New moose rifle? .300 WM vs .338 WM

[TimHerald]

.338

 

[hooker]

Hey guys, hopefully ya'll Can help me think this through. I'm looking at purchasing a new Kimber Montana in either .300WM or .338WM for an AK moose hunt.

I have a 30-06 that is capable, but it not a gun I get the warm fuzzies over and I want to buy a new rifle. So I will.

What are your thoughts on the .300WM vs a .338WM? I feel the .300WM is a little redundant with my 30-06 so I'm leaning towards the .338.

Both have listed weights of 6lbs 13oz and come with 26" barrels (I'd be tempted to cut either down to 23-24")

No intentions of using a brake or shooting it a ton at the range, and I'm not sensitive to recoil. I don't want to shoot long range, 400yd max, probably much closer if at all possible.

It will probably be topped with a VX-6 2-12x42 (or something similar) in talley rings (bad ring choice for a big mag?). So it would likely be an ~8lb gun with scope. I've read the Kimber has good stock geometry and a good recoil pad which I know is very important for how recoil is felt. I've shot my father's .340 weatherby mag in a rifle that is probably about the same weight and it's stout but tolerable.

I wish Barrett made the Fieldcraft in magnums. It would be 1st on my list.

Thanks in advance.

Between the two I'd take a 300 wsm and a 168gr TTSX. Nice thing about a 30-06 is that it will hold 6 150gr TTSx's I owned a kimber Montana in 300wsm that was VERY accurate and honestly didn't notice the difference between it and the 30-06.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Between the two I'd take a 300 wsm and a 168gr TTSX. Nice thing about a 30-06 is that it will hold 6 150gr TTSx's I owned a kimber Montana in 300wsm that was VERY accurate and honestly didn't notice the difference between it and the 30-06.

I’m just curious, you say “owned”, did you get rid of it, and if so, why? I have an older ‘05, Kimber Montana in the same chambering and it is one of my favorite rifles for accuracy and functionality, don’t see myself ever getting rid of it.


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[cbeard64]

I am a fan of both the .338 and the .300 WSM or Win Mag.

I prefer the .338 for elk and it’s a nice caliber to have if you ever think about hunting the big bears. I have had no recoil issues with my .338.

IMO the .375 is a bit of overkill for North American game, but that’s just me.

That said, moose die easy with good shot placement from just about any decent-sized caliber so your .30-06 would work just fine. They are unique in that nothing is likely to knock them flat but almost anything will kill them in short order.

 

[TAGPUNCHER]

A RUGER m77 in ANY caliber kicks like a mule. Straight stock design makes them hurt you. A M77 in .223 caliber feels like a 270 win or 30-06. This is the reason all of mine are NO LONGER with me. They are awesome guns and very reliable but kick to dang much for me.

 

[jacknifejc]

We’re talking about my three favorite cartridges. I love the .375 H&H, .338 win mag, and .300 win mag. While I believe all three would work for moose, my choice would be the .338.

 

[Phil j]

All this.338 talk makes me want to get mine out of the safe and shoot it. I haven’t shot it in probably 2 years.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

When I first moved to Ak I only had a 30-06. I picked up a bunch of 200g trophy bonded beer claws at sportsman’s warehouse and that’s all I really used for the next ~ 3 years. I shot some good moose, a pile of caribou and a beer with that rifle/bullet combo. I’d flor my raft out of the village I was living in, hunt for as long as I could then float back with the tide changes.

I like bigger cartridges these days for moose, they are huge and it’s nice to have some real horsepower to deal with them, also it’s nice to have something more powerful available when you are butchering in the dark.

 

[AKBorn]

A RUGER m77 in ANY caliber kicks like a mule. Straight stock design makes them hurt you. A M77 in .223 caliber feels like a 270 win or 30-06. This is the reason all of mine are NO LONGER with me. They are awesome guns and very reliable but kick to dang much for me.

I have a Ruger Model 77 S/S in .338 WinMag, with a 24 inch barrel. I wear a recoil pad when shooting a lot of rounds at the range, never seem to notice the recoil when shooting at animals. I will say this rifle seems to fit my frame better than any other rifle I have owned, that may help reduce the felt recoil a bit.

This is my favorite rifle by far, will only get rid of it when I am too old to hunt anymore...

 

[TAGPUNCHER]

AKBORN all I can say is you are one BAD MAN! LOL. I couldn't fathom squeezing the trigger on a M77 in a Unbraked 338 win. They are absolutely fine weapons and have owned a few. You are definitely right about the adrenaline under hunting scenario being able to feel recoil. I don't even think I remember hearing the MUZZLE blast. Funny how that works.

 

[AKBorn]

AKBORN all I can say is you are one BAD MAN! LOL. I couldn't fathom squeezing the trigger on a M77 in a Unbraked 338 win. They are absolutely fine weapons and have owned a few. You are definitely right about the adrenaline under hunting scenario being able to feel recoil. I don't even think I remember hearing the MUZZLE blast. Funny how that works.

No sir, I think I am just a regular guy with a rifle that really fits... Sometimes when its cold and dark in the winter, I will pull it out and practice quick-point scenarios at spots on the living room wall. That rifle points better than any shotgun I have owned, or maybe I was not the best with a shotgun.

I can't imagine shooting it with a brake, my ears hurt just thinking about it...

I used a 12 gauge pump slug gun for a few years hunting whitetails in Maryland, I never had any fun shooting that thing! That short barrel would jump every time I touched off.

 

[cnelk]

Ive shot 2 moose.

One was with my 340 WBY Mag and the other was with a 375 H&H.

The 300WM is nuthing more than a glorified '06 with a belt.

The .338 is getting it real

 

[thinhorn_AK]

A RUGER m77 in ANY caliber kicks like a mule. Straight stock design makes them hurt you. A M77 in .223 caliber feels like a 270 win or 30-06. This is the reason all of mine are NO LONGER with me. They are awesome guns and very reliable but kick to dang much for me.

About 10 years ago I got a stainless Ruger Hawkeye all weather in 30-06, it’s never been a gun that I would consider unpleasant to shoot. In fact, it’s quite comfortable. That was the only rifle I had when I moved to AK and it dumped some great animals and went along on some pretty good adventures with me.

 

[Akwoodchuck]

What a perfect broadside shot from a .338 will do to a moose is a thing of beauty.

 

[Highcountrybulls]

There really isn’t a wrong choice of the calibers mentioned, they will all get the job done, it’s a matter of personal preference. I’ve shot moose with my Ruger m77 in .338 and they died, but nowadays when I go moose hunting my Kimber Talkeetna in .375 is the gun I take. I prefer the .375 as every moose I’ve shot with it has gone less than 10 steps from where it was first hit saving me from having to cut them up or pack them out from somewhere worse than where I shot them.

 

[Highcountrybulls]

I too have a m77 in .338 and don’t find it all that unpleasant to shoot. Accuracy is fantastic with 225 gr ttsx’s. I did put a better trigger and spring in to help in that regard. It’s not a rifle that is a pleasure to spend a lot of time at the bench sending rounds at paper but in the woods it is a great piece of gear.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

There really isn’t a wrong choice of the calibers mentioned, they will all get the job done, it’s a matter of personal preference. I’ve shot moose with my Ruger m77 in .338 and they died, but nowadays when I go moose hunting my Kimber Talkeetna in .375 is the gun I take. I prefer the .375 as every moose I’ve shot with it has gone less than 10 steps from where it was first hit saving me from having to cut them up or pack them out from somewhere worse than where I shot them.

Same, 375 all the way for moose from here on out. I know a guy that uses a 6.5creedmoore and swears it’s great for moose but I’ll pass on that.

 

[AkRyan]

Short barrel, 7mm or bigger, 1800ftlbs energy. Moose don't run and big guns hurt

 

[Myronman3]

I shoot a 5lb 11oz 416 ruger. Owned a 6.2lb 416 rem and a 9.5lb 416 rem. Shot sub 7lb 375’s and 10lb 375’s. I’ve had 14 year old kids shoot my 5lb 416. What Ive come up with is this.
Mathematical recoil is one thing. Felt recoil is something different. Barrel length, weight caliber don’t mean as much as stock design. Don’t let numbers on paper scare you off from a gun. Two identical guns with different stocks will shoot totally different.

^ this.

i had a ruger m77 270. it hit pretty hard on both ends.

ended up with a 300wsm x bolt that i didnt want (long story that i wont go into) and put it in the closet for about 3 years. brother was going on an elk hunt, and i told him he could take the 300wsm. so i ended up putting a scope on, and loading up some ammo for it. sight in day came, and he wouldnt shoot it first, as it was my rifle. i shot the first round, and didnt believe what i just experienced. i didnt say anything, but he could tell something was off. i told him to shoot it next without hinting at anything. he fired it, and had a puzzled look when he stood up.
we both concured that it recoiled less than our 270’s.
figured the velocity was lacking. out comes the chrono...and the loads were making what they were supposed to.

it was the design difference in rifles that makes a 300 wsm’s recoil seem less than a 270 winchester’s felt recoil.

 

[ppwack02]

I've got a browning X-bolt 300 WM that was gifted to me from my dad for Christmas awhile ago. I love it for Alaska hunting. With the exception of two black bears everything has dropped like a sack of crap.