338 Win Mag Opinions

IDkTm · Oct 30, 2003

I'm considering buying a new Weatherby Stainless in 338 Win Mag to be primarily used as an elk gun should I draw an any weapon tag and don't want to use my bow. Also potential trips to Alaska may be in my future. What is an honest impression of the recoil of a 338 Win Mag? I think the rifle I'm looking at is listed at weighing around 8 pounds, so fully outfitted it would probably be pushing ten pounds or so. I am somewhat recoil sensitive, but it seems to me that alot of my sensitvity is based on gun weight and stock fit.

nvhunter · Oct 30, 2003

I have a 338 Win Mag. 700bdl Remington. The only time i notice the kick is when i am target shooting. As far as shooting at game, never really feel it, which is the case with most people and most guns. Somedays it seems worse then others, but for the most part you would love the caliber. Ive shot a couple of mule deer with it and it didn't really tear them up bad at all, using Nosler partitions. You wont be sorry to buy one.

IdahoCowboy · Oct 31, 2003

You will definately feel it at the bench! I am selling my win mag, and replacing it with a 338/06. Virtually the same performance, without the recoil.

Jake_Sorensen · Nov 14, 2003

I just got a .338 win mag with a muzzle brake and I love it, I haven't used it hunting yet but I took it to the range and was shooting about 1.5 inch groups with it. I don't know how it would be without the muzzle brake but right now its kicking alot less than my 300 mag does.

ktc · Nov 14, 2003

ID,

I had a 338 and finally sold it and bought a 300. Best thing I ever did when we talk magnuns. That is my opinion.

AZBuckSnort · Nov 16, 2003

IDktm,
The .338 Win Mag is one of the best magnum cartridges ever devised. It will speak with real authority in all the situations you described. The recoil generated by this round is very managable during bench sessions so long as you follow a few simple procedures. Let's assume you bought the rifle that fits you best from the slew of rigs out there that are chambered for the .338WM. That being said, mount the scope with a proper amount of eye-relief, have your trigger adjusted to eliminate creep and with a pull of about 3.5 lbs, don one of the very effective PAST recoil shields, place a quality pair of protection muffs over your ears and fire away. What the other posters said about not feeling the sensation of recoil while hunting is a reality that just about all hunters experience. As an aside, I'd forego the muzzle break as you WILL hear that concussion when you touch off a round. Good Luck!

joebuck · Nov 17, 2003

LAST EDITED ON Nov-17-03 AT 02:49PM (MST)[p]My .338 weighs only six pounds and recoils not a bit more than my 7mm mag. I shot 3 deer and a moose with it this year. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot a grizzly with it either.

400bull · Nov 18, 2003

I do not have a 338 Win mag nor have I ever shot one, I have been in the market for a 300 Win Mag or 300 WSM. I had the same question about the 300 as you do on the 338. I did a lot of searching in the net to find out what other people thought about the recoil when I came across a recoil chart. Below is what the list has for the 338 and a comarison to a 12 gauge.

Rifle Weight Recoil Energy Recoil Velocity
.338 (180 at 3200) 8.5 28.5 14.7
.338 (200 at 3000) 8.5 31.2 15.4
.338 (210 at 2940) 8.5 31.1 15.4
.338 (225 at 2800) 9.0 29.7 14.6
.338 (250 at 2700) 9.0 33.1 15.4
Rifle Weight Recoil Energy
12 Gauge 2 3/4" (1 at 1125) 7.5 15.8
12 Gauge 2 3/4" (1 1/4 at 1330 7.5 36.4
12 Gauge 3" (1 7/8 at 1210) 7.5 60.1

Hope this helps

400bull

gutpile · Dec 4, 2003

I shot my 1st moose in 1975 with the 300 WBY. I bought a 338 WIN Ruger 77 in 1980...shot a dozen or so moose with it. My Dad and brother-in-law, one of which was always along, both used the 300 WBY. 2 years ago I sold the 338 and pumped the money into a 300 WBY.

Here's my obervations after 29 years of moose hunting:
1) With equal weight guns, the 300 WBY has a sharper kick than the 338's rolling kick.
2) Close up, the 338 is a better choice than the 300 WBY. The additional velocity of the WBY is tough on bullets...even a good bullet will explode when hitting moose & bear close-up. On several moose & bear we'd find a entrance hole and no exit hole...massive destruction...the back-side of the hide gives you the impression that the animal was hit with a shotgun...bullet fragments everywhere. The slower 2700fps 338 bullets seemed to stay intact.
3) Beyond 300 yards, the WBY has more energy than the 338. The 338 drops twice as far as the 300 WBY.
4) The WBY is twice as noisy as the 338. Torch it off at the range & the other shooters will turn and look where the BLAST came from.
5) At the range both loads suck. I'm 6ft 220 Lbs and I find that more than 10 shots from either will leave bruses. In the field you don't notice either one. Hold on tight & don't get too close to the scope...I've had 2 diff friends get scoped when shooting my 338.

Bottom line is both are excellent loads capable of killing anything in north america. If you're shots are all under 200 yards, go 338. If you want the ability to take the occasional 500 yard shot, go 300 WBY. Don't mess with all the new designer loads...they will be short-lived compared to these 2 american classics.

joebuck · Dec 6, 2003

good post gutpile

Bullschlitz · Dec 12, 2003

If you do not want a muzzle break this is about the best choice you could make for the hunting you described. I used one in Alaska to take a couple of B&C class caribou and a 72" B&C moose. Then used one on elk and took a real nice 300 inch Colorado bull. All including zero of the rifle was with two boxes of remington 200 grain nosler ballistic tips. The rifle was very pleasant to shoot with the 200's and they walloped everything I hit with them. The bullets performed perfectly with double the caliber mushrooms. The factory loads averaged 5" groups at the 650 yard target. I would take a little 338 winny anywhere in North America and be proud of the performance.

AZBob · Dec 12, 2003

I've had a .338 for almost 20 years. It's a Killer! Elk, Moose, Caribou, Buffalo and Mule Deer have all fallen to mine. I was afraid of the recoil when I bought it, so I Magna-ported it before I even shot it. I wish I hadn't, since it makes it TOO LOUD. I've probably damaged my hearing by shooting it in the field over the years. Great Caliber. I like to use Nosler 210 grain partitions in it. 5% less velocity than a 160 Gr 7mm Magnum with a 25% heavier bullet.

Coueswt · Dec 15, 2003

I have a Ruger 77II in a 338 with a KDF and it's by far my favorite rifle i own. Plan on buying another Ruger this summer in one of the short mags.

echo · Dec 17, 2003

Dear friend i also use a 338 mag. for elk and deer. The gun I bought was a M70 Win. I thought the wood stock off and had a synthetic stock installed that was glass bedded and hand a packmayer thriple threat recoil pad installed. I'm only 5'7 and 160lbs and the guns recoil is quite low. I load it with barnes X bullets in 185 and 200 grains. The knock down power with these bullets is great. A couple of years back my brother had a late mule deer hunt here in Idaho and he used my gun. The buck he shot was at 365 yards and at the shot it took this 30 [4X5] inch 300 lb mule out of his tracks with a complete pass throught the spin. The shot was very impressive.

pnrcc · Jan 23, 2004

I started with my first mag at 14 years old (.308 Norma ), then got a .338 Win Mag. Loved them both. I now have a .338 Ultra Mag. I don't notice the recoil unless I'm shooting paper. It doesn't kick any harder than my .330 Dakota. I don't expect you'll have any problems with it. Good luck.

IDkTm · Jan 24, 2004

Heres an update. I've skipped the Win Mag and am now building a 338-06 on a Mauser action. I already had the action and it wasn't being used so I decided I'd build myself a new rifle. It should be a little cheaper for me, the performance is similar, and I've always wanted to build my own custom. Hope to have it done by this coming fall.

OSOK · Jan 29, 2004

My buddy had a 338/06 Ackley Improved built a year or so ago. Hasn't really had much of a chance to try it out yet. Did "Splat", a young buck w/ it this fall. 285 yard shot off hand. Texas windpipe, said the bullet (185 Ballistic Tip), opened the poor sucker up like a prairie dog, rolling it head over heels down a hill for about 60 yards, w/ a good 30 ft of interials left behind it. Said it was the closest thing to prairie doggin he'd ever seen on a deer. A bit overkill? Maybe! Oh well. I've shot it several times. And can't believe how docile of a gun it actually is. His is about a 9lb rifle, so it isn't exactly light. Plenty light fore me though, since I'm used to carrying around a 12lb+ rifle on my shoulder all day long...