fariswm

Contrary to what some believe, you will actually destroy less meat on that mule deer with a .225 gr spitzer from a .338 win mag than you will with a 150 gr spitzer from your 30-06. The bullets are constructed much healthier. If you miss and shoot it in the shoulder, well you will shoot it through both shoulders for the same reason.

You will also find ammo much more readily available for the .338 win mag.

For a practical hunting rifle with increased power over your 30-06 you can do no better than the .338 win mag. It is a great cartridge. While it won't keep up with the Ultra Mag or Weatherby, it will kill most things twice as dead as your -06.

Put a Vais muzzle brake on it and you will feeel no more recoil than your -06.

I shoot a lot of 7mm stuff because I love the caliber and the flat trajectory, but I also shoot my .338 often at rocks, bottles of water, and anything else I like out to 600 yards. I find myself enjoying the raw power of the .338 over my lesser calibers, of which I have a few. It is not uncommon for me to shoot 20 or 30 rounds from it from the prone position at a time. No bruises.

hillbillyhunter1

J,

This quote to me says it all...for now. I don't want to rain on your parade and lord knows any excuse is a good one to buy a new gun, but if I was you, andwas serious about "long range" HUNTING, I'd take what gun I have (maybe upgrade the scope...a ballistec plex or turret adjustable yardage would be in order I believe) and start shooting at ALL the ranges (300-500) at which you aspire to be proficient. Long range is going to take a lot more than just a different gun. Experiment with loads and different weather conditions (wind) and see how you like it.

I'm not neccesarily of the school that says you have to practice ALL the time for long range hunting but youshould definately be familiar with how your gunand bullet will perform at every distance (as opposed to relying on the mathematical equation) you intend to shoot unless your just gonna pull the trigger and pray. Best of luck!

homers brother

The .30-06 is certainly capable of transferring energy at 300 yards. Maybe not as much as one of the magnums, but enough to kill an elk or moose.

Lots of discussion here regarding the .338s. As well some discussion about what it'd do to a mule deer at range? Given any of the .338 magnums and a .30-06 on mule deer at 300-400 yards, I'd pick the .30-06. Elk? Maybe a .338, but I've never had to shoot an elk that far away.

I'm more concerned about the suggestion to top a .338 with a fixed 12x in grizzly country. I HIGHLY recommend you choose a lower power if youeven THINK you'llend up having to stop a bear at close quarters. My choice in Alaska was a .375 H&H topped by a 1.5-5x VariX-III, and set as low as it'd go. You don't want to be trying to find a bear in a narrow field of view when he's covering the few yards between you in a matter of seconds.

Just for reference, a 12x field of view at 100 yards is about 10 feet, versus about 65 feet for 1.5x

CommonSense

Stop reading balliistics catalogs, and start hunting, and you will see that this is not even the case. The .338 Win Mag will kill just as well as the WBY or RUM, and do it at half the cost, I know it may not have the fancy paper numbers to make you feel good, but to not even consider it? that is plain ignorant! how many 500 yard shots have you made at game? have you ever even harvested an animal with the cartridges you are so hung up on?

salukipv1

You're just jealous of my .340 wby.

ox1443

Get a Browning X-bolt in 325 Wsm or 300 Wsm and then put on a Burris Rangfinding scope with the bullistic reticle and ur set up to 600 yards!!



Cheers Buddey:

fariswm

Considering a grizzly can cover 100 yards in just a hair over 4.5 seconds I agree that the most important thing you do with whatever rifle you end up with is scope it properly for the most demanding hunting conditions you will experience.

I've had friends take Kodiak Bear with a 7mm Mag, friends who have taken grizzly with a .375 H&H. Never hunted them myself though I have hunted in their back yard. But, I have seen what a large grizzly will do to a 2000 lb. Hereford bull back in Alberta on our ranch.

If you are planning on hunting these guys, take plenty of soup. Oh yes- did I say .338 Win Mag.

CommonSense

Jealous, I'm sorry, but I am too old to be jealous, are you even out of your teens? I am pretty sure I can outshoot your .340 WBY, with my little .338 Win Mag. You seem to speak beyond your knowledge most of the time. I noticed that you failed to answer my questions, which tells me that you haven't the vaguest idea of what you are talking about, but it's alright, if you want to pretend to be an expert, go ahead, I will just enjoy watching you make a fool of yourself.

nyorange

As stated earlier, your best bet is to probably stick with your 30-06 and start practicing. I certainly would not want to be hit by an 06 at 800yds let alone at 300 yds. To put it in perspective, the 06 has almost the same velocity and energy at 500yds as a 30-30 at the muzzle. Its not realistic to think that it won't kill an elk or moose at that or a lesser distance if you have any sort of accuracy. Any high power cartridge you purchase is going to have the same basic trajectory as the 06, it will just be throwing a bigger or smallerbullet at the target when it gets there, but the trajectory will be the same andyou will have to compensate for thesame basic bullet drop as the 30-06. Even a 338 lapua which the army considers good for snipers out to 1000yds has a bullet drop of 2ft at 400yds when sighted in at 200yds.While I am certaily no expert, if you can't hit a target at 300 yds with a 30-06 you shouldn't be shooting that far with anything. At 500 yds any NA animal hit with 150 grains of lead at over 1900 fps from an 06 is going to die if you hit anywhere reasonable. As told over and over, if you can't do it with an 06, it can't or maybe shouldn't be done. Best thing in my humble opinion is spend the money on a good scope, a rangefinder and lots of ammo. Hate to rain on the parade but implying that my favorite cartridge is no good at 300yds just gets me going plus I may save you from the seriously vicious recoil you would have to endure in any sort of rifle that you would want to actually carry around for more than 15 minutes. But if you just want a new gun go ahead. Have to admit it is nice once in a while to feel the power of abig gun but then I rub my shoulder and hand it back to the guy who owns it. Take care and good luck whatever you do.

vaughnm

Good advice on practicing more at the longer ranges but if you really want a second rifle (and who doesn't) you might want to consider the 325 WSM. If I were to step up from my 7mm mag, that is one cartridge I would give real consideration toas well asthe 338 win mag.