how is the recoil of the 338 win mag in the browning x bolt its such a light rifle.. is the recoil really stiff compared to heavy rifles in 338 that fell like more of a push?

If recoil is a concern, buy a .30-06. The .338wm packs a punch, no matter what rifle you buy...

I have a Ruger Mod. 77 witha laminated stock. To be honest, I can't compare it's recoil to anything else. I do know it's uncomfortable with 225 gr. Northforks from the bench. When at the bench, I wear a PAST recoil pad. When hunting & getting ready to put a moose down, I don't even feel recoil. I'd get a PAST & be done with it.
Bear in Fairbanks

Same experience when shooting 3" Magnum slugs during deer season. I can fire off mulitple rounds and not even recall any recoil during a hunt. Sighting in a scope with them is another story.
Adrenaline is the best form of recoil control.

I'm onto my 4th 338WM. All weighed between 7.5-8.8lbs, & to be perfectly honest I cannot tell much of a difference in recoil between them.
There is a noticeable difference between 210 & 225+ bullets IMO. I only use 210's.

I would much rather shoot a .338 Win off the bench than a twin in .300 Win.

+1 with blargon. However I will say my 9# 375 H&H kicks less than any 338WM I owned. They were in the 7 1/2 - 8# category.
Physics matters.

Not me.The 300 recoils pretty quick

My Ruger tang safety wears a Pachyer(sorry for spelling) and the 250 gr are stout, but slow push so even they are ok to shoot.
Randy

The 338 WM doesn't "push" when it recoils, it kicks. I've had five 338's. Love the round, but don't use it any more. Never found it did anything a 300 WSM can't do as well with less recoil.

If I want more than a 30 cal I'm going right on up to 375 H&H country...

That is an understatement!!! My .300 Win is now a safe queen. 338 is MUCH more comfortable to shoot than a 300 win IMHO.

I have 2 Rugers 77s one in 300 win and one in 338 win.I can't tell any difference in recoil from the bench.
I will say if I'm elk hunting I like the 338 better!

My 300 win mag is worse than my 338 I think. (Both are Browning Safaris).

Ref: ATV down and out - looks like an Evergaldes pix in my neighborhood - LOL. How many shots to put her down??? Homesteader.

luiss....buy it and have one install a Simms recoil pad on it and be done with it. I've 2 .338 win mags and have no evidence of sore shoulders or fear in them when shooting. I don't use a Simms but on a BPS 10 gauge that I sold last yr. I sold 2 .300 win mags but it was not recoil related..have now a caliber that compares to them and that is a 30-.338 win mag..love it. I've been shooting belted mags for 40 yrs. or so and am not bothered. I'm 5'10" and 190 lbs.....does that matter? ha...just toughen up abit.

I have an A-Bolt in .325WSM that is quite light and short. My .338 WM M70 is more pleasant to shoot with a bullet of about the same size going about the same speed. Both are quite a bit less frisky than a M70 .375H7H shooting full power loads, and that is quite manageable. I really only notice the recoil when shooting from the bench. If you are recoil sensitive, go smaller or get a muzzle brake and some ear plugs.

Me too! And I love both cartridges.

Maybe it's just me, but I find my best 210 Nosler Pt load at 3000 fps to be pleasant from the bench in my Rem 700 .338. But, my 250 gr load @ 2700 fps seems brutal!

I have two .338 win mags that weigh under 8 pounds and I shoot them for all my hunting. I have shot over 3000 rounds through them so I am used to the recoil. They both shoot under one inch groups. I use them for everything.

I had a pre-'64 Model 70 .338 Magnum, my elk load was a 275 gr. Speer RN bullet over a stout measure of IMR 4350. Recoil when sighting in off the bench was not for the faint hearted. Shots fired at game were never felt, it was the most accurate M/70 I ever owned capable of putting three shots in the same hole at 100 yds. I sold the .338 several years ago and now do most of my big game hunting with a pre-'64 M/70 that I have had rebored to .35 Whelen. The Whelen is a very effective round and offers more loading versatility. I shot 50 rounds off the bench this weekend, the load was a 200 gr. RNFP cast bullet over 15 gr. of Unique. I also shoot a lot of .357 pistol bullets over a load of Red Dot, the light loads make the rifle a joy to shoot and are quite accurate.

My brother bought me one of them for my birthday about 15 yrs. ago. Recoil was brutal. It took all my concentration NOT to jerk the trigger. Cut my eye several times before I sold it.

Any magnum cartridge is going to get your attention off the bench, especially during a lengthy shooting session. I've always felt that Weatherby's handle big kickers as well or better than anyone else.

My two sons & I use elk rifles of similiar weight & size, but different brands & cartridges. My older boy shoots a Model 70 in 300 Win. Mag, & usually uses 180 gr. bullets. His younger brother shoots a Browning Stainless Stalker in 338 Win. Mag with Hornady Heavy Mag loads (230 gr. I believe). I shoot a Wby. Mark V in 7mm. Wby. Mag, with either 160"s or 175's.

I find the 338 to be very tolerable at the bench. My 7mm. Wby. is actually pleasant, & recoils about like my Ruger .270. The 300 Win. Mag. can be painful. Instead of a hard push, you get a severe jolt.

I've heard several other guys make similiar comments. While a 338 gives you that hard push common to many medium to large bores, the 300 punches you fast and severe.

Subjective recoil in my 338 win mag ruger is less than my 306 tikka t3 lite.
Randy

I haven't shot a .338WM in many years, but those who have shot them a great deal say the 9.3X62 recoils noticably less but kills just as well. My 9.3 is pleasant to shoot. When I used to shoot .338's and .375 H&H's fairly often I thought the typical .375 more comfortable to shoot than the typical .338WM.

I really have a thing for the 33's be they big or small. I've found them to be user friendly and generally incredibly accurate.

The factory 338's have all shot well and for the most part they've been easy to deal with recoil wise. As you go up in bullet weight they generally become a bit less friendly but I've also found the heavier bullets to shoot a bit better so I use them.

The 340 is the one I've used a bit and my first one @ 8.25 lbs with a 3-10 Leo on it was a bit cheeky when using the 250's-300's...but it was hell on chucks and yotes..

And it was one of the best elk rifles I've ever used. Rifles that have this much recoil bring committment into the equation. I don't know many people who've been committed enough to work with them in the long run. But, if one has the committment to work with them I feel that they've an incredible killing machine.

One other option if you're looking for a bigger gun is to look into a 375 (H&H or Ruger), build it to come in around 8lbs scoped and ready to rock. Now you'll really have something and it's bump won't be much if any different (especially true of the 340).

Best of luck to you in your decision.

Dober

And to address your Q about the diff tween light rifles recoil with a 338 vs a heavy rifle, yes there will be a considerable diff. But, I don't feel that the 338 has enough gas to it to be too caustic to most people. Try to keep that mzl dia in the .62"-.65" range and the gun should be fairly shootable if it has a good pad.

Lastly, it's my opinion that people have issues with recoil with the 338 (or other sizeable cals) cause of lack of experience with the big guns, cause their rifle is set up poorly (usually too much weight in the stock and not enough in the tube) and cause they're not committed to learn how to shoot the gun well. The bigger the gun the more commitment it takes to be really good with it. Or at least that's how I see it..

Dober

Whether it's light or heavy, the .338 is something you need to shoot year around to keep your hand in and tolerate the recoil. If you're gonna fire a couple or three shots thru it the week before hunting season and call it happy, you stand a good chance of being one of those "magnum shooters" that folks make fun of.

That's about it, the people I know who don't like the magnum recoil just don't want to shoot them often enough to learn how to. And that's fine as we can do most all we want in this world via an 06 or 270.

Dober

Must not be very many handloaders, or folks are trying to wring out every last ounce of velocity out of said cartridges.

I've noticed that loading the 338 Mag with mid range burn powders, you might give up 100 fps of max MV, but you will reduce the recoil level substantially ( or at least felt recoil).

I've also noticed a difference in felt recoil using regular large rifle primers vs the magnum primers, depending upon powder selected.

I use a stiff load of H 1000 powder in a 300 Win Mag ( A Bolt Browning), with a 220 grain RN, with an MV of 2950 to 2975 fps, and it feels like it has less recoil than many factory 300 Win Mag loads using 180 grain bullets.

Handloading can change a lot of those problems for shooters, if they are serious hunters.

the 338 is a pretty hard kicker but if you shoot it and practice you will be able to handle it just fine it an awsome cartridge i decided to build build me a old age elk rifle built a 340 weatherby on a pre 64 model 70 told the snit to not make the barre real heavy and as long as he could get fron the blank it was heavier tan the weatherby and shot great put a 1400 dollar ziess scope on it to make a long story short was the work kicking rifle i have ever shot even with the echols mcmillan stock on it rebarreled it to 375 h&h ent back to 84 grains 4350 behind a barnes 270 grain and as happy as can be