help about the 30-338

[sturgeonhunter]

Is there enough advantages to the 30-338 over the 300 win mag to make it worth the extra work.I do reload. thank you

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

  As a long time .300 Win fan, I would go with it, especially in a long Rem. action.  But if you are going to build on something like a Springfield or Ruger 77, the 30-338 would have the adv. of being able to seat the bullet closer to the rifling. Some of those rifles  have pretty long throats and short magazines and it is tough to get a bullet seated out far enough to touch the rifling, or come close and still work though the magazine box.

[Lone Star]

The .30-.338/.308 Norma Magnum is slightly less powerful than the .300 Winchester Magnum - but I doubt that any game animal would ever notice.  As previously posted, it may depend on what rifle you will be using.  The short overall length that some magazines require compared to the case length may mean that bullets with long ogives can't be used in the .300 Win Mag. 

If it were me I'd either use the .300 Win Mag in the longer actions, or use the .300 WSM in the shorter action.  The .300 WSM = the .308 Norma from a muzzle energy perspective, with the former having a slightly higher accuracy potential.




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[sturgeonhunter]

The rifle that I'm looking at is based on a mauser 98 action and has a 26'' barrel it was built by one of the best gunsmiths in southern idaho and the guy that owns it now what's 1000$ for it. The rifle is in very good condition with some bluing wear but the rifleings look sharp. Is this rifle over priced

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

  that one is hard to answer... at least for me.. is it scoped? If the wood is exceptional, and checkered nicely, it could be worth it to someone like me who is a sucker for nice wood.  Also, what about the trigger is it suitable for hunting.... I was never fond of 98's, for several reasons... but if the guy who built it knows the action is sound, and the gun of good quality and near new, consider what you pay for a factory rifle... Maybe it is not out of line...

[Lone Star]

Geeze, unless the guy can tell you more about the action, walk away.  A "Mauser 98" huh?  There were millions and millions of these made for over half a century all over the world, both commercial and military models.  Great care was taken in the manufacture of many, but many others were decidedly shoddy for the basis of a $1000 rifle.  Too, most were surface hardened only a few thousandths of an inch deep - once that wears off you get locking lug setback.....

If it were based on a good commercial action like an FN then it may be a fine rifle.  If it was based on 1944-vintage wartime production, or if he "doesn't know".....


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[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

  Since lone star brought this up, a good friend of mine had a 98 he brought home from WW2.... he built a 22-250 on it, and one day when it was about 1200 rounds old, it shattered.... He had shot a crow, and decided to shoot again at the carcass in the tree, on the second rd.  As Lone Star said the action was not hardened correctly was the guess of the gunsmiths in his area.....

[sturgeonhunter]

the rifle is scoped,but I don't believe the rifle is worth what he want's.I thought I would run it past the members. Thank you happy hunting

[nomosendero]

the rifle is scoped,but I don't believe the rifle is worth what he want's.I thought I would run it past the members. Thank you happy hunting

I think your instincts are correct.

It would uncomplicate things to just get a 300 Win Mag in a .375 length action like a Rem. 700 & be done with it.

[crash87]

Is there enough advantages to the 30-338 over the 300 win mag to make it worth the extra work.I do reload. thank you

Absoulutly not, I have owned both, now having only the 300 Win mag. In fact, I read everything that was "wrong" with the 300 as an excuse to build a 30-338.

The .30-.338/.308 Norma Magnum is slightly less powerful than the .300 Winchester Magnum - but I doubt that any game animal would ever notice.

  That has not been my experience, after loading a chrongraghing both cartriges the difference was  not worth mentioning, in fact I could say they are equal, but two different rifles can never be equal, but close enough not to matter. Both were Win M-70's with 26" barrels.
        The 300 Win Mag had its critics when 1st introduced, short neck, wouldn't hold the bullets at the time sufficiently, on and on. Well, it's been with us for a very long time, the bullet companies made their bullets to fit and work, and it's as popular as ever. Remington tried making a faster 30cal, and never will it realize the popularity of the 300. Winchester tried to better it by basically duplicating it, and then coming up with "HYPE" in advertizing to try and dethrone it. That isn't happening either. To go with an overpriced rifle, in 30-338, and go through the extra step, albiet not a difficult one, to obtain cases, is really not worth it in my opinion. One who has been there.
Now don't get me wrong, I adore the 30-338 so much, that it was the rifle/cartridge I took on my first (& so far only) African plains game safari. But, now, it just isn't worth the trouble to obtain something that has been there all the while. CRASH87

[Sourdough]

If you want to see a big advantage go on up to the 30-378 Weatherby.  I see people shoot Moose at 400 to 650 yards every year.  One shot dead Moose.