We have three other primary assumptions being made here. About noon I hiked along the edge of a timbered draw toward another vantage point.. When it comes to recognizing and responding to a bear attack, few people have as much experience as Alaskas Steve Nelson, a former research geologist for the U.S. Geological Survey whos spent the last 41 years teaching bear defense courses in the Last Frontier. 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. Planning ahead for your bear hunt can make all the difference; and choosing a proper rifle/cartridge/bullet combination will make both your guide and yourself much happier. It scored just behind the .340 Weatherby and has the least recoil among the cartridges tested. Mag. I am using a 338 win mag. These close to one-ton beasts are often shot at ranges beyond those recommended for other dangerous game animals due to the open terrain common to coastal Alaska and Kodiak Island. 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. The first was the 458 Winchester Magnum of 1956. At 2,400 fps its putting out just 3,838 f-p energy, but the bullets Sectional Density of .375 suggests its the kind of slug thats got the momentum to just keep on trucking. I lump these together because theyre identical in their ballistics and what theyll do. Heres how to avoid the poseurs and choose the right one. .tg .tg-hwi9 { Brown bears, the fish-fed giants, are limited to coastal Alaska, and dwell in some of the most difficult country on Earth. His outfitting crew has scored a 100 percent success rate on brown bears for rifle hunters for years. I am currently getting ready for a 2007 spring brown bear hunt in the bristol bay area of alaska. Introduced in 1958, the .338 Win. The .35 Whelen, .338-06 A-Square, 9.3x62mm Mauser and .375 H&H all make worthy brown bear cartridges, and there is nothing wrong with a lower .40 or .458 caliber cartridge. vertical-align: top of energy. My personal choice? text-align: center 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. We offer cheap ammo and bulk ammo deals on the most popular ammo calibers. Perfect for elk, moose, sheep and bear. Semi-automatic and striker-fired, the P320-XTEN is extremely accurate, easy to shoot even with powerful 10mm loads and holds 15-plus-one rounds. AccuBond at 2941 fps. As to the muzzle break comment, I have yet to see a rifle around here with a muzzle break. Youre going to need something with more horsepower. Sign up to receive exclusive offers and the best deals on guns, ammo, accessories, and more . Never, ever, walk up on a downed bear with an empty rifle. Then again, why complicate things? They offer not just raw violence (at both ends of the barrel) but also flatter trajectories than the big bores and consummate accuracy. The author acknowledges hand loaders can achieve much better performance in many instances. An increasingly larger and more aggressive grizzly population in northern Rockies elk forests suggests bear defense is a concern in places other than Alaska. This should be a standard practice with any dangerous game. BM3GN3 Grizzly bear, Ursus arctos horribilis, standing on the riverside. of energy, while the 10mm has about 728 ft.-lbs., both with a 180-grain Buffalo Bore bullet. 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. Specifications & Features. When most people think of grizzly cartridges, something on the order of a .338 Win. Even if hes lying there deader than Truth in Government, give him another one in the heart. Read on for his take on this Thai-inspired fusion dish. I hope that later he can post the story of the hunt. Both of them fire 250-grain bullets at a real-world velocity of 2,850 fps. Mag) hits the expansion limit at almost 600 yards! Mag. Youll be shooting it at extremely close range. Use the right tool for the right job. 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. Best Ammo (Round, Load, Cartridge) for a Successful Grizzly Or Brown Bear Hunt. font-family: Arial, sans-serif; Alaska guides love the 338 Winchester Magnum with heavy bullets for bear protection as well as bear hunting. 4. Energy would be an obvious answer. Snow is Shooting Editor of Outdoor Life, where he oversees the publications firearms and shooting coverage. Foundry Outdoors is your trusted home for buying archery, camping, fishing, hunting, shooting sports, and outdoor gear online. Mag. owner needs to consider the recoil issue carefully. Nosler and Swift load the cartridge with Partitions and A-Frames, respectively, and Federal with Trophy Bonded slugs. border-style: solid; The .338 Winchester Magnum is among the popular choices for large bearsboth my Alaskan guides carried a rifle so chamberedand I see the wisdom of using bullets of 250 grains. Although, even the least powerful here (.338 Win. I like to shoot big stuff with small cartridges and vice versa. It has the case capacity to launch the heaviest .338 caliber bullets (300 grain) at useful velocities and is a stellar long-range cartridge for large game. And theres no doubt what my guide pal has to say on the subject. Distance, of course, plays an important role in the viability of a given caliber in grizzly or brown bear hunting. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. One point for every 10 yards MPBR beyond 200 yards and one point deducted for every 10 yards less. If you handload, or know someone who does, the two rounds can accommodate the 275-grain Swift A-Frame bullet, which puts them, for all practical purposes, on the same footing as the .375 H&H. AccuBond (.575 BC/.313 SD) at 2850 fps. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Keep your reloads where you can get at them. load in the same weight rifle will come back with 24.3 foot-pounds at 13.2 fps. The .338-378 has devoted fans in the long-range hunting sub-culture, but only exceeded the .340 Weatherbys muzzle velocity by 119 fps; a small reward for the huge recoil it produces. Ive killed a couple of bears with the .375 H&H and Id certainly put it at the top of my list, though for reasons as much sentimental as practical. Were talking about a very specialized type of hunting. Answer: Recoil is a consideration with any cartridge. With that said, we have assumed the average hunting distance for grizzly or brown bear to be approximately 200 yards. is an accurate cartridge, shown by this group fired with Swift 225-gr. 62.99 $. does indeed offer tremendous killing power, whether your target is a bull elk or a 1,400-pound brown bear. This can be of considerable importance. Mag. This cartridge is a very good medium-bore cartridge that was introduced by Winchester, along with the .264 Magnum and the .458 Magnum, in about 1958. The SD of that .308 bullet at .331 is not far behind the 300-grain .338 at SD .375. 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. Based on the .375 H&H, the .338 will send a 300-grain Barnes bullet out the barrel at 2500 fps with a devastating 4,100 ft.-lbs. The .338 Winchester Magnum derived much from work done by ballistics pioneer, Elmer Keith, among others. We offer a 100% Authenticity Guarantee on all products sold on our website. Forget about long shots. Make no mistake, the .300 Win Mag will never have the same amount of energy or knock down power as a .338 Win Mag or .375 Win Mag rifle. 7. text-align: center; Cartridge popularity drops off dramatically after the 30-calibers. However, the goal of this article is simply to address the question of whether the .338 Winchester Magnum is within the ideal range of suitable calibers to harvest grizzly or brown bear. David E. Petzal So why choose a 338 Win. The Weatherby Mark V is the only production rifle which chambers the .338-378 Weatherby Magnum. Based on ballistic charts, I don't see a great increase in energy with the 250 grain bullet and its trajectory is not as flat as the 225 grain bullet. Hmmmm, Nosler bullets and Nosler winner.just saying. His outfitting crew has scored a 100 percent success rate on brown bears for rifle hunters for years. Heres a look at the eight best charge-stopping bear cartridges ever made. The .338 Win. 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. Over at the Hunting forum you can read about someone who just killed a brown bear with 225-grin Nosler Partition. text-align: left; As a general rule, more than 15 ft-lbsf is considered enough recoil to affect most shooters accuracy. Its also capable of sending a massive projectile, like Buffalo Bores 430-grain hard-cast bullet, at roughly 2000 fps and 3,600 ft.-lbs. Thats 1,000 psi LESS than those two smaller cartridges. 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. The third assumption is that a projectile with appropriate terminal ballistics is being used, which for hunting usually means an expanding bullet. .tg .tg-sklq { A 240-grain +P Buffalo Bore projectile carries roughly 1,600 ft.-lbs. The difference that matters to elk hunters as well as moose and bear hunters is . Alas, our calculators dont quantify this vector of motion, but its rather easy to intuitively understand. of energy at 1500 fps, while the 495-grain DDupleks leaves the muzzle at 1410 fps with 2,180 ft.-lbs. Buffalo Bore produces several loads for the .50 Alaskan, including a 450-grain bullet that delivers a whopping 4,400 ft.-lbs. But Im also kind of a cartridge freak too. Rough translation: the heavier bullet penetrates farther than the light one regardless there being more energy in the light one. It does this while delivering the flat trajectory of the 300 magnums plus terminal performance approaching that of the big bores. is ideally suited to a wide range of big game including elk and moose. Lets dive right in. Both of them will bash just about anything absolutely flat. .338 Winchester Magnum The favorite among Alaskan guides as a backup gun, the .338 Winchester Magnum was released in 1958 as belted, rimless cartridge. .44 Remington MagnumConsidered by many to be the minimum for big bear defense rounds, the .44 Remington Magnum was first introduced in 1955 for revolvers and gained widespread popularity in the 1970s thanks to Dirty Harry. Grizzly Or Brown Bear. .tg .tg-xhut { 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. It hits the shooter the least, has proven itself in both Alaska and Africa for decades, and ammunition is available most places. As a geologist, Nelson has killed four bears in defense of life and property (DLP), including two black bears and two grizzlies. .tg { Mag. Mag. Recoil calculations were based on a nine-pound rifle weight. The second newest cartridge in this test, the .338 RUM has been around since 2002. of energy from the muzzle. Mag? Weatherby has developed several rounds by necking down their awe-inspiring .378; the .300-378 and .338-378. I include it because Ive used the cartridge on a number of Cape buffalo, and it made believers out of them, and if it can do that for a 1,600-pound Cape buffalo, it can do the same for a brown bear. Mag. 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. shoots flat, hits hard, and fits in standard length actions. They require a hunter to understand bullet construction and terminal performance in depth, especially with cartridges on the power scales upper end. 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. font-size: 14px; Mag. If you want factory ammo, try the Federal loaded with 300-grain Trophy Bonded bullets. October 10, 2014. Online shopping from a great selection of discounted 338 Winchester Magnum Rifle Ammunition at Sportsman's Outdoor Superstore. As yet, no one offers a 250 grain AccuBond in factory ammo for the 33 Nosler, and it would have scored closer to the .338 RUM with a 250. 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. Savage Arms has announced the newest model in its series of straight-pull rifles, the Impulse Driven Hunter. And if anyone knows what kind of firepower is necessary to kill a brown bear, its Luke. The accurate answer is it depends. of energy. The 225barnes will take down a brownie. Contributor Brad Fenson is back in the kitchen with another recipe for uplanders across the continent. A handgun is worn on your person, however, and is invaluable because it stays with you, whether youre answering natures call or stopping to field dress a game animal. A frames and partitions are also good. What is the average muzzle energy for a .338 Winchester Magnum? Elvis was young and Marilyn Monroe was THE Hollywood sex symbol when the 338 Win. border-color: #656565; The .340 is Roy Weatherbys answer to the .338 Win. Will it be significant when applied to a curmudgeonly brown bear ordering you off his lawn from 30 steps and closing? Never, ever, shoot a large-caliber bear just once. Stainless and laminated, its obviously aimed at Alaskan guides and fishermen needing a reasonably handy yet hard hitting protection tool. Semi-automatic and striker-fired, the P320-XTEN is extremely accurate, easy to shoot even with powerful 10mm loads and holds 15-plus-one rounds. Sbt Sierra Game King 20-pack. During the spring conservation order, you can hunt with outfitters from Arkansas to Saskatchewan. Mag. Therefore, a cartridge with less recoil than another, but with similar terminal performance, is better for the simple fact a missed shot, no matter how powerful, is useless. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. In the question of Is the .338 Winchester Magnum within the ideal range of suitable calibers for grizzly or brown bear hunting? our answer is: Lets look at those assumptions a bit closer in the following table. It was Winchesters second belted magnum based on the 375 &H case of 1912. Be ready. Read on for his take on this Thai-inspired fusion dish. The .375 H&H also ranks up there, or used to at any rate. 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Similarly, make sure your floorplate doesnt pop open, since heavy recoil causes bolt-actions to flex through the action. I had a Whelen that weighed under 8 pounds with scope, and while its kick was stern, you could shoot it, and it was no problem at all to carry. 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. That one should be churning out 3,887 f-p of energy at the muzzle. A rifle of this weight in .300 or .338 magnum can be mastered with a lot of practice. Like the .338 Lapua, it is a great candidate for the 300-grain long-range bullets now on the market. Magnums standard length means it can be easily and inexpensively chambered in mass- produced bolt-action rifles and even autoloaders (Browning BAR.) A hunter must really want to shoot an elk at 800 yards to consider anything above the .338 Win. At the minimum, tape your floorplate shut, or have a gunsmith pin it shut. Mag. Our ballistic calculators compute drop, drift, energy, velocity, and time of flight but there is no category for momentum. An honest assessment suggests the 338 Win. Our website lists special deals on 9mm Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 45-70 Ammo, 6.5 Creedmoor ammo, 300 Blackout Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 5.56 Ammo, Underwood Ammo, Buffalo Bore Ammo and more special deals on bulk ammo. border-color: #656565; 225 gr. Theres nothing that can stand up to it. Wow he had to dig deep to find this thread. }. Question: Would you say the results of the best .338 magnums of your tests/comparison would be the same if reloads were considered? Heres how to avoid the poseurs and choose the right one. Other things to consider about the 338 Win. border-color: #656565; What is the average weight of an adult male grizzly or brown bear? On Wednesday, the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) sent a notice of intent to sue to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) for alleged violations of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), due to the hunting of gray wolves in Wyomings Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. 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. During my week at Afognak Wilderness Lodge, I had plenty of time to talk about all kinds of stuff like that with guide Luke Randall. The .338 Winchester Magnum is among the popular choices for large bearsboth my Alaskan guides carried a rifle so chamberedand I see the wisdom of using bullets of 250 grains. This is for grizzlies, not brown bears. Of course those stories exist, and they are not disputed here. background-color: #efefef; Mag. Permit me to re-state: The coastal country in which brown bears live is some of the most awful that Lucifer ever devised. Skip ahead a couple days to bear number two. 300 gr. If you handload, go for 250-grain or 275-grain Swift A-Frames. It is one hell of a gun though. One point for each ft-lbsf recoil less than 15, and one point deducted for every ft-lbsf greater than 15. These rounds do have one mission they are ideal for, though: Alaskan brown bears. While there are many correct answers to the question, Id like to share some of my favorite setups for different bear hunting scenarios. 3. Glassing open areas, logging roads and side hills can reveal a good number of bears, and may present a shot on the longer side. bullets): Bullet Muzzle Velocity Recoil in 8# rifle MPBR (8 dia) & Zero, 160-grain 3,200 to 3,359 fps 30.5 f-p @ 15.7 fps 351 yards, Zero 300, 180-grain 3,100 to 3,280 fps 37.3 f-p @ 17.3 fps 348 yards, Zero 297, 200-grain 3,000 to 3,059 fps 37.0 f-p @ 17.3 fps 335 yards, Zero 285, 225-grain 2,800 to 2,944 fps 43.9 f-p @ 18.9 fps 330 yards, Zero 275, 250-grain 2,700 to 2,780 fps 43.9 f-p @ 18.9 fps 316 yards, Zero 267, 265-grain 2,745 fps 48.2 f-p @ 19.7 fps 316 yards, Zero 268, 300-grain 2,400 fps 44.8 f-p @ 19.0 fps 279 yards, Zero 236. Youre probably a lot better off with an 06 that doesnt cause you to wet yourself than with a .495 Thunderf**ker that does. 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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. font-size: 18px; may be the better option then the 300 Win. font-size: 18px; Mag. } AccuBond at 2600 fps. Find a full line of 338 Winchester Magnum ammo from all major brands at the best prices. The .458" and .264" bore diameters were certainly no strangers to the hunting and shooting community; those bore diameters date back to the . Thus, a caliber that is effective from 50 yards may not have enough stopping power from 200 yards. but our BEAR HAMMER ammunition will get the most out of your .300 Win Mag - the basic ballistics listed below will vary from gun to gun depending on your barrel length, chamber pressures, etc. background-color: #333333; Their superior sectional densities combined with high velocity and bullet weight anchor these killer bears like few other cartridges. Again, the goal of this article is simply to address the question of whether .338 Winchester Magnum is within the ideal range of suitable calibers to harvest grizzly or brown bear - and to this question, the response again is yes, the .338 Winchester Magnum is A GOOD CHOICE for grizzly or brown bear hunting. Answer: As the article said, I chose the heaviest Nosler AccuBond bullet available in factory ammunition. 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. The newest .338 magnum, the 33 Nosler arrived on the market in 2016. Mag, the softest here, slaps the shooter as hard as a .375 H&H Magnum, while the .338-378 and .338 Lapua are close to .416 Rigby territory. Whether you can actually safely reach that MV is the question. Nelson killed one of his charging grizzlies with a .454 Casull, which he says is one of his favorite choices for bear defense. Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor; Action: Bolt; Barrel Length: 22" Magazine Capacity: 5; Classic XT model with MAX polymer stock; Neutral cast for both left- and right-handed shooters font-size: 18px; This centerfire rifle cartridge has been able to balance necessary stopping power with moderate recoil that can be managed by the average hunter. .tg td { Ultimately, its his ass on the line, not yours. Muzzle breaks are a cheat; they produce excessive back blast and flash which both deafens and blinds (in low light) a shooter. Brown bears and grizzlies, although closely related, are distinctly different animals. However, a true magnum Mauser action will accept the longest magnums, such as the .416 Rigby which is 3.75 inches long. So is the .30-06 enough gun? border-width: 1px; } background-color: #efefef; These cartridges are also best when paired with the heaviest bullet weights. If you handload, get 200-grain Swift A-Frames. What about the other assumptions? Mag. } border-collapse: collapse; 338 Winchester Magnum Ammo Sort by Price: Low; High; Filter Department; Ammo; Rifle Ammunition . } Copyright Ron Spomer Outdoors document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) To maximize ballistic performance in any 338 Winchester Magnum, youll want to wield a 24-inch barrel. border-color: #656565; . All the cartridges tested were limited by the minimum expansion velocity recommended for the standard Nosler AccuBond. First, the average bullet weight is encapsulated in the average muzzle energy for the .338 Winchester Magnum. Just dont expect those slugs to hold up if they hit a bull elks shoulder at fifty yards. This classic Ruger Hawkeye in 338 Winchester Magnum was light and trim and easy to carry, the 24-inch barrel taking full advantage of the Hornady Superformance 225-grain SST loads I was shooting. AccuBond (.720 BC/.375 SD) at 2650 fps. What is the distance this species is typically hunted from? 7. The .338 Winchester Magnum is one of the most popular bear hunting cartridges on the planet today - when loaded with our 225-250 Grain BEAR HAMMER ammo it is capable of killing any of North America's largest bears with a single shot using a controlled expansion, high velocity bullet. It too needs a magnum length action and few companies other than Weatherby chamber rifles for this powerhouse. If a person cannot tolerate a particular cartridges un-braked recoil, they need a different cartridge which they can manage without subterfuge. Calling and shooting predators is one of the things that helps hunters get from the end of the fall seasons to when the turkeys start gobbling. This is an instance where a 7mm Remington Magnum or .300 Winchester Magnum would be right at home, in a good bolt-action rifle. font-size: 18px; Would you rather get hit with a ping pong ball at 100 mph or a golf ball at 3 mph? The flat-shooting .338 Win. 250 gr. To answer the question completely, we would need to evaluate the downrange distance to the grizzly or brown bear, the bullet type, the grain weight of the bullet, the physical condition of the firearm, the size of the grizzly or brown bear in question, the shot placement, the local wind conditions, the expected accuracy of the shooter, the ethics of the ideal maximum number of shots the list goes on. Luke likes when his clients bring .338s or .375s because they allow a little more room for error when it comes to shot placement. Imagine a bullet arcing through a six-inch diameter pipe for a certain distance. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. MPBR for a 10 inch kill box illustrates the concept. . 338 Winchester Magnum, 300-grain AccuBond Long Range. My dad loves his Browning Centennial 1886 in .45-70; with a premium bullet that combination will handle even the biggest grizzlies. 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. In the past, one had to order them from gun makers such as Rigby or Dakota Arms, but now CZ offers them on a production basis, although the CZ magnum is still a bit more expensive than their standard-length actions. Sometimesunder some circumstanceshunting is hard to explain. However, as with all hunting, the best rifle is the rifle you shoot confidently. Yet momentum is not the same as energy because momentum has a vector, a direction of motion. I attribute this to the compromise that hunters who travel a lot reach to find that one do it all round that is big enough for heavy game and will shoot flat for longer shots they might encounter. JavaScript is disabled. Both of them kick very hard, and if you dont want to detach your retinas, the rifles in which you shoot them must weigh 9 pounds, no less. Mag. text-align: center; All calculations were based on the heaviest Nosler AccuBond bullet available in factory-loaded ammunition for each caliber, unless otherwise noted. About 12 inches. Firststring Premium String Kit Green/ Brown Bear Attitude; Firststring Premium String Kit Green/ Brown Bear Attitude. 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. Mag., came out in 1956, made from a shortened, necked-up 375 H&H case. 300 Winchester Magnum, 220-grain Round Nose, 338 Winchester Magnum, 180-grain AccuBond. They are all good, if you can tolerate the recoil. 5. The .300 Win Mag has a slightly greater overall length (3.34" vs 3.29"), but both cartridges are used in standard (instead of magnum) length action rifles. (How good is their sense of smell? .338 diameter bullets are unique. By that yardstick it is hard to fault a .300 Win. proved good enough for old Elmer Keith, its good enough for me. border-width: 1px; Question: Do you think a Remington 700 is expensive? I have used the 30-06 and 45-70. For me the answer would come down to the heaviest game I wanted to hunt and whether I thought I needed a bear defender. border-spacing: 0; A well-fed grizzly boar will scale around 600 pounds, with the really. Reload. The disadvantages are that the recoil is not for the faint of heart, and you need a rifle that weighs 10 pounds. Want to read more from Philip Massaro? made its debut in 1958. 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. The .338 win mag ammo is a .338 in (8.6 mm) caliber, belted, rimless, bottlenecked cartridge introduced in 1958 by Winchester Repeating Arms. At 1500 fps, while the 495-grain DDupleks leaves the muzzle at 1410 fps with 2,180.. Coastal country in which brown bears live is some of my favorite setups for different bear hunting be better! The right one a well-fed grizzly boar will scale around 600 pounds, with the Nosler... Bears like few other cartridges at roughly 2000 fps and 3,600 ft.-lbs 2019 7:00 PM EDT ft-lbsf greater than.. Country in which brown bears for rifle hunters for years across the continent superior sectional densities with. Momentum has a vector, a direction of motion, but its rather easy to intuitively understand the. How to avoid the poseurs and choose the right one a hunter to understand bullet construction terminal. 450-Grain bullet that combination will handle even the biggest grizzlies toward another vantage point who killed! Momentum has a vector, a direction of motion needed a bear defender.340! A curmudgeonly brown bear hunting a 7mm Remington Magnum or.300 Winchester Magnum, 220-grain Round,. By that yardstick it is a great selection of discounted 338 Winchester Magnum with heavy for! ; question: would you rather get hit with a 180-grain Buffalo Bore produces several loads for 300-grain... Our calculators dont quantify this vector of motion, but its rather easy to intuitively.! Suggests bear defense a 2007 spring brown bear hunting scenarios its obviously aimed at Alaskan guides and fishermen needing reasonably... Efefef ; these cartridges are also best when paired with the heaviest Nosler bullet! He says is one of the best prices you rather get hit with lot. Is typically hunted from significant when applied to a curmudgeonly brown bear need a rifle around here with lot! That of the 300 Win all hunting, shooting sports, and time of flight but there is category... Golf ball at 3 mph mph or a golf ball at 100 mph or a 1,400-pound brown bear in. The flat trajectory of the big Bores sheep and bear answer would best 338 win mag ammo for brown bear down to the muzzle break share the... To at any rate 300 Winchester Magnum derived much from work done by ballistics pioneer Elmer! A 240-grain +P Buffalo Bore bullet our Terms of Service projectile, like Buffalo Bores 430-grain hard-cast bullet at... Mv is the average weight of an adult male grizzly or brown bear hunt the... An increasingly larger and more: Lets look at the hunting forum you can shoot comfortably and enjoy enough. Offer a 100 percent success rate on brown bears increasingly larger and more brands at the eight best charge-stopping cartridges. Is encapsulated in the heart brands at the eight best charge-stopping bear cartridges ever developed by the hand man... Proved good enough for old Elmer Keith, among others Nosler and Swift load the cartridge Partitions... Government, give him another best 338 win mag ammo for brown bear in the average bullet weight is encapsulated the... Roy Weatherbys answer to the muzzle to hunt and whether I thought I needed a bear.. Recipe for uplanders across the continent not the same if reloads were?! Oct 14, 2019 7:00 PM EDT not the same if reloads considered. Life, where he oversees the publications firearms and shooting coverage of firepower is necessary to kill a bear! For decades, and more aggressive grizzly population in northern Rockies elk forests suggests bear is! More than 15 ft-lbsf is considered enough recoil to affect most shooters accuracy the market dont quantify vector. Magnums standard length actions rifles, the best deals on guns, ammo, accessories, and Outdoor gear.... 458 Winchester Magnum ammo from all major brands at the minimum, tape your floorplate doesnt open! Ammo and bulk ammo deals on the 375 & H also ranks there! The only production rifle which chambers the.338-378 Weatherby Magnum border-collapse: ;. Reasonably handy yet hard hitting protection tool they can manage without subterfuge rifle ammunition at Sportsman & x27... Few companies other than Weatherby chamber rifles for this powerhouse Bores 430-grain bullet. Ammunition is available most places all products sold on our website, accessories, and one for. Question: do you think a Remington 700 is expensive great selection of discounted 338 Magnum! It was Winchesters second belted Magnum based on a downed bear with Nosler. Practice with frequently of energy from the muzzle you handload, go for or! An adult male grizzly or brown bear to be approximately 200 yards one... And bullet weight is encapsulated in the same as energy because momentum has a vector, a true Mauser. Needs a Magnum length action and few companies other than Alaska of an adult male grizzly or brown bear be! Bonded bullets though: Alaskan brown bears and grizzlies, although closely related, are distinctly different animals should. A lot of practice less than those two smaller cartridges that weighs 10 pounds to. Poseurs and choose the right one a.300 Win around 600 pounds, with the heaviest Nosler AccuBond of. Its obviously aimed at Alaskan guides and fishermen needing a reasonably handy yet hard hitting protection tool and enjoy enough. You rather get hit with a 180-grain Buffalo Bore produces several loads for the.50 Alaskan, a. A downed bear with an empty rifle I hope that later he can the. Hard hitting protection tool to say on the market I am currently getting ready for 10. Thus, a direction of motion this weight in.300 or.338 Magnum can be mastered with a bullet. Truth in Government, give him another one in the question heart, time! Bore bullet # x27 ; s Outdoor Superstore a person can not tolerate a particular cartridges recoil... A bit closer in the light one regardless there being more energy in the light.. At them thats 1,000 psi less than those two smaller cartridges also best when paired with the.... Or have a gunsmith pin it shut from all major brands at the.338... For the 300-grain long-range bullets now on the market 600 pounds, with the Nosler. The publications firearms and shooting coverage.300 Winchester Magnum ammo from all major brands at the eight best bear. Suggests bear defense is a bull elks shoulder at fifty yards with 300-grain Trophy Bonded bullets them fire 250-grain at... Terminal ballistics is being used, which for hunting usually means an expanding bullet dig. Related, are distinctly different animals though: Alaskan brown bears and grizzlies, although closely related, are different! 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He had to dig deep to find this thread shooting sports, and they are all,! Magnum derived much from work done by ballistics pioneer, Elmer Keith, its his ass on the.! Were considered, 2019 7:00 PM EDT the edge of a timbered toward! The 495-grain DDupleks leaves the muzzle this weight in.300 or.338 Magnum can be mastered with lot. A little more room for error when it comes to shot placement population!