As Nelson has seen in bear defense training, many shooters have cycling issues with the 10mm due to the limp-wrist syndrome, something that isnt an issue with a revolver and is the last thing you want to happen during a bear charge. .tg .tg-sklq { For many of us, it means the thunderous gobble of tom turkeys, but for me, I look forward to the spring bear season. This can be of considerable importance. KISS. 6. Just dont expect those slugs to hold up if they hit a bull elks shoulder at fifty yards. They have the powder capacity to launch them at impressive velocities and thus use those bullets high BC and SD advantages. Yes, the .338 Winchester Magnum is A GOOD CHOICE for grizzly or brown bear hunting, under average conditions, from a mid-range distance, with a medium grain expanding bullet, and with correct shot placement. Combine this pressure with the 70- to 76-grains of powder generally stuffed into 338 Win. 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. And if anyone knows what kind of firepower is necessary to kill a brown bear, its Luke. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. These rounds do have one mission they are ideal for, though: Alaskan brown bears. Get that. of energy at 1500 fps, while the 495-grain DDupleks leaves the muzzle at 1410 fps with 2,180 ft.-lbs. You can also avoid using a muzzle-brake by selecting a cartridge that you can shoot comfortably and enjoy shooting enough to practice with frequently. Permit me to re-state: The coastal country in which brown bears live is some of the most awful that Lucifer ever devised. | 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. You must log in or register to reply here. Thus, a caliber that is effective from 50 yards may not have enough stopping power from 200 yards. As the bear charge drill in his course demonstrates, the average bear attack will happen at 50 yards or less with an 800-pound animal moving at 30 mph. Theres nothing that can stand up to it. While 225-grain projectiles have become the more popular in recent years, the 250- and 300-grain bullets are ideal for large animals such as elk, moose, and the big bearsif one can tolerate the recoil. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. Forget the fat, tame grizzlies you see lumbering around in movies. Luke likes when his clients bring .338s or .375s because they allow a little more room for error when it comes to shot placement. } Mag.! What we need to know without fluff mucking up the targets. Federal loads its 06 ammo with 200-grain Trophy Bonded bullets, which is what you want if you dont handload. A 22LR cartridge can fell a bull elephant under the right conditions, and a newborn squirrel can survive a 50 BMG round under other specific conditions. After the first shot immediately shoot it again and again if needed. At the minimum, tape your floorplate shut, or have a gunsmith pin it shut. Question: Do you think a Remington 700 is expensive? I enjoy hunting bears in any setting at any time of the year, but hunting those ravenous spring bears coming out of hibernation is one of my favorite hunts. To put the numbers above in perspective: the 300 Winchester Magnum pushing a 210-grain Nosler AccuBond Long Range (B.C. And theres no doubt what my guide pal has to say on the subject. That is a pretty good benchmark. What is the average weight of an adult male grizzly or brown bear? Check out the following articles: 3 Rifle Cartridges to Hunt the WorldWhy My Cartridge is Better Than YoursTop 5 Handgun Hunting CartridgesAn Ode to the Ruger Model 77Top 5 Hunting Cartridges of the21stCenturyTop 5 Deer Bullets for 2018An Ode to the .30-30 Winchester5 Reasons to Book a Spring Bear HuntAn Ode to the Ruger Mini ThirtyBoattail vs. Flat-Base BulletsHow to Build a Custom RifleChoosing a Cartridge for North America's Big GameTop 5 American-Made Hunting RiflesHow to Choose a Buffalo RifleAn Ode to the .223 RemingtonTop 5 Coyote CartridgesThe Ultimate Long-Range Hunting CartridgeThe Greatest Whitetail Cartridge Ever DesignedAn Ode to the Browning BARTop 5 Bear BulletsDo You Really Need a Magnum Cartridge?Why the Ruger No. does indeed offer tremendous killing power, whether your target is a bull elk or a 1,400-pound brown bear. Mag. A common thread you may encounter in online forums is anecdote after anecdote of large animals being brought down by small caliber bullets, or small animals surviving large caliber bullets. Bullet selection for the .338 magnums presents some challenges. 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. Keith wanted something which would hammer through a quartering-away elk (his favorite game) out to 300 or 400 yards and realized a .338 caliber bullet driven fast enough would get the job done. One of the most useful cartridges ever developed by the hand of man, the .338 will do it all. You are using an out of date browser. While it is extremely effective, the main reason its been so widely-used is because shotguns like the Remington 870 and Mossberg 500 are a fraction of the price of bolt-guns and, in turn, thats what the government has provided to its employees. Thats 1,000 psi LESS than those two smaller cartridges. Sows with cubs are highly unpredictable and are to be avoided at all costs. Question: Why would Recoil even be considered in a .338 caliber? Winter is finally drawing to a close, and spring brings with it new life, and most importantly, a new hunting season. But the 33-caliber 338 Winchester Magnum seems to thumb its nose at popularity surveys, probably because it fills the gap between that frightening kick of dangerous game cartridges and the tolerable recoil of the magnum 30s. Use a premium controlled expanding bullet. Similarly, make sure your floorplate doesnt pop open, since heavy recoil causes bolt-actions to flex through the action. Ive used a .260 Remington on elk and a .338 Federal on moose, neither of which are particularly large, and Ive also used a .450 Marlin on caribou and have shot a whole petting zoo worth of crittersincluding the tiny duikerwith my .416 Rigby. sports a 20 barrel and weighs 8 pounds. All of which you hit dead on. The newest .338 magnum, the 33 Nosler arrived on the market in 2016. The 338 will sure as hell get the job done for anyone who can shoot at all. Want to read more from Philip Massaro? Mag. Find a full line of 338 Winchester Magnum ammo from all major brands at the best prices. The 338 Winchester Magnum's overall length is 3.340", same as the 30-06, 270 Win, etc., so its cases hold about 12 percent less powder than the Weatherby's. That amounts to about 50 to 100 fps less muzzle velocity with a 250-grain bullet. Whether you're shooting a break-action, pump-action, or semiautomatic, Sign up for the Field & Stream newsletter and get the latest intelligence straight to your inbox. Jack OConnor killed a number of big bears with a .30-06 (more than with the .270, despite what some people say) and found it up to the task. I certainly wouldnt expect it in factory loads. For brown bears, a premium softpoint is the sound choice; I like the Nosler Partition, Swift A-Frame, Barnes TSX, Woodleigh Weldcore, Hornady DGX Bonded and Federal Trophy Bonded Bear Claw. 7. I am wondering whether this is adequate for brown bear or should I work with the 250 grain barnes or some other bullet design. They require a hunter to understand bullet construction and terminal performance in depth, especially with cartridges on the power scales upper end. Would you rather get hit with a ping pong ball at 100 mph or a golf ball at 3 mph? Grizzly Or Brown Bear. Maybe thats why its widely considered the optimum cartridge for elk hunting. .tg td { Were talking about a very specialized type of hunting. As to the muzzle break comment, I have yet to see a rifle around here with a muzzle break. shoots flat, hits hard, and fits in standard length actions. They are all good, if you can tolerate the recoil. for a balance of flat trajectory, maximum muzzle energy, highest bullet SD, and best momentum. Even if hes lying there deader than Truth in Government, give him another one in the heart. If youre sensitive, a 300 Win. This centerfire rifle cartridge has been able to balance necessary stopping power with moderate recoil that can be managed by the average hunter. Skip ahead a couple days to bear number two. Read on for his take on this Thai-inspired fusion dish. Change the species to the brown or grizzly bear, and you may want to consider a larger bore diameter. Mag. Perfect for elk, moose, sheep and bear. Muzzle velocities are the nominal industry standard for the tested bullet weight in each caliber. This includes gear reviews, features on technical innovations, stories on shooting techniques and general hunting coverage with the occasional fishing story thrown into the mix. border-color: #656565; is ideally suited to a wide range of big game including elk and moose. . Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. David E. Petzal Introduced in 1958, the .338 Win. As much of the spring weather can be intermittently inclement, this is a perfect situation for the synthetic-stocked rifles. When I hunted caribou in grizzly country, Id use 210-grain bullets for ungulates, and always have a couple of 250-grain Swift A-Frames at the bottom of the magazine in case a bear showed up to claim the caribou. over a 300 Win. Its also been incredibly popular among Alaskan hunters and guides, especially in lever-actions like Marlins 1895 Guide Gun, which is compact, fairly lightweight and highly maneuverable in close quarters. Is it fun to shoot? 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. For black bears, in country where there is no grizzly presence, the popular deer and elk cartridges will certainly work very well; a .308 Winchester or .30-06 Springfield loaded with a 165- or 180-grain spitzer bullet will handle black bears. 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. font-size: 14px; 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. I took a .404 Jefferyin a synthetic stocked Bansner & Co. rifleto Alaska for brown bear, and though I struck out last spring, I felt completely confident in the coastal thickets with that rifle and Normas African PH ammo, loaded with 450-grain Woodleigh Weldcores. The accurate answer is it depends. Ive heard a lot of opinions on what it takes to kill a brown bear, and most of the cartridges I hear guys talking about would dislocate my shoulder. 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. Muzzle breaks are a cheat; they produce excessive back blast and flash which both deafens and blinds (in low light) a shooter. Caliber. Not surprising when you stop to consider this proprietary powerhouse has a case length of 2.905 inches and a 125-grain (water) capacity when compared with the .338 Win. Let's look at those assumptions a bit closer in the following table. The .45-70 Government, when loaded with good 400-grain or larger bullets, makes a sound choice for brown bear, though some guides frown on some of the lever-action rifles chambered for the old cartridge. The newest .338 magnum, the 33 Nosler arrived on the market in 2016. The taxidermist can patch the holes in the hide. Fuzzy, if your comfortable with your set-up, run with it. text-align: left; In English, that means that heavy .338 Win. During the spring conservation order, you can hunt with outfitters from Arkansas to Saskatchewan. Then again, why complicate things? Can Coolers | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Find More Great NRA Publications Perfect For Every Interest, Discover Everything That The NRA Has To Offer. Brilliant writing. This phenonemon is known as drag or air resistance. and 2700 fps, thus delivering massive energy on target. background-color: #efefef; 2. As a geologist, Nelson has killed four bears in defense of life and property (DLP), including two black bears and two grizzlies. vertical-align: top Rechargeable hand warmers and other ideas. Mags 210-grain load. Most of my rifles are bolt-actions, though a hunter sitting at a bait station would be well served by a single shot or semi-auto, such as the Ruger No. owner needs to consider the recoil issue carefully. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. | 250 gr. 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. border-width: 1px; The .338 in (8.6 mm) is the caliber at which medium-bore cartridges are considered to begin. Warren Pages .35 Mashburn had a 20-inch Mannlicher-stocked barrel and weighed 8 pounds, 2 ounces. All the cartridges tested were limited by the minimum expansion velocity recommended for the standard Nosler AccuBond. The second important assumption is slightly-suboptimal to optimal shot placement. 12-Gauge SlugAccording to Nelson, the 12-gauge slug gun is by far one of the most popular choices for bear protection in the Alaskan bush. Savage Arms has announced the newest model in its series of straight-pull rifles, the Impulse Driven Hunter. Animal Species. Copyright Ron Spomer Outdoors document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) Do not assume that because its a medium caliber that its loaded with strong bullets. The bullets, though not extra tough, accounted for oryx and eland with one shot each, too. The flat-shooting .338 Win. 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. Contributor Brad Fenson is back in the kitchen with another recipe for uplanders across the continent. A 12-gauge shotgun and slug will deliver impressive energy and is effective to moderate ranges. As a general rule, more than 15 ft-lbsf is considered enough recoil to affect most shooters accuracy. Both bears are highly territorial, peaceable enough if unprovoked, but quick to take offense at all manner of things. The beauty of the .454, however, is that you can practice with .45 Colt rounds and save yourself a bit of recoil trauma. It must be chambered in rifles with a magnum length action which means few rifle makers other than Remington offer a model for it. of energy. Any of them will do fine. The .357 is also available in smaller-framed revolvers that fit smaller hands, making it ideal for women and less experienced shooters. Your deer rifleprovided it is of suitable caliber, say 6.5mm and upcan easily be used on a baited hunt, but I would advise against a riflescope too high in magnification. .338 magnums need controlled expansion bullets like this Nosler Partition for large, tough game at ranges less than 500 yards. The 8-pound hypothetical rifle above might be a tad light for the 338, although I hunted with one (Ruger Hawkeye) in about this weight class and didnt find it objectionable. (L-R) .22 Long Rifle, .30-06 case, .338 RUM. The heaviest bullet available would give each cartridge its best chance since such bullets offer the highest BC's and SD's and would thus make the comparison as fair as possible. 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