Mag for the next herd. Along the way were a couple here and there with a 338-06, 7mm Rem mag, 7mm STW, 7 X57, 300B, and probably at least one more I can't remember. I have always gone back to the 300 Win Mag, as the primary. My partners have typically used 06, 300 Savage, 300B, and 7mm Mag. My next challenge is with a bow, I have had two very close encounters, but choked up.

Thx Tanner, but the rig aint going anywhere. I've been packing it for a decade now, it's the newb in my "battery". If the 300 tube begins to bore me I can have the 338 WSM tube put back on it... Glad you like it.

Dober

Killed one with the .338 win. and 250 grain Noslers..also three with the .340 wea..still have it...many with the .300 win...it is like a .30-06,. only it hits harder, and shoots flatter..some may not need it...but it has taken several elk for me when 06 uses just shook their heads and said too far...

Killed a couple of nice bulls with the .375 H&H and 260 ABs when I was prepping for my first trip to Africa. One bull stood long enough to take a second shot, but neither went more than a couple of steps before flipping over on their backs. Made it easier to start field dressing...

hard to not dig that one. Makes a guy wonder why he's got a safe full of other rigs... But only for a minute or two

Like dog hunter has done, I ran a 338 wm/280 rem combo ten years or so.

Terrain, and the mood I was in depicted what rifle I was gunna carry.

It took a bit, but started to realize when using like construction bullets penetration was VERY close to the same when compared between the two calibers. And all the wapiti, some bear and assorted deer died all the same some dropped, some made it a few yards and keeled over. Shot placement on the animal had more to do with how they died than bullet weight/size/speed...... destruction was more with the 338, but seems they don't die any deader.

My .338 was very accurate also. I mostly ran 225 gr. partitions, then different stiles of 250's for a bit and flirted with some 200/210's. I thought the heavier bullet might have something I was missing when compared to the lighter bullets. A little more recoil seemed to be all the difference there was.

Tried the 300 wm for a bit before the .338 and with full house 180-200 grain loads, I discovered recoil-wize might as well shoot the .338 with 210/225 bullets.

One of the most accurate rifles I ever owned was an M700 338 WM... it would clover-leaf 225 Hdy's all day long at the bench. I never killed a thing with it, but I sure had fun punching paper with it.

Ive used the 338 win mag on a couple elk, I prefer my 340 wby , but certainly don,t see anything wrong with either choice, any difference in performance is minor as the 340 just pushes the same bullets about 200-300fps faster, what I have noticed is that bullet selection has a huge effect on your results, Ive settled on the 250 grain 338 hornady as it gives the type of results I like (deep penetration) but you get a good deal more expansion and noticeably faster kills on mule deer using the 200 grain speers, the 250 hornady zip thru deer and they tend to run a bit before dropping, the 200 speers work great on elk on lung shots but don,t always exit and I like exits


DEER
http://www.speer-bullets.com/ballistics/detail.aspx?id=112


ELK
http://www.hornady.com/store/338-Cal-.338-250-gr-SP-RP/

I took one with a .375-.416 Rem Mag firing Nosler 260 Partition.