270 win or 338 win mag

Weigh both rifles, I doubt that the 338 weighs that much more, rifles are heavy unless you get a ultra light and then you are going to feel the recoil more.

In my 60 years of hunting I can't remember a time that I felt the recoil while hunting.

Get into a little bit better shape, if you think that the rifle is going to hinder you wait until you get out into the woods and look at those hills that you are going to have to hike up, then you will wish that you spent more time hiking the stairs in a building or stadium to get into shape.
 
Mnwhiskeyman said:
So some have asked yes this will be guided and with mules and horses. I could go with a 338 win mag Winchester but it will be heavy and it will be with me hiking and stalking to. I’m gonna be 50 this yeah so I’m unsure I want to haul that all week however I like the confidence I have with the round. I have hunted with it all my life but I do like the idea of a lighter rifle and a lighter recoiling rifle. Just food for thought I guess
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So i presume that these are both rifles you own right now. Seems like you have some reservations about the .338. Kind of getting away from option A or B - lots of middle ground in between those two. Might mean getting a different rifle, but the .30 cal (30 -06 and .300 mags with good bullets} would be quite a step up from the 270 and would still be a reasonably light handling platform, similar to most .270 - but a much better tool for whacking big bull elk.
 
I have shot both a lot. Both will do what you want done.
Buy the one you like to shoot. Or buy both, shoot both and see which you like.
For me - I would go with the .270 for all you have mentioned. Why? Because I have done it with the .270 a few times and not had an issue.
 
A guide working next to the park, said they lost more wounded elk by guys using 338s than any other caliber, he thought they were flinching , he was no fan of the 338. I have killed many elk with the 270. Use Barnes 130-150 grain bullets and you are good to go, much nicer rifle to shoot and a perfect deer rifle too.
 
If you do get that once in a life time shot let us know how it goes down
, please
 
I feel the same way about the .270Win that @Bob Nelson 35Whelen feels about the .243Win.

I mean, why would anyone buy a .270 with the .30-06 Springfield sitting right there? Or, if a person wants more horsepower, skip the .270 and move up to the 7mm RemMag.
 
Back in 1980 was settled into a good job and very good money. Liked firearms and hunting but witch one more. Decided to spend my money on hunting while I was young and heathy. Had a Winchester 70 pre-64 in 300 Mag sent it out west had a new 338 Win. Mag. stainless steel 24" barrel installed ultra-light contour, electroless-nickel the action and a carbon fiber stock to put it in. It was a very light rifle I proceeded to hunt at every avalble monent every animal in the US and Canada. That rifle harvested every animal with one shot and many memories.

338 Win Mag is a great caliber never to small or to big !
 
M70375! said:
A guide working next to the park, said they lost more wounded elk by guys using 338s than any other caliber, he thought they were flinching , he was no fan of the 338. I have killed many elk with the 270. Use Barnes 130-150 grain bullets and you are good to go, much nicer rifle to shoot and a perfect deer rifle too.
Click to expand...

You have the same problem hunting in Africa, hunters using way too much rifle that they thought was the best and then refuse to shoot it enough to get used to it.

But I have seen hunters flinch with a 243, not to mention cycling all the rounds out of the rifle without firing a shot, and just thinking that they missed. I had one person cycle all the round out of their 243 and then wanted to go find the deer that was dead. You should of seen his face when I picked up all of his ammo that was laying there on the ground.

My point being, if you are not going to shoot a rifle enough to get used to the recoil and have the ability to pack it on the hunt that you are planning on using it on then you have no business buying that rifle in the first place.
 
A lot of the comments have mentioned a .338’s recoil, so I’d like to respond to that aspect of a .338. I first started shooting my .338 in 1984, as I bought it for a 1985 spring Bear hunt on Kodiak. I thought the 338 had a pretty stout kick, but no worse than my 300 win mag. But I also liked how it hammered the bear at over 200 yards, across a canyon. As I recall the Bear went about 30 yards or so and died.

Since then, I’ve shot the 338 a lot. Like shot the barrel out and had to rebarrel a lot. I replaced the Winchester factory barrel with a fluted Lilja barrel, as the original version was a bit heavy. At that time I also had a Brown Precision foam filled fiberglass stock installed to replace the wood stock. The first thing I noticed was my rifle was quite a bit lighter. My 338 now weighs 8.2 lbs with a Leupold VX5 in 2-10 topping it. So, heavy enough but not too heavy, actually maybe a touch light compared to most 338’s. When I started shooting it after the modifications I also noticed that it didn’t kick very bad anymore. Less felt recoil than before when it weighed more.

I was talking to Mark Brown of Brown Precision about how the recoil felt less after putting his stock on, even though my gun was now lighter. What he told me was very enlightening. Mark explained that they’d done high speed video analysis of their stocks under recoil. What they found was that their stocks flex under recoil, while a traditional walnut stock is quite stiff under recoil. This flexing has the effect of dampening recoil. Those hundreds of a second of the stock absorbing the recoil soften how it feels to my shoulder.

Fast forward to my son and I shooting before our 2023 hunt in the Selous. We were shooting our 375’s, my son’s a factory standard Winchester safari express, wood stocked, that had to weigh close to 10 pounds. My custom 375 weighs 8.9 lbs with a light contour (I think #4) barrel for a 375 and of course it’s got a fiberglass stock. My son was shooting his gun, then asked if he could shoot mine. After 3 shots with my rifle, he set it down and said “I’m getting a fiberglass stock before the next hunt with this gun.” Now, his 375 wears a McMillan fiberglass stock. Felt recoil is noticeably less now, even though his gun is about 1/2 pound lighter. It’s still too heavy for my taste but he loves it.

Back to the 338 win mag… If you’re open to having a custom built gun (I realize the OP is buying an off the shelf factory gun) that wears a foam filled fiberglass stock that fits you well, the recoil of a 338 is very comfortable. I believe mine has less felt recoil than many 300 magnums I’ve shot. And a 225 grain bullet leaving the barrel around 2,900 fps arrives with a lot of effect on whatever you’re shooting. I’d really like to shoot a Buffalo with mine one of these days. I’m a big fan of 300 magnums but after getting my 338 in its current configuration, I’ve never had a reason to get another 300.
 
Betterinthebush said:
I feel the same way about the .270Win that @Bob Nelson 35Whelen feels about the .243Win.

I mean, why would anyone buy a .270 with the .30-06 Springfield sitting right there? Or, if a person wants more horsepower, skip the .270 and move up to the 7mm RemMag.
Click to expand...
@Betterinthebush
Is the 7mm REM mag really that much better than the 270 or the 30-06
All will send a 150 gn projectile down range at 3,000-3,100 fps
The 7mm with 175s carries a fraction more authority out yonder

The 30-06 with 180s will kill most stuff.

The 270 to me is like the 243. They answered a question no one asked

The 338 isn't doing much more than a properly loaded Whelen apart from knocking your hat off when you pull the trigger.

The 300win mag offers a good balance of power, range and shootability .
Bob
 
DLSJR said:
A lot of the comments have mentioned a .338’s recoil, so I’d like to respond to that aspect of a .338. I first started shooting my .338 in 1984, as I bought it for a 1985 spring Bear hunt on Kodiak. I thought the 338 had a pretty stout kick, but no worse than my 300 win mag. But I also liked how it hammered the bear at over 200 yards, across a canyon. As I recall the Bear went about 30 yards or so and died.

Since then, I’ve shot the 338 a lot. Like shot the barrel out and had to rebarrel a lot. I replaced the Winchester factory barrel with a fluted Lilja barrel, as the original version was a bit heavy. At that time I also had a Brown Precision foam filled fiberglass stock installed to replace the wood stock. The first thing I noticed was my rifle was quite a bit lighter. My 338 now weighs 8.2 lbs with a Leupold VX5 in 2-10 topping it. So, heavy enough but not too heavy, actually maybe a touch light compared to most 338’s. When I started shooting it after the modifications I also noticed that it didn’t kick very bad anymore. Less felt recoil than before when it weighed more.

I was talking to Mark Brown of Brown Precision about how the recoil felt less after putting his stock on, even though my gun was now lighter. What he told me was very enlightening. Mark explained that they’d done high speed video analysis of their stocks under recoil. What they found was that their stocks flex under recoil, while a traditional walnut stock is quite stiff under recoil. This flexing has the effect of dampening recoil. Those hundreds of a second of the stock absorbing the recoil soften how it feels to my shoulder.

Fast forward to my son and I shooting before our 2023 hunt in the Selous. We were shooting our 375’s, my son’s a factory standard Winchester safari express, wood stocked, that had to weigh close to 10 pounds. My custom 375 weighs 8.9 lbs with a light contour (I think #4) barrel for a 375 and of course it’s got a fiberglass stock. My son was shooting his gun, then asked if he could shoot mine. After 3 shots with my rifle, he set it down and said “I’m getting a fiberglass stock before the next hunt with this gun.” Now, his 375 wears a McMillan fiberglass stock. Felt recoil is noticeably less now, even though his gun is about 1/2 pound lighter. It’s still too heavy for my taste but he loves it.

Back to the 338 win mag… If you’re open to having a custom built gun (I realize the OP is buying an off the shelf factory gun) that wears a foam filled fiberglass stock that fits you well, the recoil of a 338 is very comfortable. I believe mine has less felt recoil than many 300 magnums I’ve shot. And a 225 grain bullet leaving the barrel around 2,900 fps arrives with a lot of effect on whatever you’re shooting. I’d really like to shoot a Buffalo with mine one of these days. I’m a big fan of 300 magnums but after getting my 338 in its current configuration, I’ve never had a reason to get another 300.
Click to expand...
@DLSJR
Can't really comment on the effectiveness of the 338 as I haven't shot any game with one. When it comes to recoil the Winchester model 70 in 338 that I had the chance to shoot beat me up like going three rounds with Mike Tyson. It was a mean bitch of a thing.
@Badboymelvin 425 express in his zastava is a joy to shoot compared to that.
I concur a 225 gn bullet launched at 2,900 fps carries a big wallop out yonder especially out of my Whelen that's more comfortable to shoot than some 270s.
It all has to do with stock fit and design as you so rightly pointed out.
If'n it don't fit and you have poor technique it's going to hurt. I had a 410 shot gun that belted me up the side of the face every time I pulled the trigger. A wood rasp soon fixed that problem.
Bob
 
Bob Nelson 35Whelen said:
Is the 7mm REM mag really that much better than the 270 or the 30-06
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Yes. It’s so much better, in fact, that, like all true magnums, it requires its own partial wardrobe (a belt). So, it just stands to reason that it has to be better. Same thing goes for the mighty and awe inspiring, undisputed North American big game heavyweight champion.. the .338 WM.
 
The main goal is to place your first shot well. You do that and elk die easy. Either of your choices can do that. So it would depend on how much shooting comfort you have with a larger cartridges recoil vs something in the 270 class. I’m not sure what 270 you are referring to. 270 Win or 270 WSM?

I’m perfectly comfortable with a 270 Win. for elk or even Moose. It’s subject to a few criteria. Practice to your max range, pick a suitable bullet, and most importantly place that first shot properly. Waiting for a nice broadside shot is usually best, but may not be as necessary with a mono bullet or larger cartridge like the 338 WM.

My main two elk rifles right now are a 270 Win with 130 TTSX or 140 AB or a 280 Rem with a 150 or 175 partition or the 145 LRX. They all work very well, no issues with quick kills.
 
M70375! said:
A guide working next to the park, said they lost more wounded elk by guys using 338s than any other caliber, he thought they were flinching , he was no fan of the 338. I have killed many elk with the 270. Use Barnes 130-150 grain bullets and you are good to go, much nicer rifle to shoot and a perfect deer rifle too.
Click to expand...
I’ve talked to some experienced guides who’ve expressed similar opinions. The guides themselves are certainly fond of and confident with their .338 WM rifles, but would rather have the client bring a .270 or a .30-06 that he can shoot well. The .338 is the better choice if and only if the hunter can shoot it accurately. Power that can’t be harnessed in the form of accuracy is pointless. I’ve had a couple .338 rifles over the years, and I enjoyed them, but decided that for the level of recoil and expense involved, I may as well pack the more economical .35 Whelen. Or perhaps not f- around at all and just go straight to the .375 H&H.
I really like the .270 Winchester. To me it seems to be in a ballistic sweet spot with ample power for most situations but relatively mild recoil. For comparison I can comfortably shoot ~10-15 rounds of .338 or .375 Magnum, which is fine if I can get to the range frequently to practice before hunting. Increase that to ~25-30 rounds of .30-06 or 7mmRM depending on the load before I start getting tired of it and that’s a solid bit of practice. But take the edge off a bit more with the .270 and I’m limited only by how much ammo I brought with me or am willing to use up. Some days I’ve put 80 rounds through the .270 just because it’s fun and would feel okay to do it again the next day. This is conducive to better practice and makes it a great choice simply because of that.
And again I feel like the .270 is largely misunderstood. It was never about heavy-for-caliber bullets. The point was/is to launch a 130 grain bullet at 3,150 fps as a supreme choice for game under 400 pounds in open country, and obviously it excels in this. Add the flexibility of using heavier bullets like a 150 grain Partition and it’s a powerhouse in its own right and can tackle much heavier game, although that really wasn’t the intent.
 
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When it came to building my elk rifle back in 2000 it was a tie between the 35 whelen and the 338-06. My 338-06 was built on a P17 action rebarreled and had iron sights added. I had grown up shooting white tail deer back in Michigan on a remington 1100 slug barrel. Hence I used remington sights. I have never felt undergunned with that rifle. I sold the 35 whelen to a.close friend who still.has it. He prefers the whelen to his 338WM. I have aquired a new 35 whelen over 5 years ago I have never shot. In Oregon on the coast you have a lot of thick brush with clear cuts. Eastern Oregon there are a lot of open areas. My 338-06 is a rifle i can see the sight picture in my minds eye when I close my eyes. Sometimes it's more about the rifle than the caliber. My hunting carreer is coming to a close but.i still enjoy handling that rifle and it brings back a lot of good memories.
 
How well do you shoot a 338wm? If you can't handle it as well as a 270 then you've got no reason to be packing a 338 over a 270, simple as that. The vast majority of guys are not capable of accurately and consistently shooting a 338 from field positions. The 270 is a more than capable elk and mule deer rifle inside of 500 yards and most people have no business shooting past that anyway.
 
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