338 Win Mag

[ExAgoradzo]

Does the BAR action lessen the felt recoil of the 338 Win?

At 8 lbs 3 oz for the BAR would it be better to get the 9 lb Win 70?

It appears on Hawks' recoil table that it puts out a good bit more recoil than the 30-06? How much 'more' would I actually 'get' with a 338 Win Mag than a good 30-06 in terms of actual, real world kills since a 30-06 will do whatever the 338 can do but at a shorter range??? And is this last statement true?

Thanks,
ExAgoradzo

 

[LoonWulf]

The .338 will launch a heavier larger bullet at basically the same velocitys as the 06. I wouldnt chose it unless i was shooting BIG game. Tho honestly the only .338 i shot didnt seem as nasty as my .300.

Kinda make since tho, the .338 will nearly duplicate .300 velocitys with equal bullet weights, and use less powder doing it.

 

[skiking]

Sounds like you are worried about recoil. If the recoil will bother you don't get a .338 WM. A well placed shot with a 30-06 just as good/better than a mediocre shot with a .338. Skip the .338, unless you will (not intend to, but will) spend the time to get to know the gun and learn to shoot it well.

 

[dubya450]

This may sound crazy but my BAR in 30-06 shooting federal fusion 165 grain had more felt recoil than my model 70 supergrade 300 win mag shooting federal fusion 150 grain. I realize the m70 was shooting 15 grain lighter bullets and weighed 1/2 more overall than the BAR but I was still pretty shocked at how much more the BAR (30-06) kicked than the m70 (300 wm). The m70's also come with a pachmayr decellerator pad that soak up recoil really well. That could have been a factor as well. It was a pretty noticeable difference and when I bought the BAR one of the main selling points was the reduced felt recoil they're said to have. Just my experience though. Anyone else have the same experience?

 

[dubya450]

Is there a special reason you want a 338? Honesty a 300 win mag will do everything the 338 will do (in north america at least) just as well, as long as you use a heavier, hard cast or bonded bullet. And in my eyes a reloader would have an advantage if they loaded for a 30-06 or 308 since all three use the same 308 caliber bullet but I'm sure you knew that already.

 

[NWCP]

It's still a stout round, but my .338 WinMag BAR does shoot softer than other rifles I've tried. Mine happens to be pretty accurate as well. It's not an all day range gun (the ammo would put me in the poorhouse), but then it doesn't take all day to dial in my scope and check the rifle out before going into the field with it. I shoot 180-225 grain fodder mainly. The 250 grain ammo gets my attention in short order. The .338WM BAR is a great rifle. The gas system helps mitigate the felt recoil.

 

[browningguy]

300 win mag will do everything the 338 will do (in north america at least)

Well..., no it won't. The .338 will hit harder with a larger bullet than a .300 Win Mag, and I have both. It's like saying a .300 Win isn't much more gun than a 30-06, which isn't much more than a .308, which isn't much more than a (fill in your favorite cartridge), eventually bringing us all down to using a .22LR.

Mine are bolt actions and there is a significant difference in recoil to me, even though my .300 Win is almost a pound lighter. For hunting big bears in North America or a medium bore for Africa it's an excellent choice. If I was hunting Alaska with only one rifle that would be my choice. But honestly for anything less it's too much gun for me to shoot all the time. I did shoot an elk with my .338 once but it's absolutely not needed.

 

[tundraotto]

If I remember its closer than people think....

this was pretty interesting...

http://home.earthlink.net/~manzanovalph/Compared30Calibers.pdf

 

[cougar1717]

Recoil is very subjective, but trajectory is a different story.

These are approximate, rounded velocities for the bullet weight, see http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp for detailed data:

Speed (fps) Bullet wt in grains
Cartridge: 30-06 338WM
2500 200 275

2800 180 225

2900 165 200

3000 155 180


The 338WM is a real thumper, but it has a similar trajectory as the 30-06 with the bullet weight selection.

 

[tundraotto]

duplicate

 

[jmr40]

Honesty a 300 win mag will do everything the 338 will do

There have been at least 3 different tests conducted over the years. Gunwriters Finn Aagard, Phil Shoemaker and the Alaska DNR, on the effectiveness of various rifles on large game and their ability to stop large bears. They all 3 reached the same conclusion. The best round for the job was a 375 magnum rifle. Anything bigger didn't do any better.

The 2nd place finisher was a tie between the 30-06 and 300 mag when loaded with either 200 or 220 gr Nosler partitions. The 200 gr bullet out penetrated and out performed all other combinations of loads and chamberngs including 338 mag, 35 Whelen, 350 rem mag, 338-06, 444 and 45-70, which were in the 3rd teir of performance. When loaded with 180 gr bullets the 30-06 and 300 mags fell into this level of performance. When using the 220 gr bullet performance was even better and was not too far behind the 375. If you can't get the job done with a properly loaded 300 magnum, then you need to pass right over everything else until you get to at least 375 caliber if you want to see any gains in performance.

It's like saying a .300 Win isn't much more gun than a 30-06, which isn't much more than a .308,

They all 3 shoot the same bullets, just at different velocities. At close range there is no difference in effectiveness. The 30-06 and 300 mags additional velocities just make them more effective at longer ranges. A 308 will shoot a 200 gr bullet at 2500 fps at the muzzle, a 30-06 shooting the same bullet will be moving at that speed at 100 yards and a 300 mag at 200 yards.

 

[Manny]

I have a .338 though I've yet to shoot it as ammo for it isn't stocked locally I'm finding. The selection tops out at the magnum 30 cal rounds. I'll get some ordered in, maybe with the tax refund, it is pricy stuff. I truthfully have no fear of the recoil as I've shot many far heavier recoiling 12ga slug loads living in a state where rifles aren't permitted for deer hunting. Some of those lightweight 12ga slug guns have truely vile recoil, heavier even than the famed .375 H&H and I've managed OK with them, even from the bench.

After a whole lot of research over the years, I got a .338 as my only hunting rifle other than a .223 because I wanted to be able to hunt anything in north america if I ever have the chance with out having to use wheels to tote the rifle about. Truthfully, after finding out how sparse ammo availability is in my area I might go for a .300 Winmag were I to do it again.

I liked the .338 Winmag because it's about the least overbore of the magnum rounds, it has an outstanding record of performance over it's 50 or so years of existance and that big hole in the barrel just engenders confidence. It is replacing a .348 Winchester and isn't supposed to kick much more. I shot that .348 plenty and never had complaint one about the recoil.

Stay with the lighter bullet loadings for most use and I think you'll have an awsome all around rifle good for everything from coyote to the biggest game that stalks our continent. If the thought of recoil bothers you that much, drop back to a .300 Winmag or WSM, realistically you should loose very little. The BAR's have a great reputation, whatever caliber you chose it should be a very nice package. Anyway, those are my thoughts, YMMV.

 

[browningguy]

They all 3 shoot the same bullets, just at different velocities.

Well no kidding, they all launch .308" bullets at different velocities. However the 30-06 will shoot heavier bullets than the .308 at the same velocities, and the .300 Win even heavier at the same velocity. I'm a firm believer in sectional density.

At close range there is no difference in effectiveness. The 30-06 and 300 mags additional velocities just make them more effective at longer ranges. A 308 will shoot a 200 gr bullet at 2500 fps at the muzzle, a 30-06 shooting the same bullet will be moving at that speed at 100 yards and a 300 mag at 200 yards.

Same information but a far different conclusion. More velocity at any distance means more potential for getting the bullet where it needs to get at any distance. Or alternatively you can shoot heavier bullets at the same velocity, which is almost always better.

I happen to reload for my .308 with 150 gr. bullets, because it's what is most effective in them (I would consider a 200 gr. load at 2400-2500 fps a nonstarter in my .308). One 30-06 with 150's simply because it won't shoot the 180's well and the other with 180's. The .300 Winny shoots 200's and the .338 is loaded with 250's.

 

[osprey176]

The best way to choose between the two would,ideally,be to shoot them both. Your "felt recoil" may be vastly different than mine.I have owned and hunted with a M-77 in .338 for many years.I honestly do not find the recoil to be objectionable.I do notice it from the bench,so I pad up and double up on hearing protection.On game animals,I never feel it.I have even used this rifle to shoot prairie dogs,and it kills them quite dead, but it is more at home hunting elk.

 

[wombat13]

My FIL has a Ruger M77 in .338WM and I have a Ruger Hawkeye in .300WM. There isn't much difference between the two rifle models. I don't perceive much difference in recoil between the two when shooting factory ammo (210 gr. bullets in the .338WM and 180 gr bullets in the .300WM).