just ordered a 338 win mag ruger mk77

[DEERHUNTERMK77]

hey guys any advice on the 338? i've got a rugermk77 stainless chambered in 300 win mag.very nice rifle but i've heard the 338 win mag is a monster. but like you said if your standing the recoil is not so bad. i'm heading to the woods in two weeks to get a deer.so i'll let you all know about the trip! in the mean time have any of you ever seen the exit wound of a 338 on deer? ive shot deer with my 7mm rem mag i use to have and if your too close it makes a mess any thing less than 50 yrds and a light weight bullet not a good combo.160 hornady interbond is good for deer in 7mm.

 

[zgate]

I’ve had one for about 10 years and have killed a couple of white tails with it. The closest one was 260 yards with 225 gr soft point and it made a real mess. The exit wound was about 3” and there was a line of blood on the ground 10 feet long on the other side of the deer. It’s not quite as dramatic at 400 yards but it still does the job (you'll never forget the sound that bullet makes on impact). With a solid hit you won’t lose one.

At the other end of the gun, it's not too bad. I limit myself to 40 rounds off a bench or my shoulder is sore the next day.

 

[mk]

I just ordered a 338 as well a couple of days ago. I shot a friends and did not think it was bad at all. Sounds nice, good luck with it.

 

[dakotasin]

i think the 300 win mag has a more vicious recoil than the 338. i use 225 hornadys in the 338.

i've busted whitetails w/ the 338, as close as 30 yards. bullet goes in, makes the critter dead, and then goes out. exits weren't any better or worse w/ the 338 than they are w/ anything else i've used.

the 338 is a fantastic round, supremely accurate, and is very good at stopping heartbeats.

 

[GooseGestapo]

My .338 is a .338/06. Velocities are only about 100fps below the Magnum so results are very similar.

Knock down and impact reaction of deer is greater than witht the smaller roudns. Total damage is less than with the .30 and smaller magnums as the bullets are generally intended for larger game and don't expand as violently.

I typically see 2-3" exit wounds with the 180-210gr bullets I use.

If rifle was a light and handy as my Marlin 336 in .35 Remington, It'd be my pick for all around do-anything rifle.

Since it weighs around 9lbs (MkX mauser action w/Burris 3-9x) it is a gun-safe queen.

I prefer my Rem m7 in 7mm08 for a "walking" rifle. For very long ranges on "bean fields" or cut-overs and like, the .300RUM will get the nod till I loose interest in it. (Should'nt take long). I'm probably going to send it to Nevada with my younger brother when he comes east to visit next month. That way, I won't have to carry a gun on the plane when I go back to Colorado and hunt Mule deer and elk with him.

Enjoy your .338. I think you'll prefer it to the lighter magnums. They really are better all around rifles than they get credit for. Not as good a really long range (bullet drop), but when they strike, good things happen (for the hunter, not the hapless creature that gets hit).
Like others said, recoil isn't as bad as it's made out to be. If you regularily shoot a 12ga with heavier loads (waterfowl or turkey loads) recoil isn't a big deal. A fair bit more than a .30/06, but not much different than a 7mmMag or .300WinMag. But, not in the league with a .300Weatherby or .300RUM.