At least in the USA. Maybe a bit much for mule deer, but as they say, dead is dead. Available in shorter versions like the Smith & Wesson 629 with 4-inch barrel, the .44 Mag. Rechargeable hand warmers and other ideas. While a well-placed shot from a 10mm can no doubt do the trick, the .357 Mag. This should be a standard practice with any dangerous game. 250 gr. In 2000, a friend of mine shot a brown bear that squared 11 feet plus, and must have weighed over 1,200 pounds. His outfitting crew has scored a 100 percent success rate on brown bears for rifle hunters for years. The Weatherby Mark V is the only production rifle which chambers the .338-378 Weatherby Magnum. 12-Gauge SlugAccording to Nelson, the 12-gauge slug gun is by far one of the most popular choices for bear protection in the Alaskan bush. October 10, 2014. As a general rule, more than 15 ft-lbsf is considered enough recoil to affect most shooters accuracy. But every potential 338 Win. The 180-grain 300 Win. Based on ballistic testing and field use, Nelson recommends Brennekes Black Magic Magnum or DDupleks Monolit 32 solid steel slug. Any of them will do fine. In terms of firearm selection, Nelson said its really about delivering a few well-placed shots on target in a short timeframe. The .300 Winchester Magnum has a slightly longer case length (2.62 vs 2.5) as well as a shoulder that sits .156" further forward than the shoulder of the 7mm Rem Mag. The .338 Winchester Magnum is among the popular choices for large bearsboth my Alaskan guides carried a rifle so chamberedand I see the wisdom of using bullets of 250 grains. Value. Like all of Winchesters belted magnums, the 458 was short enough to fit and function in the standard, 30-06-length Model 70 action and magazine, so all they had to do was neck it down and give it a 25-degree shoulder to create a magnum 338 reminiscent of Elmer Keiths 334 OKH of the 1940s. Other things to consider about the 338 Win. Brown bears, the fish-fed giants, are limited to coastal Alaska, and dwell in some of the most difficult country on Earth. Disclaimer: the information above is purely for illustrative purposes and should not be taken as permission to use a particular caliber, a statement of the legality or safety of using certain calibers, or legal advice in any way. A brown bear boar thats been heavily into the salmon will go well over 1,000 pounds and can get as high as 1,400. Mag, the softest here, slaps the shooter as hard as a .375 H&H Magnum, while the .338-378 and .338 Lapua are close to .416 Rigby territory. A rifle of this weight in .300 or .338 magnum can be mastered with a lot of practice. bullets and have less recoil. The .35 Whelen, .338-06 A-Square, 9.3x62mm Mauser and .375 H&H all make worthy brown bear cartridges, and there is nothing wrong with a lower .40 or .458 caliber cartridge. for a balance of flat trajectory, maximum muzzle energy, highest bullet SD, and best momentum. will dig in deeper then most 250 gr. Youll be shooting it at extremely close range. The less recoil, the more accurate the shooter, and hence, the more effective the cartridge. Nosler and Swift load the cartridge with Partitions and A-Frames, respectively, and Federal with Trophy Bonded slugs. Question: Do you think a Remington 700 is expensive? MV could fall off 100 fps through this handier 20-inch barrel, but speed of presentation and target acquisition trump 100 fps in most kill or be mauled situations. The 338 Win. Not at all. With a Cerakote finish on all the metal parts and a Leupold VX-5HD scope in Talley detachable rings, this rifle gives me all sorts of options. I am wondering whether this is adequate for brown bear or should I work with the 250 grain barnes or some other bullet design. The bullets, though not extra tough, accounted for oryx and eland with one shot each, too. The SD of that .308 bullet at .331 is not far behind the 300-grain .338 at SD .375. Can Coolers | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Find More Great NRA Publications Perfect For Every Interest, Discover Everything That The NRA Has To Offer. AccuBond at 2941 fps. font-size: 18px; cases, top with 180- to 300-grain bullets, and you have yourself an impressively versatile, flat-shooting, hard-hitting workhorse of a big game cartridge that races neck-and-neck with the 300 magnums or hits blow for blow with some of the big bores. 300 Winchester Magnum, 220-grain Round Nose, 338 Winchester Magnum, 180-grain AccuBond. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. (You are going to practice with it, arent you?) And bullet materials and construction alter impact performance significantly. color: #ffffff; Winchester .338 Magnum .404 Jeffery (If you can find one) .338 Lapua All that said, the .375 H&H Magnum with a 300-grain bullet at 2,600 fps has long been the classic brown bear cartridge. from the muzzle. Brown bears and grizzlies, although closely related, are distinctly different animals. All of which you hit dead on. I enjoy hunting bears in any setting at any time of the year, but hunting those ravenous spring bears coming out of hibernation is one of my favorite hunts. As much of the spring weather can be intermittently inclement, this is a perfect situation for the synthetic-stocked rifles. 7. What is the average weight of an adult male grizzly or brown bear? border-color: black; Weatherby, for a change, followed Winchesters lead. Snow is Shooting Editor of Outdoor Life, where he oversees the publications firearms and shooting coverage. Expanded Nosler AccuBond recovered from test media. All Rights Reserved. Firststring Premium String Kit Green/ Brown Bear Attitude; Firststring Premium String Kit Green/ Brown Bear Attitude. It is recommended that you use a bonded bullet without a thin jacket. It appears the 338 cranks up an additional 444 f-p of muzzle energy. However, the goal of this article is simply to address the question of whether the .338 Winchester Magnum is within the ideal range of suitable calibers to harvest grizzly or brown bear. Mag.! Luke likes when his clients bring .338s or .375s because they allow a little more room for error when it comes to shot placement. is what usually comes to mind. Federal loads its 06 ammo with 200-grain Trophy Bonded bullets, which is what you want if you dont handload. }. Ive killed a couple of bears with the .375 H&H and Id certainly put it at the top of my list, though for reasons as much sentimental as practical. In this case, we have assumed the average muzzle energy for a .338 Winchester Magnum round is approximately 3920 foot-pounds. That is to say, we assume the grizzly or brown bear being harvested is shot directly or nearly directly in the vitals (heart and/or lungs). The 338 Winchester Magnums overall length is 3.340, same as the 30-06, 270 Win, etc., so its cases hold about 12 percent less powder than the Weatherbys. border-color: #656565; does indeed offer tremendous killing power, whether your target is a bull elk or a 1,400-pound brown bear. Considering its caliber, the 338 Winchester Magnum is surprisingly popular. Any way you slice it, the .357 has proven itself as a worthy close-range bear stopper. load in the same weight rifle will come back with 24.3 foot-pounds at 13.2 fps. In rifles weighing 9-pounds, the 225-grain 338 Win. It dominates a vast territory between the much-loved .30 calibers and the .375 H&H so popular among those who pursue dangerous game. padding: 10px 5px; Mag. Nosler loads its ammo with 250-grain Partitions. The .338 win mag ammo is a .338 in (8.6 mm) caliber, belted, rimless, bottlenecked cartridge introduced in 1958 by Winchester Repeating Arms. Nelson continues to teach a bear defense course in Alaska, instructing geologists and representatives from other government agencies how to operate a wide variety of firearms platforms in a bear defense situation. text-align: center; Hmmmm, Nosler bullets and Nosler winner.just saying. Ive used a .260 Remington on elk and a .338 Federal on moose, neither of which are particularly large, and Ive also used a .450 Marlin on caribou and have shot a whole petting zoo worth of crittersincluding the tiny duikerwith my .416 Rigby. proved good enough for old Elmer Keith, its good enough for me. Notice Number: NOTC2884, Large Firearm/Ammo/Reloading/Equipment Auction, Alaska Outdoors Gear Auctions and Estate Sales, ATTN PARENTS! border-color: #656565; If you want to try a 300-yarder at one of these animals, your guide will offer to take you to the airfield and refund your money. For brown bears, a premium softpoint is the sound choice; I like the Nosler Partition, Swift A-Frame, Barnes TSX, Woodleigh Weldcore, Hornady DGX Bonded and Federal Trophy Bonded Bear Claw. This includes gear reviews, features on technical innovations, stories on shooting techniques and general hunting coverage with the occasional fishing story thrown into the mix. 2. All the cartridges tested were limited by the minimum expansion velocity recommended for the standard Nosler AccuBond. Mag. .tg .th-lmno { The .458" and .264" bore diameters were certainly no strangers to the hunting and shooting community; those bore diameters date back to the . The result, of course, was the .50 Alaskan. .308 Winchester. Foundry Outdoors is your trusted home for buying archery, camping, fishing, hunting, shooting sports, and outdoor gear online. .338 Winchester Magnum The favorite among Alaskan guides as a backup gun, the .338 Winchester Magnum was released in 1958 as belted, rimless cartridge. It is one hell of a gun though. Mag. (How good is their sense of smell? of energy at the muzzle. They possess both high ballistic coefficients (aerodynamic efficiency), high sectional densities which allows them to penetrate deep into large, heavy animals, and considerable weight which also promotes penetration and energy transfer. . The weather is usually mild, and it always feels great to grab a favorite rifle after the long winter. Detailed performance figures are summarized in the table at the articles end. The two animals share mediocre eyesight, excellent hearing, and a sense of smell that is positively supernatural. vertical-align: top Be ready. AccuBond at 2600 fps. This combination is the goal Winchesters designers had in mind when they introduced the first production .338 magnum in 1958. An increasingly larger and more aggressive grizzly population in northern Rockies elk forests suggests bear defense is a concern in places other than Alaska. be a minimally better option. font-size: 14px; Mag. The Black Magic Magnum is a 602-grain slug that carries 3,000 ft.-lbs. Thus, a caliber that is effective from 50 yards may not have enough stopping power from 200 yards. Planning ahead for your bear hunt can make all the difference; and choosing a proper rifle/cartridge/bullet combination will make both your guide and yourself much happier. (L-R) .22 Long Rifle, .30-06 case, .338 RUM. Sentry Ammo, Cheap Ammo, Bulk Ammo, 5.56, 556, 9mm, bulk 9mm Mag. By that yardstick it is hard to fault a .300 Win. Copyright Ron Spomer Outdoors document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) Caliber. The .357 is also available in smaller-framed revolvers that fit smaller hands, making it ideal for women and less experienced shooters. padding: 10px 5px; John B. maximum average breech pressure is 64,000 psi. A .225 gr. If you want factory ammo, get Swift, loaded with its 250-grain A-Frames. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. font-size: 14px; For handloaders, the 300-grain Swift A-Frame is the way to go. At 2,400 fps its putting out just 3,838 f-p energy, but the bullets Sectional Density of .375 suggests its the kind of slug thats got the momentum to just keep on trucking. Recoil calculations were based on a nine-pound rifle weight. I took a .404 Jefferyin a synthetic stocked Bansner & Co. rifleto Alaska for brown bear, and though I struck out last spring, I felt completely confident in the coastal thickets with that rifle and Normas African PH ammo, loaded with 450-grain Woodleigh Weldcores. This is for grizzlies, not brown bears. My dad loves his Browning Centennial 1886 in .45-70; with a premium bullet that combination will handle even the biggest grizzlies. And can get as high as 1,400.338 Winchester Magnum is surprisingly popular 1,000 pounds and can get high. A well-placed shot from a 10mm can no doubt do the trick, the.357 is also available in versions! Elk forests suggests bear defense is a 602-grain slug that carries 3,000 ft.-lbs Wesson with! Acceptance of our terms of firearm selection, Nelson recommends Brennekes Black Magic Magnum DDupleks. The most difficult country on Earth the fish-fed giants, are distinctly different animals A-Frame is the average weight an... 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