338 Win Mag versus 300 Win Mag

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There is nothing in North American that cant be successfully be taken with the 30-06. Noting in the lower 48 that cant be successfully taken with the 270, including Elk.

(however I like the 150 gr 270 for elk).

The difference is the recoil you get from the 338 or the 300 WM. I don't care how big an tuff you are, recoil is going to get to you.

I use to shoot a 300 WM Tgt Rifle for 1000 yard matches when I shot for the Guard. I learned I could go better with the 308 then I could the 300 simply because of the fatigue factor.

I one simply wants another rifle, by all means get one. However any more I wont shoot the heavy guns without a Muzzle Brake. I shoot for fun, not to get beat up.

Marksmanship is more important then any caliber. People simply shoot better with the smaller calibers.

I live with the Alaska Natives on the Bering Sea, and went out hunting with them. The 223 was quite popular for caribou, seals and even walruses.
 
OK, I'll play. I'm a .338 guy myself, but I'll share my minor experience with 220s in the 30-06. I have an old Remington-made Model of 1917 that was sporterized long ago and sports an aftermarket aperture sight. Especially with me shooting, it's only good to about 200. So I loaded some Sierra ProHunter 220 RN over IMR-4350 to see how she'd do. Pretty good, in fact: >2,400 and good groups.

I haven't shot anything but paper with it, but recall that Elmer Keith declared the '06 "no elk rifle" after he shot one running away with a 220. He was disappointed that it failed to penetrate the entire length of the elk!
 
Either get a 30-06 or 375.

300 WM just kicks a hell of a lot harder and uses far more powder and eats up barrels.

You need to get to 375 before you see the difference (and its a softer shove)

If a 30-06 is got the capability to hunt what you want, then go with it.

If not, the 375.
 
resurrecting this thread....cause it is just a good one.....

I read that a couple of writers like the 338-06.

What about sticking with an ole '06, reloading with the 220 grain pills?????

Sure, not good out to 500 yards, but the old aught six with 220's seems like a decent option.
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There are ELD lines of hunting bullets in the 220 gr range now.

225 if you want to try a match and there is some contenders that use them far out with reported good results.
 
I'll share my minor experience with 220s in the 30-06.
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I'll share mine too but it involves hunting instead of paper. Opening day for deer hunting in Michigan (November the fifteenth) in 1966, I was hunting in a cedar swamp area with an early Remington Model 760 rifle having a Williams receiver sight and, for whatever reason, had it loaded with 220 grain Winchester Silvertips.
At the crack of dawn, an eight point buck exploded from a creek bed I was crossing and I was able to put two quick shots into the lung/heart area of the deer. It fell right away but got to its feet and started running away. Two more shots downed the deer but it was still very much alive as I scrambled to reload the detachable magazine and manage to administer the coup de grace.
Examination of the wound areas revealed that those heavily constructed 220 grain bullets just whistled through the deer, showing no evidence of expansion; the failure to expand probably compounded by the relatively close range of the shots.
Though this was just one isolated event for me, I concluded that 220 grain Silvertips are probably best suited for times when penetration is more important than expansion (i.e., when hunting bear instead of whitetails). All of my subsequent deer hunting when using either the .30-06 or the .308 employed 165 or 180 grain bullets, usually Remington "Core-Lokts".
 
Well I have owned and shot both and both have a lot of merit.
But if I were to step up from the 270 I'd go with the 9.3X62 or the 375H&H.
 
And the comment by Dgfludiwg shows that its bullet selection that is the first criteria.

You don't hunt deer with solids, but you do Cape Town Buff (and Elephants now if needed for crop or too large for an area heard control)

Caliber is important, but you have to start with what you are going to hunt, what the likely range is and pick the bullet best suited for that.
 
I have a 338 win mag. Wicked accurate and throws a heavy punch down range but absolutely brutal kick at the bench. Going to brake it. 300 win mag is probably the best overall anything gun. Way more than needed for whitetails but I like my animals dead not suffering. Plenty for Elk and just plain awesome ballistics for showing off at the shooting range.
 
Asking a "what is better" question on the internet with respect to two different tried and true cartridges will yield dozens of impassioned posts, some advocating one, some advocating the other....and some who think both options are wrong and you should get some other cartridge you didn't even mention.

So i will try and stay within the bounds of the OP.
I shoot F-CLASS open 1k yards and hunt with a .300wm. I have 3 of them. It is a superior all around Rifle to the .338 wm because you can get similar knockdown Power with a higher BC in 200 gr bullets while also shooting laser flat with 150 gr bullets... something the .338 wm cannot do as easily and not with as high of BC bullets in the lower weights.

In my model 70 Super Grade .300 wm I get about 2975-3000 fps with a 200 gr nosler Accubond. If your rifle is throated for it and magazine fits longer bullets, I push a 225 gr hornady ELD-m 2950 with a 28" barrel, with a BC of .777 G1 or .394 G7. That is actually faster than a SAAMI .338 wm with the same bullet weight .

But all that said, for big game hunting there is nothing wrong with a .338 wm either. That is what my dad uses for elk while I use a .300wm and my brother uses a .375 HH.

I too already have a .270, and .308's (plural). But the .300 wm is superior to both.

Now with all that said, and me having made my case, if you go .338 wm it wouldn't be bad at all since you already have a medium game Rifle and a brown Bear/bull elk/bull moose thumping .338 wm would cover all game in North America.

Fwiw, I don't know why people complain about the belt, if you don't hand load, the belt doesn't matter and if you do, you headspace off the shoulder after the first firing and after the 4th or 5th you just use the Larry wills die and it's back to SAAMI....and in a dedicated hunting Rifle I doubt most folks will ever shoot enough to need it.
 
....and in a dedicated hunting Rifle I doubt most folks will ever shoot enough to need it.
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That's a point well worth making. I have more than a couple of rifles I'll probably never reload for because, after sighting them in, along with periodic checks to verify poi vs poa, a couple or three boxes of factory ammunition will likely last me for the rest of my life (and at 74 years of age, all the more likely...:().
 
It lacks versatility. You can load up a 30-06 and maximize the larger bullets, which in VLD are up to 220 gr?

The case was for older powders, with newer ones you can take advantage of that excess capacity and put it to good use.

308 would be affine for Caribou. I liked something a lot hotter ad you could also run into a bear (or a chance at a moose)

One thing to be kept in mind, both the 338 and the 375 have more of a push than a shoulder smack.

300 WM is as bad as a 7mm for that.

If you are going to make a jump, make it a good, one, 338 at least and 375 even better.

And don't ignore what you could do with a 7.5 Swiss in a Modern Rifle. I call is the 7.5 SUM (Swiss Ultra Mag)
 
I've had two 338's and good cartridge's, if you can take the beating! First one I got, I bought a box of ammo so I could stop on the way home and fire it, habit of mine! Three shot's and it turned my shoulder black and blue, big time, off hand! But I shot it a lot and overcame the recoil problem unless, I went a month or so not shooting it! The bullet I used was the 225 gr Hornady and at this point in my life I have to think if that's all the bullet your gonna shoot, stick with the 300 mag! I'll never have another 338, getting to old to take anywhere near that much recoil. But My opinion is the best bullet to use in it, start's at the 250. If your shooting less I'd consider the 338-06, like to try that. Probably bruise me though! I looked in the manual a number of time's and with the same bullet's the 338-06 has a bit more to offer than the 35 Whelan! Surprised me. But the 300 mah will give you all you need for anything in north america if you choose your bullet wisely. The 338 mag will also but with less than 250 gr bullet's It's not much more than a harder recoiling 300 mag!
 
Nothing like a heated discussion about a post that's 4 years old.
There's no need for a magnum of any kind for hunting any game in North America. Magnum Fever is the result of the most successful marketing campaign in history. There is no game animal in North America that requires a magnum cartridge to kill. Big bears included.
 
I will add my thoughts and experiences as I also like the 338 WM, but admittedly do not shoot one any longer.

I had mine in a Win M70. It was very accurate, but it hurt to shoot it.

As Wyosmith stated in post #3, I have relegated my efforts to the 375 H&H as it is a nice shooter as well.

I think if the 338 WM did not have the belt, it would not be considered a magnum cartridge by mankind. Same with the 300 WM. The word Magnum is really just a marketing ploy, and it works well for the manufacturers.

I own and occasionally shoot a 460 Wby and it is easier on me than the 338 WM was.

My hunting days are limited and I have kept my hunting entourage full of 30-06 rifles. It is almost perfect for my needs and the areas that I hunt. The other calibers that I have and shoot are just novelties to me. I no longer have the M70 338 WM any longer as a buddy of mine thought he had to have it. It did accompany me on a couple of Elk hunts back in the 70s and did well.
 
O'Heir got it just right. No need for any magnum cartridge. I had my round of magnumitus and than God it's gone. My heavy rifle is a 30-06!
 
I own and occasionally shoot a 460 Wby and it is easier on me than the 338 WM was.
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From "Rifle Recoil Manual" by Chuck Hawks:

Cartridge; Rifle Weight; Recoil Energy

.338 Magnum; 9.0 pounds; 33.1
(250 gr bullet)

.460 Weatherby; 11.25 pounds; 99.6
(500 gr bullet)

The difference between "perceived" recoil as opposed to actual recoil only goes so far. I'd hate to have to shoot what's harder on you...:eek:
 
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I have been tempted in the past by 460 Lotts but realize the largest cartridge I will own again is a 375 Holland and Holland. Between that, a .243, and a 270 I have had for years (it may become a 257 Roberts) I see no requirement for the 338. I'd skip it. If you want to go big go big
 
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