338 win mag rifle

[mehus]

OK, I'm thinking of getting a 338 win mag for elk/moose/bison. Question is: which rifle? One thing I don't want is a super light rifle like the Browning that weights about 6-1/2 lbs. Ouch! I like the Sako Kodiak a lot but it's $1700+. Anyone have recommendations? Thanks.

[johsides]

I had a Browning A-bolt with a BOSS. It was a nice shooting gun without a lot of kick.

[pats102862]

I use a sako 75 stainles synthetic with a magnaported barrel.It tames the recoil to about a 30-06. Another thing I like about the 75 is it holds 5 rounds. 4 in the clip with one in the pipe.

[Wolf killer]

I think the 338-caliber is the perfect choice for the game you are hunting.

I hunt elk & black bear with my Sako model 995 that is chambered in 340-Weatherby. My rifle kicks hard, but I have refined my shooting to accept the recoil without flinching. Should I ever draw a moose or bison tag??? My 340-Wby will be the gun I grab.

[mehus]

pats, how do you like the magnaporting? Does it affect accuracy at all?

[finnbear]

I have a win model 70 with the BOSS, it has the synthetic stock and it is around 7 1/4 lbs but it kicks less than a 30-06..... if recoil might be a problem, sight it in on a vice,when U're out in the field and shooting at game U'll never feel the recoil let alone hardly hear the shot...those are the last 2 things on your mind!!!!!

[skeeter 7MM]

I have a Browning SS Stalker in a 338wm (no boss), gun, scope &mounts and weighs appor. 8.5lbs. The recoil is noticable(225gr loads) but I find it quitetolerable I often use rotating range sessions, another low recoiling rifle to spell off& allowing me totake longer breaks between groups. Last year my ave. range session was 5-3 shot groups which presented no troubles. Personally I don't like brakes or porting due to the substantial increase in noise. If you do go this route make sure you wear hearing protection whenever shooting it!

I used a 225gr AB under IMR4350 to harvest a bull moose last fall, DRT result. Found the bullet on the opposite hide, niceperfect mushroom with 62% weight retention....pleasing result.Accuracy out of the box has been better then I expected, so far no mods and I was able to achieve MOA groups with little effort using the above combo.

[GooseHunter Jr.]

I have the Ruger Mark 7 II, in stainless steel. Gun is awesome....know they have the Hawkeye....baically the same gun. Mine is a great shooter and I love it. I put a Burris scope on it 3 years ago and have not had to make any adjustments been right on ever since....guess that why it is my goto gun.

[axis]

I have a Model 70 with a Q.U.E. muzzle break on it. I am running a Shepherd scope on it which has a reticle that allows you to take shots up to 1000 yards away. I have never took a shot more than 400 yards with it but with more practice it would be very do-able. As for the cartridge and gun, it is way to big for the animals we have here in Hawaii and the meat damage is substantial. But I was always told "its better to bruise um than loose um!" and the .338 certainly does that.

Axis

[bigbulls]

If I wanted Sako Quality but wanted an affordable rifleI would get a Tikka T3 hunter (wood stock).

I know that the web site says that they 6.44 pounds just like their T3 Lites but they aren't that light. You can hold them side by side and know that the hunter is definetly heavier. I haven't weighedone but assuming the the Lite does weigh 6.44 poundsI imaginethe huntercomes in at7+ pounds. If you did want more weight it is quite easy to add weight to a wood stocked rifle.

Some people like brakes and porting butI advise against it. It isn't worth loosing your hearing to reduce recoil. If it will bother you that much then get something like a 338 Federal or 30-06. I have a Remington 700 338 ultra mag and the only thing I added to it was a Simms recoil pad and it is quite manageable to shootfrom a bench or off hand.