taz4570 you are so right that bigger doesn't mean better. However, it doesn't hurt anything especially with elk! I'll be sure to keep practicing, I already shoot only high quality bullets, I'll still take careful shots from reasonable range, and I don't worry about bloodshot shoulders since I aim to shoot through ribs to reach the heart. On top of all that, now I'll be carrying very durable stainless rifle that is lighter and more powerful than my trusty .30-06. What's not to like?
My thinking these days is I have to juggle a lot of things to hunt elk so if I shoot one I don't want it to light out on me downhill. I don't reckon that belted .338 will be a liability as long as I don't take it as an invitation to shoot too far.
If your .338 is accurate and you enjoy shooting it, don't be afraid to stretch it's legs! Run the 225-Accubond (BC .550) and you've got a 600+ yard capable rifle; at that point it's on you to establish proficiency and, of course, exercise good judgement on shots.
That particular bullet really brings the .338 to life. Run that bullet at 2860 fps (easy to get) and it'll shoot as flat as a .270 running 130 or 140-gn Accubonds.... It'll hang right with a 7-mag running 160 NAB's for wind drift. In short- it's a very capable longer-range round.
I have only seen firsthand two elk killed with them, but in both cases the elk was DRT and the bullet exited.
