.338 Cartridges: What have played with? Which do you prefer?

[icewaterslim]

More 338s than I knew existed. I'm completely new to the caliber.
I got my only Elk cow in the late '90s with a Remington Pump borrowed from my Employer in .280 either 160 or 180 grain, Partition. Bad angle from about 60 yards running, thru ribs from behind put her down sitting and I head shot her from maybe 40-45 yards. Good chili. Good carteridge. Good rifle like the old .22 I shot jackrabbbits with. Didn't eat those.

 

[Blkram]

I have told the following 338 story before, in another thread, but will reshare here again for those who haven't seen it...with some additional info...

In 1997 I acquired my first Remington Big Seven (7mm Rem Mag). A very nice RH Rem 700 LSS. The LGS owner was hot for the 7MM STW and suggested I rechamber the new 7 to the hotter case as they were busy doing so for many other clients. I declined, as I was confident at the time that the 7mm Rem Mag would do everything I needed, and while I could handle the recoil of some larger cartridges tried so far at that time, I wasn't sure what the recoil difference for the extra 250-300 fps would be. I bought a couple boxes of Federal Premium 165 gr SGK ammo and headed to the range after mounting a Leupold VX-III 3.5-10x40 and having them bore sight it for me. The first 3 shots went into a group of less than 1/2" at 100 yards, just slightly off center, so I adjusted the scope and shot the next 3 rounds, which went into a group of about 5/8" approx. 1 3/4" high at 100 yards. According to the numbers on the box, that should provide a 200 yard zero, so I left the setting there. I never adjusted the scope again after that, and used the rifle for elk and mule deer that fall, and a mtn goat and moose the next fall. The mule deer was the longest shot at 220 yards. The rifle consistently shot that Federal ammo into groups hovering around the 1/2" mark. (In 1999, Remington introduced the Rem 700 LSS in a LH version, and I traded in that RH rifle for an order on a LH rifle. They never found a LH 7mm Rem Mag, and I ended up with a LH LSS in 270 Win.)

Early in the 1998 hunting season, a good friend and I were hunting in a mountain area (Ojay) a few hours south of Dawson Creek, looking for moose, elk, and grizzly bear. I had my 7mm Rem Mag, and he was packing a 338 Win Mag, in a Browning BBR his late father had bought for him a few years prior. About mid-day we stopped for a lunch break beside a mountain stream with a deep ravine. Pete is a few years older than I and a lot more experienced with firearms, cartridges and reloading. (He had even gotten me into reloading for my 280 Rem about 10 years prior to this). As hunting friends do, we were discussing rifles and cartridges and he asked if I had tried the 338 Win Mag yet. I reminded him that I had shot his rifle twice the year his father had gotten it for him, while we were out hunting one day, at an old stump on their other property. Pete never did load his ammo for this rifle very hot; he had a mild to moderate load with a 200 gr Speer Hot Cor that shot very well in that rifle. He asked if I wanted to do a side by side comparison with the 7 and the 338 there and then. He picked out a large boulder in the ravine bank over 100 yards downstream of where we were, and had me shoot my 7, and then his 338 at the boulder. My 7 hit the boulder square in the center with a sharp thwack and a chip went flying. His 338 hit the same spot with a resounding thump, a much larger chunk of rock went flying, and the large boulder shifted in the bank. Definitely a big difference in energy on the target!

When we got back to town, I dropped by the LGS and asked if they had a LH 338 Win Mag available. It turned out that they had just taken in a LH Rem 700 BDL in 338 Win Mag. I bought the rifle, had them mount a Leupold VX-3 3.5-10x40 on it and bought some Federal Premium 210 gr Partition ammo, and went out to the range and sighted it in. I ended up taking moose, elk, grizzly, and bison with the 338 Win Mag that year! I eventually took a black bear with it as well. I did trade out the old hard black recoil pad for a LimbSaver pad after that, as after 20 rounds from the bench, my shoulder would be bruised and sore. After the pad change, I could shoot 60 rounds off the bench without any bruising or a sore shoulder.

My shoulders went bad on me in 2001 and I didn't hunt or shoot the 338 Win Mag again, and sold it eventually, and had my 338-06 built to replace it, for the reduced felt recoil. It is a heavy rifle, with a laminate stock, heavy barrel, LimbSaver recoil pad, and is pleasant to shoot (shoots 1/2" groups with its preferred load)...although too heavy for long hikes and hunts in really rough terrain. After 3 years, a shoulder surgery, and managing of the shoulder issue, I am able to shoot the harder recoiling rifles again without any real discomfort...I may not like to, but it doesn't bother me as it was there for a while!
A few years ago, I acquired a LH Sako AV Laminate in 338 Win Mag. It shot very well (less than 1" at 100 yards) with the Federal Premium 225 gr AccuBond ammunition. I did hunt with a few times, but never had a shot opportunity at game on those trips. I sold it to fund another rifle purchase, as I am happy with the 338-06 for where I need the extra energy.

I still like the 338 Win Mag, but with the 338-06 and 2, 338 Federal's, I'll probably not own another faster 338, as my average shot on big game over the past 38 years is now just 132 yards, and I really don't need the extra range of a faster 338, and will save the longer shots (target and hunting) for my 7's, as my shoulder appreciates the milder recoil for higher volume shooting. (While I have taken 2 elk at more than 258 yards (370 and 475), I can generally get closer to these animals, and I am not about to take shots on bison or large bears at longer distances either. Longest shot on bison to date @ 200 yards, and grizzly @ 140 yards.)
I still have that itch for that LH 338 RCM for a light, handy carbine for the thick timber...and who knows...I may just come across that LH 340 Wby that screams "Take me Home!"

I won't soon forget the difference that there is between a 7mm and a 338 on large big game! (Such as elk and bison)
For bison, my 338-06 with its preferred load of the 215 gr SGK, still packs more than 2,000 ft. lbs. of energy at 400 yards, and since I haven't yet needed to shoot a bison at over 200 yards (7 taken to date), the 338-06 will work just fine, and the Win Mag isn't required. And I still want to hunt bison with my 9.3x62 and 416 Taylor, as I have taken bison with my 376 Steyr.
And if I get to hunt large bears, I plan on packing the 9.3, 376 or 416! (For their additional mass and momentum!)

 

[Aussie Wanderer]

Good read, thanks for sharing. One of my sons has a 6.5/06 that one day may end up being a 338/06. It would round out his arsenal nicely.

 

[Blkram]

I will add that I had briefly considered the 338-06AI, but went with the 338-06 for the properly head stamped brass and factory ammo advantage.
While I appreciate that the straighter case and sharper shoulder of the AI case provides benefits to case life, and extra velocity, I prefer the advantage of the proper head stamp, and factory ammo, as I do hope to take this rifle to Africa someday for hunting eland, and maybe roan and sable. (Eland being the largest antelope, and roan being the second largest)

After talking to several customers with 338-06AI rifles when working at the LGS's, most are getting the same velocities with their AI's that I am getting with non-AI version; approx 2750 fps with 210-215 gr bullets. (Wby's 338-06 210 gr Partition ammunition is spec'd @ 2750 fps. My rifle chronied this velocity with this ammo) I found this interesting...
My 22" King 1:10 barrel may be a faster barrel, as I am getting the slightly faster velocities (2751 fps w/ 215 gr SGK) than that reload data Nosler suggests for 210 gr Partitions in 24" barrels at 2690 fps (data for my load with H414 from QuickLoad)

 

[DocCoffee]

Dad had a .338 Win Mag he put together on a commercial Mauser 98 so I shot and loaded for it. I don’t remember that he ever killed anything with it other than a smallish black bear in BC.
I have a .338 RCM that was part of my 1st foray into the wonderful world of the Barrelnut Brotherhood, long story short it now has a 26” Shilen 1:9 ratchet 4 groove. WW760 and a CCI250 starts 225 AccuBonds @ 2730 and groups so well I won’t say since I do not have a picture to back up my claims. Not sure I will be able to but would like to take it to Africa for a Sable.
Need to get to work on a .340WBY for my Son in Law. Parts are all here, just need to get busy on it.
That is the extent of my .338 experience.
Kevin