.338 Remington Ultra Mag

Quaticman

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I've got a Remington model 700 chambered in .338 RUM with a 28" barrel. It wears a Nikon Black 6-24x illuminated scope in Warne Maxima rings.
What African game species would this rifle be suitable for if using handloads with the 250 grain Swift A-Frame bullet?
 
I would say all plaines game.

I don’t believe it meets the minimum criteria that many (maybe all) African countries have for dangerous game.

The 338 RUM is a real thumper on both ends!
 
Speaking about performances, your caliber is pretty close of my .338 Lapua magnum and I have killed most of plains game, from duiker up to giraffes, with it. For sure, it is a bit overkill for smaller animals but it will do the trick.
I met a Namibian PH in the past who loved RUM calibers and he had both .300 and .338, but I didn't see them in action. He gave me one cartridge of each for my collection.
For dangerous game, I would say lion and leopard won't be a problem, same thing for crocodile.
In Namibia technically, there is just a minimum energy required to hunt dangerous game and this minimum is 5400 Joules. I don't how fast your A-Fram's go out of the barrel, but I'm sure you are well above this minimum. However, I don't know if there is a PH who will allow you to shoot a buffalo with this set up ? They will probably prefer a caliber with a larger diameter and a heavier bullet !
 
I love both my 338 rums. For North American deer species yes the are overkill. Black bear and elk do not prefer the cartridge. A frames are tougher than nails as well. I would venture to say that eland would be a worthy adversary.
 
Any PG. My MRC wouldn’t shoot that bullet accurately (or as accurately as I’d like) and opted for a 225gr Swift AF. Took blesbok, gemsbok x2, zebra, eland and black wildebeest. No issues.
 
Everything except dangerous game...that's why I also have a 416 RUM... Just because...
 
Speaking about performances, your caliber is pretty close of my .338 Lapua magnum and I have killed most of plains game, from duiker up to giraffes, with it. For sure, it is a bit overkill for smaller animals but it will do the trick.
I met a Namibian PH in the past who loved RUM calibers and he had both .300 and .338, but I didn't see them in action. He gave me one cartridge of each for my collection.
For dangerous game, I would say lion and leopard won't be a problem, same thing for crocodile.
In Namibia technically, there is just a minimum energy required to hunt dangerous game and this minimum is 5400 Joules. I don't how fast your A-Fram's go out of the barrel, but I'm sure you are well above this minimum. However, I don't know if there is a PH who will allow you to shoot a buffalo with this set up ? They will probably prefer a caliber with a larger diameter and a heavier bullet ! Hey, ich habe versucht, Geld für eine neue Waschmaschine zu sparen, weil meine alte nach 15 Jahren den Geist aufgegeben hat. Ich hatte erst null Glück, habe nur verloren und dachte, das war's. Dann habe ich bei rodeoslot einfach mal eine andere Strategie probiert und mit einer etwas größeren Wette den großen Treffer gelandet. Die neue Maschine ist jetzt im Keller und läuft einwandfrei. Richtig gut, dass ich nicht aufgegeben habe.
Energy alone doesn't make a .338 a buffalo gun, as most PHs prioritize bullet diameter and bone-shattering weight over raw Joules. Even if you meet the legal minimum, you lack the frontal area of a .375 or .416, which is what actually stops a charge when things get ugly. Most pros will flat-out refuse this setup for buffalo because they need the knockdown power that a smaller, faster caliber just can't provide.
 
If legal, I wouldn’t be afraid to shoot a buffalo with a 250 AF from a RUM. I wish Swift would make a 275 to really make it shine. I own just about every 338 god created and the RUM with a 275 Swift and 10 twist barrel would be the proverbial cats pajamas.
 
Mr. Black bear that took a 250 nosler accubond to the noggin at 267 yards. It was a bang flop. Roughly guesstimate on weight was over 350#. Aged at 7 years, scoring of the skull is pointless when I blew the back half off.
 

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If legal, I wouldn’t be afraid to shoot a buffalo with a 250 AF from a RUM. I wish Swift would make a 275 to really make it shine. I own just about every 338 god created and the RUM with a 275 Swift and 10 twist barrel would be the proverbial cats pajamas.
I'm loading for a 338-06 now and I ran across 265 grain Nosler Accubonds. Interesting write up on them but no load data. I'm not sure I can get that 30-06 case to get enough powder behind it to be worth it.
 
I reckon loaded with the right projectile for the job, most people wouldn't have a problem shooting any game with a .338 RUM – including dangerous game.

A 300gn .338 projectile has a SD of 0.375 and can be launched at 2600fps for 4500fpe. With a suitable projectile, I would use it on buffalo.

Russ
 
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