Experiences with a .338 win mag / Suggestions for wet weather?

[Will K]

X3 on the Ruger. Timmney trigger added makes a sweet shooter.

[kidso]

Dse, I will take you up on that! Thanks!

[Benbrown]

I am sure that your guide/outfitter would much prefer that you show up with a .300 Win Mag that you have used a good bit, and with which you are familiar, as opposed to a new rifle chambered for a more powerful cartridge that you bought just for that hunt. Nonetheless, I used .338 Win Mags as my bad weather elk rifles for over ten years, and even hunted in good weather with a Ruger No. 1-S in .338 Win Mag. They are all gone now, as my good weather rifle is a No. 1-S in 9.3x74R and the bad weather rifle is a Weatherby Back Country in .300 Win Mag.

 

The .375 H&H is a good choice, though, and I used a stainless/synthetic Weatherby Mk V in that cartridge to take a couple of big bull elk in Colorado as well as plains game in Africa. I used 260-grain Nosler AccuBonds exclusively because they shot about like a 180-grain bullet from a .30-06 and delivered a good blend of weight and trajectory.

 

If you are really wanting a new rifle (and since you are not a hand loader), I would suggest that you take a hard look at the stainless/synthetic Ruger Hawkeye All Weather rifle in .338 Win Mag. It is hard to beat for price and performance. I would certainly recommend that you shy away from the less expensive, newer Mossberg or Savage rifles and go with a proven controlled-round feed rifle like the Hawkeye which is pretty much bullet-proof. I would also suggest that you try several different factory loads with premium bullets ranging from 210 grains up to 225 grains and use the one that shoots best in your rifle. Where you put the bullet and its terminal performance is what is important, and not so much how much it weighs.

[Lucafu1]

I hunt with two .338s. A old tikka 695 and a older browning bar. Both synthetic stocks. I use Barnes 225 grain tsx and ttsx and they work great.

[PRDATR]

I've got a 695 in 30.06 I bought for my son when he was 16. Awesome gun.

[az2ak]

Hello, I am giving you some advice on your question. 33win mag is the caliber to use. I spent seven years chasing The wild Game of the Last Frontier. Truth be told you can take just about anything up there with a 264 win mag, however this does not include the Coastal Brown Bear or known as the Kodiak Bear. Interior bears don't get as much fish as coastal bears, so yes they are big but they are not the bears on steroids with muscle and fat every where.

 

During my time spent there, There came a time when I wanted to purchase a large magnum rifle. I asked about the 300's, the guides that I asked said leave them at home. All around 338 win mag is the best cartridge you can buy, Why? If you find yourself in a predicament and needing more ammo because some freak raft flip or plane issues, nearly every store in the bush carries 338 win mag ammunition. My best friend's dad drew his last Kodiak tag about 4 years ago. A little older, he chose to take his 300 win mag. We tried to talk him out of it but he insisted on it. Long story short, He killed a bruin that squared 9' 6". Killed him at 20 yds in a 30mph wind storm. The bullet entered the neck and the bear dropped. They never found the bullet.

 

If I was you and would not accept any 338 that does not have a Mauser action. That is why the Ruger M77 Hawkeye is the best. Now if you can pic it up in stainless great, but not a big deal if you cant. Some people say synthetic is the way to go, but does not really matter unless your hunting in environments that posses at least 85% to 95% humidity. When you go synthetic you make your rifle a little more lighter and with a 338 win mag, not something you want to be light on.

 

Next your bullet selection is the second most important thing. Stay away from Nosler Partitions. Hornady has great ammunition and so does Federal. Federal makes the round in 225 or 250 with or with out the Barnes triple shock. Hornday has the 225 or 250 grn. Interlock and the SST. They next thing they have which would be the best is 250 grn. round nose bullet. The interlock and sst have a more streamline design to allow for a better flight at longer distances. Your shots at an Alaska Bruin can be at 20 paces or out to 300 yds., but most of the time if conditions and terrain allows: 150 yds or closer. If you have any more questions feel free to write me back.

 

I may have said things that you knew, but when I lived there for 7 years I was able to do a lot with a tank of gas and the purchase of the resident license not to mention the resident tags. I truly am passionate and very grateful at my time spent there. On the other side of things I know what the expenses entail and when you spend that much money, It is paramouhnt to have the best rifle with the best cartridge to put that nice ten foot salmon eatin', trail blazin', protein gorged Bruin rug on your wall.

[Oak]

I have a NIB Winchester M70 Extreme Weather .338 Win Mag I'd be willing to part with. Just sitting in the safe now. PM me if you are interested.

[nralifer]

The 338 Win mag is a good choice as is the 375 either Ruger or H&H. The most important thing is accurate shot placement, so a gun that you can shoot accurately in an off hand position is very important. In the field you may not notice the recoil as much as you will on the bench. Practice three shot strings at 50 yds in rapid succession to simulate a charging bear, and be sure you can place all three shots in the black. I would recommend a tough bullet such as Swift A-frame or Barnes TSX of 250 grains or heavier for the bear. Don't forget to practice with the same clothing you are likely to be using. Have a great and safe hunt.

[trphyhntr]

since when do we need good and bad weather rifles? Id get something quality that you don't have to worry about. savage, ruger? I guess I have been shooting archery for too long as well, I remember them being middle of the road at best.

[452b264]

I am planning an Alaskan brown bear hunt for fall of 2017. I am interested in using a .338 win mag so it could also double as an elk gun in our state. Because I mostly hunt archery now, I have not followed industry changes in centerfire rifles. I do not build guns, nor do I reload, but I am interested in purchasing a solid factory .338 win mag that is basically weatherproof and could handle rain and snow without failing.

 

Anyone have any advice on great guns for wet weather hunting based on their own personal experiences?

 

Any comments on the new Savage line or Mossberg centerfire rifles? I see Mossberg has a 4x4 .338 win mag for around $400 bucks and Savage has a 116 Trophy Hunter .338 for $150 more with an included Nikon scope. Anyone have any experiences with these lower priced rifles?

 

I do have a Browning A-bolt Stalker in .300 win mag, which I love, but want to use a bit more THUMP than that for brown bear. I might just get another A-bolt Stalker in .338 or a Remmington 70, but was curious about the Savage and Mossberg models I brought up.

 

Thanks.

I would use the 300 win with a 200 gr. partition the 200 gr. has the partition further forward and penetrates very well it has a different personality than the lighter bullets or the Barnes TSX. Unless you need an excuse to buy another rifle.

[yotebuster]

300 win mag

Bullet weight/type Velocity Energy

 

220 gr (14.3 g) Sierra MatchKing (HPBT) 2,850 ft/s (870 m/s) 3,908 ft·lbf (5,299 J)

 

338 win mag

 

Bullet weight/type Velocity Energy

 

225 gr (15 g) SP 2,800 ft/s (850 m/s) 3,918 ft·lbf (5,312 J)

 

I would keep the 300 win mag that you're familiar with and load it with a QUALITY 220gr bullet. Absolutely apples to apples. Unless you're looking for an excuse to buy a new rifle as I would be! But it sounds like you're interested in keeping it simple. There's nothing you can do with a 338 you can't do with a 300. As a matter if fact the 300 will do it better. If you were talking extreme long range then a 338 would be a better choice with a 300 gr bullet but in this case in guessing you will keep your shots under 200 yds. Just a thought.

[SunDevil]

My Remington 700 xcr 375H&H spent 4 summers

on the west coast of Alaska laying on the banks of

holes and getting rained on. Still looks and functions

like new. Awesome gun that will take anything you

throw at it!

 

+1 on the Rem 700 XCR.

[sjvcon]

Dangerous game = CRF.

 

Win 70 that Oak has is a gem. FN proxuced if it is an Extreme Weather.

 

CZ550

 

Hawkeye

 

Or good old Mauser 98.