338 Winchester Magnum

[Capebuffalo]

New member here and this is my first post. I thought I'd add a few of pics to thread.

Way back in 2000 (where has the time gone??), my friend Kate and I hunted plains game in the northern Limpopo Province (north of Alldays; near the Limpopo River) of South Africa. This was our first hunting trip to Africa. (I had been on a photo safari trip to Botswana in 1998.)

Kate's rifle: Ruger M77 Mk II in .338 Win Mag
Handload: 250 gr Nosler Partition at 2651 fps (chronographed, 10-shot average)
(I loaded the ammo.)

Here's two that she was very happy with and proud of:

View attachment 678677

View attachment 678678

View attachment 678679

BTW, Kate is all of 5' 2" (157.5 cm) in height. She handled the .338 very well. She reminded me of Osa Johnson. (Osa was also 5' 2" in height)


View attachment 678680
"Osa Johnson holds a Model 1895 Winchester in .405 Winchester, one of three that the Johnsons took on their 1924 Africa expedition."

The Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum

Safari Museum in Kansas - Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum

Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum featuring exhibits, including cultural heritage and Visual History collection resources. Tap for

safarimuseum.com

BTW: A few years later, Kate took a nice black bear in Canada with the same rifle and load. Unfortunately, I don't have a photo to post of that one.

Cheers! Bob F.

Hello Bob

Thank you so much for your post!
I grew up in the northern parts of the Limpopo province of South Africa and hunted many times in the Alldays area, on both sides of the Limpopo river (South Africa and Botswana), and shot my largest kudu bull in the river bed of the Limpopo with a 7x57 Mauser (cannot remember the ammo I used), back in the mid 1980's. Your post brought back so many golden memories to me.... After many years of hunting plains game in Africa and north American game, I also concluded (all factors considered) that the 338 Win Mag might be one of the best, if not the best, cartridge to use on all African plains game and all North American game, without worrying if you will be able to defend yourself if dangerous game are around....

 

[Schüler Jumbo]

The .338 Winchester Magnum is a well balanced cartridge. It delivers substantial power in a very shootable package. Winchester had it right in the 1950’s with introduction of the trio:
.264 Win Mag Westerner
.338 Win Mag Alaskan
.458 Win Mag African

I made the longest shot on game I’ve ever made at 412 paces with a .338 Win and 250 gr bullet. I liked the old Woodleigh 300 gr bullets and like the Nosler Accubond 300 gr. bullet. High BC & SD bullets are available for caliber.

 

[Killo]

338 win mag
Zambia 2022
PH Johny Duploy