Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Recoil thread has me thinking: Tell me about the .338 WM

I am fairly immune to recoil but I would easily say the least enjoyable combo I have ever fired in a high powered rifle was a Tikka T3 Lite in 338WM with Federal High Energy 250 gr Partitions. There was zero manageability after the shot , especially if you weren't standing. It just plain pounded the snot out of you. On the flip side my Ruger M77 Stainless 338 bedded in a McMillan with reg fill was quite enjoyable to shoot and shot real well. I wouldn't say that there was a whole heck of a lot of difference between it and my 375 Ruger also bedded in a Mcmillan, they were very similar. Good stocks make a big difference!

Good post Tom.

.338 recoil is about as pleasant as medium recoil can be. No need to fear it. Then again I've only shot Rem's, a Browning, and 200's-225's. Dunno about no Rugers.

Pends on the stock and you. I have a 06 that hurts but sure is purdy.

Ok, I've read thru some of your posts and think you need a 9.3x62mm. I recently bought one and love it. I've been a long time fan of the 338 win mag and hate the 300 winny (which kicks harder IMHO)....If you reload, the 9.3x62mm will give you what you are looking for...Trust me...However, that wasn't the question so I'll revert back to the 338 win mag is one of my favorites and mine (as well as all the others I've owned) happens to be a Ruger M77 mkII. I know where one is at a local gunshop myself, but I'm not going to pay the $650.00 he wants for it!!!!! The best piece of advice I can give you if you buy that Ruger IS GET a limbsaver or pachmeyer decelerator for it right away!!!!! It will make all the difference in the world. Bed it and rock on, I bet it will be a shooter...

Main thing is the stock has to fit. I have a 7.5 lb Tikka T3 lite .338 win mag and a 8.25 lb Browning Abolt .338 win mag. I probably shoot close to 250 rounds a year from them and they don't bother me at all. When I go hunting, it is with one of these rifles. Both will shoot less than 2" groups from a bench at 200 yds. I did put a Pachmeyer Decelerator pad on the Abolt and a limbsaver on the Tikka.

As mentioned above, Barnes 160 gr TTX and 64 gr W748, and 185 TX with 61 gr W748 reasonable accuracy and tolerable recoil. The 160 around 3000fps and the 185 around 2850. With the Gentry brake installed the 160 kicks like a 25-06. With factory WW200gr CT about like a 270. This is in a 7 1/2# rifle. So, think 7RM recoil with an unbraked rifle. I don't care to shoot much past 300 yards, hunt before the shot, so somewhat lesser BC doesn't matter. Noted with 60gr of powder lots of soot with the 185s, none with the 61 gr load. So, the complaints of W748 being dirty depends on the load. Noted that 748 didn't meter as well with 60+ grains of power as it does with less than 40 grains. Granule density is all I can figure is the cause. Had to weigh every charge, anal about that. Hey, Coni Brooks seems to use the 185s on everything. Just look at current and past Barnes Manuals. Not conventional wisdom, but�.

Estacado

I have used a 338 to take roughly 30 head of african plains game from hippo, croc and eland to warthogs impala etc. The first safari I shot 250 gr Nosler partition, the next 250gr A frames, the last 225 TSX. No discernible difference in performance...game went down and stayed down if I did my part. I also have used it on Elk and mule deer. I have settled on the 225 TSX as my goto load when I need or feel I need a 338 which brings us to the recoil question. I also use a 300winmag and have settled on 180 TSX as my load of choice. There is no way that my experience echos those who claim snap over shove. When on the bench I use a Past recoil sheild (shotgun model)with both rifles..in the field I don't notice any recoil (not so with my 416 Rig), The 338 kicks more than the 300, the 300 more than the 280, the 280 more than the 243. Everything kicks more when I haven't been to the range in some time. The 338 is a hammer..use whatever you need to control recoil on the bench...you will love the results in the field. However, in all candor, I find myslef reaching for my 300 more and more often. There isn't much I'm going to hunt that a 180gr .308 TSX launched at 3025fps won't handle.

Mine shoots the 210 and 250 gr. Partitions better than anything -- both sub-MOA. It shoots 225 gr. TTSX right at an inch. It does not like Accubonds. Of course, YMMV.

IMHO, the .338 is the one rifle in my battery where stock design is critical to shooting it comfortably. Throw in a GOOD recoil pad and you're golden.
I have 2 338's- one is a pre 64 '06, rebarreled to 338 with a custom stock on it. I've taken many elk and African game with it and it is not unpleasant to shoot. I've since moved to a Win. 70 Stainless classic with synthetic stock which is slightly uncomfortable to shoot at the bench for long stretches but doesn't really bother me when shooting at game.
Both have good recoil pads, but the crappy Winchester synthetic stock just sucks for recoil management. It will be getting a McMillan this month and I'm quite sure it will be more managable at the bench, judging by the other McMillans I've shot on my brother's identical rifle in 300 WM and others I've had a chance to shoot.

If you want one and need to shoot long stretches at the bench for load work-up, practice, or just plain fun, get a Past recoil pad and wear it. They really do make a big difference.

Bob

I have two .338s--a custom, built on a Springfield '03 action with a Pacific Research synthetic stock, and a Ruger No. 1-H with the factory stock. The Springfield weighs a shade under 8 lbs with scope and sling, while the Ruger weighs a little over 9 lbs. Both have 3/4-inch Decelerator pads.

I can shoot the Springfield from the bench comfortably for quite a few rounds, but if I need to shoot more than a few with the Ruger, I have to break out the PAST pad. I don't know how old you are but, as I approach my 70th birthday, I find that I really don't like to shoot either of them as much as I do my lighter recoiling rifles. I will probably try to sell both of my .338s sometime later in the winter or early spring.

Many years ago, I had a thing for the .338. I suppose that I read too much Hagel and Keith. I was never without one. They do recoil more than an '06, but they are doable, especially with lighter bullets. I used a lot of 200 and 210 grain bullets. My most accurate loads, however were accomplished with 250 grain bullets.

I tried a variety of Blaser, Sako, and Winchester bolt guns and had several Browning BARs. Those were the most pleasant to shoot and were just about as accurate with good load tinkering.

After several years of this, I finally realized that I had never drawn blood with any of them. Except for the Blaser, they were all just too heavy to roam the foothills with. I finally wised up and went out of the .338WM business.

I must confess that my craziness did not exactly go away overnight. It took three .338-06 rifles to wind down to the great .30-06. I also admit that I am looking for a doner to make another .338-06. I do not need it, I just want it. Jack

As ADNA said, stock fit is critical. Anything that doesn't fit can hurt. A well fitted stock that doesn't bash your cheek, is made so recoil goes straight back to your shoulder and has an adequate LOP with a good pad will do a lot to reduce felt recoil.

Assuming that the two rifles are of equal weight, a .338 WM firing a 225 grain bullet will generate more recoil energy than a .30/06 firing a 180 grain bullet.

The trajectory of the .338 WM loaded with 225 grain bullets is comparable to a .30/06 firing 180 grain loads.

I have two .338's. One is a full custom built on a pre '64 M70 action with a Swarovski Z6i. It weighs about 9lbs loaded and recoil is not bothersome at all.
The second is a Blaser R93, also with a Z6i that weighs about a pound less. The Blaser has less perceived recoil than the M70. Go figure.

The .338 WM is a great cartridge and is excellent for PG. My standard load is Federal factory 225 grain TSX's, which shoot less than an inch in both rifles. For leopard, I use a 225 grain partition.

Of late, I have begun to wonder whether all the sturm and drang of more potent cartridges is worth the bother. In my personal experience, given a well constructed bullet and PRECISE SHOT PLACEMENT, a .30/06 will kill them just dead as anything else. Except for very specialized use, a .30/06 and a .375 are really the only two rifles a hunter "needs". Another good pairing for those who have Africa in their plans and can shoot them accurately is the .338 WM and the .416 Rigby.

This.

Just shot 40 rounds off the bench with my .300 Win and having done the same many times with a .338 Win I find the opposite to be true. The .338 at the same weight IME kicks harder.

A lot of that is in how you load for those cartridges. I've had identical rifles and the 300 kicked harder...However, I ran fast 200's (2,900 fps) in the 300 and slow (2,600 fps) 250's in the 338 and the 338 was less punishing on the shoulder.

Yeah,i can see that. I don't think anything about shooting my 10 ga loads. 750 grains of shot at 1550 in a 9 lb gun. More of a shove.

I shoot a 338 Winchester myself, its a Sako 75 SS that I had for some 17 years now. The trick to shooting a 338 or any cartridge is don't shoot till it becomes uncomfortable. It might be only two shots or ten. Then stop for the day. In time you will master the rifle cartridge and be able to shoot one well. It dose you no good if you can't put the bullet were it needs to go. Buy the rifle if you must. Shoot small amounts of ammo at a time. I never shoot more than 10 shots at a time on range day, but I shoot more often. its better to shoot less per range day but have more range days then to say shoot 40 or 60 rounds one day and not shoot for a few months in-between.

Ky221,

I certainly can't answer for everyone,as there are too many variables,but my wife has used one exclusively since the early '90's running 225 grn. bullets. She doesn't enjoy shooting from the bench, and only does so to verify zero. But, she loves it as her "go to" rifle for all of our hunting. She doesn't shoot it much in practice, but uses other rifles for that. However, her one shot kills ranging from around 30 to 400 yrd. now total around 8 or 9 in a row. I guess you can say ,"it works for her"! memtb

You make a great point about practicing with other rifles. I do the same and generally do my practicing with my 308 and 30-06's....You don't have to shoot something punishing like the big magnums to get your practice in (something many don't get). I check my zero and my poi to make sure they are right where they are susposed to be and the 338 gets shot very minimally. However, I have shot 40 rounds in practice with it along with my 300 wsm and 30-06 in one sitting. The 338 win mag is managable but it doesn't take too long before the recoil starts taking effect. My threshold is around 40 rounds downrange with mine (I know I'm a puzzy) . I shoot a plain ol Ruger m77 MKII that I bedded, did some trigger work and threw a pachmeyer decelerator on and she shoots great:

3 shot group with my "go to" elk load: 250gr. sierra gameking bullet:


Here's what I mean by reaching the threshold. I shoot left handed and pulled the last shot. Notice how I didn't go for a 5 shot group :



Shooting offhand or at game, however, you barely notice any difference between it and a good ol '06......

I took an old nasty Ruger MK II to Africa,hunted for two weeks with it.Kilt stuff wearing a t-shirt,love the round!!
A 225 grain Nosler Partition is the best kill pill for it.....