270 win or 338 win mag

[Mnwhiskeyman]

Hi guys
I asked before and settled on the 270 win mag Winchester model 70 but now I see they have a 338 win mag Alaskan for sale and available which one would you take for a western Montana elk and mule hunt? They both are fine rifles for a once and a life time hunt
Thanks

 

[Betterinthebush]

.338 WM

 

[wyosteve]

Ditto on the .338!

 

[Altitude sickness]

.338

 

[jruby]

You may not get a perfect shot the 338 has enough horsepower to take those shots with a good bullet. The 270 will do the job but you need a bit more luck when it comes to the shot angle. I would use a 30cal magnum possibly up to a 375H&H on elk. The 338 is right in the middle of that range. You may only get one shot. IMHO

 

[Nosler guy]

.338 - always felt that the .270 was marginal for big elk, with less than a perfect shot presentation

 

[WoodencrossIII]

The 270 might allow you to shoot better with the 338 is gonna have substantial recoil but not horrible it’s felt so as long as you can shoot it well the 338 will give you more bullet and energy on target but the 270 ain’t no slouch it’s a western big game cartridge and I’d say in Montana more elk and deer been killed with a 270 than a 338 any day. Get a good bullet that shoots well any of the mono lithic Barnes or the like in a 270 within the reasonable range will serve you great. Hit them critters right in the lungs and there gonna die I’ve seen elk shot with 300 wsm and other magnums and they aren’t always gonna drop keep shooting till there down. Get the 270 and practice and make sure you can shoot it well at some distances out to 400-500 and see what it’s doing it’ll kill just fine

 

[grand veneur]

Hi guys
I asked before and settled on the 270 win mag Winchester model 70 but now I see they have a 338 win mag Alaskan for sale and available which one would you take for a western Montana elk and mule hunt? They both are fine rifles for a once and a life time hunt
Thanks

I am no expert when it comes to hunting in western North America, but I have shot more than one elk in Asia, using cartridges like the 300 RUM, 340 Weatherby Magnum, or 9,3x64 Brenneke. Sure, there are differences in size and strength of the various deers, but when it comes in particular to Elk in the rut, often no caliber is big enough. Add to that the often greater than usual shooting distances, so you also have to consider the terminal ballistics of the bullet. That is why, in all cases, the cartridge 338 Winchester Magnum is the way to go.

Match Your Rifle And Cartridge To The Game - By Bob Milek / Petersen's 1990 ANNUAL HUNTING

 

[Schüler Jumbo]

.338 Winchester Magnum no doubt about it.

 

[Muskox]

338's kick a bit.

I'd rather have a rifle that I shot well, than one I hated.

I used to own a Remington 700 Custom KS in 338 Winchester. It was like being kicked by a mule.

Other 338 Winchesters including a Blaser R93, I have owned since did not kick as bad as that 700 did.

I'd want a brake or silencer on a 338. The 270 would be fine without it.

 

[Finprof]

A friend used to run the check station for the Montana winter elk hunt for elk moving out of Yellowstone. After checking in hundreds of elk his opinion was that the 270 was marginal and often required a lot of tracking while the 338 was more authoritative.
That elk hunt was gone a while ago after the wolf introduction.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I've taken a lot of elk and mule deer over the years. Some with a 7mm RM, but most with a 338 WM. Go with the 338!

 

[Mekaniks]

338

 

[Don458]

.338 WM

 

[Hunter-Habib]

.338 Winchester Magnum. Bigger is (in this case, at least) better.

 

[Cooposo]

Hi guys
I asked before and settled on the 270 win mag Winchester model 70 but now I see they have a 338 win mag Alaskan for sale and available which one would you take for a western Montana elk and mule hunt? They both are fine rifles for a once and a life time hunt
Thanks

Can you give more details on the type of hunting? Are you going to be on and off horses and using scabbards? Steep country or foothills or plains? Side by sides on a private ranch with short stalks if you find something?

The form factors of a 22” bbl 270 featherweight that is ready to go at 8.25 lbs vs a 25” bbl 338 Alaskan with a big scope ready to go at 10 lbs…very different. You will not appreciate that 25” bbl Alaskan much the 15th time you have to pull it out of a rifle scabbard that’s wedged under your stirrup. Nor if you are bushwhacking through the pines and thick stuff and getting the barrel caught on something every 25 yards while you are sidehilling. In either case, give me the 270 Featherweight you’ve been asking about. I have one, it’s fantastic.

Now, on a private ranch, with a 10 lb 338 on the rack of a side by side most of the time, and the outfitter telling me I have to be ready to take any reasonable shot presentation and it will likely be 350-450 yards- I’ll take the 338 for that scenario.

So which is it for you? Or none of the above? My elk hunting rifle for the steep country of central Idaho is a relatively lightweight, short, 30-06. And I’d take a model 70 featherweight in 270 long before I’d take a model 70 Alaskan in 338 - for my style of hunting.

 

[Corylax18]

You don't need a .338 to kill a mule deer or an elk. In my experience a .300 win mag is overkill for a mule deer.

The fist sized exit hole on the mule deer below was caused by a 165 grain Trophy Bonded Tipped from my .300 win mag at about 212 yards. Both lungs were soup and there was quite a bit of meat loss from that quarter.

Unless you're planning 400 Yd+ shots, the .270, with good bullets and good shot placement will do the job just fine. If you double lung an elk, its not going far weather its a .270 or a .338.

People will say the .338 is a better choice in grizzly country, but the chances of actually having to defend yourself in an attack are barely measurable. The same people will also say to carry a sidearm in 10mm, .45 or .44 mag. All of which are drastically inferior to the .270 in stopping power.

 

[JimP]

I was a 7mm Rem mag fan for elk, then I got my 340 Weatherby.

The 270 is a fine round but for a once in a lifetime hunt I'd go with the 338 with 225 grain bullets all the way.

 

[Berettaco]

Either will work just fine. I grew up in Colorado and still go back to hunt every year. Have successfully taken elk with 270, 7mm mag, 300 Savage, 30-06, 300 win, 300WSM, and .50 cal muzzleloader.
As others have said - a premium bullet and good shot placement will get it done everyone.

 

[Andrew NOLA]

338 WM Ruger Alaskan has a 20 inch barrel and comes with a muzzle brake.
Composite stock and in stainless steel

Something to consider