338


Guest lilcrackshot

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Guest lilcrackshot

I was looking at the big bores (338 Win Mag in particular) and the guys in the gun shops were telling me how brutal the recoil was. Then I shot one and it wasn't bad at all. It's a light gun with big loads and I am a smaller guy. What's the deal?

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Re: 338

I agree with you to a point. After 10 or so rounds of fireing that gun you will start to feel something. I'm shure you can handle it no problem tho. I have a 300 WSM and the recoils dosent bother me untill i fire 15 shots plus in a single session. Once my accuracy sarts to drop with that gun then i put it away. Did you check out the 325 WSM. That looks like a sweet gun and possibly even less recoil with the close preformances as the 338.

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Re: 338

Perception of recoil varies widely among individuals. It's not a function of how big you are........or even if you're male or female. Some people are way more sensitive to big-punchers than others. I know some guys that are not willing to shoot anything bigger than a 30-06. Meanwhile my sister (a 5' 6" size 6) hunted deer with one of my .300 Win Mags and full power 180 gr. handloads. She even did the full sight-in at the bench. No problems. My Mrs. on the other hand, is quite happy to not shoot anything more than her .308 (but put a gobbler in front of her and she'll touch off a 3 1/2" mag.......go figure)Some people will think they've been killed after shooting a .338. Others quite enjoy the caress. grin.gif

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Re: 338

Strut nailed this one. Recoil affects different shooters differently. I have a buddy that hates recoil. He has a .257 Roberts for deer hunting as thats all the recoil he wants to take. I have shot a few of the big guns and can still get my 300 Wby to shoot under 3/4" groups. I can keep my high pressure 45/70 loads in the 1" group range. It all depends on what affects you. I have also seen guys that get their first magnum and can not group on paper at 100 yards. I have shown at least a half dozen shooters that their gun is not the problem. Stock design, recoil pad or butt plate, and load choice have a lot to do with the felt recoil.

I like the .338 Win Mag cartridge. If I lived in the Rockies where the big brown bears lived, it would be my do it all gun. I find the recoil similar to my 338 Wby Mag. You know when it goes off but it is controllable. I have shot 50 shots off the bench in one outing while working up loads.

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Re: 338

i agree guys. i am one of those guys that is not affected by recoil at all. heck i'd go to the range and shoot my .300 Win Mag, or .300 WSM all day. i'm not a huge guy either, 6'4" 170lbs. my uncles all think i'm crazy, i'll lean up on something and squeeze off one of the magnums, and sure, it'll give me a good jolt, but i am not bothered by it at all! grin.gif i'd rather shoot my big magnums anyday versus dad's .308. some people like the big bang, and the big punch, others dont. all depends on your preference.

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Re: 338

If you THINK you are going to get slammed........then you will. If you build up a mental fear due to what people say about 300 mags, 338 mags etc.......you will have a flinch out of the gate. If you fear the rifle, you will not be able to shoot it well.

To eliminate the fear, do these things. First off wear good hearing protection. Second, do your first few shots standing & off hand. I think you'll find that a 338 is not real bad this way. Then work your way to the bench. After sighting in I think you find that a 338 does come back harder than an 06 but it is still more than manageable. First step....get past pre concieved fears. Good luck & have fun! grin.gif

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