So what do you see as the ideal barrel length for a 338 Win Mag?
If it matters, intended quarry is elk in the Rockies, and everything but mountain game in Alaska (moose, 'bou, bear of both species).
Stainless Model 70s in 338 command a premium (as do the even more rare 375), but now that the Extreme Weather will be offered in 338, prices will drop. The BOSS drops the price even more; thinking about cutting it off if'n I find one for cheap enough.
I had a .338 built on a pre-64 M70 action and took it to Namibia last year as my primary rifle. The barrel measured 24" from the bolt face to muzzle, with a practical length of 23". With custom loads from Superior, 225 grain Partitions averaged just a tick under 2,900 fps. The leopard never knew what hit him. Boom-plop!
The rifle has a barrel band so it carries lower when slung than it would with a conventional sling swivel.
My Dakota African in .416 Rigby is also equipped with a 23" tube.
The bottom line is that for all practical purposes, no animal will be able to tell whether it was hit with a bullet from a 22", 23", 24" or 26" barrel. What matters is how the rifle carries and how it balances. In brushy country, shorter is better.
I'm happy with the 23" barrel on my .338. 22" would have been fine as well. I think 24" would have been a bit long and 26" would have been a mistake.
