which of the 3

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257WM_CDL-SF

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hi all I am really considering trading my 257 Weatherby for a 338 Win Mag
ive looked and the 3 I like are the Winchester model 70 Extreme weather
The Remington XCR or the Browing X bolt Stainless Stalker.I know there are other but I would want a 26 inch barrel on it.Theses are the one that list it as 26 Which model would help with the recoil the most
 
I wouldn't do it...I don't think the admins will allow you to change you screen name. :p

Personally I don't care too much for any of the rifles that you mention, but I like the Winchester much better than the others (not much of a SS/syn. guy myself), however I don't believe that they make any variant of the M-70 in .338WM. I believe it is only offered in .300WM and a few WSMs. If that is the case I would look at a Ruger Extreme Weather version. :)
 
Well, you can eliminate the M70 Extreme Weather, it doesn't come in 338WM. Closest you'll get is 325WSM.
 
i had a 338win mag in a remmington 700bdl i grouped great never had any issues,,,,i know your looking at an xcr remm i just thought i'd post want kinda results i had with my remm
 
They also have the A-Bolt stainless.
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I MUCH prefer the A-Bolt over the X-Bolt despite the fact that it was discontinued. It just fits and looks much better for me. :)
 
bpl when I looked at the Winchester site they say new for this yr is the 338
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I didn't see that when I looked at their website, but I could certainly be wrong.

Just curious, why do you want to trade your 257 Weatherby for a 338WM? Do you plan to do a lot of trophy elk hunting or go to Alaska and shoot a Kodiak Bear?
 
bpl I had always wanted a 257 last yr when I bought it I let my heart take over my head.
It shoots wonderful one of the most accurate guns I have owned.My biggest issue ammo cost and meat destruction.I would like to in yrs to come get a Elk and a Moose
 
It shoots wonderful one of the most accurate guns I have owned.My biggest issue ammo cost and meat destruction.
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RELOAD! You can roll your own much cheaper and develop a good load that doesn't destroy as much meat by using different bullets and varying the powder charge. From what you describe, I would lean towards a cartridge other than the .338WM. If you decide that you want a new rifle/cartridge, I believe that 35 Whelen, .338-06, .338 Marlin Express, .358Win., 9.3x62mm, or even .375H&H may serve you much better as they have all of the power that you need and much less damage than the aforementioned magnums. They also will punish you far less when shooting. .338WM is vicious, more so than .375H&H IMO. :)
 
wow the 338 kicks more then the 375 H&H I have thought about maybe next yr trying to reload some 120 grain Swift A frames in it to see how they would do
 
wow the 338 kicks more then the 375 H&H
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Technically (by the numbers) it does not, but it has been my experience that the .375H&H is more of a push than the jab of the .338WM, thus making it much more fun to shoot in my opinion. I would strongly suggest that you shoot one before buying as most shooters do not like the .338WM after they get the snot knocked out of them a couple times. I am fairly adverse to recoil and have fired several boomers ranging from .338WM to .416Rigby and .458WM, I personally found the .338WM to be the least enjoyable that I recall. There are a multitude of sparsely used (fired only a handful of times) .338WMs on the used market.

I think it is wise decision to try a few additional loads before giving up on it. You say that it shoots well, the next rifle may not. If you decide that you want a new rifle, you might want to consider keeping the .257Wby, at least until you see what the new one can do and decide whether you like it or not.

:)
 
Why not get a 30-06? Or a 7mm mag, 300 mag or 300WSM? A 338WM is no fun to shoot. I know three guys that have them. They don't practice much. My neighbor has one. He takes it out each year and shoots 2-3 rounds off to make sure its sighted in. He says thats about all he can take, and he's a pretty good sized guy. You're better off with something you can bear to practice with (and afford to practice with) and actually hit the kill zone reliably.

A 30-06 or 7mm mag will kill an elk or moose dead. Especially with modern premium bullets. You can step down to a lighter bullet, like a Barnes TSX in 165gr (30-06) and have less recoil, flatter trajectory, awesome penetration and weight retention, and less recoil to boot! Then for deer use standard bullets and save $$ and have more opportunity to practice.
 
You really need both calibers. Makes a nice combo to cover any North American situation. My $400 Wby Vanguard .338 cuts one hole three shot grooups at 100 and handles recoil quite nicely.

gary
 
I like bpl's suggestion. A few guys who have spent the past 15-30 years hunting around the world have told me as much - the 30-06 is all you need for North American game and most of African game as well.

If you go after moose, elk, hogs, deer, coyote, etc. you can be fine with 6.5x55, 7-08, 7x57, .270 Win, 280 Rem, etc.

With .270 Winchester and 30-06 ammunition and reloading supplies availability, to more choices for factory firearms...picking others is more of a want than a need.

A .338 Win Mag will do more killing damage than those most of the time but when you weigh in the other factors you have to think if it is really worth it.

Also the .30 Caliber bullets and factory ammunition are the biggest you can go and stay around the lower prices....after that they jump up because you are in a boutique market.
 
257WM;

I've got a number of rifles in various calibers, the .338 Winchester magnum counted among them. That the .338 has more recoil that a .30-06 is not the question, it does. However, stock design, fit, and a good recoil pad, can make a world of difference in how you are going to percieve that recoil. To say that this caliber is going to kick the snot outta you, without taking the other factors I mentioned into consideration is simplistic thinking.

With both your .257 and a .338, you'd certainly have the bases covered in North America. If you handload, always a good idea, your versitility will be greatly expanded.

900F
 
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