Griz gun, 338 X-bolt?

[dreamingWest]

I'm thinking about picking up a stainless Browning X-bolt chambered in .338 Win Mag for a grizzly hunt. Any thing wrong with these rifles?

Slim pickings out there right now for medium bore rifles and ammo. I found some 190 gr Hornady CX to load in my 30-06 as a back-up plan. They are are too new for performance reviews.

 

[jhm2023]

I used a x-bolt stainless talker in 338 for a while and I like that the bolt locks on them which in my opinion is a pretty important attribute of a bear gun. 338 is a great cartridge, but then again I've never had a problem putting grizz on the ground with a 7 mag using 140 and 145gr Barnes. I'm still not sure why anyone uses Hornady or Nosler monos though because even with the new CX line they still aren't as good as a Barnes of any flavor in terms of terminal performance. If you desire a mono other than Barnes, start looking at Hammer, CEB and Lehigh if you handload.

 

[dreamingWest]

I'm on the notify list for some 30 cal Barnes. CX was just the first heavy 30 cal bullet I found available. I like Hornady so I figured I would load some.

ETA: Looks Lehigh is available at Midway.

 

[Jim1187]

I would have zero issues chasing grizzly bears with a xbolt chambered in 338 Win Mag.

As for your back up plan, I don't have any cx experience or know any differences if any there are with the gmx but I would prefer a lighter monometal from a .30-06. If given my choice, unless required by regulation, a 150-180 grain mono would give me a muzzle velocity I feel happier about.

 

[dreamingWest]

I bought a Stainless Stalker X-bolt in 338 yesterday. The price was good and I'm excited to add a rifle to my collection. I plan to put a Trijicon Accupoint 2.5-12.5x42 scope on it. I joined a bunch of waitlists for ammo and reloading components.

I plan to test my 30-06 190 gr CX loads today. I'm still on waitlists for 30-cal 200 grain A-frames, Partitions, and Barnes. I did find some 180 gr Barnes TTSX my brother had bought a few years ago.

I know plenty of Canadian and Alaskan residents go out all the time for big bears with smaller calibers. For once-in-a-lifetime type hunts, I try to find optimum/ideal, rather than adequate. Ultimately I'll take whichever round I'm most comfortable with. The planning and the journey is a large part of the fun for me.

 

[Miflatlander91]

Got the 338 bug pretty bad, its a want vs need issue. Either way im interested in how your x bolt shoots

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

 

[dreamingWest]

Tested the X-bolt today. Recoil didn't bother me. Not as bad as the stupid 3.5" turkey loads out of my 870. Slower impulse than I expected. I was shooting Federal Fusion 225 gr.

I really like the rifle. The stock feels nice and it balances fine with the 26" barrel and Trijicon. I still may cut the barrel, but it does balance nicely now.

But I have a big issue for a grizz gun. It won't eject. The spent brass hits the windage turret and falls back into the receiver. Every time. I started with the scope mounted pretty far forward. Sliding it all the way back out of curiosity didn't solve the issue. I'm current using the rings that came with the rifle. They're Leupold Dual Dovetails, I'm guessing low.

I had already ordered DNZ 215 mediums before testing the rifle. Hopefully that will solve the ejection problem. I'm not confident they will.

I'm curious what scopes and rings guys are running with magnum X-bolts? I did not expect this based on the X-bolt reputation. The Trijicon Accupoint does not have large turret by any means.

In the mean time I'm going to start shopping for a stainless Tikka.

 

[dreamingWest]

Funny thing is, I had been shopping for a Sako Kodiak, but decided against it for this same known issue.

 

[Gbrecka]

I’ve never shot a 338, but patterned my 3.5” 870 today and thought…I wonder if this is worse than a 338…haha

Not as bad as the stupid 3.5" turkey loads out of my 870.

 

[roosiebull]

I'm thinking about picking up a stainless Browning X-bolt chambered in .338 Win Mag for a grizzly hunt. Any thing wrong with these rifles?

Slim pickings out there right now for medium bore rifles and ammo. I found some 190 gr Hornady CX to load in my 30-06 as a back-up plan. They are are too new for performance reviews.

Another kind of cool option is a browning bar also in 338… I used to have one, and for a big cartridge, it was a very pleasant rifle to shoot… I regret getting rid of that rifle, have zero need for that large of a cartridge, but it didn’t punish you shooting it… I remember the first time I shot it I was shooting it and a 270 tikka, and the tikka was harder on the shoulder… of course the 338 pushed harder, but the recoil frequency made it very tolerable.

 

[roosiebull]

I’ve never shot a 338, but patterned my 3.5” 870 today and thought…I wonder if this is worse than a 338…haha

I did the same thing today but a binelli nova… I would pick a 338 bar over that shotgun with 3.5” turkey loads, not sure about a bolt action, but would take my chances with the 338, haha

I can’t imagine trying to pattern a turkey gun shooting prone… not sure what my recoil threshold is, but I know that would surpass it

 

[dreamingWest]

3.5" turkey loads in a lightweight synthetic pump is a joke. It's so uncomfortable to shoot we laugh about it. I've had two boxes that have lasted me more than a decade and surely accounted for 10 gobblers. As soon as I run out, I think 3" shells will be sufficient.

Back on topic. I'm hoping to get some input on this ejection issue. The more I handled the Xbolt with Trijicon I don't want to make any changes. I really like the setup for my moose/griz hunt. But I can't have ejection issues. If the DNZ mount doesn't help, I'm wondering if there is something Browning can do to the bolt.

 

[dreamingWest]

Another kind of cool option is a browning bar also in 338… I used to have one, and for a big cartridge, it was a very pleasant rifle to shoot… I regret getting rid of that rifle, have zero need for that large of a cartridge, but it didn’t punish you shooting it… I remember the first time I shot it I was shooting it and a 270 tikka, and the tikka was harder on the shoulder… of course the 338 pushed harder, but the recoil frequency made it very tolerable.

Hadn't really considered a BAR. They are cool rifles. My first rifle was a wood stock Browning BAR in .243. My grandpa gave it to me when I was 11 years old. I've still got it.

 

[dreamingWest]

I spoke to Browning today. They claim nothing can be done by them to the ejector pin or extractor. Possibly by a custom gunsmith but they don't recommend modifying the bolt.

It looks like I'll need to solve this with scope mounts or a different rifle.

 

[Gen273]

It may be hard to find; I don't know. But have you thought about a Ruger Hawkeye in a 338 RCM? They are CRF and are a perfect cartridge for a short 20-inch barrel. I like a short barrel in the woods, so I guess it depends on the terrain you are hunting.

 

[SDHNTR]

Winchester Model 70
Ruger M77 Hawkeye
Kimber 8400
Mauser 98

A DG rifle should have an ejector CLAW, not a puny little button! And grab the cartridge rim right out of the mag, not just push it along.

 

[dreamingWest]

I'm still looking. Everything is hard to find.

 

[dreamingWest]

I just quickly mounted the scope and ran some spent brass through it. The DNZ 215 mediums seem to have solved my ejection issue. So there is hope for the X-bolt. I'll have to test more to feel comfortable.

 

[300 win mag]

if your wanting a grizz gun you need to realize you need a crf action that is very reliable.now i know many grizz and brown bears have been taken with push feed rifles.if i was you i would look for a win classic long action and have it completely trued and machined to perfection by chad dixon at lri rifles.or call mark penrod and have him do the same,then again mark most likely do it unless he was building the rifle.i own defiance and borden push feed actions on several rifles that work great.if hunting with a guide these and others make reliable actions.but for me having been there and done that on grizz and brownies in harsh environments without a guide crf is all that for me.