Tell me again why my .338 win mag isn't enough?

[Bullwhacker]

IMO the 338WM is the best choice for a dedicated general elk rifle based on availability of commercial ammunition, energy and trajectory out to 600 yards which is where I would bet 99.5% of the elk are harvested every year. Sure there are many better in different aspects but that is the case with most every round.

That being said I shoot a 340 Wby because I like expensive brass and even more expensive ammunition.

 

[revturbo9967]

IMO the 338WM is the best choice for a dedicated general elk rifle based on availability of commercial ammunition, energy and trajectory out to 600 yards which is where I would bet 99.5% of the elk are harvested every year. Sure there are many better in different aspects but that is the case with most every round.

That being said I shoot a 340 Wby because I like expensive brass and even more expensive ammunition.

your last statement made me laugh

 

[sp6x6]

Express,You sound as though you wont gain much.But the gain is larger,this is for Norma.You shoot get more even from the larger capacity type.Ive taken close to 40 elk,most with 340wby.My NM shoots 2740 w/300 otm at your stated 1100 yrds I have 1613 V, and 1733 E.My rifle is 26'' braked,one of my main hunting buddies still shoots 338 win,so seen it in action many times.Ive had much more first round knock downs than he out to 800 yrds,with 340wby,but alot depends where hit.But the 300 or 250 grn.out of the larger 338 is a real hammer. I like cartridge so much I have a practice play rifle,shot a moose,bear and muley with that one also.I bang lot of rocks out to mile,its a hard hitter.I started my elk hunting with a 243 so I know how to get er done.I also took 21 animals one year archery so fully understand shot placement.Ill probley IMP my NM when barrel is done for.

 

[el matador]

I'm a fan of the .338s. Shooting heavy bullets just feels different, and awesome. I also had a factory 700 338 WM that shot like garbage. Currently I shoot a Mark V in 338-378 and it's plenty accurate. The Win Mag cartridge is very efficient, and in my opinion it's the perfect elk cartridge inside 500 yards. It will shoot further no doubt, but as we all know velocity is your friend at long range.

I would personally not rebarrel your rifle to 338 Norma. If you want a bit more power I would go with the 338 RUM instead. It uses the same bolt face as 338 Win, and body diameter is close. The 338 Edge is a smidgin longer but case capacities are almost identical when seating the long 338 bullets to fit in the magazine. Since they are so similar I would even base my decision on which brass was available at the time. Based on articles by Dan Lilja and Kirby Allen I would prefer a custom action for any cartridge with a .585" bolt face.

 

[EXPRESS]

Well, thanks for all the replies guys. It seems like there are a lot of people who have had bad luck with the .338wm. It took me 100 rounds of CEBs to find my sub MOA load, so I can't say my experience was easy either.

My rifle is a Blaser, so it's a question of getting another barrel, not rechambering. Also I'm not sure you can ream out a win mag to Norma, the point of the shoulder on the wm is a few though outside the Normas' profile.

This post has made me reflect on what my needs are and what I have. Where I hunt it's tough to find terrain that offers much 1K+ hunting. And I am primarily a hunter, who likes to be able to take long shots when appopriate. The reality is that the .338wn can still provide more LR lethality than I can properly administer around the 1K mark, and the best way to money is on bullets and shooting.

If I want to shoot further, with a real, big and appreciable step up, an outright ELR rig is going to be more the ticket, Like a .338 Allen Express.

For the moment Ill keep shooting the humble win mag, I just have that Norma mag itch, which I should have scratched the first time around so I'd never be having this conversation.

 

[sp6x6]

couple Normas built on Defiance.

 

[86alaskan]

Don't believe any of them. The 338WM IS the ticket. I run my Tikka Boar Hunter 338 hard with 7828ssc and 250gr Hornady SP. It hits like a train and leaves me to want nothing more. Yep, it kicks hard, but with adequate practice it shoots like a dream. I probably won't take any cross canyon 1000yd shots with it, but I will not hesitate to smoke a moose or caribou within 4-500.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Don't believe any of them. The 338WM IS the ticket. I run my Tikka Boar Hunter 338 hard with 7828ssc and 250gr Hornady SP. It hits like a train and leaves me to want nothing more. Yep, it kicks hard, but with adequate practice it shoots like a dream. I probably won't take any cross canyon 1000yd shots with it, but I will not hesitate to smoke a moose or caribou within 4-500.

What would we gain from BS'ing the man? Absolutely nothing. What would we gain or lose from him either buying or not buying a .338 WM...Again, nothing. I was just stating my own personal experience with one.

 

[revturbo9967]

What would we gain from BS'ing the man? Absolutely nothing. What would we gain or lose from him either buying or not buying a .338 WM...Again, nothing. I was just stating my own personal experience with one.

i was about to say the same thing. nobody said a 338 wm wasn't perfectly capable of taking large game. we were merely stating some have had accuracy issues, which is a known issue with the 338 wm.

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

I bought or stole whichever way you want to look at it a Browning Stainless Stalker A-bolt...bought a matched pair in left hand off of a local gun shop that was closing, got them both for $600.00...one in 7mm rm..the other in .338 am.... Both are outstanding shooters at 100 yards and both just as good or better than the truck load of 700's I own... I shoot the 200 x-bullet that I danzac coated and it will shoot them in a five shot one inch group all day long...using H-4350 and Remington 9 1/2 primers... I have no accuracy issues. I've ba need many steel plates out to 500 with it...but I'm not fond of the recoil and only use it for bear hunting.