Talyn
SAINT
The .338 Winchester Magnum
he .338 Winchester Magnum is a .338 in (8.6 mm) caliber, belted, rimless, bottlenecked cartridge introduced in 1958 by Winchester Repeating Arms. It is based on the blown-out, shortened .375 H&H Magnum. The .338 in is the caliber at which medium-bore cartridges are considered to begin.
The .338 Winchester Magnum was introduced in 1958 together with the .264 Winchester Magnum and the .458 Winchester Magnum, all of which used a common case design based on the .375 H&H Magnum case blown out and shortened to 2.500 in, much like the .334 OKH.
The .338 Winchester Magnum traces its heritage to the experiments conducted by Charles O'Neil, Elmer Keith and Don Hopkins with cartridges firing .333 in (8.5 mm) bullets in the late 1940s. The use of .333 in bullets may seem odd today but at the time this was the standard diameter of European .33 caliber bullets which were more common than the .338 in diameter bullets used in cartridges such as the .33 Winchester. Furthermore, the .333 in were available in heavier weights than the .338 in bullets. O'Neil, Keith and Hopkins experiments led to the creation of the .333 OKH, which was based on the .30-06 Springfield case necked up to accept .33 caliber bullets and the .334 OKH which used a shortened .375 H&H Magnum necked down to accept the same bullets.
When the cartridge was introduced, Winchester offered a 200 gr at 3,000 ft/s, a 250 gr at 2,700 ft/s and a 300 gr at 2,450 ft/s. Sometime later, Winchester introduced the Winchester Model 70 Alaskan chambered for the cartridge. This chambering left little doubt that the cartridge was intended for big heavy dangerous game.
The .338 Winchester Magnum is the first choice among professional brown bear (specifically grizzly bear) guides in Alaska to back up clients where a powerful stopping caliber is required on charging bears. It is also the most popular medium-bore cartridge in North America and has the most widely available choice in rifles among medium bore rifles. The action length is the same as a .30-06, and most major rifle manufacturers in the United States chamber rifles for the cartridge including the semi-automatic Browning BAR Mk II Safari, making it a very powerful combination against charging dangerous game. The cartridge was intended for larger North American big-game species and has found use as for the hunting of thin-skinned African plains-game species.
When the .338 Winchester was introduced there was a general preference for heavier bullet weights between 250–300 gr. However, since that time preferred bullet weights have decreased to weights between 200–225 gr. This is due in part to the bullet technology available today. Lighter bullets made today are able to hold together and penetrate deeper than heavier bullets of the past. In North America, the .338 Winchester Magnum is most commonly used for the hunting of larger deer species such as elk and moose. It is quite popular with elk hunters, with bullets ranging between 200–225 gr generally preferred for large class 3 game such as elk or moose.
Apart from the larger deer species, the .338 Winchester Magnum is often used for the hunting of and defense against dangerous class 3 game, particularly the great bears including grizzly, polar and brown bears. It is often carried by fishermen, hunters and guides in Alaska and Canada for protection as encounters with these larger bear species can be common. The .338 Winchester Magnum can be considered a good all-round plains game hunting rifle in Africa. It has also been found to be effective against the big cats where hunting allows for the use of the cartridge.
he .338 Winchester Magnum is a .338 in (8.6 mm) caliber, belted, rimless, bottlenecked cartridge introduced in 1958 by Winchester Repeating Arms. It is based on the blown-out, shortened .375 H&H Magnum. The .338 in is the caliber at which medium-bore cartridges are considered to begin.
The .338 Winchester Magnum was introduced in 1958 together with the .264 Winchester Magnum and the .458 Winchester Magnum, all of which used a common case design based on the .375 H&H Magnum case blown out and shortened to 2.500 in, much like the .334 OKH.
The .338 Winchester Magnum traces its heritage to the experiments conducted by Charles O'Neil, Elmer Keith and Don Hopkins with cartridges firing .333 in (8.5 mm) bullets in the late 1940s. The use of .333 in bullets may seem odd today but at the time this was the standard diameter of European .33 caliber bullets which were more common than the .338 in diameter bullets used in cartridges such as the .33 Winchester. Furthermore, the .333 in were available in heavier weights than the .338 in bullets. O'Neil, Keith and Hopkins experiments led to the creation of the .333 OKH, which was based on the .30-06 Springfield case necked up to accept .33 caliber bullets and the .334 OKH which used a shortened .375 H&H Magnum necked down to accept the same bullets.
When the cartridge was introduced, Winchester offered a 200 gr at 3,000 ft/s, a 250 gr at 2,700 ft/s and a 300 gr at 2,450 ft/s. Sometime later, Winchester introduced the Winchester Model 70 Alaskan chambered for the cartridge. This chambering left little doubt that the cartridge was intended for big heavy dangerous game.
The .338 Winchester Magnum is the first choice among professional brown bear (specifically grizzly bear) guides in Alaska to back up clients where a powerful stopping caliber is required on charging bears. It is also the most popular medium-bore cartridge in North America and has the most widely available choice in rifles among medium bore rifles. The action length is the same as a .30-06, and most major rifle manufacturers in the United States chamber rifles for the cartridge including the semi-automatic Browning BAR Mk II Safari, making it a very powerful combination against charging dangerous game. The cartridge was intended for larger North American big-game species and has found use as for the hunting of thin-skinned African plains-game species.
When the .338 Winchester was introduced there was a general preference for heavier bullet weights between 250–300 gr. However, since that time preferred bullet weights have decreased to weights between 200–225 gr. This is due in part to the bullet technology available today. Lighter bullets made today are able to hold together and penetrate deeper than heavier bullets of the past. In North America, the .338 Winchester Magnum is most commonly used for the hunting of larger deer species such as elk and moose. It is quite popular with elk hunters, with bullets ranging between 200–225 gr generally preferred for large class 3 game such as elk or moose.
Apart from the larger deer species, the .338 Winchester Magnum is often used for the hunting of and defense against dangerous class 3 game, particularly the great bears including grizzly, polar and brown bears. It is often carried by fishermen, hunters and guides in Alaska and Canada for protection as encounters with these larger bear species can be common. The .338 Winchester Magnum can be considered a good all-round plains game hunting rifle in Africa. It has also been found to be effective against the big cats where hunting allows for the use of the cartridge.
