338 Win Mag for plains game

[458JCE]

I've taken a Sako 75 in 338WM on both of my African trips. 225gr is the ideal bullet weight for the calibre IMHO. I've used Nosler Accubonds and Woodleigh PPs successfully. But as the OP suggested, if you use Barnes bullets I would go light for calibre to get them moving as fast as possible. I don't know if Barnes makes them in 180gr but I reckon it would work well.
My PH advised against mono bullets on plains game because of the risk of pass-through and hitting another (possibly unseen) animal.

Photo of my son's Eland taken with 338WM.

 

[DG870]

I enjoy the debate of the 35 Whelen vs the .338 Winchester Magnum. One thing about the 35 Whelen is that you need to be a reloader to get the performance that Bob talks about and unless you have a 5 gallon bucket of Aussie Pixie dust and a 6 foot drop tube you can only get close to Bobs loads.

If you are depending on factory ammunition the most common bullet available is the 200 grain load. I saw a few factory loads using 250 grain bullets but they were only available online. If traveling, especially in remote areas you don’t see 35 Whelen on the shelves so don’t forget your ammo and pray your ammo isn’t lost in transit.

I’m not going to say anything bad about either because I own both plus a 338-06. They are all fine cartridges and all have their advantages and limitations. My only regret is I have limited opportunities to use these on the appropriate sized game.

 

[Choupique]

a 5 gallon bucket of Aussie Pixie dust and a 6 foot drop tube

Use that sorcery on a .338 Winchester with a 26" barrel and you'll be at ludicrous speed. It just has a lot more gas in the tank and a long freebore, and with a long magazine rifle like a model 70 you can get absolutely stupid performance from it.

I remember the first time I sent a 250gr grand slam over a near max load of RE17 through a chronograph. I'll have to check my notes but I believe it was 2800 fps. Contrary to the load books, my rifle always under-performed with 4831 speed stuff and over-performed with 4350 speed stuff, sometimes impressively so. I always backed those loads down some, I didn't need 1000 yard performance from that rifle but it certainly could do it if I was willing to hang on for the ride. Even with the ludicrous speed loads, I never saw anything resembling a pressure sign.

It's a fantastic cartridge. The .35 whelen is as well, and immensely more economical for the reloader. The .338 win mag really shines as a true one-rifle solution for all but the big 5. It's in the sweet spot for north america. Enough diameter and mass for whacking a big ol grizzer bear up close, enough for sending heavy sleek high BC bullets across a canyon for elk, tough enough bullets for whitetail deer at very close range without mangling them all up. The recoil is easily mangable as long as you stay away from the ludicrous speed loads. You could just buy a box of regular ol 225 or 250 grain core locts and go forth and waylay all manner of game across the world with it, or stuff some 230gr ELDX over a case full of 4350 and start waylaying game from the next county over.

 

[MikeCLT]

I have a Model 70 in .338 WM (1:10 twist, 24” barrel) that I plan to take to S Africa next August.
I’ve been shooting Barnes projectiles in most of my firearms for the past several years, so naturally that is what I began looking at for the .338. Swift A Frames will not be an option unless I get lucky enough to catch them in stock or load my own.
Kudu, Wildebeest and Zebra will be the largest animals on my list.
The factory offerings from Barnes (210 and 225 TTSX) aren’t very far apart, but Double Tap ammunition offers a 160gr Barnes TTSX that they claim is over 3000 fps and has 4100# of energy at the muzzle. Keeping in mind that these bullets perform their best at 2,000 fps and above, would the 160gr be a better choice than the 200+ gr projectiles, or am I overthinking this a bit too much?
Any input will be much appreciated.

My son used a 338 WM using Barnes TTSX 225 gr on our safari in 2023. PH liked Barnes bullets. He killed everything with one shot. Kudu, gemsbok, zebra, blue wildebeest were the biggest animals but he also used on impala, blesbok and a jackal. It was a bit of overkill for the jackal but it was an opportunistic shot and what he had in his hand. Good luck and have a great time.

 

[dgr416]

I have used the 338 win mag for 40 years on big gane .I mostly use 200 grain winchester power points because they shoot clover leafs in my Tang safefy ruger 77 .I have shot black bears , up to 450 pound wild hogs , whitetail up tp 300 pounds live weight and even cototes .My stainless 338 win mag ruger 77 mark II shoots 5/8 inch groups at 200 yards after I put a boyds laminated stock on it .My best frirend shot 7 moose with 7 shots in alaska with my winchester model 70 stainless with a boss .He also shot a 7 foot grizzly with it .I Trust the 338 win mag lots of knockdown power easy out to 400 yards .I have 18 338 win mags so that tells you I fully trust them.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I used the 180gn Woodleigh PP in my .338 and it worked well on Sambar.
Can't remember the speed, I'd have to check my notes but around 3050fps maybe...?
I'd have to check, but even at this lighter bullet weight it

 

[JG26Irish_2]

If I was going for a one rifle solution for African PG, I cannot think of may better options than the 338wm. Every animal, I have witnessed shot with it was a simple bang-flop affair. Maybe some would call that overkill. But, I would just call it bloody effective. Barnes TTSX or Nosler AB's in 225g or Federal's premium fodder loaded with the 200g Trophy Bonded Tip ammo are my personal go-to's but I reckon most anything will work.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I enjoy the debate of the 35 Whelen vs the .338 Winchester Magnum. One thing about the 35 Whelen is that you need to be a reloader to get the performance that Bob talks about and unless you have a 5 gallon bucket of Aussie Pixie dust and a 6 foot drop tube you can only get close to Bobs loads.

If you are depending on factory ammunition the most common bullet available is the 200 grain load. I saw a few factory loads using 250 grain bullets but they were only available online. If traveling, especially in remote areas you don’t see 35 Whelen on the shelves so don’t forget your ammo and pray your ammo isn’t lost in transit.

I’m not going to say anything bad about either because I own both plus a 338-06. They are all fine cartridges and all have their advantages and limitations. My only regret is I have limited opportunities to use these on the appropriate sized game.

@DG870
I only need the long drop tube and Australian pixie dust for the 310 grainers.
All other loads with CFE 223 fit comfort in the case with room to spare. No magic, no smoke and mirrors just bog standard reloading.
Yes the Whelen is a reloaders dream otherwise it's just a great round. Reloaded it and it's a different beast
Yes the 338 comes off the shelf with the power already loaded into it, is more available and more factory options.
But I like being different, having fun and exploring options to make the old new and better.
Yes I know I'm strange but I enjoy being different.
Bob

 

[Safari Dave]

Would you feel comfortable using that load on an eland? I may be hunting eland and bushbuck in a few weeks (If my buff doesn't work out) and I'm looking for my "One gun" answer. Thank you, Sir!

Absolutely.

 

[50Gunner]

Use that sorcery on a .338 Winchester with a 26" barrel and you'll be at ludicrous speed. It just has a lot more gas in the tank and a long freebore, and with a long magazine rifle like a model 70 you can get absolutely stupid performance from it.

I remember the first time I sent a 250gr grand slam over a near max load of RE17 through a chronograph. I'll have to check my notes but I believe it was 2800 fps. Contrary to the load books, my rifle always under-performed with 4831 speed stuff and over-performed with 4350 speed stuff, sometimes impressively so. I always backed those loads down some, I didn't need 1000 yard performance from that rifle but it certainly could do it if I was willing to hang on for the ride. Even with the ludicrous speed loads, I never saw anything resembling a pressure sign.

It's a fantastic cartridge. The .35 whelen is as well, and immensely more economical for the reloader. The .338 win mag really shines as a true one-rifle solution for all but the big 5. It's in the sweet spot for north america. Enough diameter and mass for whacking a big ol grizzer bear up close, enough for sending heavy sleek high BC bullets across a canyon for elk, tough enough bullets for whitetail deer at very close range without mangling them all up. The recoil is easily mangable as long as you stay away from the ludicrous speed loads. You could just buy a box of regular ol 225 or 250 grain core locts and go forth and waylay all manner of game across the world with it, or stuff some 230gr ELDX over a case full of 4350 and start waylaying game from the next county over.

^^^^This is very easily done with my 26" barreled Kimber Super America 338 WM and H-1000 powder in WW-Super cases lit with CCI-250 or FED-215 primers, COL's run 3.385 inch in the 3.400" mag box, that load is 79grs H-1000 under either 250gr Partition or Speer Grand Slam, 2848 fps with sub one inch accuracy, that level of power is the real deal.

We can take a peak at Hodgdon's online data to see their listed load with H-1000 under 250 grain bullets to be comparatively very low pressure, I have no qualms clocking 65K psi loads in modern bolt action rifles.

Folks have got in line for over 30 years happily running 416 Remingtons with 400 grains at 65K+ psi in Remington 700 rifles taking all the game Africa has to offer.

 

[Choupique]

very easily done with my 26" barreled Kimber Super America 338 WM and H-1000 powder in WW-Super cases lit with CCI-250

It certainly has very long legs when you start tricking it out. Its a big case with a nice easy bore ratio. With 230 gr eldx my rifle is something like 3.485" OAL to touch the lands and 3.400 mag box length. I never figured out how fast it really could push them, 2900 was plenty enough for me. Not hard on brass, accuracy good, gobs of horsepower with the BC to tote it way way out there. Theres a lot to like about it. I'd be willing to hunt anything legal to hunt with it anywhere in the world, out to as far as I dared shoot at it.

 

[458JCE]

Yep - if we were ever limited to 1 gun (a looming possibility in Australia) I would choose the 338WM.

 

[Schüler Jumbo]

My prized 1964 FN Browning Safari Grade .338 Win Mag with Griffin & Howe Side Mount. It’s always been a wonderful companion.

 

[DG870]

@DG870
I only need the long drop tube and Australian pixie dust for the 310 grainers.
All other loads with CFE 223 fit comfort in the case with room to spare. No magic, no smoke and mirrors just bog standard reloading.
Yes the Whelen is a reloaders dream otherwise it's just a great round. Reloaded it and it's a different beast
Yes the 338 comes off the shelf with the power already loaded into it, is more available and more factory options.
But I like being different, having fun and exploring options to make the old new and better.
Yes I know I'm strange but I enjoy being different.
Bob

My 35 Whelen is built on an FN Mauser action with a 25” Douglas barrel and a Timney trigger. I’ve learned a lot about loading for the Whelen reading Bobs posts. The only reloading data I had when I bought the rifle several years ago used Varget and 250 grain bullets running about 2450 fps.

I now use CFE223 and 250 grain Hornady spire points and can get 2600 fps using Speer data. It’s very accurate and I load a couple of grains below max, just cause. I’ve shot some hogs with it but haven’t had the chance to use it on anything bigger. CFE223 also works wonders in the 338-06 also. My 338 Win Mag is a Sako AV - I’ve owned it for 30 years and am very fond of it. it’s also a fine shooter but has a 22” barrel so not really comparing apples to apples when looking at speed. I’ve taken elk at 500 yards with this rifle so it must be fast enough. Many say that the 338 win mag is overkill for even elk. I like it because it shoot pretty flat ( trajectory is similar to the 270 Winchester), hits hard, and the recoil is manageable. I traded a 300 Winchester for my 338 and I think the recoil wasn’t as sharp as the 300, more of a big push rather that a sharp hit.

All the cartridges in this class are great at smacking down game. I’d like to have a 9.3x62 but where live deer and the occasional elk are what I have available to hunt so I’m over gunned already If I ever have the opportunity to hunt Africa I would take the 338 win Mag and use Nosler 225 grain Partitions or Accubonds. It’s not that I don’t think the Whelen isn’t adequate but Murphy’s law always seems to catch me so I’d be the one guy that his ammo went somewhere else.

 

[Choupique]

35 Whelen is built on an FN Mauser action with a 25” Douglas barrel

That sounds awesome.

Im a fan of 26" barrels. Even strapped to my pack, the extra length never was much of a problem. Its only a problem when doing hard core bush whacking. The performance you can get is amazing.

 

[50Gunner]

It certainly has very long legs when you start tricking it out. Its a big case with a nice easy bore ratio. With 230 gr eldx my rifle is something like 3.485" OAL to touch the lands and 3.400 mag box length. I never figured out how fast it really could push them, 2900 was plenty enough for me. Not hard on brass, accuracy good, gobs of horsepower with the BC to tote it way way out there. Theres a lot to like about it. I'd be willing to hunt anything legal to hunt with it anywhere in the world, out to as far as I dared shoot at it.

Fully agreed, if we refer back to Hodgdon's online data for the 338 WM, H-1000 and 250 grain bullets we can also see the same powder charge of H-1000 is the listed max for the big 275gr Speer semi-spitzer which has massively more bearing surface than any 250gr spitzer, 75grs H-1000 fits nicely under the 275gr Swift A-Frame, beautiful high power load that clocks 2680 fps, what that tells me is there is much pad work room built in if a man wants to get max velocity with his rifle and 250gr bullet of choice, we all know how spooked the industry has become due to litigation, a quick glance at older loading manuals tells us this.

When I see any load given the same powder charges for 25grs difference in bullet weight I start looking around to see who brought the ice cream, 'cause all I see is cake ; ]

26" barrels are a dream, only 6'2" in my socks, but prefer 13-5/8ths-14" LOP's on bolt rifles, they compliment each greatly in balance and shootability, have read longer barrels are the cheapest velocity one can get, have never been flushing Grizzly out of Alder thickets, but have had 26" and up to 30" barrels in the case of a mighty 50-90 Sharps rifle in awful African thorn without a hitch.

Have also noted over 63 years of life I have seen no more knots on the foreheads of men 6'6"s tall vs 5'8" men because they forgot where their face was LOL.

Knowing where your muzzle is at all times, has, and always will be job number ONE for me.

 

[Choupique]

Ive never owned any H1000 but I need to get some. Everybody who uses it seems to love it.

 

[dgr416]

I wanted to.use the old speer 275 gr in the 338 win mag in Alaska but bought my 338-378 weatherby and used 250 gr nosler partotions .My friend that borrowed my 338 win mag used speer 250 gr grand slam bulkets all seven moose he shot from 15 yards to 350 yards all died in their tracks awesome .That bullet shot 5/8 inch at 200 yards out of my ruger 77 stainless 338 wm .The 338-378 just shot way flatter its like a giant varmit rifle in the weatgerby accumark .I love long range shooting with powerful rifles that can take down just about anything .My taxidermist shot a huge cape buffako with one shot with 210 gr nosler partitions .

 

[jwp475]

@50Gunner
So you are using 12 grains more powder and more recoil to launch a 250gn bullet 10fps faster than the Whelen. Doesn't make sense in my book. No wonder the 338 needs a belt. Has to have something to hold its reputation up.
Nothing personal just can't understand the attraction of the 338.
Bob

I have both cartridges 338 win msg and the 35 Whelen. My 35 Whelen is chambered in an 1885 Highwall. I have the 338 win mag in a Sako L61 action 24" barrel and a Win model 70 with a 25" Krieger barrel. With CFE223 and a 250 grain partition my Whelan gets 2700 fps, which is equal to the 338 wih a 24" barrel. I use Power Pro Varmint in my Whelen with 225 grain bullets and under. With the 200 grain TTSX I get 3020 fps. With thr Hammer 215 grain tipped bullet I get 3037 fpa. The added diameter of the Whelen hits harder to my observation.

 

[Robmill70]

My son used his 338WM on his first trip using 250gr Speer GS and it worked great!