The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Tell me about .338 Win Mag, and what you think about it

Magnum Wheel Man · September 25, 2012, 02:01 PM

welll... since I shoot magnum level rifles quite a bit... a couple observations ...

Recoil... I shoot my 338 from the bench more than anything ( not the most shoulder friendly shooting position... mines a Browning Stainless Stalker with the Boss system... I guess I've never shot a 338 Win Mag without the Boss, but mine kicks maybe a a bit more than my 375 H&H ( same rifle configuration, less 2" of barrel ), & less than my 45-70 guide gun with magnum level loads, or even my milsurp 8mm with a steel butt plate, & probably about the same as my 8 lb 416 Rigby

penitration... I was shooting Fedreral Permium Safari ammo with Trophy Bonded Bear Claws, in both my 338 & my 375 H&H one day quite a while ago... my back stop back then was only out 100 yards, & was a huge freezer "freshly" packed solid with sheet rock... ( freezer was like 24" thick ) at 100 yards, my 375 H&H was shooting well... the 338 was shooting well also... but when going down to inspect my targets, I noticed every single 338 went through my back stop, not one of the 375's even dented the back side... I don't know how "much more" penitration the 338 in that load had than the 375, but it had "more" penitration than anything I've shot on my range...

BTW... I've since rectifyed the back stop issue, by making it much much bigger & moving it out to 300 yards ( it's now over 6ft thick, & filled with junk & dirt ) I'd not shoot a 50 Browning at it, but so far nothing else has hinted at penitrating... especially since I added the 1/2" ammor plate behind the barrels I use for target backers

September 25, 2012, 02:01 PM	#19
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	welll... since I shoot magnum level rifles quite a bit... a couple observations ... Recoil... I shoot my 338 from the bench more than anything ( not the most shoulder friendly shooting position... mines a Browning Stainless Stalker with the Boss system... I guess I've never shot a 338 Win Mag without the Boss, but mine kicks maybe a a bit more than my 375 H&H ( same rifle configuration, less 2" of barrel ), & less than my 45-70 guide gun with magnum level loads, or even my milsurp 8mm with a steel butt plate, & probably about the same as my 8 lb 416 Rigby penitration... I was shooting Fedreral Permium Safari ammo with Trophy Bonded Bear Claws, in both my 338 & my 375 H&H one day quite a while ago... my back stop back then was only out 100 yards, & was a huge freezer "freshly" packed solid with sheet rock... ( freezer was like 24" thick ) at 100 yards, my 375 H&H was shooting well... the 338 was shooting well also... but when going down to inspect my targets, I noticed every single 338 went through my back stop, not one of the 375's even dented the back side... I don't know how "much more" penitration the 338 in that load had than the 375, but it had "more" penitration than anything I've shot on my range... BTW... I've since rectifyed the back stop issue, by making it much much bigger & moving it out to 300 yards ( it's now over 6ft thick, & filled with junk & dirt ) I'd not shoot a 50 Browning at it, but so far nothing else has hinted at penitrating... especially since I added the 1/2" ammor plate behind the barrels I use for target backers __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust...