Rifle
 

My grandson is going to be 15 in April. And hes wanting a 338 magnum could he handle the recoil of a 338. Hes an experienced hunter.

Thanks,

RE: Rifle
 

For one shot maybe.

But he needs tp practice all day. OUCH.

Start him on a .300Savage or .308win or .270. Light recoil and will do fine on elks.

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Hes got a 270 right now. He uses Benelli Nova with 3 1/2 inch magnums for Turkeys. It wouldnt kick that hard would it?

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I guess if you get him a semi auto 338 he will be ok. Bolt actions shoot harder than autos.

Maybe hes a big guy and can handle it.

Does the 270 not work?

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It works fine. But i'v just heard stuff going both ways with 270 on larger game. Thanks for all the help. Hes about 6 foot 150 to 160 pounds probally.

Thanks,

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I have a .338 WM and my 14 year old son wants no part of it. Might be too much for him. We borrowed a .300 WM from a friend and he shot that and love it and was very accurate with it.

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Person:

Try and find someone who owns a .338 Mag., and let him shoot it. Good luck.

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In comparison I'm 5'7" bout 155lbs and manage to shoot my .340 wby with accuracy. There are always good recoil pads you can buy now that work good for reducing recoil. I wouldn't suggest a muzzle brake but it would be an option. On the range you feel it but in the field I never feel the kick when there's an elk in the sights.

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Well for which ever gun he gets Limb Saver makes a good recoil pad dont they. Would a regular 3X9X40 scope be fine.

Thanks,

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A 3x9x40 would be the perfect fit for this gun, buy the best scope you can afford. I would recommendmid-range price scopes in the $200-$300. Nikon,burris, leupold are just a few. Don't forgetgood steelbases and rings. You don't want yourPOI(point of impact) to move.

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Go ahead and get it for him. He's going to grow right into it and do fine so don't deny him if that's what he really wants. So what does he plan on, Brown bear?

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I found a Winchester Model 70 338 magnum in near mint condition for $500. Is that a good price for one?

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Does it come with a scope, if so what kind. Also it depends on which version. Classic, featherwieght, super shadow, ultimate shadow are just a few. If it comes with a nice scope this sounds like areasonable price.

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What is he planning to hunt with it?

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Simple answer. NO. Well thought out answer HE** NO. Tom.

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The Nova is a pump gun so I say no. I owned a few 3.5" over the years and each one of them was more than I wanted to shoot. Conversely, I own a love a 338 win mag. I say the kid can handle it. My 15 YO can shoot my 338 and hes only 5'11 and 130 lbs.

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I'm about 6' 155lbs. I shoot a 375h&h all the time and I actually like getting rocked by those big guns. If you're not recoil shy the rest will take care of itself.

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Did anyone besides Shato and Mthunter read this?

Good lord, he is doing just fine with a pump shotgun and 3.5" loads. The .338 win mag won't come close to the felt recoil of the shotgun. I have shot my share of 3.5" turkey loads and my .338 Remington ultra mag firing 250 grain bulletshas considerably less recoil than those shells do.

The 3.5" turkey loads are gonna have about 60+ foot pounds of recoil and the 338 will have about 33 foot pounds of recoil. I think he is gonna be just fine.

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ya, i agree. The kid should be able to handle it. There are a lot of .338 calibers out there, do some google searches and research them. Remington, Winchester, Savage, all good brands w/ modest price tags.

Scope: Mid range 3-9 X40, Burris, leupold, ect.

Get a good Sims butt bad or something similar, and he'll be set.

Good luck, and Good hunting.

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So the scope wont hit him in the eye or anything? Would a 325WSM be a better choice

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It definately could if he doesn't hold the rifle correctly. Safety glasses, hearing protection and time at the range are good investments.

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What would you guys recomend 338 Winchester Mag or 325 WSM?

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Both are nice big game rounds, but I would say go with the .338 just because ammo will be a lot easier to get any where with a large selection of bullet weights and styles to select from.

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Agreed between the two, I would go with the 338 Win Mag. I am not sure of all these new WSM cartridges. I was trying to decide between the 300 WSM and the 300 WM and went with the 300 Win Mag. These are tried and true, have been around along time and will be. Everything on the WSM is just speculation at this point. Will they be around in 50 years, or is it just a fad?

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Ok i'll probally get the 338 then. The people i found in my area selling these said they think its a little much for him? But that 2 against it and 8 or 9 that say he can handle it.

Thanks,

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Ruger makes a good 338 dont they

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Ruger makes a good gun from whatI hear, and ,yes, they do make a .338 Win. Mag. , heck, they about make every bolt-action cartridge that a guy would ever need.

If I were you, I would think of the Browning BAR Safari, it's a highly rated auto-loader, but it does cost some dough. Otherwise, a wooden-stocked bolt-action should be okay.

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Myself am still trying to figure out the recoil thing. I bought some Hornady 165 gr. BTSP and started with a load of 75 gr. RL-22. Before I shot 180 gr. with 71 gr. RL-22. Of course the velocity of these will be higher with the 165 grainers.

Went out today and shot again. These recoiled harder. According to the calculator recoil is around 30. I see at the Chuck Hawk recoil table that 338 is 33.1.

I am sure that he should be able to shoot it. However, might not be able to shoot as much as he wants. Each punch gets a little worse and after about 20-30 I am ready to put the 300 Win Mag up. I forced myself today ro shoot groups as I had time and it was a beautiful day. Shot 16 groups of 3 and I had enough!

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I think im just gonna get a Tikka from the Local Outdoor shop its only 100 dollars more than the used Ruger.

Thanks, for all the information

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Can't go wrong with a Tikka[sister Co. of Sako] Finns don't make garbage! If he wants a .338 I would suggest a muzzle brake of some sort [I have mine Magna -ported]and it is a lot more pleasant to shoot.If you have access toa 338 he can try beforehand go for it as he will grow into it eventually.When hunting in snow I wrap the brake with one layer of masking tape including the muzzle to keep crap out of the barrel.No difference on paper as it blows off when fired.Some guys use electrical tape but I think it's too thick and may not be best in the cold.If you handload get some H-4831 74gr/Hornady 225/Win brass and Fed mag primer.Shot lots of moose,deer.elk and bears[blacks and one griz]with this one.If you have a .270 and a 338 what can't you cleanly kill?....Harold

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Person,
He should be fine with it.The .338 WM is not as nasty as some say,and I bet alot have never fired one.
Ruger makes a fine rifle,a little heavy but good.If the Winchester is still around I would pick it up,little spendy for a used rifle but still lot of life.Savage also makes a good entry line rifle,and with Howa.
If I had a choice the Tikka would be it,line it out with a Burris 3-9 scope and stock up on 210 gr Nosler.
Oh and also a sims pad would not be a bad idea,make it a more fun at the range.
BBJ

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You didn't say what he'd be using it to hunt. Assuming it's Elk or other large big game, if he shows he can handle it, more power to him. I'm not sure if most 15 year olds would be ready for that powerful a rifle. Not saying some can't. I imagine he'd get to know how to handle it after the initial sight in period, which is probably the most challenging of any heavy caliber rifle.
Otherwise if he's primarily going to be using for game that doesn't need a magnum caliber, your experience and guidance would be good to help steer him toward a caliber that is more in line with the game animals he's hunting.

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I think the 338 is the perfect choice. He already has a 270-winchester. I am sure he will LOVE the 338.
IMHO, You could not ask for a better two guncombo for big game.

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My first high power centerfire was a 270 (it was okay)....
My second was a 338WinMag (now you're talking)....

Nice to see the kid thinking outside of the box,
If he handles the 270 and the 3.5" Turkey Loads, then the 338WinMaq should be no problem.

338WinMag is a pretty gentle "magnum" IMO.... little more push.... little less "jab",
Make sure the easy fundamentals are taken care of:
- Pachmayer recoil pad
- Proper stock length fit
- Proper eye relief (both in the mounting and in the scope's eye relief length.... Leupold shines here)

Then, for the beginning....
- Not the heaviest loads
-Careful introduction --- standing and off hand [option, try iron sights, before the scope goes on]
-Early "buddy loading" exercise (sometimes live round, sometimes empty chamber) to ensure smooth trigger pull.

Just a reasonable approach to getting in tune with a more powerful tool, no big deal.

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If he can handle it ...I say go for it, use the largest caliber that your comfortable w/. If he's already useing a 270 he'll most likely be able to handle the 338 eventually even if not right away. I've shot a few and didnt mind the recoil, but I've seen quite a few used and boy do they lay the animals out.

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What is he going to be hunting with this rifle?