I was looking at bone crunching big game cartridges and found that the .338 is ballisticly inferior to the .300 RUM. I've that the RUM was a powerful BIG game cartridge but, I didn't know it could top the .338. Has anyone shot these at animals and what were the results? How do the 2 compare for recoil?
The .300 RUM throws a .308 diameter bullet downrange, while the .338 Win Mag throws a .338 diameter bullet downrange. I have found that the .338 Win Mag, with it's heavier and larger projectiles, breaks down heavy game better than any .30 caliber. Let's look at this from a different perspective, the .375 H&H, which has long been hailed as the minimum cartridge for hunting African dangerous game, generates 4200 Ft lbs of energy at the muzzle with a 300 Grain bullet, while the .300 RUM can generate the same amount of energy with a 180 grain bullet, why isn't the .300 RUM legal for African dangerous game? its just isn't big enough! Energy is theoretical, while penetration and bone breaking ability are observable in the field. As for recoil, they are just about the same. For hunting every species of NA game, I would take the .338 Win mag, because the .300 RUM isn't "street legal" in some grizzly camps, while the .338 is usually the minimum cartridge required for hunting the big fuzzies.
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hey don't get the .338 win mag... get the 300 RUM's big bro the 338 RUM with 250 gr bullets it generated approx 4800 ft lbs at the muzzle. I shot an elk with this chambering and it literally picked it up and knocked it down... end of story.
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I shot an elk with this chambering and it literally picked it up and knocked it down... end of story.
I have seen an awful lot of big game shot in the field, and not one time have I seen a bullet lift an animal off of the ground. It simply defies the laws of physics, for the bullet to do that, the rifle would have to lift the shooter off of the ground as well. How is the .338 RUM anymore effective than a .338 Win Mag? it may hold a slight advantage on paper, but it has a lot of disadvantages. For one, it is very uncommon, and Remington is the only company chambering rifles for the .338 RUM, second, it is very expensive for factory ammo when you do buy it. If a hunter wants to own a .338, Winchester's is the odds on favorite.
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I really suggest you fire a .338 WM. It is hard to see why
anyone in the North American continent would want more gun.
Now, if you are going to Africa you need to learn the current
regulations as to minimum caliber/bore size allowed in the country
in which you wish to hunt.
But again, I must admit to being lost as why anyone needs
more power than a .338 can deliver as it will drop a moose
dead in its tracks (and has on a number of occassions).
Anyway, good luck, good shooting, and good hunting.
Last edited by nathangdad; 02-12-2008 at 09:17 AM.
Reason: addition
A .338 comes close to .375, but in big bear country I`ll carry my .375 everytime. If I only had a .338 for a big gun, I would still feel pretty well armed.
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