Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Your Honest Opinion?

I posted this in another forum too. I got to thinking about how my new to me Model 700 Classic .270 (22") likes both the 150/160PTs. In fact, it shoots both to 2950fps, and both under .75" (way under) for 3 shots. It shoots the 130 Hornady very well too, so lighter game is covered. My other rifle is another Mod 700 Classic in 338WM. At 66, the biggest animal I will ever hunt again is elk, and cows at that. Even a big cow is not as tough as a big rangy Bull. The "meanest" ( can hurt you) I will hunt animal is big hogs. In between is deer/antelope, etc. So, now that my .270W shoots a 160PT as fast as most 7mm Rem Mags, as far as elk/hogs goes, what advantage does my 338WM really give me? Bear in mind that I don't take shots at game past 375yds, and my "average range" for elk here is 190yds! The 338 Mod 700 is longer ( 24") not too bad, and a bit heavier, but still, not that heavy. It does recoil more, especially with its 250/2800fps loads it likes! Would I be a fool to just use this .270W and maybe sell/trade this 338 for, say, a foul weather/heavy snow day rifle in, say, a 35 Whelen carbine (or 30-06) pump as a backup? I'd like you honest opinions, especially from elk hunters/hog hunters.

No, makes sense to me but I hunt everything with a 308 win or 30.06. Im also testing the 6.5 creedmore. That 270 will do everything you need it too. Sell the 338.

I see no reason to keep the .338 - never liked them anyways. The .270 is perfectly OK for cows with heavy bullets.

I've never seen a big game pump that I thought was well made. So I wouldn't spend the money on that.

Not crazy about a pump myself...was just thinking out loud on that one, ha. I think I could be happy with a Marlin 336 in 35 Remington for a woods/foul weather rifle as shots have always been close under those circumstances. Again, just thinking of what I could possibly do with the 338 that I couldn't do with this .270W...and the rifle is handier. Heck, I could put it in a McMillan and have a wand, one that won't kick me out from under my hat!

My opinion, but a 270 and a 338 are a nice pair for anything. If your 270 shoots the heavier Bullets well, and your 338 runs 250’s at 2800 then I’d say you’re covered for just about any hunting out there. I’d probably set them both up the way you want and start hunting.

I'd come at this question from a different angle and say it depends on how much you ike the .338, and how much you shoot it. I had one I liked but I never shot it so I sold it. If you're not particularly attached to the .338, sell it and get something you've always wanted to try, something different. At 66, you owe it to yourself.

Keep the 270 and sell the 338. You don't really need a second rifle as your 270 does everything you need. A BLR in 358 Winchester would be a great secondary carbine if you felt the need. Really an impressive and easy to shoot combination.

I think you could do well the rest of your life with the 270 shooting the bullets/game/ranges you mention. I've only shot 2 elk with 270 (150 NPT) and it worked well. I bought a 280 AI after my 270 got donated. A 0.284 160 NPT/AB works just like a 0.277 150/160 NPT.

On another note, if you shoot the 338 well and dont mind carrying a bit more weight, I'd keep it. If the rifle weight is acceptable, you can always find a lighter load - I'd look at faster burning powders and lesser velocity.

As mentioned, a 270 - 338 pair covers alot of bases. In my experience, a lightweight 35 wh shooting full power loads will recoil like your 338.

Being considerably older ,I would suggest getting rid of the .33. As time goes on recoil and weight will trouble you more.Contrary to many opinions,elk are not hard to kill. I have killed more than a few ranging from a 50 caliber muzzle loader, 4mag,.308, and 30-06..I did have a 77mm Mag for awhile.It didn't kill any faster or any better. I sent it down the road a long time ago.The.270 will do you just fine for all you hunting

The Rem 7600 .35 Whelen that my son has is well made in my opinion, but kicks like a rented mule. I think that is mostly due to the ergonomics of the shotgun style stock. I prefer my 700 Classic .35 Whelen that seems to have less felt recoil. One option is to keep the .338 if it shoots well with lighter loads. However, I sent mine down the road a long time ago because of recoil and it didn’t shoot for beans, but that was just that one rifle.

77mm Mag. WOW!! Just kidding. My brother has carried a 270 with 150gr partitions for 20+ years and it has killed every elk he pointed it at from a yearling cow to a big wide 5x6. Having a 35 Whelen myself I'm biased but I see it as an excellent option for the 30+ caliber range that can be loaded from mild to wild. As Saddlesore said, the 270 will hunt any animal you wanted.

With all due respect, if you are getting a chronographed speed of 2800 fps with a 250 gr. 338, you are beating every factory round I've ever shot, and every reloading manual I've ever looked at. I got 2820 with a Nosler 225 gr Partition when they first came out, with 72 gr of H4350, but could never get even the published 2700 with either Nosler or Sierra 250's. This was with a 24" bbl. What's your secret?

I've found the .270 plenty adequate for bull elk with the 130 Barnes TSX.

Lima- this is with R26/250 NAB for av 2797fps, right at 64K, according to Quickload workup. The 270 is also getting that 2950/160NPT with R26. Evidently, both cartridges/heavy bullets like this powder. I tried some lighter loads with the 200NBT ( 4895 & R15) and 210PT(R17) and they shot OK, 1.5" and .85 respectively" for 3 shots, their best. I like both rifles, and am not really worried about hunting in a lot of either rain nor snow as I always prep a rifle for such. Heck, I grew up in SE Texas "rain forest" with wood/blue guns and used 3 in 1 oil or later on WD-40. So a synthetic stock is not really needed, even the 338 doesn't weigh that much. I just got to thinking about how impressive that 2950fps 160NP .270 load is! 7mm Rem Mags are very popular here for elk and I bet not too many factory 7 mag 160gr loads beat 2950fps, if any! I'm just mainly brain storming...keep the opinions coming though guys, I appreciate it!

This past week my hip situation made me realize that I am definitely going to have to hunt differently than I used too, that's a given, but I think I'll hang onto the 338WM. Yeah, I could borrow a rifle back from the SIL...but I really like using "my own stuff". I don't like going on any long trip w/o two rifles. I have had trips that were saved by having a spare. Heck, I've had rifles that shot well at the range, drive out to the desert to shoot rocks, and they not fire! I like 2 rifles when working up loads, allows one to cool, so time is better utilized ( which has always been the most expensive commodity for me!) and I like the fact that these two rifles are identical, set up the same Trigger Tech, etc, the 338WM only slightly heavier. I could put a lighter scope on it and it would be undiscernible in handling I bet. Thanks to you guys opinions, it really helped me think through this time. All I would do is lose a whole bunch of money if I sold it and/or end up with a "spare" that didn't appeal to me. So I am going to wring out some lighter bullets and find a 2500-2600 fps load for the 250s. It worked so stinking well in that 35 WAI, and its nice to have the "option" of a 2800fps/250NAB load. I'll just take and swap out both rifles on future hunts until I get them both "bloody", so to speak. I "know in my heart" my all day tromps in knee deep snow are over. ha I'll just go out, if snowing hard, and find a big spruce to sit under, see what walks by. Whichever rifle is in my hands...that's the huckleberry that will do the dirty deed.

Yea,I got back to it too long a time and it wouldn't let me edit. Sometimes my computer stutters as I type.

Kinda like being asked your "honest opinion" by a woman on how she looks, or if she's overweight...

Be VERY careful how you answer.

THINK, then answer...

The truth may not be the best option...

DF

Keep the .270 and sell the .338 Win.

I have hunted elk many times with a 270 and always done just fine. In fact every elk I ever shot with a 270 fell to one shot except one I killed with 2 shots at about 400 yards with a 270 Short Mag, and when I dressed it out I found the 2nd shot with my Benelli Auto-loader was actually not needed.

Most elk I have shot just fell at the shot, and some have gone about 10-15 feet and then fell down. But I can't say I have seen any difference in how fast my elk have fallen comparing my 270s to 30-06s, 7MM mags, 300 mags and even my 338 mag.
And I mean absolutely none at all.

Others may say different, but that's what I have seen in over 50 years of killing elk, and seeing others kill many elk too.

Same thin here szihn

I’d trade the 338 for a 30-06 that matches your 270 down to the smallest detail, then I’d focus on mastering how to run it. I like to have the second rifle in a different chambering in case I need to find ammo in the middle of nowhere. I used to think that the 30-06 was the best logistical choice until I ran into a gunshop that only had one box of 30-06 ammo—and it was FMJ.


Okie John

I think you’ll be just danged happy Jim, if you like it and it shoots then keep it and have a blast.

Jim –

You can cut the recoil on the .338 by dropping to a lighter bullet that will work just fine out past your self-imposed limit of 375 yards. I’ve had excellent results with the 225g AB (B.C. .550) at 2742fps, including my longest shot ever at 487 yards. To really cut recoil I’d go even lighter.

I sympathize on your hip problems. Wrecked mine in 2009 and suffered until 2015 when I finally got it replaced. Was able to hunt elk that fall. Used to be everything I did was based on how to minimize the hip pain while doing it. Now I rarely think about it except when I realize I’m not thinking about it. One piece of advice – If you get it replaced, make sure they come in from the side (no muscles cut) versus the older procedure where they go in from the rear (something like 27 muscles cut).

Good luck!

I'd sell the 338 and put the money towards a hunt.

Selling a couple guns doesn't mean squat as far as making a hunt... Been there did that...

Hi Jim , sounds to like you really don't need the .338. An accurate .270 shooting those 150/160gr NP's will easily do what you need. Have been watching (and using) that combo on a great number of bull elk for the last 40 years (literally dozens) and it does a great job.
How about replacing the .338 with a stainless/ synthetic .30/06 with 22" barrel, topped with a good mid-sized 2.5-8x 36 Leupold VX3? Load it with 180gr NP's and venture forth!
I used to be a Magnum Maniac of the worst kind! Have used the .338 a lot and love it, particularly on elk. (Along with many others, some bigger, some smaller) But, in the end,
a good .270 and/or .30/06 will always serve you well to at least 500yds. Also a lighter, easier carrying rifle is always welcome when conditions get a little snotty out there.
Just my opinion anyway- take care of that hip! Cheers

Sell both and get a custom 280!

I like the .338WM, loaded about like a .338-06 and cut to 22". It's a good thumper with 180-200gr stuff at 2,800 or so. But if you were getting rid of it, it's not a bad idea to have a SS/Syn rifle for days when you can't keep a blued gun dry.

It depends. How accurate is your .338 and can you still manage the recoil well enough to be effective with it? If so, I'd suggest keeping it. First reason, I think a guy needs to have a reliable second rifle in case the first has some sort of failure. They're man-made and failure is possible. Second, during "recent" component shortages, some components were available after others ran out. The common stuff was what went out of stock first. I found it handy to have various cartridges, bullet diameters, powders, etc so I could always find something I could shoot. I knew a lot of people who stuck to 2 diameters like .224 and .308 to keep things simple who wound up no guns they could shoot because .30 cal bullets and .22 cal bullets were the first to disappear from the shelves. I think having SOME level of variety is a good idea.

If your .338 is not very accurate or if the recoil is starting to bother you so it interferes with accurate shooting, then it could be time to sell it. I would still replace it with something ... maybe a 7mm-08 or .308 so you're not overly reliant on a single gun and single bullet diameter and use a slightly different range of powder burn rates. (Don't forget to pick up a couple cartons of primers.)

Tom

Love a .280, used/owned one or another ( it or the Ackley) for 30yrs. I'm ready to mess with and wring out its .270 Uncle!

Sometimes, all you need to keep an old rifle interesting is a new bullet to play with. Have you looked at the 230gr .338 ELD-X? BC is listed at .616 and you should have plenty of mag box to work with in a 700.

TOM- between me and my SIL, we have wide range ( and store) of components. Heck, I still have some primers I bought back during the "Great Clinton Primer Scare" of the 90s! ha. Another advantage, and one which I've used through the years, is 2 rifles of the same caliber, wildcat or not. I never "lost my ammo", etc but the closest I ever came to it, was a local hunt ( about 100 miles away) for doe antelope. I took a wildcat 6mm/284 and 13rds of ammo. I let a friend talk me into trying shoot one over 500yds away, with us sitting on a high bluff looking down into the valley/prairies floor. The wind was making a big ventura, and I shot over, under, sideways, but never wounded the poor thing. I then missed another, and was down to 8rds. I knew if I wounded one I was going to have to chase her over the prairie to finish her, so I made a chip shot on one and went home. No way I could drive into town and just buy a box of ammo, ha.

Jim
In your shoes I’d sell the rifle I’m least likely to use regularly and use the money to make the one I kept ‘better’.
For example, I’ve just swapped out a heavy steel barrel for a CF Proof Research barrel - gaining 2.5” of length (speed) and losing 1.5 lbs.
60th birthday present from my ‘better half’!

I actually had that done to my .270 right after I got it, several months back. I had it pillar bedded/floated, and a added a Trigger Tech Primary, Its a keeper, and surprisingly fast for a 22" barrel. (forgot, I also had a Tubbs Speedlock added) I "normally" pick a 24", being they just feel better to me as a tall man. In fact, the only real carbines I ever enjoyed using was the leverguns and M4 clones ( hated the M16!) once had a new Mod 750 35 Whelen Carbine that was just way too pretty to hunt with ( actually, I was still using my customized Mod 700 Classic 35 Whelen Improved). I'll try to shoot the barrel out of this .270, then rebarrel to something else...whenever that is, never shot the barrel out of nothing but an M60 and helped to shoot out an 8 inch howitzer...neither was a "sporting weapon", ha.

In most states it’s legal to use a 243 on elk and the 270 is well above that.
A well constructed bullet hitting accurately with enough energy will harvest pretty much any animal on the planet.

The 338 WM to me is a warm fuzzy while hunting in bear country, but with increased weight and recoil isn’t worth holding onto unless you simply love that rifle since less snazzy calibers like the 308 and 30-06 take more game animals than probably all others combined.

Hogs aren’t particularly tough, it’s more of where you hit them.

They have massive shoulder plates that tiny, weak bullets have a hard time penetrating. Ear, neck or head shots are the norm. I mainly use a 6.8 SPC for hogs, but I’ve killed them with a 5.56, 9mm and 40 S&W handguns.

i am 65 years of age i have had both shoulders rebuilt if i only had those 2 rifles,i would use 338 Win. Mag with 210 gr. Nosler Partitions for elk ,the 338 Win. Mag. is a better elk killer,most of the time elk will go right down shot with a 338 .good luck,Pete53

Thanks guys, I appreciate the feedback. I was actually considering this particular 270 with the 160/2950 load as a good choice as it mimics most 7mm Rem Mags. To most Utah hunters, going bigger than a 270/308/30-06 they pick the 7mm Mag. My point being was since the 7mm Mag is a Jim Dandy elk round ( cows/smaller bulls for sure) this particular 270/160 load would be just as deadly but even handier! I hope I draw out on some antlerless (deer/antelope) tags to try it out on.

Jim, I too live in Utah and have hunted for the past 40 years with a 270. I've always shot Nosler 150 grain Partitions and see no need to change. I load a near max amount of IMR 4350 and get accuracy in the <1" range. I've used that rifle/load for deer, antelope and elk and never had a problem or felt under gunned. Sell the 338 and put that money towards tags and reloading supplies.

Hello sir! Nice to hear from a fellow Utahn ( I'm a native Texan, but have lived here since 1990, after 3 yrs in Oklahoma) I love it here, first/only place I ever lived that actually has Four Seasons! ha I have met a good dozen .270 users since being out here, and every one of them uses the 150 of some make! Granted, these are mostly older guys, but I always try ask guys what they use, whether at the range, out hunting or hearing their hunting stories. This is the first .270 I've owned through the years that actually shoots the 150/160 so accurately. The other rifles preferred either 130/140. I just never hunted with them. Well, one BAR I let my Godson shoot a Spanish goat in Colorado, I had to finish him off for him ( 140 Failsafe) He was a little fellow (the Godson, the goat was a keeper!) As I get "longer in the tooth" and "sorer in the joints", I find I enjoy the lighter rounds more, just a fact. I also know I'm never going back to Africa, so not a lot of bigger animals in my future...so far.

"As I get "longer in the tooth" and "sorer in the joints", I find I enjoy the lighter rounds more, just a fact."

I've always been a bit of a "one load for one rifle" kind of guy. For the .270, I went with the 150 gr. Sierra Game King. Velocity os pushing 2900 FPS and the load is very accurate. I came across a smoking deal on 150 gr. Nosler partitions and worked up to the same level as the Sierra bullet. Didn't even have to readjust the scope setting. I fired six rounds one day, three with the Sierras and three with the Noslers. Both loads on their own do .75 to .80". The overlapping groups was 1.25". I could switch from one bullet to the other and never worry about the scope setting. I have four rifles in .270 and the load works in all four.

On the .338 Win. Mag., that's a cartridge I don't have a lot of love for. I can shoot my .300 Win. Mag. from the bench with no problem regarding recoil. BUT! I shoot the .338 Mag. and it's hurtsville all the way. Both rifles are M70s, one a post-64 pre-68 that has a small amount of history and the other is another M70, the Stainless Classic. I don't know the cause is but those two flat out put a hurt on me. I have and sometimes shoot a Ruger #1 in .416 Rigby and that bugger flat out kicks. Yet it hurts me less than those two M70s. You might think it's the stock design but one of my .270's and my .300 Win. Mag. are also M70s and I shoot them without any problem. My handloads are far from being on the mild side.
Paul B.

I am going to shoot them some more and if I like the .270 more, I'll go with it. I have no doubt it will work. I don't know when it changed, but I used to shoot the big magnums all the time, and now, while this 338 isn't "brutal", I can't say its fun.

I have a 338 Winchester in a Sako 75, I have not shot the rifle since 2005 my last moose hunt. I keep it more for sentimental reasons, all of my current hunting needs can be filled with a 6.5 x 55 or a 7 x 57 that I do have along with a 7mm RM in a Blaser R-93. And when you get right down to it, the 6.5 would be all I would actually need and even that is a bit more than needed for the local white tails at the distances I shoot. 60 yards is a long shot. I am looking for a 30-30 Winchester right now and If I find what I want, I am going to put an Aimpoint on it and call it a day.

I had my days with the 338 and yes it killed pretty well other than the fiasco with the early 225 gr. Barnes X bullet. The rifle was a stainless Ruger 77 boat paddle stocked gun. I really liked it and would still have it if it had been a 270 or a 30-06. Also getting older and had three discs replaced in my neck so shooting my Whelen has become a no-no with full power loads. My current "elk" battery this year is going to be a really light 7-08 Model 7 Rem pushing 140 gr. Partions and a M77 Ruger tanger in 270 pushing 140 gr. Partitions. In the high ground the light rifle will be in my hands, the somewhat heavier 270 will be with me wherever the walking is easier.

I’ve always had a .30-06 but bought a .338 WM in 1993 or 4 when I lived in Colorado. When I moved to Texas in 2010, I sold the .338 and bought a .243. I’ve never regretted it. Now I hunt elk with my .30-06 or 6.5 CM loaded with great bullets.

Thanks guys. I made up my mind and worked a deal with my gunsmith friend. He likes magnums and I had called him to discuss what rifles he had to trade. All he had was the old JC Higgins (FN Mauser) Mod 50 .270 I had traded to him last year! ha Its been pillar bedded, Timney trigger, and is a solid rifle so I traded him the 338WM for it. I can always borrow the 338 from him if Iever get a hunt up in grizzly country or Alaska. In the meantime, I have two .270s! I am satisfied, and the Mauser is the best candidate for a foul weather rifle as it too is sealed and used to hard use.