.338 win mag for MuleDeer

[Bearcat39]

Do the opposite of this.

Use a frangible bullet with a .338 and you could be kissing half the meat goodbye. Personally, I would go with opposite thinking on this one. I wouldn’t want much expansion. Copper. The .338 hole is big enough.

I actually went down a rabbit hole in my Brian about that before. I was thinking the same thing. It is mostly the percussion of the Bullet that kills the thing it hits. ( my wording may be messed up on that.) And the energy delivered from a .338 bullet would be plenty without expanding. Either bullet would be plenty though obviously.

 

[LoggerDan]

Correct advice above

 

[Choupique]

Plastic tipped lead ammo + .338 win mag + deer = nastiness.

I would stick to bonded or mono stuff. .338 win mag is really way too much horsepower for deer and its best deposited into the landscape behind the deer rather than inside of it.

Absolutely a total waste to do it that way, but it's the only sensible way to shoot deer with something that powerful.

On the bright side, you'll always have excellent penetration and exits even if you hit every bone in the whole deer.

Can't recommend the 230gr norma oryx load enough if factory ammo is your thing. It works spectacularly well on deer

 

[OXN939]

Good advice above.

Excellent excuse to get an '06, which is still more than enough for mulies. Whether you go with .338 or '06, find a copper mono that shoots well and use that.

 

[OXN939]

I actually went down a rabbit hole in my Brian about that before. I was thinking the same thing. It is mostly the percussion of the Bullet that kills the thing it hits. ( my wording may be messed up on that.) And the energy delivered from a .338 bullet would be plenty without expanding. Either bullet would be plenty though obviously.

Good advice above.

Excellent excuse to get an '06, which is still more than enough for mulies. Whether you go with .338 or '06, find a copper mono that shoots well and use that.

 

[Gen273]

Assuming that you shoot it well, and you are willing to carry it your 338 is fine. There is no such thing as too dead.

 

[Bearcat39]

Assuming that you shoot it well, and you are willing to carry it your 338 is fine. There is no such thing as too dead.

Agreed. It is a heavy, loud, kicking machine, but I do love it and it shoots very well. Buying bullets is another story, being that they are about $100 a box. Luckily I have quite a few that I had purchased over the years.

 

[Gen273]

I understand, but ammo is cheaper than a new rifle. However, a new rifle is always fun!

 

[Bearcat39]

First world problems haha

 

[OldDog]

The first 10 years I hunted Mule Deer, I used a Smith and Wesson 1500 270. It drove tacks with 130 grain Core-Loc's. Killed em dead. I kept my shots inside 400 yds (most well inside). Do'nt really need anything else. I bought a Browning A-bolt in .338 for my first Alaska bear hunt. The gun fit me, came up good, shot extremly well and I just loved the gun. It's all I've carried since. Bear, Caribou, Elk, Mule Deer, Whitetail - all dead.
With whitetail and Mule Deer - stay off the shoulder and no waste. I shoot 210 grain Federal Premium Nosler Partitions for everything. Fortunately I had a surplus built up so I still have a couple boxes left. No experience with any other bullets in that calibre.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

..... Would the .338 win mag be great or would it be wise to get more of a medium caliber like a 6.5 or 30.06? .....

So, what did Rugged Rack Outfitters say about all this? That's who I'd be asking. Just saying .....

 

[axeforce6]

I do shoot it well and love it as a gun. Thanks for the advice. Also, I'll use any excuse to get a new gun lol.

It worked on a whitetail and a moose, why wouldn't it work for a mule deer?

 

[Oregon]

Assuming that you shoot it well, and you are willing to carry it your 338 is fine. There is no such thing as too dead.

I use my .338 with 225 accubonds for everything. 100# blacktail to big rosy bulls. I have pretty much most calibers in the gun safe. I've had it 25 years. It's like an extension of my arm.
You're 100% correct. No such thing as overkill. Only one type of dead.

 

[Bearcat39]

So, what did Rugged Rack Outfitters say about all this? That's who I'd be asking. Just saying .....

Noted. Never really even crossed my mind until you said that. I was just thinking hunter's may have more experience than the outfitter I guess?

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Noted. I was just thinking hunter's may have more experience than the outfitter I guess?

Hahaha! Not likely. Hilarious.

 

[wyo2track]

Using typical standard hunting bullets and ammo, a 300 win mag and 180's will have more energy than a 338 and 225's at around 400 yards. I love my 338 winny and if you shoot it accurately why not take it. I've found my 338 shooting 200 & 225's producing less damage than my 300 win mag and 180's just due to velocity at impact on the elk I've killed. Shoot them through the ribs no problem. Hit a deer in a shoulder with any high velocity round and you're going 'blow' it up. Guys shooting these heavy caliber high BC .30 cal bullets out of 300 win, 300 PRC, 30 Nos. are easily exceeding 338 win mag energy. Pick your shots if you can, keep it in the ribs.

 

[SloppyJ]

I'd use it for an excuse to build a 7PRC but that's just me. It should work fine though.

 

[gerry35]

Using typical standard hunting bullets and ammo, a 300 win mag and 180's will have more energy than a 338 and 225's at around 400 yards. I love my 338 winny and if you shoot it accurately why not take it. I've found my 338 shooting 200 & 225's producing less damage than my 300 win mag and 180's just due to velocity at impact on the elk I've killed. Shoot them through the ribs no problem. Hit a deer in a shoulder with any high velocity round and you're going 'blow' it up. Guys shooting these heavy caliber high BC .30 cal bullets out of 300 win, 300 PRC, 30 Nos. are easily exceeding 338 win mag energy. Pick your shots if you can, keep it in the ribs.

What bullets do you recommend based on your experience? My young hunting partner just got one like mentioned earlier in the thread, deer to moose would be the game.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

What bullets do you recommend based on your experience? My young hunting partner just got one like mentioned earlier in the thread, deer to moose would be the game.

180 cup-and-core or preferably, 200's or 210's for the 300 Winchester Magnum, for deer to moose applications

 

[Spoonman]

I shoot a 338wm a lot. I settled on the Barnes ttsx in 225 and it shoots very well. It kills things pretty good(bear, dear, & elk) in my experience.