.338.... thoughts....

[verbotenwhisky]

Since you asked... Too big, too expensive to shoot, and too much recoil to shoot well. Not a shooter's caliber, but a hunter of dangerous trophies' caliber. Get one if you fancy having a stuffed water buffalo mount in your living room. If you just like to shoot, there are plenty of great cartridges out there under 200 grains that cost less than $5/pop and don't leave bruises. Hey, you asked for thoughts, right?

You are correct, but I still look at the big calibers, I would like to shoot some long range shooting but haven't decided which caliber I am really interested in. Thanks for the thoughts.

 

[pontiac428]

It really takes round count and practice, which you can afford and physically tolerate in a demure caliber. Not so much when you can't even shoot a 20-string before you're dragging the thumper back to the truck.

I shoot 1000 yard courses all day long with my 6mmbr rifles and 30 grains of power with a somewhat affordable 105 grain pill. 338 is medium artillery by comparison.

You'll make more friends at the range with a normal size caliber too. Nobody wants to be anywhere near the guy shooting the elephant gun with the brake on the end of the barrel (Elmer Fudd). Boom!

 

[Shade Tree Welder]

Since you asked... Too big, too expensive to shoot, and too much recoil to shoot well. Not a shooter's caliber, but a hunter of dangerous trophies' caliber. Get one if you fancy having a stuffed water buffalo mount in your living room. If you just like to shoot, there are plenty of great cartridges out there under 200 grains that cost less than $5/pop and don't leave bruises. Hey, you asked for thoughts, right?

Who buys loaded ammo???

 

[Shade Tree Welder]

You are correct, but I still look at the big calibers, I would like to shoot some long range shooting but haven't decided which caliber I am really interested in. Thanks for the thoughts.

There are a lot of .308 and under cartridges that will do very well poking holes in paper at 1000 yards. Unless you are hunting large dangerous game, not a lot of "need" for a .338 caliber.

My belted magnums (7mm and .308's) will drop everything in North America, except maybe a Polar bear, without issue. For hunting I load Barnes bullets, I don't have to track game with a Barnes bullet.

Now if this is just a want, I think the Norma is a better option, but you're splitting hairs. If you hand load, you going to tailor you round to your rifle and your target anyway.

 

[pontiac428]

Who buys loaded ammo???

Who said anything about box ammo? Lapua brass, 300 gr. projectiles, 40 grains of powder, and still sky high primers really adds up. But when you're shooting through Swarovski safari glass and your rifle has an Italian name, I suppose the ammo cost is chump change.

 

[Bleeb]

Who said anything about box ammo? Lapua brass, 300 gr. projectiles, 40 grains of powder, and still sky high primers really adds up. But when you're shooting through Swarovski safari glass and your rifle has an Italian name, I suppose the ammo cost is chump change.

Goood points. I sold the 340 Bee and went to a 7mm PRC for elk. I couldn't get Norma MRP anymore for my pet loads! The 7 PRC is plenty powerful at a shorter range, of course, but much cheaper to handload for. Oh....except when one shoots 4-500 rds/year!

 

[pontiac428]

A fantastic long range caliber is 6 Creedmoor. It's a necked down 6.5 and the chamber is cut long for 147 gr. VLD type bullets with a 8-twist barrel by spec. You're well into the 3000's with a bullet that will stay supersonic for nearly a mile. The case holds 50 grains of water, so it's a slugger, with the best performing highpower bullet out there, the 6mm VLD. Barnes makes a great one for less than Hdy and half of Berger, but those are good too. Won't beat you up or ruin your wallet, so you get to shoot more.

 

[Ulma Doctor]

I have hunted with the 7mm Remington Mag for my adult life.
Its plenty potent for Elk and Deer sized game.
Flat shooting and retains energy.

Nobody mentioned the .338 Winchester Mag yet….
Cheaper to shoot than the Lapua or the Norma.
You lose a little ballistic prowess, but a great heaver bullet sender

 

[Shade Tree Welder]

I have hunted with the 7mm Remington Mag for my adult life.
Its plenty potent for Elk and Deer sized game.
Flat shooting and retains energy.

Nobody mentioned the .338 Winchester Mag yet….
Cheaper to shoot than the Lapua or the Norma.
You lose a little ballistic prowess, but a great heaver bullet sender

My Rem 700 in 7mm Rem Mag is my goto hunting rifle.

7mm Barnes TSX, doe would not turn broadside, last day of gun season Wis. running out of light and only a doe tag left. I shot, 70-80 yards, wood land. Hit front left passed through left lung, heart, right lung, exitted just behind the rib cage. I found the bullet a few days later at home when I was butchering her. The bullet was in the right leg. She stumbled about 5 yards and dropped dead.

 

[verbotenwhisky]

There are a lot of .308 and under cartridges that will do very well poking holes in paper at 1000 yards. Unless you are hunting large dangerous game, not a lot of "need" for a .338 caliber.

My belted magnums (7mm and .308's) will drop everything in North America, except maybe a Polar bear, without issue. For hunting I load Barnes bullets, I don't have to track game with a Barnes bullet.

Now if this is just a want, I think the Norma is a better option, but you're splitting hairs. If you hand load, you going to tailor you round to your rifle and your target anyway.

I have numerous in those caliber ranges and enjoy them all, I just keep thinking about the 2000 meter range.