7mm mag. VS. .338 mag

Hey Everyone,

I have another question. I'm a Texan. The closest thing I know to dangerous game is a rattle snake. If I want a rifle to use on everything from elk to alligator to mean brown bear....7mm mag or .338 mag?

Thanks,

Brandon

I just went with a 338WM with the same basic questions, plus I wanted something with a bit of a punch for shooting steel. I also will be buying an aftermarket 308 barrel for a switch barrel rig.

My vote is 338.....

I second that vote for the 338. While the 7mm will do the job for most applications the 338 will better serve you for the bigger more dangerous critters due to its larger diameter and heavier weight. Some will tell you the 7mm shoots flatter and while it does, to me it isn't enough of a difference to matter a whole lot at reasonable shooting distances. If you are proficient enough the 338 shoots flat enough to make 500 yard shots which is a lot farther than a lot of shots are made when hunting.

7mm mag is an overkill for a lot of stuff. But good for everthing except for brown bear
and maybe Buff. I dont think you could find a guide that would take you out after growlers in AK
with a 7mm mag.

338 win mag is a good brown bear round but personally I would want something bigger
in the 375 cal and up range. 375 or 416 ruger are excellent. I tried out
a 375 ruger for a few months on hogs and its a really good round. In a Duromax stock the recoil
was not bad at all with 270 gr barnes bullets.

I read where an african game guide said a 270 gr .375 barnes loaded full tilt to 2800 fps would DRT anything in Africa. Most I could get out of the 375 Ruger was 2750.

That said there is a great range of bullets in 338, from 160 gr barnes to 300 gr woodlieghs.

I have a 338/284 which is about like a 338-06 so its not quite up to a 338 win mag.
When I got my 375 ruger barrel and ran some loads and trajectories, I discoverd that they were really not that much different out to 400-500 yards so a 375 Ruger will shot at distance too.

If you are serious about brown bear I would head over to the Alaska shooting forum and look around and ask some of those guys that live up there.

I think a switch barrel long action would be the way to go. 7mm mag for down south and something with a big bullet for the growlers and whatnot.

Split the difference and go with a 300 Win mag

I'd opt for the .338

And in a Savage, I'd shop for a 7mm mag barrel to swap to when you did not need the added punch.

Three 44s

.338 for sure.
That's just cuz you said mean brown bear.

You can shoot the nice brown bears with a 7mm Mag. ;)

Great thread.

I have never owned a 7 Mag and I own 7 338's of various powder capacities with another variation on the way.

One can use the 180 grain Accubond in the 338 or 185 grain Barnes with 57 grains of Varget for 2800fps. Then again you can load those two bullets to well past 3100fps and the 7 mag can not approach that kind of power. Yes the B.C. is better with the 7. So the lighter load is much like a 30-06 except with the larger bullet diameter it literally hammers moose on down to deer at any of the velocities. I would not hesitate using either load on a 1000 pound Brownie if that was what I was carrying.

My go to round for the 338 Win Mag is the 200 grain Accubond. My 338 Edge using the .550 BC 225 grain Accubond is my new favorite and I suspect it is my every day gun now and forever.

Neal

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.550 BC 225 grain Accubond

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I'd be curious if that BC is legit.(even though that is published by Nosler)

Don't get me wrong, they shoot great in my .338 Win Mag, I just think the G1's are a little elevated.

The only reason it is not my primary bullet is due to the tips breaking off while feeding. I have seen it four times now, once with a .338 225, once with a .308 180, and twice with a 7mm 140. All different guns. One of the incidences happened to another member of this forum.

A 225 in a .338 wins the debate on this thread hands down IMO. It just poleaxes anything in it's path with amazing regularity.

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Elmer answered this question years ago.

With 175 grainers, the 7mm makes an outstanding jackrabbit gun.

For bigger game, use a minimum of 338 caliber and 250 grains. And always add more powder.

.

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Elmer answered this question years ago.

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.375 H&H mag. You can eat right up to the bullet hole.


Ask Jack, .22-250 should do it........

#1 for brown bear for me would have to be a 416 something or other followed by a 375.

For me that would be a 416 ruger then a 375 ruger.
375 ruger is a really nice round. Recoil is manageable.
Reasonable price 225 gr spire points or for the big stuff 275 or 300 gr barnes bullet.
I read a post a while back by an African professional guide that said the 275 gr barnes loaded at 2800 fps would drop any animal in Africa, Rhinos, Buff, Elephant etc.
I never could get 2800 out of my 375R barrel with 275 gr barnes bullets.
Got to about 2700-2750 with RL15 and called it good.

338 probably after that. 338WM, 338 RCM, 338-06.

338 is nice and you can shoot from 160 gr barnes bullets up to reasonable cost 250 gr GK and they also make 300 gr woodlieghs.
That said a 250 gr barnes TSX will drop mostly anything on the planet.
338 barnes bullets are devestating on hogs.

After that 300WM. 300wm you can shoot from 110 Vmax up to 250 grain hawks.

not still the thread but why not 300gr SMK i know its a match bullet

I have a 338WM and Barnes no longer lists the 160gr bullet. The 185 is the lightest listed currently.

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Originally Posted by handirifle

I have a 338WM and Barnes no longer lists the 160gr bullet. The 185 is the lightest listed currently.

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From the Barnes store today.
http://barnesbullets.myshopify.com/p...160-gr-ttsx-fb
They better not discontinue the 160 TTSX, it's the reason I built a 338 Fed.

dk

.30-06.

338 would be my vote a good 300 would good too

I would got for the 338..... given your coices. If I were to get something ...375 HH Mag

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Have several 7's and variations thereof. Likewise the 338 bore.


There is nothing either can do that can't also be done by a 378 Weatherby.


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bigger is better, for bitey/scratchy critters, you just can't have too much gun.

The question is what range will you be taking game and how much recoil can you take. The Best of the West has proven the 7mm at 850 yards on elk, with a 168VLD at 3050 fps. This is a very forgiving magnum for recoil and has proven it self at 1000 yard competition for decades. The 300 Mags also have the same performance, But come at a price and that is recoil. The 338 is a sledge hammer and is a real asset when it comes to dangerous game. But as any body will tell you this caliber will kick and will not offer up realistic shooting beyond 600 yards as the bullets just do not have the B.C. of the smaller rounds. Versatility from Antelope to Elk I say 7mm. Mule Deer to Elk 300's and Moose to Grizzly 338.

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Originally Posted by 357 magnum

The 338 is a sledge hammer and is a real asset when it comes to dangerous game. But as any body will tell you this caliber will kick and will not offer up realistic shooting beyond 600 yards as the bullets just do not have the B.C. of the smaller rounds.

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Huh? I don't think anybody will agree with that.

I think you can also get high BC bullets in 338 as well. Between the 7mm rem mag and 338 win mag, the 7 may still shoot a little flatter but I don't think it would really be any more difficult to hit at distance with the 338 though if you can handle the extra recoil.

Same speed, same BC both bullets no matter what weight will have the same trajectory.
The 338 250 gr Scenar BC is .65 and the elcheapo 250 gr gameking is .6.

The 7mm 180 gr berger has a BC of over .7 so it will beat it but a 338 winmag
even a 338-06 will shoot way out there like 1000 yards plus.

Those are target bullets though, except for the GK.

Any of them will do out to 600 yards and the 338 will have a lot more knockdown power and more recoil.

The 7mm will shoot flatter with the right load and bullet.

338200SP164 .593 200 13.0 38.6 1.52 21.2 0.83 All .338 calibres, subject to twist rate
338232SP150 .726 232 15.0 44.8 1.76 24.8 .98 All .338 calibres, subject to twist rate

338267SP250 .906 267 17.3 53.0 2.09 31.4 1.23 All .338 calibres, subject to twist rate
338295SP142 1.010 This list came of the GS 338 bullet list from South Africa. We also have Lehigh Custom bullets here in the U.S. A. and his B>C.'s are right there with the GS bullet. Hat aluminum tip hunting bullets also have a good BC bullet as well.

Thirty years ago the Alaska Department of Fish and Game banned the 7 Rem Mag from any and all Bison hunts because they were tired of following up, helping drawn hunters claim their wounded animals. I have been using the 338 Win Mag or equivalent here in Alaska since the early 80's. Now we have some incredible BC hunting bullets and I hunt with a 338 Edge quite happily.

Neal

I am currently shooting a 238 grain 338 bullet with a BC of 1.1??

The last time I checked the 200 grain 7 Mag bullets were not in this BC range