Range Report .338 Win Mag

[DP425]

Browsing around T/C's site on the Icon I noticed they offer it in .338WM- this isn't a caliber that has ever even been on my radar. Naturally I assume it has nothing on the offerings from Lapua or the Ultra-mag version from Remington, but I am curious about it.

Anyone use it? Have experience with it? Perhaps even more important, opinions on picking one up when I have nothing else that takes the caliber, and have thus far stuck with .300WM in terms of magnum calibers. I'm sure it has some advantage over .300WM in terms of big game hunting, but would it be enough to warrant adding yet another caliber, and one with more limited use? I have no intentions of hunting thin skinned game in africa either...

Thoughts?

 

[Lowe Left]

Re: .338 Win Mag

I use one for elk hunting, but I'd be just as confident with a 300WM. It's nice to know that I'm launching 230 grains of bullet, but honestly, I think a 180-200 gr bullet would suffice.

 

[Bigwheels]

Re: .338 Win Mag

I have been hunting with a 338WM for a long time. I'm pushing a 250AB @ 2800 out of a 26" factory brl on a pre-64 type Win M70, BOSS. I call it Mjolnir, which is the name of Thor's Hammer, & with good reason. I have only had 2 critters take more than 3 steps after being touched by it. As for comparing it to a 338LM, or RUM, no I'm sure there's no comparison, unless you are talking about a sporter weight rifle. I'll take the 338WM over those others any day, as this thing bucks pretty good as is. For a hunting rifle, it can reach out there pretty good with a ton of energy. That being said I'll not be hunting small white tails with it again.(football size exit wound) But for elk, bear, & most things bigger than a deer I don't think it can be beat.

 

[5RWill]

Re: .338 Win Mag

Is this just the 300WM necked up to .338 i assume?

I've always wanted a 30-.338 throw some 240gr SMKs downrange.

 

[X-fan]

Re: .338 Win Mag

Ah! the 338Win...better known here as the British Colombian .22!
Seems just as popular!

Its popular because plain and simple it works..Though it doesn't work like you might expect.
It doesn't kill like lightning rather more like hitting the animal with a bag of hammers.
Its just as simple and it always works.

Is it better than the 300Win loaded with a great bullet?
I don't think so.

If you really need more than a 30cal/200 grain I would look at a 375.

Peace

 

[DP425]

Re: .338 Win Mag

Okay, looks like I got the answer I was looking for- not worth tooling up the press when I already have a .300WM.

If I were the "typical" hunter and fired 20rds or less a year with my chosen rifle, I guess it wouldn't be anything to pick one up incase I ever go Elk or Moose hunting- but given I like shooting my rifles, and not just a little... it seems the better option is to stick with the .300- or at least that appears to be the consensus... which was actually my initial thoughts on it.

Blackops_2:
It's actually a necked down .375H&H from what I've read.

 

[MontanaMarine]

Re: .338 Win Mag

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Blackops_2</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Is this just the 300WM necked up to .338 i assume?

I've always wanted a 30-.338 throw some 240gr SMKs downrange. </div></div>

The 338 WinMag is a little shorter case than the 300 WinMag. It's more like a necked up 7mm RemMag.

 

[beretta989]

Re: .338 Win Mag

I loaded 210 Barnes for a friend of mines 338win dropped a few elk and alot of deer.