I've been looking into purchasing a 338. Most likely a win mag but possibly a RUM. I've also seen the lapua and edge. What is the difference in all these chamberings? Just case size. I think the lapua and edge are more long range target/ snyper loads. More powder? Does anyone know a site I can look at and compair different loads in the same size projectile. Thanks. Ryan.

I don't know anything about the RUM, but the Lapua is in a whole other league from the 338 Win Mag in terms of powder, blast, velocity and poor relations with the guy at the next bench. You can add a brake and double your fun.

The 338 bore cartridges were developed in the late 1940's thru the 50's and into the early 1960's. The developers wanted the smallest bore cartridge that would give reliable performance on a wide variety of game and be consistently effective WITH THE BULLETS THEN AVAILABLE! In those days the bullets had thin jackets and soft lead cores. A 338 250-275 grain bullet was needed keep the velocity down and to insure that something was left to penetrate. TODAY the 338's are answers to concerns that no longer exist. A 6.5 130 grain monolithic will out perform the thin jacketed bullets used generally in the 1950's. The 338 bore cartridges are on their way to being obsolete. Get a 30.

The 340 Wby is much harder to handle than the 338 Win. The 338 RUM , Edge, and Lapua are even worse. You will need a heavy rifle and a muzzle break. They are great for shooting at hardened targets in combat but silly for hunting.

The 338 RUM,338-378,338 edge,338 Lapua,340 weatherby are all excellent hunting rounds. I shoot 300 gr SMK's and Bergers. If I where to recommend one I would go 338 RUM, fairly heavy rifle and brakes work excellent.My 338-378 with a brake, shooting 300 gr bullets is very nice to shoot.338 rum,338 edge, and 338 Lapua are all very close . 338-378 will go faster with heavy bullets than those 3.The big advantage to the big .338's is long range performance.They are a Long Long way from becoming Obsolete!! That is just plain silly....

You make no mention of the win mag. Where does it fall along with the rum

My elk/bear rifle is the 338 RUM, it is my long range rifle. I get 3025 fps with 225 gr. Accubonds, with 1/2"MOA at 100yds. I opted for no muzzle brake, recoil is still manageable.

It burns about 25% less powder IIRC

Pick a target weight for your rifle and move forward....

W

I would say the RUM would be the ceiling for comfort of recoil in a hunting rifle by many and most....

Tolerable is a relative term.....

W

I've had a 338Win for many years and it's been my go to rifle for mule deer and elk. A few years back, I bought a leupold scope at an auction that had a 338RUM attached to it. The guy said he had two boxes of ammo less 3 rounds that he'd give me. Said it was more gun than he could handle. I took it out and even though the stats say it has a ton more recoil I couldn't tell much difference but I'm sure it's there. Where the RUM has some advantage over my Win besides the obvious is the RUM has a 26 in. barrel and the Win has a 21.5" barrel.

You gonna be huntin' paper or game animals?

Gunner

In the field the 338 is all needed. I have shot one since before monoliths were introduced, and you can drop the bullet weight and increase the velocity if desired. The win mag is pleasant to shoot and is an effective large game round. I have no experience with the heavy 338 rounds, but do not believe them neccesary for most bush hunting.

It's going to be the big game hunting rifle. I took some heat a month ago on this forum asking 300 vs 338 and the majority said I'm crazy to get a mag. Just get a 270 or 30-06 and master it and that's all you'll ever need. But I want a large magnum so win mag or rum? I'll build a paper puncher and varmint rifle next. Probably a 308. All being said the mag won't be used often as we don't have anything but white tail and some black bear here and my local hunting is shotgun only. But I'll get it out to hammer targets any chance I get for practice and confidence in myself and the rifle.

There has been a few awesome videos posted here of long range kills with "smaller" rifles. The girl and the elk was impressive!

Cost per "Bang" also goes up exponentially


W

A good 338 Win Mag, firing the 250 gn Nosler Accu-bond at around 2700 fps, will take care of all Your NA hunting needs. and you can stretch it out a little by zeroing +2 @100 yds, will hit zero at 200, and be around 8" low at 300, and roughly triple that at 400, or -24" low.
Then its shoot, shoot, and then shoot some more, have fun, be safe, and good luck.

Oh and, there alot worse powders out there than H-4350 for the 338 WM.

Gunner

Get a .338 Win Mag and go pound some critters! RUM and Lapua are for ultra long range. The .338 Win is a fantastic round and isn't that bad in the recoil department with bullets from 185-225 grains. For some reason, most on this forum think the .338 is overkill for everything and we should all be hunting the world over with some improved version in .25 or 6.5 caliber using target bullets or an '06 with PT's.

Realistically what is the effective range on a win mag vs a rum? I understand the skill and practice needed in long range hunting and that is not my primary goal in what I buy. Just asking for information sake.

Farther than most anyone can shoot off a bench in dead calm conditions

Seriously


W

The additional 300 fps may get you around 200 yds max. PBR, assuming the optics and skill is there.

Gunner

Not sure there is a real answer for that... If you comparing the same rifle with same accuracy on the same day your past 1k before you start splitting hairs... IMO

I still like the RUM though


W

Its sure a dang far piece out there woofer

Gunner

I have over the years had a 338 Winnie a 340 Weatherby and a 330 Dakota. Hunted with all three, when I paired down my collection I kept a sako 75 in 338 Winchester. Its a hunters cartridge, The bigger 338 cases just give you a lot more recoil. And there is the other issue 338 Winchester Ammo is every were. I started shooting one about 35 years ago. Now a 210 gr Nosler Partition or Barnes X is about all you need. Thou I do like Blue Box Federals 225 gr loads for the white tails I hunt, when I feel like shooting the 338. Of all the 338 cartridges that can be had these days, I think the Winchester is the best of the lot.

My current .338 is a semi custom in .338 RUM. I use the 210gr TSX at a shade over 3300fps IIRC. It lets you know when you hit the go switch but is not uncomfortable for me to shoot even off the bench.

It do hit things with authority and then some. I love mine

I'm biased, but that screams 338 WM. Guess I've had five of them over the years. I've also had a 338-06, and have shot the 340 Wby and 338 WSM a bit.

The 338 WM is a great BG round that can be mastered far easier than the Wby, (and by extension RUM or Lapua).

Were I building a 338 WM tomorrow I'd use a Douglas no. 3 on an M70 action and put it in a McMillan Edge stock of some sort... I'd finish the barrel at 22" (I've done 3 at that length) or 23" at most. I'd put a 6x36LR Leupold on top in Talley Lwt X-Lows and add a Butler Creek Mountain Sling. Load up some 210 NP's and go hunting.

I started out hunting with 225's and 250's but eventually just settled on 210 Partitions for everything. Load them around 2,900 and you're good to go. You can load heavier, but I've never seen the need, at least on the game I hunt (antelope - elk).

That'd be a good build for sure Mac, thinking (scarry for me to do I know) that I'd go with a #2 Dougy cut to 23". The stock (Hunter Edge), scope, rings etc I'd go with as well but I'd do the Montana 1" for a sling just cause I like it so much.

Cause I hold a rig so lightly I'd give consideration to having it magnaported as it's worked well for me b4.

Tons of wonderful bullets for it, easy to set the dotz to 500 with most all of them. I only say most cause I've not done it with the 275's yet, and don't really care to. Though I do have a box of 275 SAF's I'm saving for the day that M'Bogo invades Boze........

Dober

M'bogo has gotta invade California first...they'll be in Boze next....

If Kali is invaded via M'bogo then I'll be buying the popcorn...

Dober

Its a nice fantasy to have...

thinking that once upon a time you told me it was one of your fav fantasies to have and that it ranked 2nd only to your fantasy of having a battery filled with .270's....

Dober

There's a fine line between satire and cruelty..I think you might have crossed it....

Had a wonderful mentor with that......U



Dober

True dat.....

Dober, you'd go no.2? (.600 @ 24")...

I'm shocked

In order to really answer this question, I'd first have to find out your recoil tolerance. Then how you hunt. Black Timber? Aspens? 800 yard shots the norm? Do you reload, or are you a factory ammo guy, shoot half a box before season, save the other ten and hit the woods?

I've got a Mcmillan .338 Win Mag, and a CZ 550 in 375 H&H for elk. Where I hunt 350 yard shots are the norm. My recoil tolerance for precision is right around 30-06 levels. I've braked both rifles, and their both right there recoil wise. I've started reloading, and am trying to find a load combo for the 250 TTSX in 375 H&H that will make it a 450-500 yard rifle. My .338 loves the Vor-Tx in 225 grains, but I've bought a box of 210 TTSX just to see if I can't get 2900+fps out of my 24 inch tube. Which will probably give me another 15-30 yards...

Lee-I'd not worry about another few fps, start thinking a scope with dotz and then things get real easy...

Dober

You're right Mac, maybe #2 is a bit slim for the project. You're wearing off on me a bit though..grin

Fat Bastard is about .65" and it's a touch heavy for me. But, it shoots well and is very user friendly.

Dober

The 338WM is a fantastic round, had one for a long time. I wanted a cartridge that impressed elk and that was it. Mine was a M70 from 1975 push feed, a bit a light weight that replaced a Ruger 77.
I used 250 gr in Hornady for practice and PT for hunting and found it impressed elk to just drop, but it also impresses on the other end in a lighter gun like mine. Elk and deer with a 308 would act like a hit was an annoyance, the 338 gave them the "this ain't good" look.
A good stock fit will go a long way to enjoy this round. You also will learn that everything you have learned about recoil management and general rifle shooting is needed to be effective. Learn to roll with it, you can shoot all day long and smile after with very little soreness.
My reason for using the 250's was that here everyone would buy out the lighter bullets before I got to the shelves and the 250s were the left overs, so just went with them. The 210 and 225 are very good though the few times I got my hands on them.
Trajectory is right there with a 30-06 but what it brings to the table is momentum which coupled with a good opening bullet is very impressive.

I vote 338WM, but everyone has their favorites. The 338wm gives great ballistics with a relatively small amount of powder compared to its larger brothers. It kills stuff very well and components (brass) is easy to find. I really have started to warm up to the 338 Federal though. I get about 2650 out of 200gr hornady spire points and it has dropped over a dozen hogs and deer without a hitch. Get what you want and get ready to practice alot to get used to the recoil! T.S.

A few years ago I would have said no. 2... you're wearing off on me!

Push to shove I might go no.2... prolly around .610" at 22"

Fat Bastard is a VERY fine rifle IMO.

You guys loose me when talking about building a rifle. I'm not a smith of any sort so I will need to settle with a manufactured gun. Care to start that war? What kind?

Dober, I've got the fancy Z6i with the ballistic turret. It works as advertised. For me the less in the scope is better. I just shoot the one dot. I've got a chart taped to the stock for clicks past 500 all the way to 1000 yards, but I don't have a place to practice those distances. I'd have to have a real nice set up with no wind to take a shot past 500, or of course have John Burns whispering sweet nothings in my ear...

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=265005512

700 classic.............

Nice b prefix classic handle.... Could do a lot worse....

W

Between myself and two hunting buddies we have a 338-06, .338 WM and a .338 RUM. I've shot all three together at the range and am comfortable using any one of them. My friends .338-06 is very nice to shoot with 225 gr. Nosler Part. at 2700 fps. My .338 WM shoots 225 gr. Xs at 2850 fps. My other friends .338 RUM is a Rem. LSS that shoots factory 250 gr. CL at 2850 fps. It is much more comfortable to shoot than most people think it would be.

Having used and seen them being used I just don't think it really matters which one you go with out to normal range (? < 400 yds.). Maybe at longer ranges you could argue going with the RUM. Mine is the WM and was the first of our three bought. I still think that when performance, cost and availability is taken into consideration it's the top pick.

Very nice. I'm slightly partial to synthetic stocks just because I don't want to carry nice wood and steel thru brush and mark it up. Any take on buying a savage?

I prefer these in 338

http://www.gunauction.com/buy/10706...on-rifle/ruger-ruger-m77rp-mk-ii-338-win

I like.

This is just me and remember I'm now at mid life (53...grin) but get all those rigs down to a weight I'd prefer to carry them at and then let us know what you think. Oh yeah that weight being 8 to 8 1/4 lbs all up at most.

Dober

Dober, you hit it on the head.

An 8lb all-up 338 RUM ain't comfortable to shoot for most mortals, and I'm not willing to pack a rifle over 8lbs any more hence my theoretical choice of the 338 WM.

I say "theoretical" because I hung up the 338 WM about 10 years ago as I've progressively gone to lighter and lighter rifles, both in terms of recoil and all-up weight.

I don't ever see another 338 WM in my future...

My win was at 8.5 at 40 it was fun, at 58 not so much.

Sub 8 RUM is on the menu

W

Yeah, I hear that. I got my first 338 WM when I was in my early 30's... now at 50, while I can still deal with the recoil, I don't find it "fun" anymore nor do I find the "need" for the 338 WM.

If I were going to Africa or shooting Brown Bears I'd own a 375 H&H again... otherwise the plain-jane 270 or 308 Win is plenty.

But we've all been there, done that when it comes to magnums and I think a guy's got to scratch the itch if he hasn't.

I ran out of gas on magnums more than a few years back...

Woodland Whitetails?

Those 60 yard shots through the brush are tough. Thought I may just burn the @#%^ woods down with the first shot


w

Ha! Vermont is known for its "hard wood!"

Woodchucks mostly The tree huggers dont count... They is only good for soft wood anyway Guy put ad on craigslist for "organic" firewood. Sold all he had in 1 afternoon Tards...

w

"organic Firewood" - almost blew good coffee out my nose....That's damn funny. I know that some of the goofy trolls in Ann Arbor and Metro Detroit would line up 10 deep and pay with thier i-phones...

Sir, you hit the nail on the head.
I had a 338 built on a Sako AV action, love it, will keep it forever, it's been a lucky rifle; it sure seems heavier now that I'm in my 50's than it was in my 30's.
The last hunt for that rifle was 1998 Colorado's 2nd rifle season, now it's off to the range every now and again.

My Sako 308 or Tikka 6.5x55 will cover the bases for my hunting these days.

Steve

Organic fire wood? That stuff burns hot and fast!
So it looks like I'll end up with a win mag and love it for the next 25 years till I get smart and retire it for smaller faster lighter rifles like you " experienced" guys. Young dumb and want the big bang! Thanks for all the wisdom

You bet. Now we get to decide how it's built... Them's the rules

W

It's good for cooking organic, free-range venison also.

Swear to goodness he had the phone ringing off the hook... City folk thinkin' he had the answer to their 20k fireplace woes... How to save the world AND enjoy the over budget in house fire pit....

W

I'll play by the rules!

Budget?

W

39 years old... 338 WM...



I'm pretty certain, all variables put in a computer, there's no finer cartridge for killing elk than the 338 WM... problem is I don't want to carry one or the computer that thinks it's so great (grin).

That's the dream brad ! Nice animal.
Rifle budget in the 1000 range? Then optics. What can you make if that?

An M70 in a McMillan Edge would work...

Ditto a Ruger M77 in a Bansner.

Also, a Remington 700 in a McMillan Edge of some sort if you don't have my crf prejudice...

Easiest way is a Kimber 8400 MT... cut the barrel to 22 or 23" and you're good to go.

Under 1K that's how I'd go...

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=264722035

very nice...................

w

That belongs in a display case. I don't think I could take that out in the elements. I have a hard time using very nice firearms.

Nice job on coming in under budget

As others have said both will do the job just fine as will any other of the less common 338's. If you don't reload you may want to stay with the 338wm for ease of availability of ammo... and cost.

I built a 338wm a few years ago and havn't looked back. It's taken whitetails, mule deer, moose, elk, black bear and grizzly. I can't swear it kill's any better than a 3006 but it does seem to damage less meat than the fast 300's or fast 7's.

I've also found it to be a very accurate rifle out to 500 yards. I'm sure it can be effective at further range but that is as far as I have gained proficiency to at this time.

Mine was based on a New Haven SS Model 70 classic. It has a Pacnor SS super matchgrade barrel cut at 26" in a #4 sporter contour. The action has been trued. It is glass bedded in a McMillan Hunter stock. I think mine is around 9 pounds all up. I shoot 72 grains of H4831 with 250 grain Swift Aframes for hunting and 250 grn interlocks for plinking.

What can I say, for me this rifle works very well. If I was buying one right now I think I would get the new Winchester Extreme Weather in 338wm.

One of the things I've enjoyed a lot about the various 33's is how easy they are to get to shoot. I've had 3 340 barrels and all have shot balls out. (and been around a few more 340 tubes, pretty much all Schneiders)

Dober

I'd pick up a used Ruger Mark II ($450-$500)

Purchase a Mc Millan or any good quality fiberglass stock($425 plus)

For optics a Leupold 3-9x40 with the LR reticle would be a good start


I wouldnt cut the barrel . I like at least 24" on any magnum to keep the muzzle blast as far away from your face as possible.

If you want to lighten it I would have the barrel recontoured, but going to light with a 338 isnt a real good idea.

Ive been shooting 338s since I was in my 20s, near 50 now.I've had 10 different 338s over the years. I Like Rugers the best.Know matter how old I am there will always be a 338 in my safe. My hunting mentor, former boss and one of my best friends is in his 70s now and still shoots a 338. Hes hunted world wide and has 100s of wild game animals in his trophy romm (It is amazing). When you ask him what his favorite round is he responds " 338 win mag, is there anything else"

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/5926260/Re_338#Post5926260

Thats a beauty, if I could get that up here I would buy it off you in a heartbeat.

I bought my .338 Winchester Magnum in 1960 or so about two years after it was introduced. Naturally, my Model 70 is a "pre-'64" rifle since it was purchased in 1960 or 1961... not sure which year.

I began handloading for the .338 WM soon after I purchased it because of the cost of factory loads and my desire to make my rifle as accurate as possible... and back in the early '60s, that was via handloading.

I hunted everything with that rifle... mule deer, elk and bear in snow almost up to my hips in the Gunnison Mountains in Colorado, deer in Nebraska, Michigan and Pennsylvania, moose in upper Canada... and one thing always "bothered" me. Shooting the Model 70 using my "hot" handloads off the bench-rest wasn't too bad for the first 16 rounds, but #17 always "hurt"... and every round thereafter always HURT, too!

Now I'm no "panty-waist" when it comes to recoil, but to be perfectly honest, I can't figure out why anyone would wanna or need to shoot the bigger .338s like the .340 Weatherby or the other huge .338s!

The .338 Win. Mag. is as "much rifle" as I'd ever wanna shoot off the bench. Now in the field, heck... you don't even notice the recoil when you've got the crosshairs on a trophy deer or big elk or Canadian bull moose like the one I got on a fly-in trip back into the Canadian bush next to an unnamed lake.

The hand-loaded 210 grain Nosler Partition bullet drove the large bull moose down like the "Hammer-of-Thor" as the rifle reared up in recoil.,, the bull was dead before he hit the ground and never moved a muscle once he was "down".

How much DEADER can an animal get?!?!? That rifle scored one shot kills on everything I ever pulled-a-trigger on during my first 40 years of my big game hunting.

Finally... when I passed the age of retirement (65) ten years ago... I started wishing for a big game rifle that didn't jar my back teeth loose when I shot it off the bench-rest... and since I then was only hunting whitetails, I had no need for a "Hammer-of-Thor" anymore... nor for it's 10� pounds (fully loaded with a heavy sling with a wide, leather pad where the sling met my shoulder + a 3-9x scope) of "carrying weight".

So the big Winchester was, like me, "retired" to an honored place in my gun-safe and I want on a campaign to find a lighter recoiling, less weight-y rifle.

On my next birthday, my bestest hunting buddy found what I wanted at a big regional gun show in Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh... and he and my children gave me a wonderful birthday present... a 1953, in like-new condition, Model 99 Savage lever-action rifle with a rotary magazine in .300 Savage caliber... a cartridge for which I now handload... and which I enjoy it's considerably less than HALF the amount of my .338 Win. Mag.'s recoil... and from which I can shoot 60 or 80 rounds of in a single afternoon if I wanna and not feel like my shoulder is broken the next day.

Seriously!!! I'm no "recoil weenie", buttttt... one afternoon, I shot just 40 rounds of my .338 WM handloads in .338 Winchester Magnum off the bench-rest... and my arm from the elbow up and the right half of my chest were black & blue with some "yellowing" around that place God made on our bodies to put a rifle's butt for TWO WHOLE WEEKS!!! THAT is when I decided to get a lighter recoiling rifle.

If you like to be "slugged" by a heavy-weight, then more power to ya, but as for me... I can easily handle and delight in the light 13 or 14 ft/lbs of recoil outta my Model 99... or out of my Ruger #1 RSI in 7x57 which has only slightly greater recoil with full-power loads designed for "modern rifles ONLY" yielding 2800 fps with a 140 grain Nosler Partition bullet.

After all, you can only kill a deer "so dead"!

Jus' my 2�...


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

You don't see many .338 Winchesters in Africa, but it works quite well for all plains game. It is legal for lion and leopard in Zim and is my preference for leopard. I have two. One is a Blaser R93 (which has never seen Africa) and the other is a full custom built on a 1953 Winchester M70 action. Both are tackdrivers.

Boddington has written that his recommendation for a two rifle battery (assuming both PG and DG is on the menu) is a .338 and a .416. Sound advice, in my opinion.

You can't go wrong with a .338 Winchester for Kudu, Gemsbok, Wildebeest, Zebra, Leopard and even Eland. For Lion I would prefer a .375 or .416 and it is not legal for buffalo.

I shoot my .338 WM at 600 yards and can hit the steel gong with a high degree of regularity. Not so much with the clay pigeons at that range but I usually come pretty close. Aiming system is a Burris Fullfiled II with Ballistic Plex reticle, as it is with most of the bolt rifles I shoot at that range. Turrets or dots might help as some interpolation is required and the wind is generally blowing pretty good, usually crosswise.

That said, I foolishly accepted a less than stable position for the first shot at my elk this year and nearly missed. At 265 yards I hit above the spine and poked a hole though one of the process bones that stick up above the spine. After shifting position I put two within 2� and both where aimed, making two holes in the hide and one larger hole in the rib cage.


Recoil on my fairly lightweight WM (22� fluted barrel on a Ruger MKII in a �boat paddle� stock) is about all I want. With a RUM I would definitely want a heavier rifle and/or brake to help tame the recoil. Don�t like carrying heavy rifles while elk hunting, though, and really don�t care for brakes although they do an awesome job of taming recoil.
what I buy. Just asking for information sake.