300 win mag vs. 338 win mag?

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dentodoc

New member
I currently shoot a remington 700 adl in 30-06 (older wooden stock model), and have harvested a number of deer with it. The recoil is not an issue to me. I am thinking of trying elk hunting out west. I would like some advice as to which caliber is better for elk and possibly even moose or bear at a later date. I also ask if anyone has opinons on which manufacturer makes the best 300 or 338 rifle? I am familiar with remingtons, but have seen winchesters, brownings, and rugers. My son's first deer rifle was a savage. The stocks on savages looks cheap to me, but I guess they shoot fine. I once had a .280 ruger and I liked it (should never have traded it off). Also, what about the boss system or muzzle breaks? I hear some guys swear by the boss to reduce recoil, and improve shot placement. Is this a serious consideration with these two magnum loadings? My only experience with muzzle breaks is an uncle who has a 300 weatherby and swears by them.
Any ideas and opinions would be appreciated. Thanks!
 
Which is better?

Well, the .338 will definitely put down a moose or elk or bear harder, without a doubt. That said, I wouldn't feel a bit undergunned to go after any of them with my .300 Win Mag.

I've done a fair bit of loading for each side by side. There is a notable increase in recoil with a full-house .338 load. You're looking at the difference between a 200g .300 bullet at about 2825 and a 250g .338 bullet at 2660. While the .338 is slower, it's pushing a LOT more bullet. (Energy difference is 3544/3927 fps, respectively) With a 200 yard zero, those two loads are hitting within an inch of each other at 300 yards. In other words, the loss in velocity isn't enough to worry about.

If I wanted to buy one rifle that could handle anything in N. America without thinking twice about it, I'd probably go with the .338 Win Mag. If I wanted to buy something that would handle long range shooting better and would be fine for anything except perhaps the biggest brown bears, I would use a .300 Win Mag.
 
I agree with Long Path ...the 338 win mag would and was my choice...and i havent been let down once....the 338 offers a greater range of loads...and is actually a wild cat round...meaning it was designed off of another round and they took it and perfected the shape of the shell and the diameter of the bullet.. i will never go to another gun for big game animals...good luck with your decision..oh and as far as long range goes...the 338 accuracy and power was amazing at 800 yards...like i said a perfected round

Osirus101
 
tikka t3 lite .300wsm leupold vari x II ultralight 3x9x33

gun weighs 6lbs ( big deal when climbing after that trophy elk ) more than enough knock down ( 180 grn 3000fps ) and the entire package will cost you about $900 for a very quality rifle and scope
 
You've already got a good '06, which can crowd many of the .30 mags with 'light magnum' loads. I agree that something bigger is in order for moose/bear country, so don't screw around- go ahead and get the .338. I'm betting you'll be glad that you did. As has been noted above, the .338 carries a hell of a wallop, either up close or way out there.
 
You also do not have to shoot 250 grain bullets in the .338.
You can shoot
200 grain Winchester Powerpoints (A lot of energy and velocity)
210 grain Nosler Partitians (A very good bullet and plenty fot Elk)
215 grain Sierra GameKings (A great bullet for Deer, Elk, Bear and Moose)
225 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips (great for a variety of things)

The 250 and 275 grain bullets work great but the recoil is considerably greater than with say the 215 grain GameKIng)
 
A good choice IMO...the Ruger All-Weather Stainless....338 Magnum...it should go nice next to your 30-06.
 
If you are gonna take the recoil abuse of a magnum for elk, moose and bear go with the 338...balistically they are pretty close but the 338 hits a bit harder

As to rifles, start lookin for a pre 64 Model 70 :)

WildretroAlaska
 
I have only fired my 338 at paper, but recol is very tolerable. Friends have borrowed rifle for bear and moose. My rifle weighs about ten pounds and has rubber recoil pad. Successful hunters have not complained about recoil or rifle weight. Mine is 98 Mauser with Douglas #2 barrel. I'd buy another. daleltaylor@att.net
 
since the .30-06 will be all youd need to put down elk or bears or anything else in NA then the .338 would be a good buy because itll be a toy anyway
 
I've had alittle experience with the Boss system in a Browning a-bolt in a 300 win mag. I really liked it. Drops the recoil down to about like a 270, so I'm sure it would really help with a 338 as well. The only problems is, you better take some ear plugs. The 300 win mag with the Boss will really rings you ears. I can't imagine what it would be like with a 338.
 
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