Joined
·
1,138 Posts
WHY DO WE RE-INVENT THE WHEEL?
THE 338WINCHESTER MAGNUM
THE 338WINCHESTER MAGNUM
[align=justify]If I could just have a rifle and cartridge that had no more than a 24”
barrel, with the receiver no longer than a standard 30-06 length,
producing reasonable recoil that could push a 200gr bullet at
3025-3075fps, a 210gr bullet at 2980-3010fps, a 2225gr bullet at 2850 -
2900fps, a 250gr bullet at 2800 - 2820fps, a 275gr bullet at 2670 to
2700fps and a 300gr bullet 2500-2550fps, manufactured by 90% of the
major gun companies, WOW!!!
I could take everything from deer to the largest Alaskan Brown bears.
It would not destroy meat anymore on the smaller size big game like
white tail deer than would a 130gr bullet out of a 270. It would buck
the wind at distances most hunters would consider reasonable and with
plenty of energy to anchor anything in North America and most of Africa
out to 400yds. Also, with some bullets and loads in the right hands, it
could be effective a lot farther than 400yds.
Of course you know us here in America when it comes to rifles and
cartridges, we are constantly re-inventing the wheel. Why do we do
this? I am sure you all have your beliefs and even evidence to support
your understanding of why this takes place every so often with rifle
and cartridge companies. Give us a few more years and there will come
the next line of new wonder cartridges and their platforms. Again these
will be marketed as being better than what went before or the next best
thing to sliced bread. The prevailing attitude will be only the
engineers, rifleman, and hunters of today really know what is best as
if those in the past were uninformed or miss led or just not as
intuitive.
Why??? It is beyond me why we re-invent the wheel every 5 to 10 years,
when there has been one that fits my above description since 1959, the
338Win Mag. Easy to load for, accurate, reasonable recoil if stocked
correctly and hits like a hammer, along with velocities that are
perfect for the big game bullets manufacture for the .338 caliber. As
one friend of mine said, “with the 338Win Mag you could kill everything
from mice to Moose and even a big mean spirited bear up close.” He
ought to know since he and others have used used the 338Win Mag on the
above and so his figurative speech describing the 338Win Mag is
appropriate.
Most you know or at least should know that a 30-06 with a 180gr bullet
has been and is very affective in most situations and on most game
given proper circumstances much less the 300Win Mag using a 180gr
bullet. In light of this fact a 338Win Mag’s using a 250gr bullet, has
a striking energy that is around 25% greater than that 30-06 with a
180gr bullet. Also, the 338Win Mag and 300Win Mag along with the 300Wby
are in the same neighborhood when it comes to energy. Yet the 338Win
Mag's cross-sectional area is 20% greater with a momentum factor that
allows for greater penetration due to 70grs greater weight.
It has tremendous potential as an all around big game cartridge from
small deer to the largest and toughest game in North America. It is a
tremendous medium bore with great legs. What do I mean by saying great
legs. It is a true sprinter with endurance and has a hard quick
crushing blow, that hits like a heavy weight. There is a great
selection of suitable bullets from 180grs to 300grs to meet any
scenario. With this selection of bullets, one could imagine them selves
in a sequence of possible events as a North American hunter and feel
with confidence that they were well armed. It can be down loaded to
338RCM, 338-06 or 30-06 levels and still produce excellent accuracy
attesting to it's real versatility.
On smaller species of big game we have with the 338Win Mag
180gr to 225gr bullets. In this weight class there is the 210gr Nosler
Partition, that is good on smaller game, while being the exception in
this group due to the fact it is also highly effective on the larger
species of big game. The 210gr Partition with velocities between
2980fps and 3010fps with very good accuracy is a flat shooting, hard
hitting combination that really allows the 338Win Mag to stand out as a
longer rang load while still being devastating up close.
Of course for the really big stuff the 250gr due to the great bullet
shapes available is a real game getter for sure. The 250gr to 300gr
bullets in the 338Win Mag do not have to apologize, nor are they
inferior for any of the tasks handed them when taking big game.
I had to pick up my 338Win Mag which I had stored away after only
firing 15 rounds through it because I was so busy with other projects,
namely my 257-300Wby. As I said, I am using it to hunt with this year
due to problems with two of my rifles, my 30-06 and my 300Wby. I have
owned and shot the 338Win Mag some 20 years ago but did not hunt with
it nor reload for it. Well, I am doing both this year and that is why I
have written this article. I am beginning to discover what some great
hunters and guides have known for years about the 338Win Mag and I
really like what I have found so far in briefly reloading for the
338Win mag.
Looking forward to using it in the field and have the experience of taking game with a fine Medium bore cartridge.[/align]
