Why I Don't Miss my .338 Win Mag Question

[wboggs]

In my experience a well fitted synthetic stock does lessen the effect of recoil. I think it must flex some.

 

[FNSafari]

In a wood stock the shape of the buttstock IMO is pretty important. I've found that a rollover cheekpiece that tapers downward toward the muzzle end to be about the most comfortable to shoot in a heavier recoiling rifle.

 

[centerlineseal]

I have a pre-64 Winchester Model 70 in original stock configuration. With factory 225s or 250s, it kills on both ends! I've downloaded to 200 NBTs and Speer Hotcores and it is way more manageable.

 

[AckleymanII]

160g Barnes TTSX at 3200 out of a Rem 700 was amazing how accurate it was, and deer never stopped the bullet from any and all angles. This is a very, very accurate bullet/powder combo. Gentry Muzzle breaks throw the concussion forward, helps tremendously....an understatement.

 

[Gun Smith]

I bedded a laminated wood Ruger 77 MKII .338 WM for a customer once that had had shifted back in the stock and split away some of the wood at the tang; loose stock screws caused this. Put in in my test tire and remote fired a few rounds, checked over it and was fine. Then like an idiot, I fired a couple of rounds off my shoulder just for grins. Big mistake. That rifle with the black brick on the end that Ruger calls a "Recoil Pad", kicked the bejasus out of my shoulder. Learned my lesson, and never fired any big bruiser from
the shoulder again. Held 'em at the hip with a good leather gloved hand.

 

[garandman]

MY 338 Norma Mag kicked HARD. And the gun was some 20 lbs. Especially the 300 gr boolits. I don't miss it.

 

[FNSafari]

I do NOT miss my .338 Win mag. WIth a 225 gr bullet at around 2750 it kicks no harder than my old Remington 870 with 3" 1.5 oz loads I used to use for sea duck hunting. What gives here?

 

[FNSafari]

I do NOT miss my .338 Win mag. WIth a 225 gr bullet at around 2750 it kicks no harder than my old Remington 870 12 gauge with 3" 1.5 oz loads I used to hunt sea ducks. What gives here?

 

[ChrisNZ]

.. 338WM, a Browning BAR. With 250gr full house loads it broke something internally during load workup.

Broke you or the rifle?

 

[slm9s]

Ha!

 

[appleseedgunsmith]

.338 wm w/ 250 gr @2800 in 18 lb gun & kahntrol brake... Recoil like a pussycat

 

[284winner]

I have a 338 win mag 700 BDL, its pretty lightweight. Federal 250gr partitions, i do not find the recoil bad at all. Same gun 700 classic in 35 whelen with a custom 250 gr solid from a-square hurt some. Just felt sharper to me.
All them were milder than my heavier 376 steyr Using 270 gr at 2600.
My mild loaded 458 win mag has alot more push than any of those others but it is atleast a lb or two heavier, 400 gr at 2129 fps. But it aint sharp so its very manageable. The 300’s at 2450-2500 were alittle sharp but not as sharp as the 376 steyr or so it felt.
So i guess its all relative to what the shooter had experienced. Talked to a guy at the range who said the 338 was the worst gun he ever shot. So idk.

Compare recoil to habanero peppers. Not everyone can handle the heat from the peppers and not everyone likes recoil. I shoot my 338 LM improved with 300s with and without a brake. I prefer the brake but it's not mandatory unless I shoot more than 10 rounds from it. The brake is never on for hunting. I have a buddy that can't shoot it once. Roughly same age, he outweighs me and shoots all the time. May have nothing to do with recoil. May just be that the recoil vs performance isn't worth it for some people. Some would argue that the 300WM shooting 212 ELDX bullets outperforms the 338WM with the 270ELDX. Recoil is much less in the 300WM. Many different opinions on this subject.

 

[butchlambert]

As I've mentioned, mass and muscle of a shooter is not the answer to handling recoil. Best I've ever seen was a buddy that is about 5'7" and 150lbs. He didn't fight the recoil. Al just went with it.

 

[appleseedgunsmith]

Seriously though, I built my gun with weight in mind to tame the recoil. You can put it against your nose and pull the trigger if you can lift it up and hold it straight long enough. mind you I also shoot 50 sharps and 20 gauge heavy custom slugs so I can take the pounding if necessary I just didn't want to deal with that on this gun.

 

[CaptainMal]

I have owned and hunted with my Model 70 with BOSS since the early 1990's. Kind of forgot about it the past 5 years. Just a month ago I went to the range with a new scope on it. Couple shots to sight in at 200 yards and a sub-MOA group at 300 followed.

Have killed my only elk with it at just over 400 yards, one mule deer and multiple whitetails. Use 225gr. Hornady bullets and really find no difference in recoil with my 7mm mags and not much more than my 270 Win Model 70 - same model as the 338.

Doubt I will ever hunt game larger than deer any more. Keeping it because you never know and it is the answer if you want to use it. NOT a hard kicker at all. Worst kicker I ever owned was an old Remington 721 in 30-06. Violent gun. Even my current Remington 760 pump carbine in 30-06 kicks harder.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

My 338wm(TC venture) worse than my shotgun slug setups. The 338 had a very sharp hard recoil. My gunsmith friend put a custom brake on it, I can shoot it prone/bipod and not get dusted. That helped a bunch. Than I worked up a load for 200 gr bullets with H380, game changer, slowed the recoil snap. With that load and brake it is way less than my 30-06.

 

[ebb]

I don't miss my 338win mag i can go to the safe and get it out anytime i want. What i do miss is having something worthy of a 338 to shoot at. Seems like over kill to shoot an 80 lb Florida deer with it. But if massive elk show up in my neighborhood in the morning, I have the hardware to deal with it.

 

[Hudge76]

I don't miss my 338win mag i can go to the safe and get it out anytime i want. What i do miss is having something worthy of a 338 to shoot at. Seems like over kill to shoot an 80 lb Florida deer with it. But if massive elk show up in my neighborhood in the morning, I have the hardware to deal with it.

That’s going to be me in a few more years when I retire for good. We plan on leaving AK for FL so I don’t think any brown bears or moose will be on the loose in FL.

 

[ebb]

There is a game ranch just outside of Brandford FL that had elk standing next to the fence as you drive down the road. Not like just walking out into the woods but a 338 worthy target just the same. I never priced an elk hunt from them so it may be pricy.

 

[ebb]

I did some looking and it looks like Sambar bucks are still hunted on St Vincents Island. You would have to get drawn for a permit, but they are a for real 338 worthy game animal. I am going to get mine out now and see if its ready to hunt.