338 rem mag 338 rem ultra mag or 375 rem ultra mag??

[seb1]

Hi all

I have a question concerning these 3 rifles ( 338 rem mag, 338 rem ultra mag and 375 rem ultra mag). I want something big that will bring down a elephant, i was looking into buying the remington 700 model XCR but i dont know what is the most powerful weapon of those three.

If someone good an idea or if someone have own one of these calibers please let me know

thank all

 

[akodo]

well, the 375 rem ultramag is going to pack more whallop on a charging rabid cyborg grizzly than it's smaller bulleted brother (the 338 ultra) however, the standard 338 winchester mag is plenty powerful for anythign in north america and most of africa.

However, realize with increased power comes increased recoil. For me, personally, the 338 ultra is mroe than I can handle beyond just a few shots. There is recoil being too much, causing you to miss, and there is recoil being too much, causing you to be unable to shoot more than 10-20 rounds in a single target session. Both are bad.

What is your firearms experience?

 

[seb1]

I dont have that much experience, i shot some 300 win mag, 7 mm mag 30-06, 308, but i didnt shot them often. I might be looking for the 338 rem mag insted of the 338 ultra mag, maybe the recoil might be less painful.

 

[Jim Watson]

There is no .338 Remington Magnum.
There is a .338 Winchester Magnum.

Any place operating under the old colonial game laws would not allow any .338 for elephant or other dangerous game, .375 was the minimum.
I don't know for sure that is still the case, but they did not make those rules up out of thin air.

 

[rbernie]

Of the three, the 375 RUM is the most powerful. It is technically more powerful than a 375 H&H and therefore could be used on elephant if the user desired. The 338s are not in the same power range.

However, the 375 RUM is a very high pressure chambering and as such its use is usually discouraged in Africa due to the likelihood of extraction issues in extreme heat.

Also - the Remington 700 platform is contraindicated for hunting dangerous game by every African PH I've ever read/talked to, due to it's lack of controlled feed and its relative fragility.

 

[Jack T.]

However, realize with increased power comes increased recoil. For me, personally, the 338 ultra is mroe than I can handle beyond just a few shots.

Yup. . .I picked up a .338RUM 700 awhile back. Three shots and I am getting a headache, even with plugs and muffs both.

It is a nice accurate gun, and I'm sure it would anchor down anything in North America and a big part of Africa, but it sure isn't a fun gun.

 

[Jackal]

For an Elephant, I would not consider anything less than a .416. If your gonna spend the $$$$$ for the hunt, why scrimp on the rifle?

 

[K.L.O.sako]

hey seb let me ask you somthing, you said "bring down an elephant" are you actually going elephant hunting? or just want a gun that can? truth is there are lots of rounds that will kill an elephant, but to do so with would be foolhardy and dangerous. my point is if your not really going to africa there are better choices than the expensive and violent recoiling .375's for north american game

 

[pinotguy]

Of the three calibers you've listed, 375 RUM is the only one that will meet your criteria.

Consider this alternative: CZ-550 American chambered in 9.3x62 Mauser. The CZ action has controlled feed and a single-set trigger. It is essentially a Mauser-style action so it has the big, claw extractor and is extremely durable. The caliber is large enough (.366) for dangerous game (provided the user is an experienced hunter and marksman). From my understanding, a vast majority of African countries exempted this caliber from their banned lists which allowed use of it on dangerous game.

It operates at considerably lower pressures than the 375 RUM too. This reduces recoil, improves extraction, and doesn't abuse your barrel as much.

 

[seb1]

yeah im not really going in africa to hunt elephant, i wanted a strong caliber for big yukon moose and huge bear, but i think im better of with a 300 win ultra mag. Ammo are cheaper, less recoil. I heard that the remington model 700 xcr barrel is a bit fragile for 375h&h or 338UM.

 

[seb1]

.577 t-rex

I saw people shooting that gun on youtube, damn is it the strongest rifle ever made??( .577 t-rex)

 

[IndianaBoy]

You might want to look in the direction of the 35 Whelen, 358 Norma Magnum, or the 375 Holland and Holland for big bear. Reasonable tradeoff of power vs. recoil. At some point, you cease to gain anything by pushing a 30 caliber bullet another 100 fps faster, and it is wise to step up in bore diameter.

The CZ Safari or American magnums would also be a good choice, in their respective calibers. The Ruger Magnum rifle is also a viable option.

You could always have the caliber of your choice custom built on a Mauser action.

 

[CB900F]

Seb1;

For your stated use: Alaskan big game, you might want to consider the gun many, if not the majority, of Alaskan guides carry. The .338 Winchester magnum. Not ultra, not Remington, .338 Winchester magnum.

I've got one and I find that the recoil, while more than the .30-06, is not excessive. I handload & am getting 2900 fps muzzle with a 225 grain bullet. This generates in excess of 4000 lbs of muzzle energy, enough for coastal bear, moose, or zombie killer orcas cruising Cook inlet.

900F

 

[rangerruck]

if you are really looking for Elephants, I like pino's suggestion here very much, other wise, the 375. the 338 is too light for elephants, really, especially a pissed off one. of course the diff in ammo cost will be astronomical as well.

 

[ETXhiker]

For big bears and things that want to hurt you, super high velocity is not necessarily a good thing - bullets can start to come apart too early when pushed to the max. A factory .375 H&H sends a 300 gr. projectile at about 2550 fps. and is a proven penetrator. Recoil is less than the ultra mags, and quite tolerable for most people with a well fitted rifle. Can't imagine the bear that wouldn't fall to a well placed shot from one of these. If you still want more power, I'd start thinking .416 something.

 

[akodo]

remember, all the remington ultra mags are basically the same, just necked up or down to accept a different sized bullet. So while the 300 Ultra will have less power and less recoil than the 338 or 375, it will still deliver one heck of a kick.

also, there is an advantage to be gained by using a big heavy bullet, even if the raw measured power is slightly lower. I'd definately stick with a .338 bullet, or bigger.

As others have suggested, 35 whelend (a 30-06 necked up to take a fatter heavier bullet) although that one is getting a bit harder to find on the shelves of gunstores. The 338 is the quintesential alaskan/canadian caliber. It is a great moose/elk/bear gun. Now, if you were going to have a dedicated elk only gun, probably 300 win mag or 7mm rem mag might be a tad better. If you were going to have a dedicated bear gun, 375 H&H might be a tad better, but 338 win mag really covers all ends of the larger game in north america. You can even use it jsut fine against the medium game, such as muledeer or whitetails or hogs, about the only thing it wouldn't work well for is pronghorn or coyote, somethign where you really need long long range ability against a smaller animal

 

[ArchAngelCD]

IMO, the .338 Winchester Mag is more than enough gun for hunting very large Bear or Moose.

If you really wanted something that would take down a Elephant then I would suggest the .416 Remington Mag would be a better choice or even the .458 Lott.

 

[K.L.O.sako]

i'll have to +1 with akodo on the 300 rem ultra mag. i have one, and personally i love it however recoil is not what you would call light. the 30-06 for example has about 20 lbs. of free recoil energy, while the 300 RUM has near 40lbs. this just amplifies as the cartridges gets larger like 338 RUM and 375 RUM. i think the 300 RUM with the right bullets this round will take anything that walks.but there may be more suitable rounds for your situation. a box of 300 RUM is typically 45 - 55$ around here and may not be readilly available were you live. to me you can't go wrong with 338 win mag or even 45/70 if the ranges are not that far.

 

[biscuit]

Check out the new Ruger 375. The rifle is the Hawkeye African and the round betters the 375 H&H. Hornady has 3 choices that are not expensive including a 270 gr. SP, a 300 RSP and a 300 FMJ. I am about to order one. Great reports on it.

Midsouth Shooters Supply carries the ammo at the $40's range.

Biscuit

 

[biscuit]

One more option. I have a Rem. CDL in 35 Whelen. Nosler loads a 225 grain Nosler Partion at 2725 fps. This would easily take down Grizzlies and other North American game.

The Remington has a great recoil pad and is extremely accurate.

Biscuit