338Mag or 8mmMag opinions wanted.

Yes the 340 Weatherby is what I am looking for. I just have two peeves with it; first is the rounded shoulder and the second is the massive freebore associated with most Weatherbies of that size. This is why I considered the 338 Jerrett. It eliminates those two issues I have with the Weatherby but I would still be able to shoot the 340 Weatherby cartridge in it if I needed to. I have shot plenty of 375 H&H cartridges in my 375 JRS. I loose about 350fps when I do so. same with the 300 H&H in my 300 Mag but I lose about 450 FPS. With the Weatherby I don't think this would be such a large drop. I would venture to say it might be under 50fps. At this point, the only thing is the new caliber in which I do not load. I figure, if I go to the 338 over the 8mm, It will come to about five bills more at the end or even more. As I said before, even though I already have an unchambered 338, 26" barrel, (which has been trued and nitrated already by Harry when he was alive) I canalways sell that and get my money back and buy a new pre-chambered barrel in 8mm Rem Mag. I already have all the dies which I bought so I can make my other cases in stages and not all in one forceful process. The Jerrett dies are a couple of bills by themselves. BUT, this do not mean that I will not go that way, still. I still think that the 338 is a COOL round. I did get to shoot the Lapua in the Corps but never used it in practice. My missions were considered illegal at the time and so the mandate was that the weapon could not be traced to the US Nor anything else I had on my person). I was using my 7mmSTW built on a Vz-24 action using 150gr sierra matchkings loaded into fireformed 375 H&H Sellier & Bellot brass RWS primers and Yugoslavian powder. I don't even remember what it was but it was for the 12.7 Russian cartridge. This was the 1990/91 time-frame.
 
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The 8mm Remington Magnum, instead of being a cartridge too far ahead of its time, was yet another Remington "day late and dollar short" cartridge that tried to swim upstream against already established and very popular rounds.

Additionally, Remington's choice of factory loads really downplayed the round's potential. They under loaded it and they didn't offer a wide enough range of bullet styles or weights.

You know you have a problem when, at the meeting where the round is breathlessly introduced by Remington employees, Elmer Keith gets up and asks "What the hell good is it?"

I know more than a few people who think very highly of the 8mm Mag. In a lot of ways it's a great cartridge whose greatness was quashed by Remington's poor choices.
 
"OK, but why? At this point I will need to get another caliber in bullets which I do not load in and wind up with a wildcat. Justify the 338 please."

Greater availability of brass.

Greater availability of bullets.

Much wider selection of bullet styles.

My wider range of loading information available.

Far greater number rifles for which it is a standard chambering.

Short action vs 8mms long action.



In my opinion, the biggest drawback to the .338 is that most rifles in which it's chambered are about 2 pounds too light and the recoil can be absolutely vicious unless you put a brake on them.
 
That is funny about recoil. I rechambered a Mini-Mk-X action from 7.62 x 39 to 7.62x45. The rifle only weighs a couple of pounds and kicks like a 30-06. This is why I am building two new 7.62x45s on small ring 93 Mausers. This will be about 75% heavier than the Mini-Mk-X. but still light in comparison.
 
Well Gunny, first --Semper Fi. Served 1st Marine Div. 1951/52. As you guys may put it today. C-1-1 . Col Puller commanding. Just a grunt but did make Sgt during my time in Korea.
Now to your question, TOO much theory causes paralysis by analysis, anyone of those calibers will harvest any animal in North America. So do you hunt and own guns[rifles] to hunt or hunt to own guns.
As to your two comments on freebore and shoulder slope. You are building a custom so you can have any free bore your analytical mind conjures, as to slope you will never shoot enough rounds to be concerned with slope of a shoulder.
As you stated ability to use a Lapua then one shot one kill should be norm.
The 340 will equal the Lapua any day of the week at normal hunting ranges.
In my 70 years of hunting expierence my major creed was to stalk as close as I could to get the best shot possible. Today some people like to shoot from long distances, I like to be patient and stalk in close, closer. All in the mind of the hunter.
Been a good thread as folks believe there is a diff between 32 and 33 cal at app the same vel.
 
Semper-Fi Scoits. I was in the First Marine Brigade from 1977-81. The interesting part of my Marine tenure, is that I have seen the first Marine four star General, the first marine general on the joint chiefs of staff and also the first Marine as the Chairman of the joint chiefs. The only "famous" Marine I have had the pleasure of meeting, was having lunch with General Boyington. I own guns just for the collection and the hunt is only the fringe on the surrey. I own guns because I like to build and restore them. I collect stuff which was used by the Corps and also the Czech army. I stopped with the plastic stuff. That is where I draw the line. I own nothing with a synthetic stock. I enjoy doing the furniture as much as the metal work. The only stuff I "enjoy" hunting are wild pigs. They are a true challenge. I have taken them with as small as the 7.62x45 Czech to as large as my 375 American T.R. The only piece of game I have ever shot with a scope was a European deer back in 1976 and it was mounted on a Brno 8x57. I spent the summer with my uncle in Czechoslovakia. All game I have shot in the US has been with peep sights. Ranging between 75-400 yards. All have been pigs. I shoot that which I like to eat and also something that is almost as smart and aggressive as I am :). Hence the pigs. I started shooting pigs in Hawaii back in 1978 and now cant get enough of them. I only even get to see one about one hunt out of four.
 
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Gunny,
Shot a few pigs myself, Fla and Arkansas, with and without dogs. I use my 45/70 guide gun. One shot one pig. Did shoot a couple of wart hogs in Zim. Used the 340.
Dont mean to jack the thread.
Do thank you for your response as now have a better understanding of your quest.
Good luck and keep the powder dry.
 
Thanks for all the help guys. It is not which one I want, but which will be the most practical and useful to me at this point. I "Really Want" the 338 but the 8mm will be considerably more practical. Also quite a bit less expensive to build and shoot.
I just put the 338 barrel up fore sale and will order a new 8mm Rem Mag short chambered barrel as soon as I get my first 7.62x45 project finished. All that is left on it is getting it blued and dropping it into the stock. After this one is done, than I have my six other planed projects including now the 8mm Rem Mag. After those I will still have four large ring and one small ring Mauser actions left in my stash. Which at this point I have no plans for.
 
I've owned a couple 338 mag. To me, unless I shot it a lot, recoil was brutal. But as I found out, you can learn to live with recoil. I would not choose an 8mm over a 338 for one simple reason, bullet's! What is the heaviest bullet you can get in an 8mm? I don't know about the 338 anyore but when I was shooting them, you could get up to a 275 gr Speer and seemed everyone made a 250 gr. If you really felt you needed a 200gr bullet, you's get a 30 cal cartridge, mag of course, rather than something like a 7mm the huge difference being the bullet weight and hoe the cartridge handle's it. Biggest difference in the 30-06 and a 300 mag to me is the way the 300 mag handles 200 gr bullet's. If you need or want that much bullet bigger is better. At the same time if you were using say a 165 gr class bullet, you'd be better off with the 7mm over the 300 mag. Reasno being the 300 will be awfully hard on that light a bullte and the 7mm will thrive on it. At time's over the years I have though of nother 338 but the only cartridge that interest me has been the 338-06. the idea being I could then shoot a 250 gr with less recoil.

One thing for sure I've discovered is if you want it get it. If you think you want it, you'll have a good idea when you get it in your hand. At one time I had the hot's for a Ruger #1 in 25-06. Never had the money and then one day I walked into a gun shop with the money in hand and there it was. Picked it up and played with it a bit and left without it. Back then I discovered it wasn't so much about having a single shot in something like a 25-06 but rather getting something I really couldn't afford. Fooled with it a bit and the magic went out of it. Back then those #1's were $265 brand new! Now that one I should have bought as an investment!
 
The thing is, that if I want a 250-350gr bullet I go to the 375. Either the short Mag which duplicates the 375H&H or the JRS which duplicates the 375 Weatherby. The 8mm bullet is available to 220gr and I will be shooting between 198-220 with it. Once I jump to 235gr I change to the 375 short Magnum. Once I go over 275gr I go to the 375JRS.
 
Gunny K said:
The thing is, that if I want a 250-350gr bullet I go to the 375. Either the short Mag which duplicates the 375H&H or the JRS which duplicates the 375 Weatherby. The 8mm bullet is available to 220gr and I will be shooting between 198-220 with it. Once I jump to 235gr I change to the 375 short Magnum. Once I go over 275gr I go to the 375JRS.
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You got it! The larger cartridges generally handle heavier bullet's better!
 
Actually,once you get your 8 mm,you may find you really MUST have a 9.3 !!!

Just thought I'd leave you with something to think about. :-)
 
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