.338 Remington Ultra Mag hunting Africa

[Quaticman]

I am just curious as to whether any of you have hunted Africa using a .338 RUM, and if so, how did it perform?
I happen to own a semi-custom .338 RUM built on a trued M 700 action, with a 28" Krieger match barrel and a B & C composite stock.
It is scoped with a Nikon Black X 1000 6-24x in Warne Maxima rings. With nearly 5,000 lb./ft. of muzzle energy, my thoughts are it would be an ideal cartridge for the larger species of plains game (Eland, Kudu, Sable, etc) and perhaps even dangerous game if it were allowed (which it is not).

 

[hoytcanon]

You must be kidding... you are asking if a .338 RUM will work when many people are effectively using .308's and .30-06's.
IMO, you have too much of a good thing for plains game. Your.rifle will be excellent on Eland, but then it will gradually become excessive as you work your way down to Springbok and smaller. The rifle is also, longer and heavier than comfortable if you do much long trekking through thorn bush or mountainous terrain.
If that were the rifle I was taking, I would lop off 4" off the barrel, and work up a very conservative load with a lighter sturdy bullet like the Barnes TSX or LRX or Nosler Accubond or Swift A-Frame etc... get the energy down sub-4000 ft/lb and stabilize your trajectory with an accuracy load. At the .338 RUM speeds, on any sub 100 yard shots, you are likely to make a mess of any target.
Just my opinion... but, there is the old saying that the animal can "never be too dead..." I do not subscribe to that philosophy... I prefer to tailor my gear to the game... in Africa when you have such a wide array of game and a single rifle, it is not a terrible idea to settle on the low end of satisfactory for the bigger species, so as not to be too much for the smaller. If you are not hunting smaller species, in particular the tiny ten, then fill your boits and knock them off their feet. Or, shoot solids.

 

[dgr416]

Awesome long range gun I used 338-378 weatherby in Alaska loved it .It will be perfect for larger plains game .You might need a 4x16x50 scope .I had 6x20 on my rifle could see game when it was really close especially moose too much dark brown .

 

[Schüler Jumbo]

I am a fan of the .338” caliber overall. I do not have experience in Africa with the .338 RUM but I do with a .338 Winchester and .340 Weatherby. I think your rifle would be outstanding on large game and in particular in regions of Africa where longer shots are common. In the end it comes down to selecting the proper bullet for your intended application.

 

[skydiver386]

It would be hard to find a better caliber for Eland than the 338's. The issue as others have already posted, is how much weight and how much recoil are you willing to allow yourself, especially when smaller game may be in the mix?

 

[Quaticman]

It would be hard to find a better caliber for Eland than the 338's. The issue as others have already posted, is how much weight and how much recoil are you willing to allow yourself, especially when smaller game may be in the mix?

I specifically built the gun with a 28" bull barrel to tame the recoil as it does not have a muzzle brake. As is, the gun weighs 11 1/2 pounds and it is shootable with substantial but tolerable recoil. If I ever make it back to Africa for another go at plains game with this rifle, I suppose a good quality sling will help to lug it around. I can only imagine what an 8 pound "carry rifle" in this chambering would recoil like.

 

[hoytcanon]

I specifically built the gun with a 28" bull barrel to tame the recoil as it does not have a muzzle brake. As is, the gun weighs 11 1/2 pounds and it is shootable with substantial but tolerable recoil. If I ever make it back to Africa for another go at plains game with this rifle, I suppose a good quality sling will help to lug it around. I can only imagine what an 8 pound "carry rifle" in this chambering would recoil like.

That would be a fatiguing rifle to carry around... an option would be two rifles... your RUM brute to perch on top of the bakki... or no more than 2 1/2 steps from it, and a second lighter rifle in 7 Mag or some such... I hope you get the chance to try it... the results will be very interesting

 

[uplander01]

Awfully long pipe at 28" to carry in thick brush, you'd be frustrated with it after while I think, pretty heavy too. Not calling your baby ugly at all, just been there done that. I love 338's. I have a 24" tubed 338 WM that has collected about 19 animals so far. Dead is dead, I don't believe in being over gunned as long as you can shoot well with what you are putting to your shoulder. In Sept I just shot 2 of the tiny's with 375 solids

 

[Andrew Short]

After hunting in Nambia and walking many kilometers daily, I would strongly recommend against your heavy 338 RUM. You would be better suited with a factory 7mm to 30 cal rifle of any flavor.

 

[rifletuner]

I hunted southern Namibia with a hot 300 magnum and it worked very well for me. The topography there is limited cover and rolling sand hills, which means that many shots are taken at ranges longer than you typically get in other parts of africa. I had a couple of shots at 100 meters, but the majority were from 250 to 500 yards.

I think a 338 RUM would be great for a similar hunt. I have considered going back to the same area and taking my 338 Edge. Not sure why people are saying the 338 is too much gun on smaller game. I have used my 375 on springbok, impala, ect and none of them were too dead.

 

[hoytcanon]

Not sure why people are saying the 338 is too much gun on smaller game. I have used my 375 on springbok, impala, ect and none of them were too dead.

So have I, but the .338 RUM has 18-23 grains H2O more capacity than the .375 H&H and is generally pushing lighter bullets at much higher speed... having seen many kills with both, I can tell you there is a difference in terminal damage.

 

[rifletuner]

So have I, but the .338 RUM has 18-23 grains H2O more capacity than the .375 H&H and is generally pushing lighter bullets at much higher speed... having seen many kills with both, I can tell you there is a difference in terminal damage.

I guess its personal choice, but the lightest bullet I shoot in my 338 Edge is a 250gn. No complaints with terminal damage for anything I want to use it on.

 

[Tex .416]

I guess its personal choice, but the lightest bullet I shoot in my 338 Edge is a 250gn. No complaints with terminal damage for anything I want to use it on.

I use the Barnes TTSX 225 @ 3075 - 3100 in a lightish (10#) .338 Lapua. Runs 23 - 24 MOA at 1,000.

 

[Tgood1]

30-06, enjoy the hunt, save chiropractor visits lol

 

[meigsbucks]

I used one in Namibia in 2018. The only time it didn’t perform well was when I screwed up. I used 225gr Swift AF at 3070 fps with RL25. The rifle is a MRC with a 26” barrel. I wanted to use 250gr Swifts, but I couldn’t get the accuracy. I now load 250gr Barnes LRX.
This is my hunt report:

Post in thread 'NAMIBIA: Namibia With Jamy Traut'

Aug 8, 2018

There was some interest in seeing some of the pictures my brother took. The link is listed here:
https://baophoto.smugmug.com/Travel/Namibia-Safari-2018/

• meigsbucks

• 

 

[dgr416]

My Weatherby accumarks in 338-378 weigh 9.25 pounds losded .They do have accubrakes on them and are easy to shoot .I shot 250 gr nosler partitions and shot 1/2 groups or less at 100 yards and 1.5 inch groups to 2 inch at 300 yards .I use a wide spongy sling that makes it feel way lighter .
I put this rifle through everything Alaska delt it for 12 years no problems.

 

[Odinsraven]

Have taken nearly all of the plains game with a 7x57 or 303 Brit without trouble.

Also used an 8mm rem mag ....which worked well on black wildebeest.

 

[Philip Glass]

It is just an odd caliber for Africa. When you get up to that size it is just far better to get a .375.

 

[skydiver386]

People have used calibers more odd than that.

Old fella I used to know talked about how he hunted all over the lower 48, Alaska and Africa with an 8mm Remington Magnum.

Not a single thing wrong with it for the game he was hunting, but try finding ammo for that rifle now!

 

[dogcat1]

Lotta noise and recoil but kills what you hit in the right place.
I have been stepping down from .375 HH to .300 WM to .300 H&H and now to a .275 Rigby.
They all work.