November 06, 2017
By Joseph von Benedikt
The flat-shooting .338 Win. Mag. is ideally suited to a wide range of big game including elk and moose. Histor y
Introduced in 1958, the .338 Win. Mag. was inspired by big-bore aficionados such as Elmer Keith. It dominates a vast territory between the much-loved .30 calibers and the .375 H&H so popular among those who pursue dangerous game. Rightly so: It offers tremendous performance on an incredibly broad spectrum of game at an affordable cost in recoil. Even now, at 59, the .338 Win. Mag. is so popular that every major rifle manufacturer chambers it and every major ammunition company builds ammo for it.
Applicatio n
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Conceivably at its best on elk, moose, and bison-size game, the .338 Win. Mag. isn't too much for deer and antelope, and with a heavy-for-caliber, tough bullet designed to break heavy bones and penetrate deeply, it's an outstanding choice for big bears. A broad array of projectile types and weights enables the hunter to tailor it to the specific task. For deer-size game, choose a lighter bullet, such as Nosler's 200-grain AccuBond; for elk and moose, a midweight bullet, such as the 225-grain offerings from Nosler and Barnes; and for bison and the biggest bears, a heavy Barnes 250-grain TSX or Swift 250- or 275-grain A-Frame.
Ballistic s
Because of the wide range of available bullet weights, it's difficult to place the .338 Win. Mag. into one ballistic category. Muzzle energy ranges from 3,400 ft.-lbs. up to about 4,000 ft.-lbs. Let's examine a great all-around bullet: Nosler's 250-grain AccuBond. With a BC of .575, when pushed to 2,600 fps, it offers good extended-range ballistics and retained terminal performance. In standard sea-level atmospherics, when zeroed at 200 yards, it impacts 2.1 inches high at 100 yards, drops 9.1 inches at 300 yards, carrying 1,737 ft.-lbs. of energy — enough for any elk or moose walking this continent.
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Joseph von Benedikt
Raised in a tiny Rocky Mountain town 100 miles from a stoplight or supermarket, Joseph von Benedikt began shooting competitively at age 14, gunsmithing at age 21, and guiding big game hunters professionally at age 23. While studying creative writing at the university he began publishing articles about firearms and hunting in nationally distributed magazines, as well as works of short fiction about ranch life. An editorial job offer presented an open door into the industry, along with an eye-opening two years stationed in the Petersen Publishing building in Los Angeles.
A position serving as Editor in Chief of Shooting Times magazine took von Benedikt and his young family to Illinois for four years. Homesick for the great Rocky Mountains, von Benedikt swapped his editorial seat for a position as a full-time writer and moved home to the West, where he's been writing full-time ever since, along with hosting the Backcountry Hunting Podcast.
Favorite pursuits include high-country elk and mule deer hunting, safaris in Africa, deep wilderness hunts in Alaska, and wandering old-growth forest in Europe for stag, roebuck, and wild boar.
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