Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Anybody shot deer with338 lapua?

I recently acquired one and know its overkill but anyone with experience on white tails?
Bullet/ powder combos?
I guess I'm crazy for waning to try it but I'm curious to hear what y'all say?

I once had a guy smash a Coues whitetail buck with a .338 Winchester magnum. Definitely overkill. But, to each their own.

I nailed a decent meat buck, about 250 pounds on the hoof, off hand at 30ish yards, with a TRG-42 shooting 300 grain Scenars at 2950fps. 338LAI.
There have been more than a few others at various distances.
They all died.

R.

Never, ever, shoot a deer with anything less.

Not the Lapua, but have been shooting deer off and on for over 20 years with an old custom 338-378 WBY, bullets have ranged from the 180 gr ballistic tip to the 300 gr Accubonds.

It makes sense to me to use your heavy medium bores on small game for practice and famliarity of the weapon.

Gunner

Really? Why? And yes you are crazy.

Do you think it's gonna be a much more dramatic kill because you shot it with an Uber-Mag? It won't be.

Or, are you looking forward to the challenge of trying to make a good shot on a deer while getting hammered with the recoil of that thing?

The deer will still run off if you make a bad shot, the extra kinetic energy will not knock it over or wound it more if you F up the shot, it'll be the same as if you made a bad shot with a .223 or any other chambering, keep that in mind before you make your decision.

If you decide you still want to, please practice a lot from from hunting positions for the sake of the animal, offhand, prone, leaning against a tree, sitting, etc.

Wow!

R.

yep, i seen wun shot with it and it blowt up.

As for recoil, I bet my 14lb braked rifle won't recoil any harder than your lighter SAUM, assuming that's where your name came from. I have shot plenty of standard caliber that kicked a lot harder than the 300rum that I recently sold.
I do plan to shoot it plenty to become confident with it just as I do with all my other rifles.

Use a .50 BMG meeself. 338 Lapua is so yesterday.

No, I prefer a 50 BMG for [bleep] sake!!!

Damnit, I wish I would have seen your post before I made my earlier post . Great minds think alike. Our shoulders just aren't worth a [bleep]!!!

Several. Use a good bullet and it works great. I shot the 160 grain ttsx in mine as well as the 210 ttsx. Why does everyone falsely think it is such a cannon? The ballistics are only slightly above the 340 wby. If you use a crap lead core bullet it will be a mess. But with a good bullet there is no excessive damage.

I have a few mule deer bucks on my 338RUM which is essentially same/same to the Lapua. I bought it solely because I wanted one and have used it on several bears and elk as well. Its mainly been hunted with the 210 TSX and 300 Accubond and it ruins less meat then my .257WBY, .308,.280AI or any of the other 20 or so "hunting rifles" in my safe

Its not a bench gun or one you want to shoot 100 times in a day but its certainly more tolerable then most people think and not difficult to shoot well if a guy is of the mind and can tolerate the recoil.

Is that amount of power needed? Hell no, but I for the life of me don't get why posters shcitt on another guys choices. Sub centerfire .223 sure but as long ad the caliber is ethical who cares?

We all well know that once you get past say the 30-30/260/7mm-08/308 class, any rifle is capable of killing anything that walks but none of us want just one rifle. Now if a guy SWEARS he needs that level of power he's sadly mistaken and should be counseled as such. Counseled but not berated as that does no one any good.

Seems that back in the old days lots of cowboys used the Sharps in .45-50 caliber on everything and no one shames them for overkill. Also a famous old timer made a good living using a 7x57 to great effect on countless elephant and again no one seems to want to call him a stunt shooter.

To each their own and I have the spectrum covered. 22LR to. 458WM because it makes me happy and they all get used.

I'll get off my soap box and simply say find an accurate load and have fun. If you can tolerate the recoil and shoot it well then you'll love it.

That 160 must have been really moving!

I know it's a lot of gun but like you say it a personal choice. I hunted exclusively with a 300wm 8 years any loved it. I have hunted with a 25-06 the past 2 years and had it punched to AI. The 110gr AB has killed everything just fine and that is what I hunt with more than anything else. I also have a 7rm sendero that is my beanfeild gun.
The 338 laupa is just something to play with as I alway want to try something different. I do expect the 285 or 300gr bullets to get the job done if I still have it come fall.

Mackenzie (15), didn't have any problem canoeing this blacktail's heart at 275 yards.
She was shooting a 338 Edge, pushing 300 gr Sierra MatchKings at 2850 fps.

That's what bullet I'm gonna start with. What powder are you using with that load?

223 will make a heart look the same.......

Wouldn't wake the neighbor county up when you shot though!!!