vertical-align: top The main factor is to know the maximum and minimum anticipated impact velocities and the intended game, then select a bullet that is reliable under those conditions. Mag. Maybe thats why its widely considered the optimum cartridge for elk hunting. Snow is Shooting Editor of Outdoor Life, where he oversees the publications firearms and shooting coverage. The .338 Winchester Magnum derived much from work done by ballistics pioneer, Elmer Keith, among others. Forget the fat, tame grizzlies you see lumbering around in movies. Firststring Premium String Kit Green/ Brown Bear Attitude; Firststring Premium String Kit Green/ Brown Bear Attitude. Developed for military snipers to bridge the gap between .300 Winchester Magnum and .50 BMG, at first glance, the .338 Lapua seems to define over kill in a hunting cartridge. For most hunters, the upper limit of recoil is the .30-06 or 7mm Remington Magnum. The .375, because of its considerable case taper and gentle shoulder angle, can be made to feed like greased asparagus in a properly set up rifle. For pure hunting, I still think Id go with the 300 Win. Or close enough. They offer not just raw violence (at both ends of the barrel) but also flatter trajectories than the big bores and consummate accuracy. Nelson killed one of his charging grizzlies with a .454 Casull, which he says is one of his favorite choices for bear defense. Mag. }. load in the same weight rifle will come back with 24.3 foot-pounds at 13.2 fps. I lump these together because theyre identical in their ballistics and what theyll do. (How good is their sense of smell? Copyright Ron Spomer Outdoors document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) Rugers current Hawkeye Guide Gun in 338 Win. Buffalo Bore produces several loads for the .50 Alaskan, including a 450-grain bullet that delivers a whopping 4,400 ft.-lbs. Youre probably a lot better off with an 06 that doesnt cause you to wet yourself than with a .495 Thunderf**ker that does. Lets dive right in. Bullet selection for the .338 magnums presents some challenges. It too needs a magnum length action and few companies other than Weatherby chamber rifles for this powerhouse. In addition to cartridges, here are some other considerations: Do not, I pray you, single-load your bear rifle when you sight it in and practice with it. does indeed offer tremendous killing power, whether your target is a bull elk or a 1,400-pound brown bear. 1. will dig in deeper then most 250 gr. are rifle length, weight, and huntability. A rifle of this weight in .300 or .338 magnum can be mastered with a lot of practice. Answer: As the article said, I chose the heaviest Nosler AccuBond bullet available in factory ammunition. Sentry Ammo, Cheap Ammo, Bulk Ammo, 5.56, 556, 9mm, bulk 9mm In some cases, there was either no AccuBond load available for a particular cartridge or the only one available was lighter than those for other rounds. Nelson continues to teach a bear defense course in Alaska, instructing geologists and representatives from other government agencies how to operate a wide variety of firearms platforms in a bear defense situation. made its debut in 1958. . If the minimum energy range exceeds the minimum expansion range, the minimum expansion range becomes the maximum effective range since unexpanded bullets are much less effective regardless of how much energy they possess. John B. History. What is the distance this species is typically hunted from? bullets will penetrate like the proverbial runaway freight train. I like to shoot big stuff with small cartridges and vice versa. These are good bullet choices for shots inside 500 yards: Barnes TSX/TTSX, Swift Scirocco, Swift A-Frame, Nosler Partition, Nosler AccuBond, Nosler E-Tip, Woodleigh Weldcore, Hornady GMX, Hornady Interbond, and North Fork. Question: Do you think a Remington 700 is expensive? Be ready. font-size: 18px; It comes close to .338 RUM performance but fits into standard (.30-06) length rifle actions. vertical-align: top Winter is finally drawing to a close, and spring brings with it new life, and most importantly, a new hunting season. Answer: Yes, if your loads used the same bullets at the same velocity as those in the article. The .338 Win. Whether you can actually safely reach that MV is the question. Wow he had to dig deep to find this thread. Luke likes when his clients bring .338s or .375s because they allow a little more room for error when it comes to shot placement. SAAMI specifications for 338 Win. Please email us if you have questions about any of our product listings. The .416 Rigby, .416 Remington Magnum, .458 Winchester Magnum and .458 Lott all make a solid choice for brown bears, especially the coastal giants, and are very comforting when the vegetation gets thick and distances are measured in feet. 250 gr. for a balance of flat trajectory, maximum muzzle energy, highest bullet SD, and best momentum. Brown bears and grizzlies, although closely related, are distinctly different animals. An increasingly larger and more aggressive grizzly population in northern Rockies elk forests suggests bear defense is a concern in places other than Alaska. All the others require expensive magnum-action rifles (except 33 Nosler), hit you like a five-pound ball-peen hammer, and require slavish devotion to find ammunition. My dad loves his Browning Centennial 1886 in .45-70; with a premium bullet that combination will handle even the biggest grizzlies. The .458" and .264" bore diameters were certainly no strangers to the hunting and shooting community; those bore diameters date back to the . 300 Winchester Magnum, 210-grain AccuBond Long Range, 338 Winchester Magnum, 225-grain AccuBond. Winchester .338 Magnum .404 Jeffery (If you can find one) .338 Lapua All that said, the .375 H&H Magnum with a 300-grain bullet at 2,600 fps has long been the classic brown bear cartridge. word-break: normal; font-size: 18px; Disclaimer: the information above is purely for illustrative purposes and should not be taken as permission to use a particular caliber, a statement of the legality or safety of using certain calibers, or legal advice in any way. Never, ever, walk up on a downed bear with an empty rifle. border-color: #656565; First, the average bullet weight is encapsulated in the average muzzle energy for the .338 Winchester Magnum. About noon I hiked along the edge of a timbered draw toward another vantage point.. John B. 338 Win Mag ammo is a superb choice for hunting brown bears, elk, and other big game because of its immense stopping power and compatibility with a variety of firearms. If you want factory ammo, try the Federal loaded with 300-grain Trophy Bonded bullets. Like the Spartans xiphos blade, the handgun is a much shorter secondary weapon intended for up-close-and-personal encounters. .tg .tg-xhut { We offer a 100% Authenticity Guarantee on all products sold on our website. If, however, true long-range hunting is anticipated, they will all benefit from the specialized long-range bullets now on the market which expand well below 1800 fps. Over the decades, several cartridges have proved themselves as worthy against the nastiest bears North America has to offer. A 240-grain +P Buffalo Bore projectile carries roughly 1,600 ft.-lbs. I would strongly advise against taking shots out beyond 300 yards, as a wounded beareven a black bearcan be a formidable foe. Ultimately, its his ass on the line, not yours. vertical-align: top Mag) hits the expansion limit at almost 600 yards! One bullet/load the right 250-grain from a 338 Winchester Magnum strikes a fine balance between trajectory, punch, and penetration. Our first client we had was shooting a 338 win mag and I thought nothing of it. It was Winchesters second belted magnum based on the 375 &H case of 1912. Mag? The kinetic energy of the projectile drops dramatically the further downrange it travels primarily due to energy lost in the form of heat generated by friction against the air itself. Reload. (You are going to practice with it, arent you?) Mag. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. This article does not serve as the final say, but simply as a starting point for beginner hunters, as well as a venue for further discussion. My outfitter prefers the 375 H&H or the 338 Ultra mag, however, he said the 338 win mag will do. Fuzzy, if your comfortable with your set-up, run with it. If you want factory ammo, get Swift, loaded with its 250-grain A-Frames. Combine this pressure with the 70- to 76-grains of powder generally stuffed into 338 Win. Thus, a caliber that is effective from 50 yards may not have enough stopping power from 200 yards. The first was the 458 Winchester Magnum of 1956. Thank you, sir! .tg .tg-4q2i { About 12 inches. Mag. Weatherby responded with its full magnum-length 340 Wby. Stainless and laminated, its obviously aimed at Alaskan guides and fishermen needing a reasonably handy yet hard hitting protection tool. The .338 Win. One point for every 25 yards beyond 200 yards (the average distance most game animals are shot) for maximum effective range on medium and large game, respectively, and one point deducted for every 25 yards less than 200 yards. Of course 340 Weatherby Magnum sales never caught up to the Winchester because fewer rifles could be chambered for it (cartridge length complications) and because Weatherby cartridges were proprietary, thus hard to find and expensive. The .338 in (8.6 mm) is the caliber at which medium-bore cartridges are considered to begin. Savage Arms has announced the newest model in its series of straight-pull rifles, the Impulse Driven Hunter. } We offer cheap ammo and bulk ammo deals on the most popular ammo calibers. Brilliant writing. As Nelson points out, the first shot may end the charge but doesnt always kill the bear, which means its handy to have a rifle that can make the longer follow-up shot. . I have a Winchester Model 70 Classic Stainless in .300 Winchester Magnum that has served me very well over the years; it wears a Leupold VX-6 2X-12X-42mm scope that can handle just about any scenario I ask it to. Brown bears, the fish-fed giants, are limited to coastal Alaska, and dwell in some of the most difficult country on Earth. text-align: left; Like all of Winchesters belted magnums, the 458 was short enough to fit and function in the standard, 30-06-length Model 70 action and magazine, so all they had to do was neck it down and give it a 25-degree shoulder to create a magnum 338 reminiscent of Elmer Keiths 334 OKH of the 1940s. As much of the spring weather can be intermittently inclement, this is a perfect situation for the synthetic-stocked rifles. Brown bears, the fish-fed giants, are limited to coastal Alaska, and dwell in some of the most difficult country on Earth. It dominates a vast territory between the much-loved .30 calibers and the .375 H&H so popular among those who pursue dangerous game. Here is some common Brown Bear advice you did not ask for. besides a bigger caliber is useless if you dont hit where your aiming, do your part and come home with a nice trophy. Similarly, make sure your floorplate doesnt pop open, since heavy recoil causes bolt-actions to flex through the action. Mag. The author acknowledges hand loaders can achieve much better performance in many instances. All Rights Reserved, Complete Guide to Camping and Wilderness Survival, Complete Guide to Fresh and Saltwater Fishing, Tag Safari Trail Shirt for Men Long Sleeve. Mag. Some cartridges were handicapped by the fact the major ammunition companies dont offer the heaviest bullet weights, rather they offer the most popular or common. Both of them fire 250-grain bullets at a real-world velocity of 2,850 fps. Either a long-range bullet fired up close, or a close-range one used too far away can cause ineffective wounds and result in lost game. The .357 is also available in smaller-framed revolvers that fit smaller hands, making it ideal for women and less experienced shooters. While a well-placed shot from a 10mm can no doubt do the trick, the .357 Mag. .454 Casull Developed by Dick Casull and Jack Fulmer in 1957, the .454 Casull is a dangerous game hunters dream come true. of energy. All calculations were based on the heaviest Nosler AccuBond bullet available in factory-loaded ammunition for each caliber, unless otherwise noted. The load I have developed uses 72 grains of Reloader 19 with the barnes triple shock 225 grain bullet. His ass on the 375 & H case of 1912 a caliber that effective. Of Reloader 19 with the barnes triple shock 225 grain bullet fat, tame grizzlies see. Announced the newest model in its series of straight-pull best 338 win mag ammo for brown bear, the.357 mag, highest bullet,... Brown bears, the fish-fed giants, are limited to coastal Alaska, and.. Presents some challenges game hunters dream come true a black bearcan be a foe! Bullets will penetrate like the Spartans xiphos blade, the.454 Casull, which he says one! 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