Elk Cartidges - 8MM, .338 and .35 Caliber

[AZ Jim]

Thought it would be interesting to discuss our favorite 8mm (.32 Caliber), .338, .35 caliber elk cartridges.

Over the years I have always thought highly of the .338 Winchester and it seems to be the one by which all other medium bores are measured, but in recent years there have been some new cartridges that give it a run for it's money.

If a person already has a .338 Win Mag I would not suggest you need a new one ( unless of course like me, you believe there is always an excuse for a new rifle - "but honey, this cartridge is for elk in the 700 to 800 lb range not the 600 lb range ....

) For example the .325 WSM, .338 RCM, and .338 RUM., .338 Lapua, and .338 Federal.

In an earlier post members were discussing the .338-06. I have included some ballistics for that and some of the other popular ones.

http://www.gunsandammomag.com/ballistics/8mm_rem_mag.html

http://www.gunsandammomag.com/ammunition/n...605/index2.html

http://www.rifleshootermag.com/ammunition/...207/index1.html

http://www.chuckhawks.com/338-06.htm

http://www.gunsandammomag.com/ballistics/338_win_mag.html

http://www.hornady.com/story.php?s=761

http://www.gunsandammomag.com/ballistics/338_lapua_mag.html

http://www.gunsandammomag.com/ballistics/338_rum.html

http://www.gunsandammomag.com/ballistics/340_wby_mag.html

http://www.gunsandammomag.com/ballistics/350_rem_mag.html

http://www.remington.com/products/ammuniti...a=R35WH1*R35WH3


AZ Jim

 

[bpnclark]

A Kimber 84 in 338 Federal looks like good rifle to put on the wish list.

 

[AZ Jim]

bpnclark,

Like this one ?

http://www.kimberamerica.com/rifles/84m/84m_superamerica/99/

Sweet rifle !


AZ Jim

 

[bpnclark]

Please send me a tax rebate check over 2 thousand so I can buy a new Kimber

 

[AZ Jim]

Rumor has it Marlin might come out with a .338 Marlin Express for their XLR Lever Action. Now that would be interesting.


AZ Jim

 

[wmidbrook]

Those Kimber rifles are sweet! ....& someone ought to pin all those good links.

I think Z-rifles gave the Ruger (and other) engineers some ideas possibly: http://www.z-hat.com/338%20Hawk.htm His business has grown tremendously in the last 6 or 7 years.

I also like a .338/.404 built around the 404 Jeffry cartridge. Dakota's 330 is nice....hard to imagine you could by a Traveler for $4,000 about 8 years ago and the 76 for around $2000 if you looked hard! ...kickin' myself now...lol.

From a practicle stand-point, I think it's tough to go wrong with a 338 cal cartridge for elk and even deer or hogs. It's a proven performer. I've shot a few .338 Winchester mags. I do like the significantly lower recoil of the 338-06 though. I don't think my shots will ever be past 300-400 yards. I seem to have shot ops at under 200 yards 90%+ of the time....plus it's fun to sneak in closer.

 

[tmoniz]

My first 2 Bull Elk were taken with a 7 mm Rem Mag.
I was working with the 338/06 at the time but while shooting at a range before the big money hunt
The accuracy of the 338/06 had dropped off.
So I took the 7.
I got the 338/06 working well again and then took it to Oregon and downed a bull with it.
1 shot.
Very stunning.

The guides I hunted with in Wyoming took all their Elk with a 257 Roberts and a 25/06.
Go figure on that one.

One person I hunted with in a 4 man camp once took all his Elk with a 270 Winchester.

The 338 Fed is an interesting round. The 338 RCM is even more interesting.
They can go into nice light short rifles.

The funny thing is you can find the 270, 30/06, 7 Rem Mag, 300 Win Mag, and 338 Win Mag in just about every
podunk town in the West.

 

[easymoney]

1980's model 70 Winchester in 300 win mag, nosler 180 grain handloads. Dumps em in one shot most times, definitely dumps muleys...
I have even heard of some people taking elk with their SKS in 7.62 x 39, but I think shooting ability is topic for another time...

 

[Speckmisser]

My 30-06 has been my elk rifle and has worked quite well with one-shot kills (I re-shot the last one, but it was unnecessary). My brother took his big bull a couple years ago with a 30-06 too... quite authoritatively.

Even so, I'll be taking the .325wsm as my go-to rifle next time, and the old -06 will become the backup. More knockdown, flatter trajectory... not to mention the A-Bolt Stainless Stalker is just a joy to shoot.

 

[dirtpoor]

I've had the same wife for 48 yrs and sure theres some women out there that are flashier and nice to look at but you can't beat reliability so I look but don't touch , same with my .338 win mag , started elk hunting in 94 and have taken 8 bull's many deer and a few hog's and still have about 21 cartridges left of the original 3 boxes of ammo I bought with the rifle.

 

[AZ Jim]

wmidbrook,

that 338 Hawk round looks pretty sweet. I had never heard of it before.


Thanks for sharing the website.


All, here is a cool website from Nosler.


http://www.nosler.com/index.php?p=15&b=338cal&s=377

AZ Jim

 

[AZ Jim]

Forgot about this one:

http://www.norma.cc/sortimentjakt.asp?Kali...8%20Norma%20Mag


AZ Jim

 

[tmoniz]

I have a friend AZ that shoots the 308 Norma and the 358.
The 358 is a bit stiff to shot.
Stunning round
I saw him crack an Elk with the 308 Norma.
Lets just say. It took longer to get to the downed animal than it did to dress it.

 

[Bwana Turtle]

Yeah, but you're not really gaining that much over the .35 Whelen. What I'd really like to see is somebody wildcatting a .358 Ruger on the .375 case. Now, I think that would be a total laser death ray. It's all so incremental. None of these cartridges give a magic inrease.
The .338 Hawk is just a 338-06 Improved but it's hard to beat a .338-06. The only thing I have against the 338-06 is that I have a .35 Whelen and it's like a benchrest gun. I get warm and fuzzy feelings when I look at that big hole in the muzzle. Then again I have a .338 WM which is like a .338-06 Improved Improved. Where does it all end.
Except for the .375 Ruger all of these new wonder calibers leave me cold and if/when I get a .375 it will as likely as not be an H&H as a Ruger.
My two latest aquisitions have been a new and improved .338 WM and a new and improved .45-70 Gov.
My biggest problem is what to use when and where to put them.

 

[wmidbrook]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

Where does it all end...[/b]

Lol....I've gone full circle on this a time or two. There is no right answer. And, there is nothing wrong with a safe full of rifles! I kinda like a .35 Rem model 7 that Browning designed. Of course it's only good out to 150 yards or so but that's a big improvement over my 40 yard range with my bow...lol.

 

[Bwana Turtle]

Another thing came to me as I was watching TV this morning. An advertisement came on for the .338 Federal and I asked myself what is the smallish store owner in rural America going to do with all these "Boutique" rounds coming out ? The small stores will keep on stocking .270, .308,
.30-06, .300 WM, .338WM.
For the hunter that makes the big ammo error that could mean the difference between a thirty mile drive and a 120 mile drive.

 

[AZ Jim]

Bwana,

There is something to say for the availability of common rounds. Can't beat the trusty old 30-06 that you can buy ammo for at any local hardware store (outside of the big city), but I believe because there are so many options for todays hunters, they have learned to adapt to the situation and carry extra ammo with them. Many of todays hunters shoot specialized ammo in common calibers as well and would not be able to find the premium stuff that they sighted in their rifles with at home.

I know I pack a box in the truck, in my back pack, and in my duffle bag. If something happens I have a spares.

All rounds have to start somewhere, if the small store owners see the demand they will stock it. I have talked to some and they will even order a box or two of the odd if you ask them too. Of course you will pay a pretty penny for it though.


AZ Jim