Hunting with a 338 lapua-

There was a fellow on another forum who got one to hunt moose at 500+ yards but I haven't heard any results.Certainly appropriate for that game and distance.

I don't see the value of it, myself. It only beats the .338 Win mag by 200 fps with 250 grain bullets. The .338 Ultra, .338-378, and .330 Dakota all beat it. It would be eaiser to find a hunting rifle in one of those other calibers.

I don't see the value of it, myself. It only beats the .338 Win mag by 200 fps with 250 grain bullets.

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Yet the WSSMs, which have been given more press coverage than is believable, seem to be doing fairly well for only being about 200 fps faster than their counterparts.

I plan on taking mine prarie dog hunting this spring.

Yet the WSSMs, which have been given more press coverage than is believable, seem to be doing fairly well for only being about 200 fps faster than their counterparts.

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hehehehe...

200fps more is being generous for some of the short mag loads.

Please pardon me as the concept of overkill was never explained to me in a manner that made good sense. I do plan on loading with a mere 215 grain bullet for the prarie poodles.

can you get a 215 grain BT for 338? that would be cool. 95 grain bt out of a 243 is what I use for PDs. too much fun. now if only I could find a place with more P dogs than Pennsylvania

I don't see why anyone would want to shoot a moose at 500yds... Moose have to be about the dumbest game animal on the planet when it comes to avoiding being shot... even in open country you can usually stalk within a couple hundred yards without even being that careful... 30-06 is plenty enough moose medicine.

Now if having a big magnum makes you feel like your "peepee" has grown then by by all means

I could see a cartridge like that for dangerous game or "wary" very large game in the open that you couldn't possibly get within 3-400yrds of otherwise... even then making a shot at that distance (500yds), nervous, cold, out of breath from stalking in all those heavy clothes in the snow... whilst shooting a rifle that kills on both ends... might be a bit iffy. Most guides that I know won't even let a customer take that shot.

But maybe you have unfettered access to thousands of acres of prime open moose country?

I hadn't thought of prarie dogs, but its a long range capable round, and since anything bigger than a .22lr is overkill on a p dog I guess its as viable as anything else.

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Actually, I think one of the biggest issues with prarie dog hunting is actually hitting them (because of the long distances involved) as opposed to an endless caliber debate such as that for the whitetail deer.

Sure, under ideal circumstances the prarie dogs would be lined up at 10 feet away and could be cleanly dispatched with an airgun. However...

Larger calibers are used not to give a cleaner/quicker kill, but rather to be able to push the bullet hundreds of yards with a little drop as possible in order to reduce time-consuming rangefinding/scope adjustments and actually make hits on the little buggers viable.

can you get a 215 grain BT for 338?

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Sierra has one in a Game King with a B.C. of .485 that shoots sub MOA out of my rifle.
I plan on taking other rifles as well but what the heck.

My uncle used .338 Win Mag for moose in Alaska. 3 shots to zero, 1 to kill it. Never fired it again (he donated it to my uncle living in Washington state, who occasionally whacks a deer with it instead of his .30-06).

I know another guy who uses a .338 Win for deer in Texas, someone gave it to him as a joke for Christmas since he used to be a Marine artilleryman (175mm).

He said he shoots for the neck or there's no meat left. So far, he's never had to fire twice.

I don't know of anyone offhand I can think of using Lapua for hunting in this area.

the 338 Lapua

seems a little overkill for prarie dogs. I'm using a 7mm Rem Mag

seems a little overkill for prarie dogs. I'm using a 7mm Rem Mag

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I heard of a gentlemen who used his on Elk at 900 (yes, 900) yards. Field was 900 yds away, and he knew exactly where he had everything zeroed. Aparently he was a pretty good shot too. (1MOA is still only 9" at 1kyds, plenty of room on an Elk.)