I have owned a 338 Win mag and also a 375H&H as well as a 9.3X74R and now a 9.3X62 The 9.3X74R and 9.3X62 are both loaded with the same bullets at the same speed as measured over my Chronograph (ok . almost the same speed, within about 20 FPS)
My 338 was used with 22 grain Horandys, 250 grain Hornady RN and 250 grain Nosler Partitions. The 225 grain Hornadys broke up badly and penetration was poor, but the 250s were good and the 250 Gr Noslers were perfect.
But I sold my 338 after several kills and went back to my 375H&H. The 338 always worked well with good bullets, but to be honest, it didn't seem to kill elk any better then my 3006 or 270. No worse, but no better or faster.
My 375 does hit harder. Why?.................well I have my theory but I won't go into it now. It's just what I have seen, and I have seen a LOT of elk killed in over 50 years of hunting and guiding for them.
In the last 10 years I have been getting familiar with the performance of the .366" 286 grain bullets and I have to say, I can't see ANY difference between the 9.3X74R and 9.3X62 loaded with good 286 grain bullets and the 375H&H loaded with good 270 grain bullets.
I don't say that the 9.3s make hits at 400 and longer distance as easy as my 338 did, because the 338 is flatter shooting. But when it come to killing elk and a few bison I have seen killed in the last 10-15 years, the 9.3 does average a better showing then my old 338 did. Again the 338 was not bad in any way, but the 9.3 is doing better.
So when comparing the 9.3X62 and 9.3X74R to the 338 we have to define what's being compared. The 338 is easier to make longer range hits with, and it works very well, but at the distances I have killed ALL my elk at, and seen about 98% of the elk I have guided for( 400 yards and closer) the 9.3X62 does seem to put them down faster.
So everyone can make their own choices, but I made mine already and mine was made based on actual use and eye witness kills.
I have the 9.3s now but sold my 338
Last edited by szihn; 04/14/20.
