338 win mag

[jay83196]

Thinking of getting a 338 win mag just wondering if anybody has one and what they think of it good or bad. I have a lot of rifles from 30-30 to wetherby 30-378. I have opportunity to get a Tikka in this or 30wsm and I was leaning towards 338 to have something larger with little more energy. I bear and hunt whitetails I don't know if I would use this or not as I have more suitable 270/30-06 for whitetails.

Thanks,

[Mr Special]

i say grab both if possible. u cant nvr have too many guns lol.

my bud has a 338win Tikka n ive shot it numerous times, great gun. it has a good kick but didnt seem too much more then an -06. he used it one yr on a deer and stopped cz it made a lil more damage then he wanted. its now reserved for longer shots at elk, moose or bears.

[jay83196]

Yeah its one or the other wish could get both. Thanks for the feedback, helpful I was little curious on recoil. Still not sure which way to go the 338 bigger and more energy the 30wsm flatter maybe better long distance.

[DonBo]

Unless you're going to hunt moose, or griz, or cape buffalo, why would you even want to deal with something as big as a .338?

I have a .300wsm and with different loads feel comfortable shooting most any game here in North America, and the recoil is going to be much more managable than the .338.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm

[jay83196]

Lol why wouldn't ya seriously though why I'm asking questions about it I have a lot of guns most popular calibers this would be different and bigger .

[graf703]

I have the tikka in 300 win mag. The recoil is very very strong. Mostly because those rifles are about as light as possible. It is much worse than 30-06 even with a limbsaver recoil pad. I understand the wider 338 bullets to kick much harder because of the surface area the powder expands against. The 270 wsm and 300 wsm both have reportedly more pleasant recoil.

I have a few friends that guide in Alaska and they much prefer the 338 calibers. But they are also hunting moose and grizzly bears.

[Spike76]

I have a Rem. 700 338 win mag and I love it. My granddaughter shot it last year and she didn't think it kicked much. The only problem is the cost of ammo. I have a son who gets me ammo cheap, so I can shoot all I want. Its great for deer in Minnesota, or anywhere. Best gun I own.

[Whoaru99]

A particular site I go to says:

30-06 with 165gr load has 20.3 lbs of recoil energy.

338 Win mag with 225gr load has 35.2. lbs of recoil energy.

300 Win mag with a 165gr load shows 26.2 lbs of recoil energy.

That's 73% more recoil on a .338 Win mag vs. 30-06. Seems like a lot more to me???

[Ufatz]

Had a custom .338 in AK for several years with Mannlicher stock. Beautiful and totally capable of blowing big animals right off their feet. But you had to "man up" to handle that baby with some loads.

Why anybody would want to lug one around the MN woods is beyond me but everybody has their own masochistic streak! There is nothing in Minnesota that requires it....other than maybe knocking over a tanker truck.

[Spike76]

It is more, but it doesn't hurt you. My granddaughter was standing here when I posted at 5:16, so I asked and she said it didn't bother her. She was a senior last year and played hockey and fastpitch softball at school. We were sighting in our rifles when I asked her if she wanted to shoot my 338 and she said sure. She has a 3006 7600 that she was sighting in. It is loud, and it does kick, but I really like shooting my 338.

[Mr Special]

if you've ever had a chance to shoot a 12ga smooth bore slug, or any high velocity shotshell "00bucks, BB 3" mags, turkey loads", then the 338 will be a relief.

i dont think u'd go wrong with either round. have fun and let us know watcha choose

[Whoaru99]

I didn't mean to imply it's intolerable. It was just a comparison to the well-known 30-06, mainly.

Heck, a 12ga with high velocity sabots like the Partition Golds I used to shoot are upwards of 47lbs of recoil energy. Heavy 3.5" turkey loads may be even more.

I take little pleasure but quite a pounding in shooting either of those, particularly if from the bench.

[Ufatz]

I agree-it is not intolerable. Mine was a short and light rifle. I mainly wanted to suggest there is no need for one in MN....unless you simply can't LIVE without one. Ha!

I could hand you a 460 Weatherby mag and you could have some real fun punishing yourself. Or even my old .458 "everything" gun loaded with some big ol' 500 grain bullets. Either one always reminded me of shoving bananas into the magazine!

Watched a guy shoot an 8ga double one time. His face was red, ears too and there were tears in his eyes and there was a dazed look on his face. I asked "How was it?"...and he mumbled something and walked back to his truck with it.

Heck, lived near a guy in MT who loved to shoot his .50 in early evenings along with cocktail time. None of my business but it DID make enough noise to bother some neighbors a couple miles away!!! Buncha pansies! LOL

[swamptiger]

Those cannons are great if you don't flinch. Otherwise, it's just an exercise in masochism...

[Spike76]

I should add that my 338 win mag was given to me by a good friend and that makes it very special. It wasn't my wife.

[Gissert]

I've been shooting a Savage 111 in .338 since 1998. I grew to dislike the triggers on my -06 semis, and had started hunting elk.

I never intended for it to become my do-all rifle, but it has. It puts the bullet where I point it, and does not tear up anymore than my 06 did. (You hit a rib going in with either one you will get damage).

I've shot mostly handloads with Barnes 210 grain pills.

Recoil? Yes, it is significant, especially off a bench. I use a PAST slip on shoulder pad when shooting targets, and its not bad then.

Love my .338!