338 win mag vs 375 h&h

[Avery R]

I am wondering what would be the better choice of the two for a deer to costal brown bear gun and i was wondering what the opinions of people on this forum would be the better caliber and what would be a good rifle to have it in that is stainless steel with open sights and a plus would be controlled round feed i was thinking maybe a Sako Kodiak

[shootbrownelk]

I guess I'm prejudiced. I have a Winchester model 70 in .375 H&H. I've taken Mule deer, antelope, whitetails, elk and a Moose with it. I don't need a .338.

[Dufus]

Between the 2, I would use the 375 H&H.

I had a 338 Win Mag and let it go. It was much more uncomfortable to shoot than the 375.

Agree with shootbrownelk.....I don't need a 338.

Of course, I didn't need my 460 either, but a good price and admiration for the caliber got it sold to me.

I guess that you are choosing either/or. I would tell you to buy one of both and make some noise. They are both outstanding calibers in their own and loved by many.

[Lohman446]

I think everyone should endeavor to have a small "deer" rifle. This is somewhere between a .243 and a .270 with arguably allowing for a .308 or 30-06 though the upper end of these is pushing it.

Then they should have a medium rifle. To me this fits perfectly as a .375 H+H.

Then they should get to the big rifles (thinking .460 range here).

The .338 to me is a 'tweener. and does not work

[jmr40]

There is nothing you can do with a 33 caliber rifle that a comparable 30 caliber rifle doesn't do as well or better. The next practical step up from any 30 caliber is 375.

It doesn't matter whether you're talking about 338 Fed vs 308, 338-06 vs 30-06, or 338 WM vs 300 WM the 33's shoot one bullet weight to the same speed as the 30's with a slightly lighter bullet. For example a 338 will shoot 250's at about the same speed as a 300 will shoot 225's. At the muzzle the 338 has a slight edge. But because of the more aerodynamic bullets the 300 quickly closes the gap and by the time both rounds are 200 yards down range it is a tie. At longer ranges the 300 wins and and at close range you can kill most anything with a 30-30.

Rifle, a Ruger Guide Gun in 375 Ruger.

http://ruger.com/products/guideGun/s...ets/47125.html

The 375 Ruger slightly bests 375 H&H but does not need a magnum action. Rifles are more reasonably priced and the round is popular enough now that it isn't going away.

But....I'd just as soon carry my CRF Winchester 70 SS Classic for any of the game you mention as either 375. Loaded with 150-180 gr bullets it'd kill anything in the lower 48 and with heavier 200-220 gr bullets is as effective on big bear as anything else.

[RC20]

If you are hunting deer (in AK) either one is major over kill.

If you think you are fast enough to deal with an attacking Brown Bear with a boot action gun, well lets just say you are misinformed. Deer are small in this state.

Get a 6.5 of some sort (234, et all) and carry pepper spray.

Caliber of choice back in the day when serious hunting and defense or property went on was 30-06. Far more Grizzly taken with 30-06 than all the magnums combined.

[Stats Shooter]

There is nothing you can do with a 33 caliber rifle that a comparable 30 caliber rifle doesn't do as well or better. The next practical step up from any 30 caliber is 375.

It doesn't matter whether you're talking about 338 Fed vs 308, 338-06 vs 30-06, or 338 WM vs 300 WM the 33's shoot one bullet weight to the same speed as the 30's with a slightly lighter bullet. For example a 338 will shoot 250's at about the same speed as a 300 will shoot 225's. At the muzzle the 338 has a slight edge. But because of the more aerodynamic bullets the 300 quickly closes the gap and by the time both rounds are 200 yards down range it is a tie. At longer ranges the 300 wins and and at close range you can kill most anything with a 30-30.

I am a .300 win mag enthusiast. I have a rifle with 28" barrel that will push a 225 gr bullet 3000 fps. Compare that to 2800 or so fps for the .338 wm, same 225 gr bullet.

My model 70 Super Grade .300 wm with 24" barrel will push a 200 gr bullet about 2980. Also about the same as a .338 wm.

My point? That a .300 wm will do anything a .338 wm can do, with better ballistics.

So get the .375

[Dranrab]

Avery, welcome to the forum. Where are you going to be hunting, and have you ever shot a 338 or 375?

[taylorce1]

Six of one half dozen of the other, both cartridges will do very well with the game you want to hunt. You'll have an easier time finding a current production rifle in .338 WM than you will finding a .375 H&H. Go and handle as many as you can find and find which one fits you the best, also look at the .375 Ruger if you're interested in .375 H&H performance.

[Scorch]

Either is very shootable, and has plenty of energy to penetrate well. Ballistically, they are very close. If you own one, don't sell it to buy the other one.

[ligonierbill]

The .338 WM is a cartridge people love to hate. Before I got one 10 years ago, I thought it was the meanest kicker out there, certainly worse than a .375. Until I fired my first shot. I guess if someone does a "try this" at the range, and you're not expecting it, you might get that impression. Oh well.

The .375 H&H is a grand old round, and a good one. But, it's a magnum action. More than that, it's always the first rung on "safari grade" rifles, meaning heavier and more expensive. Weight tames some recoil, I'm sure. Weight also tames the hunter down. My .338 weighs 8 lb with its scope, and I had a wide choice of "standard" hunting rifles from all the big makes.

The .375 has pretty good long range ballistics, but the .338 shines. Not as good as the .300 WM for "flat", but high BC 250s have a usable trajectory and deliver a huge punch downrange. That's really the point of the .338: Not quite as hard hitting up close as the .375 nor as "flat" at long range as the .300, but pretty good at both. If you can handle the recoil (you can if you want to) it's a very versatile hunter. I'm sure your Sako is a good one. I have a Savage "Weather Warrior". Not CRF, but a pretty good action and very accurate.

Now having said all that, have you thought of giving up the >300 yard shots and going with a 9.3x62?

[stagpanther]

You might want to take a look at Mossberg's patriot in 375 ruger--I bought one and it's reasonably light weight and with the proper load and range should be able to drop anything. Very inexpensive too. The recoil is significant, a hard "shove"--not something you want to shoot all day but I have no problems shooting 20 cartridges at a single go.

[44caliberkid]

375 Ruger. The others are antiques.

[stagpanther]

375 Ruger. The others are antiques.

Agreed--excellent design for conventional-sized actions.

[Wyosmith]

I have owned and used both the 338 Win Mag and the 375H&H. I have killed game with both too.
I still own the 375.
I sold the 338s.

Nothing at all wrong with the 338s, but just not as "right" as the 375H&H.
I have seen both kill, and the 375 just does a better job all around.

If I were to get into a mental debate of one against the other the 338 is not hard for me to make a decision about, but the 9.3X62 against the 375H&H would be a hard choice to make.

The 9.3X62 holds 1 or 2 more rounds in the mag depending on what rifle you are using and who did the gunsmithing or made the gun. The 9.3 is lighter, uses a standard size action which costs a LOT less then a magnum action, can be easily made on a left hand action for those that need a LH gun, shoots less powder and less expensive brass, kicks less then the 375, can use a shorter barrel better than the 375, kills a bit better than the 338 but maybe just a smidgen less then the 375 on game. (Many who have used the 9.3 a lot more then I have say they can't tell the difference in the killing of a 9.3X62 and a 375H&H. )
If I were to struggle mentally between a 375 and another cartridge it would be the 9.3X62, not the 338.

[jglsprings]

375 Ruger. The others are antiques.

Yep, and so am I. My 375 and I both get the job done.

I like shooting the 375 better than the 338.

I reload so I can make "deer" rounds that are very pleasant to shoot...

Now, since I'm a bit of an antique I don't like hauling any big heavy rifle too far... in 338 or 375.

I chose a CZ 550 American Safari Magnum...

http://cz-usa.com/product/cz-550-ame...-rd-fixed-mag/

Hope my antique ramblings help...

[Wyosmith]

So what's wrong with antiques?

F.L. 97 Jaeger by Steve Zihn, on Flickr

[stagpanther]

show-off

[hseII]

35 Whelen

[Jack O'Conner]

I own a custom 350 Norma MAG that is amazingly accurate. Barrel was Magna Ported to eliminate muzzle jump. But I hand load to .358 Winchester velocity for deer as the magnum loading has way too much power.

Jack

[muzzleblast...]

.338 or .375 for Sitka deer to coastal brownies? Either would work. But, bullet construction is going to play a major role in effectiveness. The Sitka deer are relatively small thin skinned animals. A heavily constructed bullet designed for penetration through large game isn't going to expand significantly on a broadside shot on a Sitka deer. Something like a Nosler partition in a .338 may be versatile enough to cover both.

[kraigwy]

i bought my Model 70 375 in 1974. I was living in Alaska and decided I needed a "big" gun.

I was trying to decide on the 338 or 375 also. I just happened to have a friend that had both so I got to try both.

They were the same rifle, both Model 70. Regardless which caliber I wouldnt buy anything but a Model 70.

Spent all day at the range shooting both and decided on the 375 H&H.

Reasoning, the recoil was lighter on the 375. And I found the 375 to be more accurate. At the time I hadn't hunted with either. My friend told me for Coastal Alaska hunting the 375 was better because for some reason, it didnt open up on the little Sitka Black Tails, the 338 did. but the 375 bullets would open up on heavier game.

Not sure I believed that at the time, but later, hunting deer with the 375 I found that to be true. With heart/lung shots the 375 would do its job on deer without undo damage.

Still have the 375 H&H. I have used it for elk here in Wyoming, but the weight difference I prefer my Model 70 Featherweight in 270.

I did wimp out and put a muzzle brake on it. Now its a pleasure to shoot, even heavy bullets.

My kid did take it out last year, he got an elk, handed t to his hunting partner who also got his, both out of the same herd.

I'll never get rid of the 375 H&H, but in Wyoming there isnt nothing that need shot that cant be handled with my 270 or of late, my 6.5 CM.

I built a 338 Model 70 for a friend of mind. It too kicked more then my 375. He wished he went that route but the action we used wasn't long enough.

Regardless which you choose, I highly recommend a muzzle brake. Less recoil means less fatigue, flinches and better shooting.

[Avery R]

Thank you for the replies so I'm leaning toward the 375 h&h i can find ammo easier for it or borrow some from my grandpa in a pinch how bad is recoil compared to 225 grain 338 win mag or 3.5 inch 12 gauge slug

[Dranrab]

Avery, the 12 gauge slug will recoil considerably more. The 338 and 375 aren't terribly different from each other. That based on studying recoil tables vs actual experience. I have shot a lot of 2 3/4 inch 12 gauge slugs, and off the bench they bother me more than a 375 H&H which I have shot but a couple of dozen times.

You can't talk about hunting brown bears and not tell us where you hope to do so!

[Avery R]

The hunt would be when my grandpa has a break from tractor pulling to hunt in alaska his last time so he knows where i don't but i do know the hunt will be within 5 years