.338 Winchester Magnum

The .338 Winchester Magnum was introduced in 1958 by Winchester Repeating Arms Company. It is based on the .458 Winchester Magnum and is suited for all kinds of large game in North America. It is also a useful round for thin-skinned African game.

Performance
This cartridge is able to push a 225 grain (14.58g) bullet to velocities of 2,800 ft/s (853.44 m/s), generating 3,918 ft·lbf (5258J), providing energy values at 100 yards that are roughly equivalent what a .30-06 Springfield would be at the muzzle. Bullets are available in a very wide range of designs and weights ranging from 180 to 250 grains. SAAMI pressure level is 64,000 PSI.

The recoil of this caliber is quite heavy, with about 31 ft·lbf (4.16 m*kg) of force in a 9 lb (4.08 kg) rifle. This is about twice as much as the recoil from an average .308 Winchester. Strong recoil like this is can be mitigated with the use of properly designed stocks and recoil pads. By comparison, this cartridge has less recoil than other more powerful .338-caliber rifles such as the .338 RUM, .340 Weatherby and .338 Lapua.

Uses
In practice this cartridge is frequently used for hunting the larger North American members of the deer family, namely moose, elk, and caribou. It is sufficient for stopping polar bear and grizzly bear, both of which are often encountered while hunting in Canada and Alaska, though a more powerful cartridge such as the .375 H&H provides a better margin of error for taking this dangerous North American game.

The .338 Win Mag is one of the most popular cartridges with big game hunters in Alaska.

Categories
Cartridge:rifles