338 RUM Bullet choice for mule deer

[winmag]

Many folks have only one rifle to hunt with. I am related to a few folks who do it that way. I can say definitively that the .225 does the job as well or better than most on muleys, and pretty much any other critter in the lower 48, at ranges from near to far.
I also am a beliver in no such thing as over-guned.

I use a 270WSM with 140 NAB, a 300 WBY with 180 NAB, and/or a 338 WM with 225 NP, (but working up a load for 225 NAB's for longer range) for ALL my big game. I personally shoot each rifle to the best of my personal shooting ability, and adjust my range accordingly to each rifle. Weather its a 270wsm for elk and a 338 wm for coyotes or vice versa. They will all work on ANY animal I hunt at most ranges I can shoot effectively, and only my personal ability, and personal belief in "X" horsepower needed for "X" animal at "X" range limmit them.
Ive seen people use much less gun and accomplish thier goal. Ive also seen folks use alot more horsepower and accomplish the same goal.
Again, To each thier own, and YES the 225 NAB is a great choice for an all round near to far big or small game in a 338. Its a winner.

 

[ninnamyuk]

If you are worried about saving deer meat with this caliber I would use a heavy bullet to lower the velocity and lessen the "splatter effect".

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

In the original post, it says "out to 500 yards" ....big and slow don't get it......unless maybe your using a 45-70 and blackpowder. Come on guys we are getting near the old argument about one caliber fits all. Sure the .338 will kill a deer, but is it the best for the job......not. If someone is going to spend all the money to get setup for biggame hunting, they surely can afford a second rifle. While the .338 is a fine caliber for large game (and will surely kill smaller big game animals too), it is not optimum, nor would most of us choose it for what the original post describes.

 

[sanjuanfly]

In the original post, it says "out to 500 yards" ....big and slow don't get it......unless maybe your using a 45-70 and blackpowder. Come on guys we are getting near the old argument about one caliber fits all. Sure the .338 will kill a deer, but is it the best for the job......not. If someone is going to spend all the money to get setup for biggame hunting, they surely can afford a second rifle. While the .338 is a fine caliber for large game (and will surely kill smaller big game animals too), it is not optimum, nor would most of us choose it for what the original post describes.

I do have another 700 in 7mm that will be worked on once the season is over, just this year I don't have time or money to work on it before elk season. It should be ready for next year's deer and antelope. But then again I will likely play around with the 160 to 185 grain bullets for the 338.

 

[MHO]

The 180 grain Accubond will do the job on both Mulie and Elk out to 500 with no problem. I have used it in my 300 for years and does a great job. Good luck.

 

[Outlaw6.0]

FYI, Don't worry about playin with the Barnes MRX, although they are a fantastic bullet, Barnes has announced the discontinuation of the MRX.

 

[angus-5024]

I would rather comfortably afford to shoot one rifle (I only have my .338 RUM) than have 2 or 3 or 20 that I cant afford to run at least 200 rnds per year through.
pardon me... I use two rifles the other being a .22lr. We tried a 45-70 on a grouse once hopeing to hit the neck. my brother in-law shot two inches low and there was very little left.

 

[D.Camilleri]

I shoot the 225 NAB out of my 338 rum as my first choice for mulies and elk. For antelope I use my little 300 rum with 180 NAB's. Almost all hits are DRT. Last year on a nice mature 4 point muley above timberline, I let him get kind of close because he was walking towards me and took him at around 250 yards, DRT. The other 3 bucks didn't know what happened to there buddy and kept feeding with one buck coming within about 20 feet of my ambush spot (pictures to prove it) the 225 did its job very well breaking on side shoulder not much meat damage and recovered the nicely mushroomed bullet under the skin by the off side ham. Don't know the exact weight of the bullet, because better half wasn't happy with the slug being in the kitchen and disposed of it for me. Big mulies can take the lead from a big 338. The year before we hunted some whitetails in north eastern Wyoming and I tried hard to stop one of my 225's taking several endo brisket shots on whitetail does. Not a chance of stopping that bullet, DRT very little meat damage. Same event with a nice whitetail buck, DRT very little meat damage. On a different note, several years earlier I tried a rushed shot on a big buck in a group of 5 that got spooked and I hit the wrong deer on the run with a 210 grain Barnes X in the ham. DRT and totally ruined the ham. The shot was only about 60 yards though.

 

[Doublezranch]

As a 338 RUM shooter as well, I have found that this is a perfect caliber for long range mullies. I just switched from Serria 250's to the new Barnes 265 grain TTSX. It has a very good bc, and flies true and straight. I have many rifles in the safe, but I still go to the big boys for mullies. Living and hunting in North Dakota, its nice to have a big heavy bullet to drop those big bodied critters.

There has been many times I passed by my 7mm ultra and 375 ultra for my 338 ultra. My 7mm Ultra is my favorite, but my 338 Ultra is a very close second. Good luck on your hunt.