Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting All hail the wonderful and mighty .338 Winchester Magnum

Yeah, that's sort of the plan I suppose!

-jeff

I have a 338WM and love it...this is my 4th 338 and I would not be without one...I use 225 Nosler Partitions in mine...I have 7mmRM and 300WM but have noticed that the 300WM kicks more than my 338WM...also the muzzle blast is worse...the 7mmRM also has more muzzle blast...but the 338 is my go to rifle...I am not getting a 264WM put together by PacNor and eagerly anticipate it.
All these guns are Ruger Hawkeyes...started with the 375 RM and was sold on it...so got the others...

-jeff

Jeff,

Finally had to break down and post on this thread as it has kept going on and I've really enjoyed watching your enthusiasm and obvious love affair for your 338! I wanted to add fuel to your 338 WM fire! My experience with the 338 WM as an elk thumper is usually during the rut here in Idaho when the bulls can occasionally come running at you and you need to take a frontal brisket shot and the larger frontal area on the 338 combined with the penetration gives me more confidence and does a number on these aggressive bulls !

The attached picture was a very heavy Selway �Suicide� herd bull that tried to run my wife over and she dumped him at 30 yards with a 225 Swift A-Frame at 2,950! This was September hunting during the rut before the wolves and lots of elk and for some crazy reason that year the bulls were more aggressive than I'd ever seen. The week earlier I had an almost identical experience in Meadow creek off the Selway. I had called a big bull in for her and we weren�t in a good vantage point for the shot, which can happen. When the bull came running towards us we didn�t see him until he was at about 10 yards away and she missed him at 5 yards with the shot going very high in the air!

So the next week we were in a different location and my wife was still a bit nervous from the previous week so I was glad when we had the 338 WM and the strong A-Frame to hit him coming straight at her.

Glad you feel comfortable with the recoil, as my threshold is a hot 225�s as the warm 250�s are a bit too much of a good thing at least for some of us without a muzzle brake. I�ve been using the 225 accubond and it is very accurate, flat shooting and lethal for elk. Lots of options and keep up the passion for this mighty round!

waha,

Elk hunting in self defense! I like it!

I've never even fired a 250-gn bullet out my my .338, though I have shot 250's from my buddies (ported) rifle. I don't see a need for a 250 for what I use it for. I would imagine that the recoil might get ap there a little...

-jeff

Thanks Jeff;;;;am now getting a 264 WinMag by PacNor...can;t type for beans...

I like my 416 Remington. As good as the 338 WM is, the 416 Remington is just that much better! Works for me!

I will hail the mighty win mag. been my hunting partner for 10 years now. I only have two of them but have been considering a .338 wildcat latly as a long range (1000 yard) rig. Im leaning tword the lapua or edge.

I hope it was obvious I was funnin'!

They've done two for me; you'll love it I bet.

Are you near the Gila, Jorge?

-jeff

I must of missed this one. ROTFLMAO

Now of heard it all gave me a chuckle though. Sweet kid.

Recoil of the 338WM is not that bad, what is all the fuss. Shoot a 378Roy, 458Lott & the like & your perception of recoil will take a different view!
By the way I wasn't going to get into you but considering you posted a very negative comment with NOTHING(trolling) to do with this genuine thread I thought it was called for. So right back at you.

Long live the mighty 338 Win Mag it's one of the best!!!



340

340

It's funny you mention that re the recoil. It is felt, but not enough to make it untolerable...assuming you have been shooting for a while and will put the time into shooting it.

At the range the other day, a young bloke was shooting a nice 308 and asked to have a shot of my 338wm, which I was more than happy to oblige. He had two shots, commented it gave a noticeably sharper kick and that was it. Then went and fired his 308 and said, this thing doesn't kick at all. It seemed to me to be nothing more than a little perspective.

For a guy that has been playing around with a 243 or mid range calibre to step up to a 338wm will have a lot more learning to do than the fella who has graduated his way up the calibres.

That's my 2 cents worth anyhow.

LowBC

Well I've used a 270 for 25 years on elk, shooting 150g Noslers, then switched to 150g A-Frames. Never lost one, had few run more than 20 yards, none further than 200 yards, most fell like lightning had hit them. Finally gave my .270 to my youngest son, so I upgraded to a CZ Safari Classic in 375 H&H. It doesn't kick that much, plan to shoot 250g A-Frames at 2700 fps (mild load) for elk this season. Should do the job as well as my .270 ... definitely a better bear gun though.



Chuck

recoil is a subjective thing.


kinda like fat girls, if you've dated some ton of fun types, a chunky girl can seem downright svelte.


some folks like .338's, some don't

I'm going to keep mine.

I heard that. I replaced my 338 with a 9.3 X 62 for the big stuff and now I tote a lighter rifle, get kicked much less, and the critters die with equal rapidity.

I'm happy.

You guys are not exactly hailing the wonderful and mighty .338 Winchester Magnum!

I'm just sayin'.

-jeff

Jeff

I'm hearing ya man, particularly now mine is shooting like it should.

Now comparing the 338 to a fat girl (I thought that was winchesters new cartidges). I like to think of the 338 as an Elle McPherson kind of girl...all the curves in the right place without being too big or too small Hot damn the 338 is the supermodel

LowBC

So what would you call the 338 RUM?

JD338

Two of my FAVORITES!

RH

The 338 win mag will be around long after the wsms and rums are listed in the obsolete section of the reloading guide. As long as I hunt elk I will do it with my .338 wm.

well, I best jump in. Have not hunted w/ my T3 Lite 338WM to date (new rifle), but been shooting paper tigers building handloads. And learning to trust an 8# Super Model that she won't hurt me.