300 Win Mag vs 338 Win Mag

[Envitro]

Hi gents,

I've been wrestling with this one since the end of last season... Trying to go one up from my 270 so that I feel comfortable with Elk & Moose hunting for next season, as all I've gone for so far are deer.

I've shot my brother's 300 Win Mag Xbolt and it's excellent (I have the same one in 270). I'm not sold on 338 but I've heard that it's a good, slightly longer range option over 270, and harder hitting power with a still fairly flat trajectory. I'm not worried about the kickback as I've shot 338 Lapua too.

Main reasons for this size caliber:

• More stopping power
• Longer Range & flat ballistics/trajectory
• More flexibility for larger game

Any thoughts on this? Help me make my decision

[Okotokian]

Well, your .270 is perfectly adequate for elk and moose, so a technical discussion is sort of pointless, it seems to me. Your issue is a psychological one. You don't feel comfortable/confident unless you have something bigger. So pick the biggest caliber you can handle and feel confident again. Neither caliber is going to be the WRONG choice, if you can shoot it.

[Alberta Bigbore]

Originally Posted by Okotokian

Well, your .270 is perfectly adequate for elk and moose, so a technical discussion is sort of pointless, it seems to me. Your issue is a psychological one. You don't feel comfortable/confident unless you have something bigger. So pick the biggest caliber you can handle and feel confident again. Neither caliber is going to be the WRONG choice, if you can shoot it.

This always happens.

I own both.. a xbolt 270 win... and a xbolt 338 win mag. I've hunted with a 270 win for years. My favorite cartridge. Toppled moose.and elk. And deer in between. A good bullet like an accubond or a GMX and u are in business.

But.... hey.. some of us like recoil. Some of us want something classic that hits like a tank. I don't believe in overkill. More killing power in un ideal conditions is welcomed.

I have always believed that the purpose of magnums was originally to deliver extraordinary power at normal range, not normal power at extraordinarily range. And the 338 win mag does just that over the 300 win mag in my opinion. Both great cartridges, but I too had this choice and happy with my choice of going 338 win mag over 300 win mag. If I want 300 win mag performance, I'll shoot 185 grain bullets out of my 338wm.

My biggest conflict right now is choosing between the 250 grain Accubond or 250 grain Partitions. The 338 win mag cartridge amazes me... and I had put it off for many years. You definately know your pulling the trigger on something bigger than a 270win. But it is manageable.. and I'm shooting tight groups , and smile each time I pull the trigger.

[north american hunter]

Originally Posted by Alberta Bigbore

This always happens.

I own both.. a xbolt 270 win... and a xbolt 338 win mag. I've hunted with a 270 win for years. My favorite cartridge. Toppled moose.and elk. And deer in between. A good bullet like an accubond or a GMX and u are in business.

But.... hey.. some of us like recoil. Some of us want something classic that hits like a tank. I don't believe in overkill. More killing power in un ideal conditions is welcomed.

I have always believed that the purpose of magnums was originally to deliver extraordinary power at normal range, not normal power at extraordinarily range. And the 338 win mag does just that over the 300 win mag in my opinion. Both great cartridges, but I too had this choice and happy with my choice of going 338 win mag over 300 win mag. If I want 300 win mag performance, I'll shoot 185 grain bullets out of my 338wm.

My biggest conflict right now is choosing between the 250 grain Accubond or 250 grain Partitions. The 338 win mag cartridge amazes me... and I had put it off for many years. You definately know your pulling the trigger on something bigger than a 270win. But it is manageable.. and I'm shooting tight groups , and smile each time I pull the trigger.

That pretty much the way I see it. 338 win over 300 win

[bat119]

Yup I like the big guy too, when I was younger the recoil didn't bother me as a matter of fact I liked it. However getting older that punch in the shoulder hurts more. I've been toying with 185 TTSX bullets I like what I see

3051 FPS
300 yards one flyer
Rifle sighted in 2" high @ 100 yards

[IMG][/IMG]

[Alberta Bigbore]

Big factor too is cost of ammo. And availability.

I bought my 338win mag full aware that WSS and Cabelas have limited selection on factory ammo... and bullet weights. But..... combined with P&D...Prophet river.... cabelas and wss.. there is plenty of options

I went in this wanting to reload. But my 338wm loves Nosler Trophy Grade so much I really dont see the point. Same as my 270win. Is crazy accurate with Nosler trophy Grade Accubond 130gr.

I originally thought as Dick284 put it once..." have to pay to play". I bought the cheapest 338winmag ammo possible for barrel break in. 225 gr Hornady SST. Found it for $52 /20rounds. Then I wanted to shoot partitions and Accubonds... originally in 225 gr.. but then found a romance with the 250gr in both , in the Nosler Trophy Grade factories. I'm accumulating brass and having fun doing so.

300win mag has a huge variety of factory ammo offerings. And way less $.

My Nosler Trophy Grade partitions are $96 per 20 rounds. My Accubonds in same are $98 per 20. I knew this going into it. And not an issue. Pay to play.

270 win Nosler Trophy Grade Accubonds were $52 per 20. Huge difference. Lol

Loving the 338wm. And I'm. Sure moose and elk will too 😂😂😂

[bigbaddad]

I have a .300 WM and love it. I want a .358 Norma.....'cause I'm a gun nut and can't help myself. I believe what Bigbore says about this rings true. I shot a moose with a .338 Win and have never to this day seen such dramatic results.

[Alberta Bigbore]

Originally Posted by bigbaddad

I have a .300 WM and love it. I want a .358 Norma.....'cause I'm a gun nut and can't help myself. I believe what Bigbore says about this rings true. I shot a moose with a .338 Win and have never to this day seen such dramatic results.

I have heard on slow motion camera.. that with a 250 gr partition in the shoulder at 200 yards.... you can see Shockwaves ripple through a moose whole body neck to tail lol

[700-223]

Originally Posted by Okotokian

Well, your .270 is perfectly adequate for elk and moose, so a technical discussion is sort of pointless, it seems to me. Your issue is a psychological one. You don't feel comfortable/confident unless you have something bigger. So pick the biggest caliber you can handle and feel confident again. Neither caliber is going to be the WRONG choice, if you can shoot it.

x2. Both will give you what you're looking for, since you're adding it to a 270 (already a very versatile big game cartridge), go with the biggest you can shoot accurately.

You may also want to do a little look at ammo prices online, especially if you don't reload. Both are widely available but I don't have either so I don't know if there's a price difference between them for factory ammo.

[elkdump]

Originally Posted by Alberta Bigbore

I have heard on slow motion camera.. that with a 250 gr partition in the shoulder at 200 yards.... you can see Shockwaves ripple through a moose whole body neck to tail lol

If the moose or elk is wet with morning dew or rain, absolutely, if you regain view of the critter in your scope as the bullet " shocks " the moose or elk there will be an aura of mist depicting shock waves, have witnessed it several times myself, love those heavy bullet,,
But a 400 grn out of a .416 Mag gives better shockwave show, but ,,,

Kinda like the smell of Napalm in the Morning ,

not quite as good, but good nevertheless

[wmd]

I just upgraded from a 300 to a 338. My theory is might as well go as big as I can handle and it's nice to be able to shoot 250gr bullets. Also find it kicks less and they are the same rifles.

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by elkdump

If the moose or elk is wet with morning dew or rain, absolutely, if you regain view of the critter in your scope as the bullet " shocks " the moose or elk there will be an aura of mist depicting shock waves, have witnessed it several times myself, love those heavy bullet,,
But a 400 grn out of a .416 Mag gives better shockwave show, but ,,,

Kinda like the smell of Napalm in the Morning ,

not quite as good, but good nevertheless

I do suppose the biggest wallop you can handle might also come in handy should you encounter something that might eat you.

[elkdump]

Originally Posted by Okotokian

I do suppose the biggest wallop you can handle might also come in handy should you encounter something that might eat you.

I'm real happy with my old Husky .270 win or my 1885 Browning 7mmMag the last few years

Both kill moose and elk just fine, and don't turn my brain to mush, and my shoulder

But the .338 WinMag remains my fav , all round do it all, big or small

[Dubious]

If it's an absolute must have new rifle in one of those 2 go 338. If your worried about recoil muzzle break it. I shoot 300wm and it does well on elk my dad uses 338 and it gets them good to. 2 of my other hunting friends use 270 and a 30-06 and there just as good on elk. If you hunt a lot of mixed bag hunts 338 and 300wm can be a bit heavy on deer.

[Smokinyotes]

Ive shot deer, moose, elk and bear with both the 338wm and 300wm. I didnt noitice the 338 make the animal anymore dead than what the 300 does.

[Sask Bearman]

I am a big fan of the 338 Win Mag but...I really like the 300 Win Mag too. My 300 is my go to deer rifle and the 338 comes out for elk, moose and the odd bear. I likely didn't help much!

[Norwest Alta]

Originally Posted by Sask Bearman

I am a big fan of the 338 Win Mag but...I really like the 300 Win Mag too. My 300 is my go to deer rifle and the 338 comes out for elk, moose and the odd bear. I likely didn't help much!

I'm a fan of the 338. Got one for moose, one for elk and one for long range elk,moose,deer. Probably would use either one for bear but I'm not much of a bear shooter.
My experience with any of the 300 mags I've shot is that they are all ignorant. Didn't matter 308 nm, 300 wm, 300 wby or 300 rum. Suppose at the end of the day dead is dead but I sure like my 338's.

[Wiser]

I've got a couple of each and my vote is for the 338WM! The killing power is very apparent as the animal will usually just crumble. Had another hunter once comment that he had never seen a bear roll uphill before.

[sikwhiskey]

I'd pick the 300wm, I find 30cal bullets far easier and a bit cheaper than 338. A 200 Grn Nosler partition at 2900 fps will knock down anything on this continent easy. Same with the 180ttsx at 3050 fps. Load the 300 down to 308 velocities for plinking or up full power for whatever.

[Alberta Bigbore]

Originally Posted by Wiser

Had another hunter once comment that he had never seen a bear roll uphill before.

This is great lol!

[338 Rules]

Guess which one I would recommend?

[Pioneer2]

Moose swatted........try a .416 Rigby and a 400gr Partition........Harold

[3blade]

Originally Posted by Wiser

I've got a couple of each and my vote is for the 338WM! The killing power is very apparent as the animal will usually just crumble. Had another hunter once comment that he had never seen a bear roll uphill before.

Originally Posted by Pioneer2

Moose swatted........try a .416 Rigby and a 400gr Partition........Harold

Meh, if you step up to a 500 NE you can take out the entire rib cage, the guts will just hang there, all you gotta do is cut the throat and the arse hole.

Ps I have a 20mm on the buy and sell, in case anyone is going up north where the moose get to 2000 lbs and their bones are extra hard from all the minerals in the muskeg they eat.

Now where's that ruler....

[Dean2]

My hunting partner of many years originally shot a Remington 700 BDL in 270. Over a couple of decades we chased an awful lot of game an awful lot of miles. Got REALLY good at tracking. Luckily enough we didn't loose very many but some took a couple or three days to catch up to. Many that we tracked were not all that badly hit and at the rate they were bleeding should have been out of blood long before they actually were. My partner shot lots of paper, good groups out to 500 yards, lots of coyotes all one shot kills and never shot at game over 250. Despite that, the gun just would not put game down for him. (Sort of like the 30-30. It has probably killed more deer than all other cartridges combined but it has also wounded far more deer than any other single cartridge too.)

About twenty years ago he switched to a Remington 700 with a laminated stock and a fluted med Heay mag barrel in 338 mag. We have only had to chase one animal more than a few yards since he got it. Not only does it hit way harder than the 270, he shoots it far better. It groups well on paper, but more importantly, now he usually hits exactly where he is shooting on game. He has poorly hit a couple of elk but the 338 has enough knock down power he was able to get a second shot into them and put them down where they were.

The gun and scope probably weigh 10 or 11 pounds. My partner is 200 LBs and in very good shape so the weight is no problem. His confidence in the gun has made him a far better shot and that has worked out very well for the game he hunts. If you can shoot them, more power is always better than less power.

[bigbaddad]

Originally Posted by Alberta Bigbore

I have heard on slow motion camera.. that with a 250 gr partition in the shoulder at 200 yards.... you can see Shockwaves ripple through a moose whole body neck to tail lol

Honestly, he looked like he was hit by a truck.

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[birds eye]

ive used a 300wm 300 wby mag and just started using my 338Rum and i love the new 338 rum,huge diff when i hit the gong at 300 meters compared to either of the 300s cant wait to use it this fall on game

[3blade]

Originally Posted by Dean2

My hunting partner of many years originally shot a Remington 700 BDL in 270. Over a couple of decades we chased an awful lot of game an awful lot of miles. Got REALLY good at tracking. Luckily enough we didn't loose very many but some took a couple or three days to catch up to. Many that we tracked were not all that badly hit and at the rate they were bleeding should have been out of blood long before they actually were. My partner shot lots of paper, good groups out to 500 yards, lots of coyotes all one shot kills and never shot at game over 250. Despite that, the gun just would not put game down for him. (Sort of like the 30-30. It has probably killed more deer than all other cartridges combined but it has also wounded far more deer than any other single cartridge too.)

About twenty years ago he switched to a Remington 700 with a laminated stock and a fluted med Heay mag barrel in 338 mag. We have only had to chase one animal more than a few yards since he got it. Not only does it hit way harder than the 270, he shoots it far better. It groups well on paper, but more importantly, now he usually hits exactly where he is shooting on game. He has poorly hit a couple of elk but the 338 has enough knock down power he was able to get a second shot into them and put them down where they were.

The gun and scope probably weigh 10 or 11 pounds. My partner is 200 LBs and in very good shape so the weight is no problem. His confidence in the gun has made him a far better shot and that has worked out very well for the game he hunts. If you can shoot them, more power is always better than less power.

While I'm glad he found a gun/carrridge that worked out better...the original problem and the solution illustrates something I've been squawking about for a few years now. People don't seem to understand projectiles. Lead bullets are the main reason for magnumitis. Bigger, heavier, slower chunks of lead hold together much better and penetrate deeper than fast light bullets that splash. No question. Those old 270 bullets were likely shedding most of their weight on one side of the animal and barely affecting the opposite lung. Thus the tracking jobs and 40 years of widespread bias towards larger calibers.

However, in today's world, a 270 burning modern powder, launching mono metal projectiles, is capable of putting down everything in short order. It is our responsibility as hunters to know what we are doing, and relying on outdated information isn't acceptable.

To the OP: If you want bigger, go bigger. But understand that it is not a solution to any other issue. Know your gear

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by 3blade

While I'm glad he found a gun/carrridge that worked out better...the original problem and the solution illustrates something I've been squawking about for a few years now. People don't seem to understand projectiles. Lead bullets are the main reason for magnumitis. Bigger, heavier, slower chunks of lead hold together much better and penetrate deeper than fast light bullets that splash. No question. Those old 270 bullets were likely shedding most of their weight on one side of the animal and barely affecting the opposite lung. Thus the tracking jobs and 40 years of widespread bias towards larger calibers.

However, in today's world, a 270 burning modern powder, launching mono metal projectiles, is capable of putting down everything in short order. It is our responsibility as hunters to know what we are doing, and relying on outdated information isn't acceptable.

To the OP: If you want bigger, go bigger. But understand that it is not a solution to any other issue. Know your gear

You make many assumptions and in this case you are completely wrong. We have always hand loaded all of our ammo. Bullet choice was not a limiting factor. We tried 130 Nosler Partitions (often pencilled through without enough expansion), 135 Woodleigh ( same problem), original Barnes (coppered the barrel too fast) plus quite a few others. Best combo of expansion and penetration was 130 and 150 Grain SP Hornady Interlocks. Despite trying a variety of bullets still no joy.

Since getting the 338 he is shooting 210 Partitions over 4350 with Win Mag primers at 2900 FPS. Reliable expansion, great penetration, and great killing power. Confidence in your equipment plays a huge role in how successful you are and those that claim this isn't true haven't yet done enough hunting and shooting to really see the difference.

[Norwest Alta]

Originally Posted by Dean2

You make many assumptions and in this case you are completely wrong. We have always hand loaded all of our ammo. Bullet choice was not a limiting factor. We tried 130 Nosler Partitions (often pencilled through without enough expansion), 135 Woodleigh ( same problem), original Barnes (coppered the barrel too fast) plus quite a few others. Best combo of expansion and penetration was 130 and 150 Grain SP Hornady Interlocks. Despite trying a variety of bullets still no joy.

Since getting the 338 he is shooting 210 Partitions over 4350 with Win Mag primers at 2900 FPS. Reliable expansion, great penetration, and great killing power. Confidence in your equipment plays a huge role in how successful you are and those that claim this isn't true haven't yet done enough hunting and shooting to really see the difference.

IMO confidence is key. I used to use hornady bullets and had the same problem as your buddy. This was both out of my 30-06 and 338wm. I've since switched to Barnes and haven't looked back.

[Fur]

Originally Posted by bigbaddad

Honestly, he looked like he was hit by a truck.

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Much meat damage down stream from the actual impact zone/hemorrhage areas?

I shoot a 300 wsm and really enjoy it. As someone else said go as big as you can handle, you can always dial down your loads. I have yet to hear someone say, "I wish I had less gun".