Or, if you like speed, the .338 Win Mag will push a 225gr bullet more than 350 fps faster than a 30-06 will push a 220gr bullet. And with momentum being a function of mass and acceleration, and the pretty large increase in bullet weights used for the .338LM rounds, we would expect this gap in momentum between the two. This round has a muzzle energy of 4,677ft.lb and still carries nearly 3,500ft.lb of energy at the 300-yard mark and 2,842ft.lb at 500 yards. (here comes a whole useless 4 x as many shots in z seconds rant.). And recoil does play a role in choosing a cartridge, especially if you are dealing with a decision on cartridges that can be used for similar applications. The sectional density correlates with the amount of penetration a bullet will have on target and since we are not looking at bullet types and designs in this article is a good standard for comparison of the two cartridges and the rounds we have selected for each. There are rounds with higher velocities from the muzzle out to 500 yards, but it is dependent on the specific round. 300 win mag will get you there for sure and 338 sounds like overkill based on your comment that most animals have been taken at less than 100 yards. To get an idea of how these two cartridges compare in their ballistic and other performance categories, we need a selection of rounds for each cartridge. is not in any way affiliated with. The reason this is useful to marksmen is that when bullets fall below supersonic flight, they become more unstable. The .338 Winchester Magnum, like the .458Win, .264Win and 7mmRem mag is based on the .375H&H case shortened to 2.5” and form what is known as the 2.5” magnum family. We are aware that this is a small sample size compared to the options that are available, but it will still give us a nice window into how these two cartridges stack up against each other in several performance categories. The .300 Win Mag is also more than capable of taking larger game such as elk and moose at these ranges as well. It’s just something to keep in mind, especially if you wander into the world of handloading. Before we focus in on specific ranges using our ten selected rounds, we wanted to provide a visual of only two rounds, one for each cartridge, that are made from the same manufacture and have similar bullet weights (Graph 4). The .338 would be the better of the 3 for large bears and moose, but both the .300 win mag and .30-06 will take all as well, with the .300 win mag being "superior" to the .30-06. They also are large enough cartridges that with proper expansion you are going to have enough of a deep wound creation for a quick kill with a properly placed shot. Reloading the belted rifle rds can be a bit of a PITA. I do think a 308 is more versitle than the 243 and would be more forgiving of less than ideal shots. With more powder capacity because of a larger diameter and longer casing, as well, the .338 takes a larger diameter bullet, the .338 is capable of delivering … The drawback to this cartridge for hunting has to do with the firearm. In a hunting situation I use both for mule deer and elk. The .338 … When we look at the larger sample set, we do see some differences from previously. Though the .300 Win Mag has a smaller diameter, the increased weights of the .338 LM rounds give them higher sectional densities. Sorry Andy, not comparing the 300 Winchester but the 300 Weatherby Mag, to the 338 winchester mag, If i missed typed sorry. Mag.’s 25-degree shoulder. If the cartridge can be fitted with larger and heavier bullets and send them downrange at increased speeds (more powder) than they should carry extra force with them. When comparing to other popular hunting rounds, the .300 Win Mag is a relative newcomer, but it has had enough time in the rotation for us to understand its strengths and weaknesses. That’s approaching safari rounds. For simply comparing cartridges we have left this part out, but understanding your bullet design, how it expands, and the velocity needed for proper expansion and penetration is a huge part of successful hunting. As an example, let’s take two different bullets of the same design traveling at the same velocity. 308 vs 300 win mag. The 180-grain 300 Win. We are only basing this decision on our ten selected rounds so that as you read, you can go back and compare with the graphs. The 338 win mag is strictly a hunting gun. 300 WM Federal Trophy Bonded Tip Vital-Shok 180gr, 300 WM Nosler Trophy Grade AccuBond Long Range 190gr, 300 WM Federal MatchKing BTHP Gold Medal 190gr, 338 LM Federal MatchKing BTHP Gold Medal 250gr, 338 LM Nosler Trophy Grade AccuBond 300gr, Nosler Trophy Grade AccuBond Long Range 190gr, Winchester Deer Season Copper Extreme Point 150gr, Winchester Expedition Big Game AccuBond CT 180gr, Hornady Match Hollow Point Boat Tail 250gr, Federal Gold Medal Sierra MatchKing BTHP 300gr, Federal American Eagle Jacketed Soft Point 250gr. We examine the history of these cartridges and compare them side-by-side in several categories that are important to hunters and sport shooters. While there is some overlap in the applications of these rounds, there are also going to be certain shooting situations where one … For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Below are the averages for the two cartridge’s sectional density. Which is pretty impressive for the .338 LM to be so much heavier without falling that far behind in velocity. The bullet must be able to penetrate deep enough into the tissue to reach and disrupt vital organs. For cartridge comparisons, we are going to look at the energy and the penetration which includes the sectional density and the bullet momentum. There are plenty of sites with this data that is generated by incredible marksmen and are valuable resources. This round maintains over 2,000fps throughout a 500-yard flight which is more than enough to cause proper expansion of the ballistic tip bullet. The .300 Win Mag, on average, has a few more hundred fps than the .338 LM rounds. Both of these cartridges have really high bullet momentum numbers for hunting cartridges, but the .338 is overly impressive. A bull moose is going to require more penetration than a whitetail deer. is an accurate cartridge, shown by this group fired with Swift 225-gr. Just by knowing the velocity of the bullet and how well it maintains its speeds along its flight path can tell you a lot about the terminal ballistics such as bullet expansion and at which ranges you can have maximal energy transfer and penetration. The momentum gives us an idea of how well a round can overcome resistance. Too hot of a round can be dangerous due to extreme pressures and if the round is not paired with the correct twist rate of the barrel, the bullet can be highly unstable in flight. At the 200 yard mark, all of the rounds are tightly clustered around the -3” mark though averages give a slight (.5”) advantage to the .300 Win Mag rounds. I shoot a .30-06 and a .338 win mag. From just a couple dozen rounds, the .338 LM cartridges might be more fatiguing to you than the .300 Win Mag though both can be uncomfortable when used by less experienced users. Personally, I like the .338. Which Round do you think is better? It’s going to be tough hauling around a 12-15lb weapon in the field. All of the cartridges we looked at in the article had bullet energies of well over 1.500ft.lb at 500 yards. So your friend's fos. The purpose of this cartridge was to was to provide snipers with a long range round that had incredible terminal ballistics and had the ability to penetrate several layers of body armor at extreme distances. I realise that, but it's a mistake on your part. When averaging the rounds between the two cartridges, there is a .05 difference in SD between the .300 Win Mag vs .338 Lapua Magnum. With both having well over 1,000 yards of supersonic flight, that’s a big advantage to long range marksman. 20ft.lb of recoil energy is thought of as enough to cause flinching and negatively influence shot placement. Never has, never will. There are several components that go into stopping power such as bullet energy, penetration, and bullet expansion. Probably a moot point since I am having a 30-338 built, but I was curious if there was a consensus one way or the other. Our reasoning for this was to provide you with more information and it also let’s us double check the results we see with the smaller sample size and that the results reflect the cartridges actual performance. The .30/06 vs. the .300 Winchester Magnum. When thinking about the availability of these rounds, both can be difficult to come by unless you are at major retail stores that carry a large assortment of ammunition. We will come back to all of this in the application section, but we do want to note that in a lot of cases, either of these cartridges have more than enough momentum to drive a round through the target. Flatter trajectories, less bullet drop, make it easier to adjust for long range shots and for two cartridges designed to give long range performance, it’s an important performance characteristic to examine closely. There is a fine balance between maximal velocity and maximal performance. We will first look at the short range trajectory out to 300 yards (Graph 5). In the simplest explanation possible, the ballistic coefficient gives you an idea of how well a bullet is streamlined. Highly trained, highly talented, and very experienced shooters can hit targets well beyond 2000 yards in some conditions using a.338. 338 Win Mag vs 358 Norma Mag 09-21-2012, 15:19 I am quite fond of the 358 Norma Magnum chambering, although I personally feel the bullet manufactures (Hint: Barnes) have slighted the 358 by not offering adequate heavy for caliper bullet offerings. The heavier weights of the .338 LM rounds give it a slight edge in potential penetration from the standpoint of sectional density, but the .300 Win Mag SD is nothing to scoff at and is quite high, especially when compared to other cartridges. And while a lot of people associate these rounds with longer distance shots, we have to remember that these are hunting rounds as well, and with hunting, shots can present themselves at short range at any time. Both can be frustrating when trying to find specific loads in retail stores, but luckily the internet has made that a bit easier. the 338 can be had in the greatly superior BAR, with a BOSS compensator, so you can practice a lot more. vs..338 Lapua Mag. The difference that matters to elk hunters — as well as moose and bear hunters — is the 300 foot-pounds more energy the 338 Win. either one just means you aint hunter enough to get within reliable 308 range,which aint saying much about your abilities. A decent man should be able to get within sidearm range, since that's about 50% greater "reach' than bowhunters have, and they take trophies every year. Thanks to their.338-inch diameter,.338 bullets can weigh as much as 250-grains and still shoot about as flat as a 180-grain 300 Win. And a 300 mag is great for distance (that is why I listed it). With that, there are situations where one cartridge might be a better option than others. Mag. So, let’s take a look at the bullet energies (ft.lb) of the ten selected rounds (Graph 7). Even for hunting, where windy conditions are sometimes a factor, having a bullet with a high ballistic coefficient is going to aid in long range shots. Using a 2.500-inch case—which retained the belt, in spite of the fact that the case headspaces off the shoulder—the.338 Winchester Magnum was offered with 200-, 250- and 300-grain bullets. Mag. Regardless of whether you are choosing a cartridge for hunting purposes or competing, understanding how your cartridge behaves once shot and their limits is critical to successful shooting.