Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 338 Wby RPM

I finally stopped chasing velocity.

I hunted many years with my 7 Wby & 300 WSM.

Finally put them away & hunt with my 308’s now. Haven’t felt any loss of gain.

I certainly don't feel the need for "more" on most occasions but if I dial the RPM in like I want I'll have both hammers in one rifle.

Did some shooting of the 338 RPM today. This is the 18" barrel with the brake installed. Scoped with a Primary Arms GLx 2.5-10. Trigger is light, no creep, breaks clean. Chevron center aiming point in scope is very good for fine work on 10x. Does not obscure the bullseye, it's below it. Brake does an excellent job managing recoil. None of the loads I tried are what I would consider harsh with the brake installed. Very nice to shoot with hearing protection, Walkers. Had a few positives for load development and quite a few not good groups. Did not set up the chronograph. Some of the light loads shooting 160 Barnes ttsx shot well enough and are either overlapping the 200 Accubond loads or close to it. I did not hit nervana but it's what I would consider reasonable progress. Here's a few targets.

I have decided to abandon the acquisition of another 338 bore cartridge. I have had many between 338-06 thru 340 Wby. I have never observed on game performance that is better than my 270. Obviously the 338’s work but they either are harder kicking or have rounder trajectories.
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Elmer Keith was spot-on about the versatility of the .33 caliber cartridges for all of Alaska. To this day, I don't think a hunter could do any better.

Here are a few examples:

Scores of high BC 225 grain grain premium bullets to choose from. Whereas the 30 calibers have limited options in the 220 grain territory and are generally potato-shaped. They also don't expand very wide, not like the .338 225 grain offerings.

I stay at 200 grain bullets in my 30 caliber rifles, and more specifically, the oryx.

So where the 30 caliber cartridges end, the .338's are just getting warmed up.

Then on the other end of the spectrum, the .338 275 grain swift A-frame is a deep penetrating, wide expanding .338 bullet that hangs right along side the 300 grain Swifts and 325 grain oryx bullets in my 9.3x62.

My .338, the scope is sighted to 225 grain interbonds or 225 grain fusions. Both match up well to a ballistic reticle to 500 yds. Then the open sights are always sighted to a 275 grain a-frame handload. In a light rifle, they are at the limit of manageable recoil where a shooter can have a meaningful shooting session at extended range.

In treeless winter caribou hunting where the bag limits offer multiple caribou for rural Alaskan residents, the .338's with high bc 225 grain bullets, is an ideal choice. We're talking constant 20-30 mph gusts, and ranges of 300-400 yds are common. Though I've used my 9.3x62 in these conditions, I would've much preferred the 338-06.

The lone 250 grain 9.3 accubond never worked out: 4.5" groups from 2 of my 9.3x62 Mauser rifles. Greg(north61) got bad groups with the 250 accubond as well. Then, they're never in stock, probably discontinued.

Anyhow, here is a 225 grain fusion next to a 30 caliber 220 grain partition. It penetrated within 1/4" of the partition in spruce boards. Had massive expansion, and superb weight retention. With groups always well under an inch, a true sleeper of a bullet @ $18 a box of 50:

Looking at a 338 RPM cartridge, it reminds me of a 9.3x62 necked down to 338, ha ala the 338 Scovil! Not bad company to be in.

Think that pretty much covers it.



Dave