Centurion,
I'm kind-of like filmit in that I tend to have an emotional attachment to the .338 Win. Mag. Seems I've always had a love affair with large caliber guns, not that I need them per se, but I just like them. Owning a large caliber rifle is one thing, using it is another. I don't have grizzlies running about where I live, nor elk in a huntable population. What's the fun if you can't put it to some use, and who's to say you can't use one to deer hunt.
I've owned three .338 Win Mags. My first was a model 70 Winchester XTR, a really fine looking rifle, but it just wouldn't shoot well. I never could get accuracy from that rifle. I had it recrowned, free floated and tried a variety of loads to no avail. I purchased the rifle in hopes of one day going to Alaska. Many years later that day finally came, but I left the model 70 at home since I was not confident in it's accuracy.
Then I had a Remington 700 stainless with the composite stock. Again, accuracy was not what I was looking for, despite lots of judicious handloading.
In one final effort to own a .338 Win. Mag. that would shoot the way I thought one ought to, I purchased a new Weatherby Vanguard Sub MOA, which is guaranteed to shoot under an inch. This rifle has proved worthy of owning.
The suggested load (target included from the factory) was with Federal Power Shok 225 gr. Soft Points.
The problem was, when I purchased the rifle, the ammo had been discontinued. I managed to find one
box and got it at $55.00. Ouch, that hurt since I'm used to reloading, but I wanted to try it to see if I
could get good accuracy as suggested by the factory. The ammo shot really well. I can't seem to find
a target of it, but I do have the load data.
However, I wanted to find a good load with a premium bullet, so I tried the Barnes TSX 210 gr.
It shoots pretty darn good. I shot 2-shot groups (some will question that) at 100 yards, and
the average of the three groups was .77, so not bad and plenty acceptable for the type of
game a .338 would be used for.
I decided to take the rifle deer hunting and see how the Barnes might perform, hoping it would
not blow gaping holes in the off side. Luck was with me and I took a spike buck at about 75 yards,
broadside and dropped it on the spot. That's the only game I have taken with the rifle.
The bullet showed very little sign of an entrance, and the exit was not bad at all. Now this is only
one deer, and I'm not sure if this performance will be the norm or not. The off-side damage is less
than you would expect from a 30-06 or even a 270.
Here is a photo of the exit wound. The photo was cleaned up (blood removed) to show the actual exit.
The exit wound was not touched.
As you can see, it is difficult to see the entrance wound.
As to recoil, the .338 Win. Mag is a real thumper. I have actually found that my son's CZ .375 H&H
has less felt-recoil than any of the .338 Win. Mags I have owned.
I've never got what I consider really good accuracy from a .338 Win. Mag.
Just for comparison, here's my son's CZ .375 H&H and a target shot with factory loads. These are
two, 2-shot groups while sighting in the rifle. I find the .375 shoots better than any of the .338 Win.
Mags I have owned.
The .338 Win. Mag. is one heck of a hard-hitter, and has earned a reputation in
Alaska and in Africa. It's a fine elk cartridge from what I have read. I would love
an opportunity to give it try on elk one day.
While maybe my post seems to imply the .338 Win. Mag is not accurate, actually
it's plenty accurate enough for it's intended purpose. I just tend to knit-pick and
am too used to varmint accuracy perhaps.
Speaking of varmint accuracy, just for the fun of it, I suggested that my son take
his .375 H&H with us on a groundhog hunt. He did and took the first shot of the
evening at one slightly over 100 yards. The groundhog lost his mind!
Good luck.
