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The Basics, Starting Out
New to the site, have some questions on what to pick
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<blockquote data-quote="Long Time Long Ranger" data-source="post: 228180" data-attributes="member: 505"><p>You included elk, moose and bear out to 500 yards. Of those two the 338 win mag is by far and away the best choice. I wouldn't even consider the 300 win mag in the discussion. It does not in any way form or fashion have the ability to take down elk size critters like the 338. I have seen hundreds of large animals fall for 40 years through hunting and guiding and seen a lot of crying because the guy lost his animal because he had to small a caliber. There is a reason the few hunters like me who have had the opportunity to witness hundreds of kills recomend the 338 as minimum on elk. It is the same reason there are caliber minimums in Africa for dangerous game. Big calibers take down and disable large game quicker. </p><p></p><p>I can take my 6mm-06 imp out and take an elk at a quarter mile by waiting for the perfect shot and conditions. It can do the job just like the 300 can but it is by far not the best choice. You ask which is the best, not which will do the job. And no way in this world is the 300 win mag a 1000 yard elk gun by any sain person who has the experience to speak about it. Will it take one at a 1000 yards, yes, I took one at 1100 with a 270 wby when I was a young and sain man. But I didn't have the experience to know better. Now I know if I am building a 1000 yard elk rifle it will be in 338 because I have seen a bunch of elk lost or chased forever with small calibers that would have been dead with a 338.</p><p></p><p>I don't know why you picked these two calibers when there are so many choices but it is interesting you did. The 338 winchester is the best elk cartridge over the counter you can get that does not require a muzzle brake to shoot accurately and will get you a 500 yard elk. It will do very well on those animals out to 500 yards with a 200 grain nosler ballistic tip around 3100 fps and is fairly easy on the shoulder. The 338 winchester does not push the heavy bullets fast enough to give you an advantage with them at the ranges this caliber is most effective. The next step up would be the 340 wby, 338 ultramag and 338-300 ultramag which are all virtually the same within a hundred fps and definitely require a muzzle brake which a lot of people don't like. </p><p></p><p>The 200 grain bullet in the 300 win mag quickly is going faster than the 338 winchester 200 and long range velocity is much better with the higher BC. But even though on paper the 300 gives more foot pounds of energy after a few hundred yards I learned long ago elk don't read the paper. It is that caliber thing again and I guess knowbody has figured how to compute that but when you see a bunch of animals fall to everything there is you quickly realize caliber is the answer and not good looking paperwork. </p><p></p><p>Wall-Mart has 338 winchesters and 300 wbys for $400 and less. Either of those would be better than the 300 winchester.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Long Time Long Ranger, post: 228180, member: 505"] You included elk, moose and bear out to 500 yards. Of those two the 338 win mag is by far and away the best choice. I wouldn't even consider the 300 win mag in the discussion. It does not in any way form or fashion have the ability to take down elk size critters like the 338. I have seen hundreds of large animals fall for 40 years through hunting and guiding and seen a lot of crying because the guy lost his animal because he had to small a caliber. There is a reason the few hunters like me who have had the opportunity to witness hundreds of kills recomend the 338 as minimum on elk. It is the same reason there are caliber minimums in Africa for dangerous game. Big calibers take down and disable large game quicker. I can take my 6mm-06 imp out and take an elk at a quarter mile by waiting for the perfect shot and conditions. It can do the job just like the 300 can but it is by far not the best choice. You ask which is the best, not which will do the job. And no way in this world is the 300 win mag a 1000 yard elk gun by any sain person who has the experience to speak about it. Will it take one at a 1000 yards, yes, I took one at 1100 with a 270 wby when I was a young and sain man. But I didn't have the experience to know better. Now I know if I am building a 1000 yard elk rifle it will be in 338 because I have seen a bunch of elk lost or chased forever with small calibers that would have been dead with a 338. I don't know why you picked these two calibers when there are so many choices but it is interesting you did. The 338 winchester is the best elk cartridge over the counter you can get that does not require a muzzle brake to shoot accurately and will get you a 500 yard elk. It will do very well on those animals out to 500 yards with a 200 grain nosler ballistic tip around 3100 fps and is fairly easy on the shoulder. The 338 winchester does not push the heavy bullets fast enough to give you an advantage with them at the ranges this caliber is most effective. The next step up would be the 340 wby, 338 ultramag and 338-300 ultramag which are all virtually the same within a hundred fps and definitely require a muzzle brake which a lot of people don't like. The 200 grain bullet in the 300 win mag quickly is going faster than the 338 winchester 200 and long range velocity is much better with the higher BC. But even though on paper the 300 gives more foot pounds of energy after a few hundred yards I learned long ago elk don't read the paper. It is that caliber thing again and I guess knowbody has figured how to compute that but when you see a bunch of animals fall to everything there is you quickly realize caliber is the answer and not good looking paperwork. Wall-Mart has 338 winchesters and 300 wbys for $400 and less. Either of those would be better than the 300 winchester. [/QUOTE]
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The Basics, Starting Out
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