.338 anyone shoot one?
 

Question for anyone out there; I just bought a Remington in .338, stainless, laminated stock. Beautiful gun. Alot of guys are telling me that it's gonna kick the crap out of me, why beat myself up, etc. [:o] Anyone shoot one? What's it like? I previously owned a .35 Whelen and shot that accurately...hopefully I will able to become accurate w/ this as it will be my main gun. Also the scope to go on it. I am looking at a Nikon 4-12 x 50 Buckmaster. Is this a good choice for this gun? Any help, advice, info or assistance is appreciated. THANKS![8D]

RE: .338 anyone shoot one?
 

Probably the only time you will notice the recoil on your new gun is when you shoot it from a bench. Not that you should not shoot your rifle from the bench, just prepare for it with the right equipment. If the recoil bothers you have the gun ported. I not famillar with the Nikon scopes, so I have opinion or expericneeither way. Good luck the the new gun.

RE: .338 anyone shoot one?
 

I had a couple of 338 rifles. I could never seen any benifit over the 300 Mags. I didn't like the Buckmaster scope that I had but most here seem to like them pretty well. Mine had eye relief problems.

RE: .338 anyone shoot one?
 

Muncy, yes I have a couple 338WinMags and other stuff both smaller and bigger.

Tell the "gurls" to go worry about themselves and you'll worry about you. Our ChristineB (moderator) shoots a 375 H&H which is a notable step up from a 338WinMag and the Barnes book is full of testimonials from ladies shooting bigger than that. So if they can, then I'm betting you can, BUTTTTT don't succumb to the American School Of Hard Knocks Firearms Learning Methodology! You have to use some smarts on this deal....

Don't shoot it like you would an '06.

** First make sure the stock is long enough that your thumb as you wrap it around the Wrist of the rifle is a good 1/2 to 3/4 inch from your nose/upper lip.

** Second, if it doesn't have a quality recoil pad on it like a Pachmayer or Simms pitch it and replace it OR if you need to add a little length to get nost/upper lip clearance then just slip a Pachmayer or Simms "slip over" recoil pad and you'll get your length and be double recoil padded.

**Third, I don't know about Nikons, but one place Leupolds shine is eye relief; when you move above 30-06 it becomes more important just based on physics, Leupolds have some of the consistently long eye reliefs in the business.

** Fourth, in terms of getting a friendly introduction to your new baby, make your first shots with 200 to 225 grain bullets (and NOT the Federal Hi Energy 250 gr. stuff).

** Fifth in terms of introduction is to make your firstshots standing up WITH NO BENCH REST. This is not a accuracy sesson, that comes later, this is a "get introduced" session. [Read "No Surprises" --- surprises are bad]. For the first two shots just look OVER the scope and put the rounds somewhere into the back drop, then you can look thru the scope later. Get a "gut feel" for the report, the recoil, and the jump up, if any. This item MAY be over kill, but I don't know what you are used to or up for; hence it is better to go needlessly cautious and have a long "marriage" than to volunteer for the ever popular "school of hard knocks" and just jump in and hope for the best (the American standard).

** Sixth, when you do decide to sit down and bench rest assume an upright posture,NOT the heavy lean into it -go down on the table - pile drive the recoil intoyour face and down spine. Toss the screw jack aside (way to low even on high) get yourself 12 to 14 sand bags and sit with your stomach touching the bench and your back straight up and down - now you can roll with the recoil instead of getting hammered.

** Seventh, have a little talk with yourself:
-- Is there going to a major explosion just inches from my brain and face. Yes. Is that okay if I handle myself properly. Yes.
-- Is it natural for me to instictively and emotionally to "cower" with such an event taking place. Yes. As an intelligent animal, can I override my instincts to make happen what I want to happen for accurate and painless shooting. Yes, but it don't happen by accident.
-- Forbidden actions: If as you are pulling the trigger and the sear is starting to break you find yourself dreading the shot, closing your eyes, or oh just wishing it would end, then STOP, put the rifle on safe, set it down, look up and review the discussion with yourself that we've just had here. ABSOLUTELY refuse to take even a single shot under intimidation, if you can't mentally rally and do it right, then take our one of the gallery guns you have brought along and play with it pretending you are working with "the big boy". When you feel you "have your crap together" then revisit the big one. If you can't get it together that day then don't shoot. NEVER take a single shot under intimidation, let your new weapon know right from the start that you are the MASTER and it is the TOOL and that it will be your way or the highway. I cannot overemphasize this attitude enough. Once you "put your rifle in its place" then you can go on to a productive relationship, on the other hand let it get the upper hand and you are screwed unless you act quickly and decisively to prevail.

** Eighth, especially in the beginning, go to the range with a friend you trust who will single load the rifle for you when you are not looking. His job is to sometimes put a shell in (1/3) and sometimes not put a shell in (2/3). If you have ever flinched on a dry fire in front of a witness, then you know how absolutely embarrassing it can be. Having more dry-fires than real-fires will cause you to master the mental game in the early going. This exercise is possibly one of the most important techniques here because it doesn't allow you to lie to yourself (or others).

** Ninth, if you pay attention and do it right, then when the rifle fires you will have a fleeting picture in your mind for just a bit of where the cross hairs were at the moment of firing before recoil breaks the scene. You will know "good shot" or "bad shot" before you even look to see where you hit. Being able to do this is key to getting sharp and itonly happens if your eyes are open.

** Tenth, once you move above 30-06 they just aren't gallery rifles anymore. Shooting lots of ammo isNOT the key. Having a good session, even if it is only a few shots IS THE KEY! Once you've done good, then stop and go play with something else and then go home. Reflect and recall what you saw, heard, felt, smelled, and tasted and replay it over and over. When you return to the bench (or what ever) EXPECT to pick up right where you left off.

I shoot cartridges from 22LR to 458Lott and that is the approach I used and the approach I have shared with others on this forum who have contacted me by email.
Good Luck!

RE: .338 anyone shoot one?
 

I have anA-Bolt .338 and BLR .358 and don't feel it's so bad to shoot!
For the scope, I like Ziess and don't knowanything about Nikon.

RE: .338 anyone shoot one?
 

I got one...A Browning Stainless A-Bolt...came with a custom recoil pad,Mcmillen synthetic stockstock and Boss(muzzle,break)..
The recoil musthave been too much for previous the owner....:D
He put a load of money into it still didn't like it probably because of the longer barrel.So he sold it...To Me.....:DCame with 1.5-6Xx36 Leupold VX3 csope and 2 boxes of shells.
Paid $1000.00 Can....
I don't know how much recoil that Cal. has..But I know it probably is not as much as the Ulra Mags (both 300 and 7mm)I've shot...
I can get away with 5 shots at targets before I notice it affecting my shooting abilities.It may give a punch to the shoulder but what matters is bullet placement..
As for Scopes..Nikon Buckmaster will not last very long on a .338
They are very inconsistant in the way they are made..
Lots of Lemons on the market...Chances of getting one are high.
They are not like the Monarchs..Quality control has alot to be desired..
Save for a Leupold VX2..The are very reliable, recoil tested for a 375H&H....As are the 3200 series Bushnell,but the Bushnell doesn't have the eye relief needed for this caliber.
Good Luck

RE: .338 anyone shoot one?
 

I agree with Rebel in his recomendation of a Zeiss scope. Unfortunately that is an apples and oranges comparison. The Nikon you mentioned is a 250$ scope. In order to get a comparible Zeiss you would have to look at the CONQUEST 4.5-14x44 AO MC. Then you are talking about a 500$ scope.

I own a CONQUEST 3-9x40 MCand it is the best scope I have ever owned. However, the upfront price is not cheap. The one thing I can always be confident of is the fact the Zeiss will always hold its value better than 90% of the other scopes in the market. This is a big issue to think about.

If you ever decide to upgrade or change scopes, the Nikon will lose its value relatively quickly compared to other brands. That means in the long run it could cost as much to own the Nikon start to finish as it would to just to buy a Leupold or a Zeiss from the begining.

RE: .338 anyone shoot one?
 

ElkCampMaster - some pretty good advice here on shooting hard recoiling guns. However, just get a Caldwell Lead Sled or a Benchmaster - get the gun sighted in - you will never feel the recoil in the field shooting at big game.

I have a carbine length T/C Black Diamond. Its pet load is a 410 grain Hornady Great Plains bullet ahead of 120 grains of Triple 7 with a Ballistic Bridge sub base in between. I can shoot this all day off the Lead Sled without a problem. Shot it this past Monday at an elk - got the elk - and never felt the recoil. That night, my wife pointed out the bruise on my right shoulder - starting to turn a little green and purple. Up until then, I'd never even noticed it.

And I don't know if its just me or what; but a lot of .300 Mags seem to have a more unpleasant recoil impulse than a .338. More of a sharp impluse. I'm sure the .338 has more foot pounds, though.

RE: .338 anyone shoot one?
 

The .338 is way more than needed for deer and pronghorns. However there is an ever growing contingent of shooters using it for elk and bigger animals. They like the comfort of knowing they can defend themselves from Grizz if necessary. It has been used very successfully on Cape Buffalo (although it's not a legal caliber in African countries for that use) and that's a bold statement of it enormous power. Further it is used quite commonly for plains game and some of those animals are tough and big. Eland can run 1500 pounds and zebra are like a horse.....

I have one and also a .375 H&H and cannot tell the difference in recoil. Maybe a bit more in the old H&H cartridge. When I shoot either from a bench I put a sandbag between the gun's stock and my shoulder and that's all it takes to sight it in. When shooting at game the recoil is never noticed with either of these guns.

It's surprising in it's range and flat shooting abilities and carries more energy to 300 yards than the .375 H&H and in general represents the near ultimate in big game hunting.

Have a ball with it.

RE: .338 anyone shoot one?
 

Roscoe, I gotta admit I'm tempted to get one just to reduce the number of hits my rotor cuff and retinas will take in the course of my life, and for bench shooting they may well be a good idea for a lot of folks; HOWEVER, ....

There is a crucial area of practice that CANNOT be done with the aid of a LeadSled and that is hunting situation practice: prone (watch out), kneeling, on-butt over knees, leaning off of trees, sticks, pack, etc. This is practice so one will definitely be cognizant of recoil and blast. One can generally adapt the principles of the 10 items I mentioned to this critical realm of practice but one cannot effectively adapt a LeadSled. IMHO, one cannot effectively practice for hunting scenarios or really "learn how to shoot" by staying on abench.

RE: .338 anyone shoot one?
 

You may have a point. I started using these Lead Sled devices only recently - after more than30 years of being pounded by all sort of hard kicking rifles. But if you started a 14 year old kid out with the Lead Sled, would they start crying and throw the gun down after one shot prone in the field? I don't know . . . Or would they never develop the little flinch I have fought on and off for decades?

In my case, there is enough adrenalin involved in shooting game under field conditions to make me oblivious to the recoil. And since my brain doesn't know the gun kicks much, from shooting off the bench, it doesn't let me invoke any bad habits at the Moment of Truth. The "learning to shoot under field conditions" can be done with smaller calibers - and I nowonly shoot the bigger rifles off the Lead Sled or at big game. For me, these things work.

RE: .338 anyone shoot one?
 

Roskoe,

I believe skills between riflesARE transferable between modern high power (and higher power) riflesand that youCAN sufficiently emulate "practice under field conditions" with a smaller bore --- as you mentioned. The more experience you have, the more you will be able to easily (and soundly)do this IMHO; however, for thesomeone with a first timemagnumto shoot it only off a bench/sled and then head up to the "big time" may result in a "scope eye" for lack of practice and full appreciation for the requisitefundamental "seperation basics"; an old pro on the other hand, probably not.

Good points, and I know where you're coming from.
=================================

Interestingly, so many here seem to think one has to "shoot the wheels off" of a rifle to be any good with it (the old "watch out for a man with only one rifle" crappola). If we're talking high power modern scoped rifles and you are already good with them, then I would posit that it is not the case at all. These modern scoped high powered rifles just don't take that much talent --- now bowhunting --- that takes talent and lots of practice.

RE: .338 anyone shoot one?
 

I have read everyone's post and just wanted to say a big THANKS! Elkampmaster, thanks for the steps...I am going to try it all the first time I shoot this new gun; which incidentally I can't wait to get to the range.

Again Thanks everyone!

RE: .338 anyone shoot one?
 

It will kick the crap out of you if you let it. Learn to shoot it, no big thing. There are people out there who think a .300WBY Mag kicks a lot. Just learn to shoot it. That's all. Go with the flow (recoil). It's going to recoil, you know that. Take it on and take aim. You'll hit your target. ;)

RE: .338 anyone shoot one?
 

ELKAMPMASTER IS DEAD ON WITH ADVICE! he helped me out a year ago with my 338. put a nice recoil pad on it and wear ear plugs with headphone earing protection over that. try to shoot in cooler temperature. 85 degrees compared to 55 is a big difference. when the shot comes for game you will never notice.

RE: .338 anyone shoot one?
 

Hi Everyone:

EKM and Liquid hit it pretty well I think. I like hunting/shootingthe bigger boys as much as anyone. I think it is important to remember that most people are practicing in the summer, wearing t-shirts etc, grump about sore shoulders, yet hunt withmany layers of clothing on. That clothing can absorb alot of recoil and also affects the LOP of the stock. You might be a bit uncomfortable, but try to practice wearing the same clothing you would in the field.

Good luck,
CE

RE: .338 anyone shoot one?
 

Everyone on here has damn good advice. The biggest thing to remember is that it is a mental thing,you have to convince yourself that its not going to be as bad as you think, that it is just an after effect. If you use these steps, you should do fien.. My personal hunting rifle is a 300 win mag, and I stepped up to it from a 243, it was a huge difference. I got advice similar to what you got here, and I can go through a box of shells now before I notice myself flinching, and my group size starts to grow. If you are a sick twisted individual like my dad says I am you can learn to enjoy the recoil, the feel of power I guess LOL. While over here in Iraq, I have got several opportunities, to shoot a Barret 50 cal Sniper Rifle. The felt recoil isnt bad, slightly worse than my 300, but the shockwave from the brake is immpressive to say the least!!!!