250 gr. word-break: normal; bullets and have less recoil. David E. Petzal Either a long-range bullet fired up close, or a close-range one used too far away can cause ineffective wounds and result in lost game. His outfitting crew has scored a 100 percent success rate on brown bears for rifle hunters for years. sports a 20 barrel and weighs 8 pounds. From what Ive seen, there are more Alaska bear guides carrying .375s than anything else. The SD of that .308 bullet at .331 is not far behind the 300-grain .338 at SD .375. I could always load it with a controlled expansion 220-grain bullet at 2,800 fps to generate 3,830 f-p muzzle energy, right there with the 300-grain from the 338 Win. 12-Gauge SlugAccording to Nelson, the 12-gauge slug gun is by far one of the most popular choices for bear protection in the Alaskan bush. We have three other primary assumptions being made here. word-break: normal; }. text-align: center | It has the case capacity to launch the heaviest .338 caliber bullets (300 grain) at useful velocities and is a stellar long-range cartridge for large game. By that yardstick it is hard to fault a .300 Win. Mag) hits the expansion limit at almost 600 yards! Both are quick in the same way cats are quick. Mag. In English, that means that heavy .338 Win. This includes gear reviews, features on technical innovations, stories on shooting techniques and general hunting coverage with the occasional fishing story thrown into the mix. border-spacing: 0; owner needs to consider the recoil issue carefully. overflow: hidden; font-size: 14px; When most people think of grizzly cartridges, something on the order of a .338 Win. By During my week at Afognak Wilderness Lodge, I had plenty of time to talk about all kinds of stuff like that with guide Luke Randall. . Forget about long shots. border-color: #656565; Boattail bullets and screaming velocities are not necessary for these situations, though a premium bullet might not be a bad idea, due to the high impact velocities. over a 300 Win. John B. 3. Weatherby, for a change, followed Winchesters lead. } He remembered thinking, Emma [his wife] is going to miss me. But the bear died before things got any worse. AccuBond at 2941 fps. AccuBond (.720 BC/.375 SD) at 2650 fps. Ive never killed a grizzly but I would be very comfortable using a .30-06 loaded with 180-grain bullets on one. from the muzzle. Based on ballistic testing and field use, Nelson recommends Brennekes Black Magic Magnum or DDupleks Monolit 32 solid steel slug. And momentum is conserved. AccuBond at 3060 fps. Foundry Outdoors is your trusted home for buying archery, camping, fishing, hunting, shooting sports, and outdoor gear online. Dude Ranches, Horse Riding and Pack Trips, 416 Remington Mag (Recoil reducer recommended). The .375, because of its considerable case taper and gentle shoulder angle, can be made to feed like greased asparagus in a properly set up rifle. In this case, the average weight of an adult male grizzly or brown bear is approximately 595 lbs. You dont want to discover that your ammo is buried beneath four layers of clothes and your chest waders. Answer: In a way, they are. The .338 Winchester Magnum (top) compared to the .375 H&H (bottom). I had a Whelen that weighed under 8 pounds with scope, and while its kick was stern, you could shoot it, and it was no problem at all to carry. 300 gr. You are using an out of date browser. Mag. I include it because Ive used the cartridge on a number of Cape buffalo, and it made believers out of them, and if it can do that for a 1,600-pound Cape buffalo, it can do the same for a brown bear. Energy would be an obvious answer. .375 H&H MagnumOne of the original belted, rimless magnum rifle cartridges, Holland & Hollands .375 is not only considered one of the best cartridges for hunting Africa, it also has a proven track record for lethality on large-bodied game in Canada and Alaska, including moose and bear. While there are many correct answers to the question, Id like to share some of my favorite setups for different bear hunting scenarios. besides a bigger caliber is useless if you dont hit where your aiming, do your part and come home with a nice trophy. Thats 1,000 psi LESS than those two smaller cartridges. Today, a lot more guys head north on bear hunts with souped-up .30-caliber magnums of some sort. I like to shoot big stuff with small cartridges and vice versa. The disadvantages are that the recoil is not for the faint of heart, and you need a rifle that weighs 10 pounds. Brown bears and grizzlies, although closely related, are distinctly different animals. Hornady Superformance .338 Winchester Magnum 225 grain SST Centerfire Rifle Ammunition. What rifle round would you take on your next grizzly or brown bear hunt? font-weight: bold; Savage Arms has announced the newest model in its series of straight-pull rifles, the Impulse Driven Hunter. The more energy and penetration the better, provided you dont select a firearm thats too powerful for you to adequately manage. are rifle length, weight, and huntability. Our website lists special deals on 9mm Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 45-70 Ammo, 6.5 Creedmoor ammo, 300 Blackout Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 5.56 Ammo, Underwood Ammo, Buffalo Bore Ammo and more special deals on bulk ammo. The .338 win mag ammo is a .338 in (8.6 mm) caliber, belted, rimless, bottlenecked cartridge introduced in 1958 by Winchester Repeating Arms. As yet, no one offers a 250 grain AccuBond in factory ammo for the 33 Nosler, and it would have scored closer to the .338 RUM with a 250. What is the average weight of an adult male grizzly or brown bear? With that said, we have assumed the average hunting distance for grizzly or brown bear to be approximately 200 yards. is ideally suited to a wide range of big game including elk and moose. Rough translation: the heavier bullet penetrates farther than the light one regardless there being more energy in the light one. The .338 in (8.6 mm) is the caliber at which medium-bore cartridges are considered to begin. The heaviest bullet available would give each cartridge its best chance since such bullets offer the highest BC's and SD's and would thus make the comparison as fair as possible. As Nelson has seen in bear defense training, many shooters have cycling issues with the 10mm due to the limp-wrist syndrome, something that isnt an issue with a revolver and is the last thing you want to happen during a bear charge. overflow: hidden; Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. Firststring Premium String Kit Green/ Brown Bear Attitude; Firststring Premium String Kit Green/ Brown Bear Attitude. Both of them fire 250-grain bullets at a real-world velocity of 2,850 fps. Popular among Alaskan guides and hunters, the .375 is capable of launching a 270-grain bullet at 4,300 ft.-lbs. If a person cannot tolerate a particular cartridges un-braked recoil, they need a different cartridge which they can manage without subterfuge. Mag. Question: I'm curious why you chose to use different weight bullets for each cartridge? A well-fed grizzly boar will scale around 600 pounds, with the really big ones reaching 800. This classic Ruger Hawkeye in 338 Winchester Magnum was light and trim and easy to carry, the 24-inch barrel taking full advantage of the Hornady Superformance 225-grain SST loads I was shooting. font-size: 18px; Ive killed a couple of bears with the .375 H&H and Id certainly put it at the top of my list, though for reasons as much sentimental as practical. Similarly, make sure your floorplate doesnt pop open, since heavy recoil causes bolt-actions to flex through the action. Mag. All calculations were based on the heaviest Nosler AccuBond bullet available in factory-loaded ammunition for each caliber, unless otherwise noted. border-color: #656565; Other things to consider about the 338 Win. Mag. Will that make a difference in terminal performance? Sbt Sierra Game King 20-pack. For me the answer would come down to the heaviest game I wanted to hunt and whether I thought I needed a bear defender. Skip ahead a couple days to bear number two. The taxidermist can patch the holes in the hide. font-family: Arial, sans-serif; Not surprising when you stop to consider this proprietary powerhouse has a case length of 2.905 inches and a 125-grain (water) capacity when compared with the .338 Win. of energy. Bottles & 12-oz. That is a pretty good benchmark. Let's look at those assumptions a bit closer in the following table. Mag. Is it fun to shoot? Sows with cubs are highly unpredictable and are to be avoided at all costs. You could carry it all day. Keep your reloads where you can get at them. Mag, the softest here, slaps the shooter as hard as a .375 H&H Magnum, while the .338-378 and .338 Lapua are close to .416 Rigby territory. If you handload, get 200-grain Swift A-Frames. Heres how each cartridge ranked. Rugers current Hawkeye Guide Gun in 338 Win. SAAMI specifications for 338 Win. The .340 is Roy Weatherbys answer to the .338 Win. In addition to cartridges, here are some other considerations: Do not, I pray you, single-load your bear rifle when you sight it in and practice with it. The .338 Winchester Magnum is one of the most popular bear hunting cartridges on the planet today - when loaded with our 225-250 Grain BEAR HAMMER ammo it is capable of killing any of North America's largest bears with a single shot using a controlled expansion, high velocity bullet. .tg { .375 H&H Magnum (L), .338 Winchester Magnum (R). Nosler and Swift load the cartridge with Partitions and A-Frames, respectively, and Federal with Trophy Bonded slugs. The 338 Winchester Magnums overall length is 3.340, same as the 30-06, 270 Win, etc., so its cases hold about 12 percent less powder than the Weatherbys. Power. 62.99 $. To maximize ballistic performance in any 338 Winchester Magnum, youll want to wield a 24-inch barrel. The .300 Winchester Magnum has a slightly longer case length (2.62 vs 2.5) as well as a shoulder that sits .156" further forward than the shoulder of the 7mm Rem Mag. But many elk hunters are rolling with the 338 Win. The big difference was Elmers 334 fired .333 bullets atop a full-length 375 H&H case, just like the 340 Weatherby Magnum that finally came out in 1962. It is recommended that you use a bonded bullet without a thin jacket. Alaska guides love the 338 Winchester Magnum with heavy bullets for bear protection as well as bear hunting. AccuBond at 2600 fps. The first was the 458 Winchester Magnum of 1956. Cartridge popularity drops off dramatically after the 30-calibers. A hunter must really want to shoot an elk at 800 yards to consider anything above the .338 Win. background-color: #efefef; The author acknowledges hand loaders can achieve much better performance in many instances. Federal 338 Win Mag 225 gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claw Vital-Shok 20/Box $94.99 ($4.75 / round) . They named the Model 70 rifle chambered for the .338 "The Alaskan, a pretty good indication of the type . .tg td { Comments have to be approved before showing up, 2021 Foundry Outdoors - All Rights Reserved, Product successfully added to your Shopping Cart, 223 WSSM Winchester Super Short Magnum Ammo, 243 WSSM Winchester Super Short Magnum Ammo, 25 WSSM Winchester Super Short Magnum Ammo, 300 RSAUM Remington Short Action Ultra Magnum Ammo, 7mm RSAUM Remington Short Action Ultra Magnum Ammo, .338 Winchester Magnum for Grizzly Or Brown Bear Hunting? BC quantifies a bullets aerodynamic efficiency, and SD predicts relative ability to penetrate into a game animal; the larger each number, the better. At that distance, a shooter has roughly four seconds to make a charge-stopping shot, which requires a steady hand under intense pressure. Just dont expect those slugs to hold up if they hit a bull elks shoulder at fifty yards. The .338 Winchester Magnum derived much from work done by ballistics pioneer, Elmer Keith, among others. (L-R) .22 Long Rifle, .30-06 case, .338 RUM. Mag. (You are going to practice with it, arent you?) background-color: #efefef; .357 S&W MagnumWhile some folks claim the .44 Magnum is the minimum for charging bears, many others have opted for a Glock 20 in 10mm Auto and, interestingly enough, passed right by the .357 S&W Magnum. Grizzlies have been taken with a .270but this is not a good idea. If you handload, go for 250-grain or 275-grain Swift A-Frames. One point for every 25 yards beyond 200 yards for minimum expansion velocity range, one point deducted for every 25 yards less. of energy. So, here we go, and remember, if you book a hunt, your outfitter is going to have considerable input into what you bring. The .338 Winchester Magnum is among the popular choices for large bearsboth my Alaskan guides carried a rifle so chamberedand I see the wisdom of using bullets of 250 grains. Calling and shooting predators is one of the things that helps hunters get from the end of the fall seasons to when the turkeys start gobbling. Loaded with a heavy Nosler Partition, Barnes TSX, Hornady GMX, Swift A-Frame, or the like, the .338 Win. shooting different bullets (MPBR calculated using high B.C. The .35 Whelen, .338-06 A-Square, 9.3x62mm Mauser and .375 H&H all make worthy brown bear cartridges, and there is nothing wrong with a lower .40 or .458 caliber cartridge. However, the goal of this article is simply to address the question of whether the .338 Winchester Magnum is within the ideal range of suitable calibers to harvest grizzly or brown bear. The .416 Rigby, .416 Remington Magnum, .458 Winchester Magnum and .458 Lott all make a solid choice for brown bears, especially the coastal giants, and are very comforting when the vegetation gets thick and distances are measured in feet. (L-R) .308 Win., .340 Weatherby, 9x19mm Luger. So why choose a 338 Win. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Therefore, a cartridge with less recoil than another, but with similar terminal performance, is better for the simple fact a missed shot, no matter how powerful, is useless. Mag., came out in 1956, made from a shortened, necked-up 375 H&H case. And theres no doubt what my guide pal has to say on the subject. Mag. During the spring conservation order, you can hunt with outfitters from Arkansas to Saskatchewan. Like the .338 Lapua, it is a great candidate for the 300-grain long-range bullets now on the market. Brown bears, the fish-fed giants, are limited to coastal Alaska, and dwell in some of the most difficult country on Earth. I have used the 30-06 and 45-70. Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association, Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinics, Volunteer At The Great American Outdoor Show, Marion P. 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To answer the question completely, we would need to evaluate the downrange distance to the grizzly or brown bear, the bullet type, the grain weight of the bullet, the physical condition of the firearm, the size of the grizzly or brown bear in question, the shot placement, the local wind conditions, the expected accuracy of the shooter, the ethics of the ideal maximum number of shots the list goes on. However, as with all hunting, the best rifle is the rifle you shoot confidently. The 338 Winchester Magnum's overall length is 3.340", same as the 30-06, 270 Win, etc., so its cases hold about 12 percent less powder than the Weatherby's. That amounts to about 50 to 100 fps less muzzle velocity with a 250-grain bullet. Or close enough. Besides, bullet B.C.s change with velocity. In this case, we have assumed the average muzzle energy for a .338 Winchester Magnum round is approximately 3920 foot-pounds. And bullet materials and construction alter impact performance significantly. The heavier the bullet you shoot in any cartridge/rifle loaded to maximum pressures and MV, the greater the recoil. shoots flat, hits hard, and fits in standard length actions. X bullet out of a .338 Win. Mags 210-grain load. .661) 2,887 fps has a MPBR of 329 yards with a 279-yard zero. does indeed offer tremendous killing power, whether your target is a bull elk or a 1,400-pound brown bear. It hits the shooter the least, has proven itself in both Alaska and Africa for decades, and ammunition is available most places. maximum average breech pressure is 64,000 psi. A friend of mine shot a grizzly that was uphill from him, which was a mistake because bears frequently roll, and when it came to a stop only a few yards away and Jack pulled the trigger a second time, he got the click of an empty chamber because his other three rounds were in the tall grass at his feet. Yes, the .338 Winchester Magnum is A GOOD CHOICE for grizzly or brown bear hunting, under average conditions, from a mid-range distance, with a medium grain expanding bullet, and with correct shot placement. The doctor may not be able to patch the holes in you if he gets up and decides to get even. Copyright Ron Spomer Outdoors document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) With the barnes, it seems that velocity may be more important than bullet weight. What we can do is provide a framework to understand what average conditions might look like, and whether those are reasonably viable for a shot from the average shooter to harvest a grizzly or brown bear in the fewest number of shots possible, i.e., ethically. Keith wanted something which would hammer through a quartering-away elk (his favorite game) out to 300 or 400 yards and realized a .338 caliber bullet driven fast enough would get the job done. If the .338 Win. .338 Winchester Magnum The favorite among Alaskan guides as a backup gun, the .338 Winchester Magnum was released in 1958 as belted, rimless cartridge. We offer cheap ammo and bulk ammo deals on the most popular ammo calibers. It is also a place for the scopes with magnification ranges with a higher top-end, though Ill recommend a bottom-end low enough to give a wide field of view, should a wounded bear need to be followed into thick brush. The .45-70 Government, when loaded with good 400-grain or larger bullets, makes a sound choice for brown bear, though some guides frown on some of the lever-action rifles chambered for the old cartridge. First, the average bullet weight is encapsulated in the average muzzle energy for the .338 Winchester Magnum. In some cases, there was either no AccuBond load available for a particular cartridge or the only one available was lighter than those for other rounds. border-collapse: collapse; Weatherby loads 250-grain Partitions, which is what you want, and if you go for the .338 RUM, you want Nosler ammo with the 250-grain Partition. Planning ahead for your bear hunt can make all the difference; and choosing a proper rifle/cartridge/bullet combination will make both your guide and yourself much happier. 338 Winchester Magnum Ammo for sale online or in-store at Sportsman's Warehouse. Caliber. Hmmmm, Nosler bullets and Nosler winner.just saying. Again, the goal of this article is simply to address the question of whether .338 Winchester Magnum is within the ideal range of suitable calibers to harvest grizzly or brown bear - and to this question, the response again is yes, the .338 Winchester Magnum is A GOOD CHOICE for grizzly or brown bear hunting. The .338 Win. On Wednesday, the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) sent a notice of intent to sue to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) for alleged violations of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), due to the hunting of gray wolves in Wyomings Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. border-color: black; But Im also kind of a cartridge freak too. Can Coolers | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Find More Great NRA Publications Perfect For Every Interest, Discover Everything That The NRA Has To Offer. While 225-grain projectiles have become the more popular in recent years, the 250- and 300-grain bullets are ideal for large animals such as elk, moose, and the big bearsif one can tolerate the recoil. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. During the spring conservation order, you can hunt with outfitters from Arkansas to Saskatchewan. 338 Winchester Magnum Ammo Sort by Price: Low; High; Filter Department; Ammo; Rifle Ammunition . Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. font-weight: bold; While some may consider it the minimum, its plenty powerful enough to stop an onerous bear. and 2700 fps, thus delivering massive energy on target.
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