.30-06 vs. .338 win mag vs. 300 win mag
#92
Spike
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: OK
Posts: 28
Since I own a 300 Win Mag I know it is a great all-around rifle for NA but, I have friends that say the same thing about their 30-06's and 338 Win Mag's. If brown bear and grizzly are on the menu, I would stick with the 300 Win Mag or even better the 338 Win Mag. My favorite do-it-all rifle is my 9.3x62. It works on all large and dangerous game in NA. In a number of countries in Africa it is legal for dangerous game including elephant, cape buffalo and more (not that I will ever have a chance but I probably wouldn't use it for elephant). My CZ 550 American kicks (push better describes the recoil) less than my 300 Win Mag and just a bit more than a 30-06.
#94
300 Winchester magnum will do all that you ask, and more. I shot one religiously for over 30 years, and never had anything walk away. Stay away from the lighter bullets, they tear deer up. Minimum 180 grains with 200 being better. You can load it down for deer, if you desire, and full house loads for moose and elk. Extremely accurate and excellent trajectory. Recoil is not bad off a 300. A 338 is not pleasant to put a box through at the bench. I would shoot my 375 H&H all day, but that 338 was just plain nasty. For an all around you can't beat the 375 H&H. Doesn't wreck the smaller critters, and is real comforting if you meet a grizz at 20 feet.
#95
Spike
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 7
Well gents..just to inform of my own personal experience, & respectfully:
I've been hunting for yrs & yrs & yrs, owned both 30.06 & .375H+H amongst others, currently owning .338wm & 7x64...& really, my view is tht recoil/perceived recoil cannot simply be measured/estimated by comparison of calibres.. there are just to many different/other factors playing a roll/influence regarding recoil, ie, stock-design, recoil-pad, length of barrel, packing of barrel in stock, manner of holding the fire-arm, weight of fire-arm, etc, etc, etc...
EG: initially my 375 kicked like an upset mule !!!..untill it's stock was replaced, & then it was as tame as lamb all of a sudden..
Also, for example, currently this one factor, nl proper stock-design, is used by many/various rifle-manufacturer's to advertise & sell their product as LOW recoiling, aro this factor.. ?
..my current .338wm is a Ruger with a laminated stock, proper recoil-pad, etc, & what a pleasure it is to shoot, it's recoil is not more thn any 30.06/300wm out there, & on top of that I am downloading it to medium velocities of +- 2400fps > 2780fps with different bullet-weights, ie 160gn > 250/270gn, and it still retains it's higher 'killin-factor' as such...
Practically, I would really prefer this .338wm over any 30.06 or 300wm, any day(&respectfully), because, now I have a lower recoil/increased killing factor fire-arm/rifle which will outshine these 2 other calibres any day, & by far..IMHV..
IOW, one can make the 338wm into a 30.06/300wm easily, but one cannot turn the latter calibres into a 338wm at all, or easily..
My current go-to reloads are 160gnttsx/165gnImpala, & it shoots as flat as any of the mentioned calibres, but, with much more killing power/ability.. & still I can even up these factors quickly by simply utilising the 250/270gn pills at +- 2450/2600fps..what a pleasure..?
But of course, imhv, this probably can only be achieved through careful reloading/downloading, mainly, & together with all the other factors..IMHO..because then reloading/downloading just becomes one of the factors which may be utilized towards enhancing the versatility of the 338wm..much similar thn any other (versatile)calibre, respectfully..
So, gents, it seems then tht proper reloading/downloading, in this regard, can/may also play a huge roll towards lower recoil, than just to minimize ammo-costs, tailor loads, etc, etc..
Regards
app
I've been hunting for yrs & yrs & yrs, owned both 30.06 & .375H+H amongst others, currently owning .338wm & 7x64...& really, my view is tht recoil/perceived recoil cannot simply be measured/estimated by comparison of calibres.. there are just to many different/other factors playing a roll/influence regarding recoil, ie, stock-design, recoil-pad, length of barrel, packing of barrel in stock, manner of holding the fire-arm, weight of fire-arm, etc, etc, etc...
EG: initially my 375 kicked like an upset mule !!!..untill it's stock was replaced, & then it was as tame as lamb all of a sudden..
Also, for example, currently this one factor, nl proper stock-design, is used by many/various rifle-manufacturer's to advertise & sell their product as LOW recoiling, aro this factor.. ?
..my current .338wm is a Ruger with a laminated stock, proper recoil-pad, etc, & what a pleasure it is to shoot, it's recoil is not more thn any 30.06/300wm out there, & on top of that I am downloading it to medium velocities of +- 2400fps > 2780fps with different bullet-weights, ie 160gn > 250/270gn, and it still retains it's higher 'killin-factor' as such...
Practically, I would really prefer this .338wm over any 30.06 or 300wm, any day(&respectfully), because, now I have a lower recoil/increased killing factor fire-arm/rifle which will outshine these 2 other calibres any day, & by far..IMHV..
IOW, one can make the 338wm into a 30.06/300wm easily, but one cannot turn the latter calibres into a 338wm at all, or easily..
My current go-to reloads are 160gnttsx/165gnImpala, & it shoots as flat as any of the mentioned calibres, but, with much more killing power/ability.. & still I can even up these factors quickly by simply utilising the 250/270gn pills at +- 2450/2600fps..what a pleasure..?
But of course, imhv, this probably can only be achieved through careful reloading/downloading, mainly, & together with all the other factors..IMHO..because then reloading/downloading just becomes one of the factors which may be utilized towards enhancing the versatility of the 338wm..much similar thn any other (versatile)calibre, respectfully..
So, gents, it seems then tht proper reloading/downloading, in this regard, can/may also play a huge roll towards lower recoil, than just to minimize ammo-costs, tailor loads, etc, etc..
Regards
app
#96
While I've never owned one, the 338WM from what I've read is a great cartridge for everything this side of the Atlantic and for most game on the other side too. But I have owned a 300 WM and still own a '06. IMO there isn't nothing the '06 can't handle in NA using the proper bullets. The others will also do the same but with more recoil and more ammunition cost. Yes you can load the bigger two to '06 ballistics. So if you're going to do that for the majority of your shooting why not just get a '06? The two moose my friend an I shot with our '06s this past October couldn't have dropped any quicker if they were hit with a 458WM. Its all about bullet structure and placement.
#98
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Marriottsville, Maryland
Posts: 1,058
The 300 Winchester will give you flatter trajectory with greater speed than the 30-06, but the 338 is in a better class when you want better bone crushing bullet strength, whenever you go against heavy boned critters like elk or bear --- That is --- if you can handle the recoil.
Last edited by Erno86; 06-20-2015 at 09:54 AM. Reason: added a couple of words
#99
Typical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 749
Have all three rounds. To me the 30/06 kicks the worst sour of all of them. Have 8 06 and all of them kick hard. If I was going after big bears I would take the 338, for the bigger bullet it has. If long range was your thing then I would take the 300. But op to 300 and a little longer on deer size game the 30/06 is a good Provence round. My pick would be get all 3.