338s Are A Great Caliber

[Capebuffalo]

Love the 338 WM

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Vinoyasado,
I like your rifle and your ammo!
Just curious. How did the Hammerheads perform for you and on what have you used it or do you plan to use it? I saw it in our local gun store and read up on it but got different reviews...

 

[VINOYASADO]

Vinoyasado,
I like your rifle and your ammo!
Just curious. How did the Hammerheads perform for you and on what have you used it or do you plan to use it? I saw it in our local gun store and read up on it but got different reviews...

Hi there, Thank you!
I only drop 1 wild boar with the hammerhead....to be honest quite good because I made a bad shot placement on a running boar at 140 meters, but was dead at 30 m from impact...cant recover the bullet
Boar was about 70-80 kg

 

[Tundra Tiger]

My .338 is a bit different... .338 Marlin Express; it had a very short life, as far as actually being produced. It is my favorite caliber, and has been absolute gold on everything I have hunted with it, to include moose, caribou, and African PG.

 

[Capebuffalo]

Hi there, Thank you!
I only drop 1 wild boar with the hammerhead....to be honest quite good because I made a bad shot placement on a running boar at 140 meters, but was dead at 30 m from impact...cant recover the bullet
Boar was about 70-80 kg

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Vinoyasado,
I read on the Sako website, that the 250 grain Hammerhead in .338 is optimal on larger animals inside 168 yards. Since it is a softer point bonded bullet, I would say this is a perfect cats and bear bullet. Although effective on other larger animals inside this range, I would like to see how it performs on elk, moose, black and brown bear, leopard, lion and tigers. Are there any members on this forum who have used this bullet on any of those animals with their 338 WM's?

 

[PerH]

Not me personally, but author, outfitter,adventurer Søren Ervig traveled and lived world wide with his Sako .338 Win and 250,Hammerhead. He lived and outfitted in Canada for years after bear ,moose,deer etc and over Russia,Europe,Scandinavia ,African regions, Asia . Hills,plains,mountains,forrest, it went all over and worked good. Only rifle he and ammo he carried for decades.

 

[PerH]

Bears were Grizz,Brownbear, Black bears.

 

[ldmay375]

Not me personally, but author, outfitter,adventurer Søren Ervig traveled and lived world wide with his Sako .338 Win and 250,Hammerhead. He lived and outfitted in Canada for years after bear ,moose,deer etc and over Russia,Europe,Scandinavia ,African regions, Asia . Hills,plains,mountains,forrest, it went all over and worked good. Only rifle he and ammo he carried for decades.

For my domestic use, I still would choose the 338 Winchester for a one & done rifle / cartridge. My bullet choices with be the Barnes 225 TTSX and or TSX along with some North Fork Cup Point & Flat Point solids.

 

[Jack Stevens]

338s Are A Great Caliber

.
Eh, meh, blah. They’re okay, …. but nowhere near as great as the .35-cals (.35 Whelen, .350 Rem. Mag., et al.).

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

.
Eh, meh, blah. They’re okay, …. but nowhere near as great as the .35-cals (.35 Whelen, .350 Rem. Mag., et al.).

@Jack Stevens
I can't see what all the hype is about with 338s. It's usually by people that have not used a properly loaded 35 Whelen. If they tried one they would retire the 338. A 35 cal 225gn at 2,900fps leaves nothing to be desired for most hunting.
Bob

 

[MS 9x56]

Now Bob you know if it doesn’t have a magnum belt it’s only good for vermin. All the gun rag writers say you need a magnum so you can shoot 800 yards to get your game. (leave the 35’s for the hunters that actually know better)

 

[RLL]

@Jack Stevens
I can't see what all the hype is about with 338s. It's usually by people that have not used a properly loaded 35 Whelen. If they tried one they would retire the 338. A 35 cal 225gn at 2,900fps leaves nothing to be desired for most hunting.
Bob

Ive mostly retired my .338 WM in favor of my .375 Ruger…

 

[Capebuffalo]

Ive mostly retired my .338 WM in favor of my .375 Ruger…

RLL,
Nobody can argue against the 375 Ruger as an excellent larger plains game and DG cartridge. If more DG is on the table I prefer the 375 R, and if more PG is on the table I would prefer the 338 WM. However, it depends the area and country you are hunting in.

 

[Capebuffalo]

@Jack Stevens
I can't see what all the hype is about with 338s. It's usually by people that have not used a properly loaded 35 Whelen. If they tried one they would retire the 338. A 35 cal 225gn at 2,900fps leaves nothing to be desired for most hunting.
Bob

Well Bob, the hype wouldn't have been there if it wasn't a great cartridge with excellent performance, without pushing it to the brink of max loads. I think that is what most 338 WM owners love about their cartridge....performance without pushing it too hard.

 

[freefall]

I got the .338 because the pilgrims wanted to see a larger case. I never had a problem with my .358 Win.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Now Bob you know if it doesn’t have a magnum belt it’s only good for vermin. All the gun rag writers say you need a magnum so you can shoot 800 yards to get your game. (leave the 35’s for the hunters that actually know better)

@MS 9x56
I'm a hunter not a shooter. The Whelen will reach out to 400yrds if I want and that's more than enough for me. Prefer 200 or less. I'm getting to old to walk far to pick up game so 200 is more than enough.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Well Bob, the hype wouldn't have been there if it wasn't a great cartridge with excellent performance, without pushing it to the brink of max loads. I think that is what most 338 WM owners love about their cartridge....performance without pushing it too hard.

@ Capebuffalo
That's not pushing the Whelen it just where it should be.
Winchester is great at hype and bullshit to get people to believe. Just look at all the crap they wrote about the 243 then had to revise it and its nowhere near a great cartridge.
At least the 338 does do what it was designed for a fair to middlin big game cartridge and in a pinch will get you out of the poop on really big stuff that may want to stomp or eat you.
The Whelen will do the same but doesn't get any hype. Just keeps on doing its job without all the fan fare.
Bob

 

[cash_tx]

If anyone is looking for a budget 338 Win Mag, the Scheel's store near Dallas-Fort Worth still has a few Winchester XPRs with wooden stocks that they recently marked down to $449.

 

[Capebuffalo]

@ Capebuffalo
That's not pushing the Whelen it just where it should be.
Winchester is great at hype and bullshit to get people to believe. Just look at all the crap they wrote about the 243 then had to revise it and its nowhere near a great cartridge.
At least the 338 does do what it was designed for a fair to middlin big game cartridge and in a pinch will get you out of the poop on really big stuff that may want to stomp or eat you.
The Whelen will do the same but doesn't get any hype. Just keeps on doing its job without all the fan fare.
Bob

Bob,
I am a lover of all good cartridges. The 338 WM is an exceptional cartridge, and I like the 35 Whelen too, but let's not forget the 358 Norma Mag and the 375 Ruger....all cartridges that deserve more recognition I agree. All depends on what other cartridges you already have, what are you going to hunt, and in which area or country...different horses for different courses they say...

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Bob,
I am a lover of all good cartridges. The 338 WM is an exceptional cartridge, and I like the 35 Whelen too, but let's not forget the 358 Norma Mag and the 375 Ruger....all cartridges that deserve more recognition I agree. All depends on what other cartridges you already have, what are you going to hunt, and in which area or country...different horses for different courses they say...

@Capebuffalo
There's a few cartridges out there that don't get the recognition they deserve. 358 win, 257 Roberts, 264 win mag, 444 marlin even the 338 federal.
Unfortunately those and other just giant get the advertising and uptake of the others. There's a lot of great cartridges out there and a few shit ones as well.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I know this is off topic but I thought everyone might be interested.
I got this via email yesterday
Bob