.338 Win Mag to .416 Ruger

[Vince]

Since I have a .375 Ruger I’m thinking of changing out my .338 Win Mag to a .416 Ruger or .416 Taylor.

Any thoughts?
Would love to get your opinions.

Vince

 

[JD338]

No replacement for displacement

JD338

 

[RL338]

416 , my favorite caliber.
Biggest think to think of is factory ammo or rolling your own. Both ammo and reloading components are hard to come by for both.

 

[gerry]

A 338 is more versatile than a 416 and your 375 makes a good stopping rifle. That's my take on it unless you just want a 416 then go for it.

 

[Vince]

A 338 is more versatile than a 416 and your 375 makes a good stopping rifle. That's my take on it unless you just want a 416 then go for it.

Yeah.
It’s hard to beat the versatility but I figured the .375 Ruger would take care of the versatility.

 

[gerry]

A 180-185 gr 338 at over 3100 fps easily will make an awesome sheep, goat and caribou round and even work for moose.

 

[JD338]

The 338 has the advantage of shooting higher BC bullets at longer range than the 416.

JD338

 

[RL338]

I forgot to add , 416 load option I run.

Don’t let them talk you out of the 416

 

[Vince]

A 180-185 gr 338 at over 3100 fps easily will make an awesome sheep, goat and caribou round and even work for moose.

My favorite weight.

 

[gerry]

Could be wrong but another plus in favor of a 338 and 375 combo is I bet it's easier to find ammo and components than the 416 up there.

 

[KinleyWater]

Interesting you bring it up. I was at an LGS the other day and found what was listed as a .416 Ruger, built on a Mauser action for $699. So, I liked the look of it, and decided to do some figuring on how much powder it would take to do up loads. As it turns out, I can load three 35 Whelen hunting loads for the same amount of powder as two rounds of the .416. Um, so, I think the point of this meandering post is to suggest you do some comparisons on load data between the 338 and the 416.

As it happens, I do concur with those who suggest you stick with the .338. That said, if you do decide to part with it, you know... I don't have one of those.

 

[IdahoCTD]

The funny thing is if you have the mag length the 338wm with a 285 ELD-M and are 416 Ruger with a 340MTH Cutting Edge bullet are almost the same velocity at top velocity with a 24" barrel, around 2625. Both would be loaded around 3.65"AOL. A 250 Berger might have better long range ballistics in the 338 but the point is not always are the big calibers at a disadvantage.

 

[Cleveland48]

416 , my favorite caliber.
Biggest think to think of is factory ammo or rolling your own. Both ammo and reloading components are hard to come by for both.

Gotta agree with RL338 416’s are awesome. Love my 416 Taylor improved and 416 Remington. I have made brass for my 416 Taylor imp out of 338 win mag brass, and 458 win mag. Bullets and proper headstamped brass is hard to come by these days though.

 

[Cleveland48]

If the op has 375 ruger I guess it would just be a trip through the 416 sizing die to have 416 ruger brass though. Heck I guess it’s win win either way I will say those 416’s have left some awesome impressions on whitetails lol

 

[Blkram]

While the 338 Win Mag is a great cartridge and performs very well on large game, I have to admit that my 416 Taylor is a lot of fun too!

And I am not using full powerhouse loads, as I am currently loading 69 gr of Re-15 with 350 gr TSX bullets for 2415 fps and 4532 ft.lbs of energy, and producing .4" groups at 100 yards w/ an SD of 9. Sighted in for 1.3" high at 100 yards provides a 150 yard zero, and 3.1" low at 200 yards where velocity has dropped to 1942 fps and 2930 ft.lbs of energy. This should still provide enough velocity for reliable expansion for this bullet. Recoil in my lh Ruger Mk II in a laminated stock and 22" King barrel is very manageable...and there is room for improvement as you are supposed to be able to get 2400 fps with 400 gr bullets.
I also have some 350 gr Speer Mag Tips to try in it, and would love to find some 350 gr A Frames to try as well.
The nice part, is that it only takes a barrel change to make that 338 into a 416 Taylor, and you can neck that 338 WM brass up to make 416 Taylor. And if you prefer properly headstamped brass (as I do), you can get it from Quality Cartridge! (and I did!)

For comparison, Federal's 225 gr AccuBond ammunition gives 2800 fps and 3917 ft.lbs of energy at the muzzle. Sighted in 1.8" high at 100 yards, with a 200 yard zero (2475 fps and 3059 ft.lbs), is 7.4" low at 300 yards with 2320 fps and 2689 ft.lbs of energy. Recoil is still manageable, but much more pleasant with a LimbSaver recoil pad! (Nosler shows 75 gr of Re-19 for 2784 fps with the 225 gr AB)
While remaining energy at 200 yards is very close on paper, the 416's larger frontal area is going to make a a larger impression on the game it hits (pun intended!)

Honestly...I would keep the 338 Win Mag and acquire another rifle to build the 416 Taylor, or get a Ruger Guide Rifle in 416 Ruger, if that's your final choice. (Unless of course, you are a lefty like me! then finding a LH 416 Ruger may be a challenge!)

 

[Vince]

While the 338 Win Mag is a great cartridge and performs very well on large game, I have to admit that my 416 Taylor is a lot of fun too!

And I am not using full powerhouse loads, as I am currently loading 69 gr of Re-15 with 350 gr TSX bullets for 2415 fps and 4532 ft.lbs of energy, and producing .4" groups at 100 yards w/ an SD of 9. Sighted in for 1.3" high at 100 yards provides a 150 yard zero, and 3.1" low at 200 yards where velocity has dropped to 1942 fps and 2930 ft.lbs of energy. This should still provide enough velocity for reliable expansion for this bullet. Recoil in my lh Ruger Mk II in a laminated stock and 22" King barrel is very manageable...and there is room for improvement as you are supposed to be able to get 2400 fps with 400 gr bullets.
I also have some 350 gr Speer Mag Tips to try in it, and would love to find some 350 gr A Frames to try as well.
The nice part, is that it only takes a barrel change to make that 338 into a 416 Taylor, and you can neck that 338 WM brass up to make 416 Taylor. And if you prefer properly headstamped brass (as I do), you can get it from Quality Cartridge! (and I did!)

For comparison, Federal's 225 gr AccuBond ammunition gives 2800 fps and 3917 ft.lbs of energy at the muzzle. Sighted in 1.8" high at 100 yards, with a 200 yard zero (2475 fps and 3059 ft.lbs), is 7.4" low at 300 yards with 2320 fps and 2689 ft.lbs of energy. Recoil is still manageable, but much more pleasant with a LimbSaver recoil pad! (Nosler shows 75 gr of Re-19 for 2784 fps with the 225 gr AB)
While remaining energy at 200 yards is very close on paper, the 416's larger frontal area is going to make a a larger impression on the game it hits (pun intended!)

Honestly...I would keep the 338 Win Mag and acquire another rifle to build the 416 Taylor, or get a Ruger Guide Rifle in 416 Ruger, if that's your final choice. (Unless of course, you are a lefty like me! then finding a LH 416 Ruger may be a challenge!)

I am a lefty so it would be easier to get an another .375 Ruger and swap barrels.

 

[RL338]

I will say those 416’s have left some awesome impressions on whitetails lol

Couldn’t agree more with you.

 

[RL338]

A 250 Berger might have better long range ballistics in the 338 but the point is not always are the big calibers at a disadvantage.

While it might not be apples to apples the 500gr A-tip load in my 416 Wby has very impressive numbers at distance. Granted I never shot it beyond 600yds , but this combo shows big bores can go the distance.

 

[Vince]

I’ll never get rid of the Model 70 left hand action.

Been pondering this all night. I’m thinking about just getting another .375 Ruger and swapping barrels. That’s probably the easiest way.

I really love my .338 Win Mag. Especially with the 180 grain to 210 grain bullets. It’s extremely versatile and will work well on bear too. Upon further consideration there is no way I’ll be parting with it.

Talked with a Gunsmith in Wasilla last night and we will be getting a McMillan flat top for the .375 Ruger. The laminate Ruger stock isn’t all that water resistant and I really like McMillan stocks.

I’ll keep my eyes open for a decent priced Ruger Guide Gun in .375 Ruger for a barrel swap.

Vince

 

[Blkram]

I am a lefty so it would be easier to get an another .375 Ruger and swap barrels.

Too bad you are on the other side of the border...and it is a bit of a pain to export rifles...but it can be done for about $350 CDN last I checked; the rules and costs have changed some - my last import from the US was less money than previous imports...save you the trouble of finding another LH 375 and having to get it done...
As I would be willing to part with my LH 416 Taylor to someone who would appreciate it and definitely use it where it would see some grand adventures in the wilds of Alaska, and maybe take a brown bear or two! (I built it mainly for bison, and perhaps brown bear/grizzly, or even a cape buffalo - and I still have my 376 Steyr and 9.3x62 that can be used for those!)
I have a Trijicon TR24G 1-4x24 scope on it and a NECG peep that can be mounted to the Ruger integral base for back up, plus dies, brass and bullets, if interested (send me a PM).

(and I would put the funds towards my father/daughter hunt which is looking like an archery antelope and elk hunt with Fred Eichler and Full Draw Outfitters in Colorado next Aug/Sept)