Opinions on the semi vs bolt .338

[reyn 61]

Any opinions on the reliability of the semi in .338 vs. a bolt action. Ive read where the semi -auto (Browning) due to the recoil isnt any better for follow up shots than a boltaction because by the time you recover and get back on target you could have cycled a bolt.

[alsatian]

The .338 winchester magnum is suitable for dangerous game including the Grizzly Bear and the Alaskan Brown Bear (Kodiak).  It is generally conceded that the semi-automatic rifles are fundamentally not as reliable as a bolt action rifle, and this makes a semi-automatic rifle unsuited for dangerous game.  Of course, this position may be disputed by some, and I personally am not an expert on either dangerous game or dangerous game rifles.

You may not intend to use your .338 for dangerous game, but you should nevertheless be aware that you may be restricting the utility of your .338 beyond the intrinsic restrictions of the cartridge itself if you choose a semi-auto.

[Lawdog]

Any opinions on the reliability of the semi in .338 vs. a bolt action. Ive read where the semi -auto (Browning) due to the recoil isnt any better for follow up shots than a boltaction because by the time you recover and get back on target you could have cycled a bolt.

Actually you should get back on target quicker with the Browning than a bolt action.  What I don't like about the Browning auto is the detachable magazine(accidentally press the release and the loaded magazine drops out) and the fact I have seen one jam.  If you reload you have to watch sizing the cases(full length every time) or they tend not to work in the Browning.  These are the problems my son ran into with the Browning he bought then traded off.  My advice is if you get a Browning stick with factory ammo.  Lawdog
 

[targshooter]

If reliability is of extreme importance, I would stay with a bolt. If you can live with less than life supporting dependability (as I do for deer hunting), then a semi-auto may be of some value. There is no secondary action manipulation noise with a semi. In thick brush where shots are close and a second chance may be offered, this is an advantage in my experience, as the second shot may be taken with the deer unsure of your location. I've lost decent second shots because of the action manipulation noise of a lever or bolt action alerting the deer to my exact location.

[BattleRifleG3]

There are a few semi-automatics that are at least as reliable as a standard bolt action, particularly those based on the AK design.  Only problem is that they are chambered for intermediate powered rounds, full power (308) at the most.  There's been talk of developing such an animal, but nothing has come of it yet.

Most semi-autos not based on military designs (and even some that are) fall short of that kind of reliability.  That's sort of my pet project, developing a reliable magnum autoloader.

I would test such an autoloader in all the conditions under which it would be used.  If after breaking it in and tweaking it if necessary you find it 100% reliable, I'd be confident.  But make sure to test in all conditions, including weather.

[while99]

Get a controlled-feed, bolt action .338 Winchester Magnum and you will have a high degree of reliability.  And, you should also get better accuracy than an auto-loader will deliver, on average.

[crow_feather]

Go with something less than reliable or accurate.  After all, bears have to eat too!

Ole Grizz  (C F)

[tanoose]

I had both A ruger77 and the browning BAR in .338 the BAR kicked a little more than an 06 the Bolt was much more i never had any problems with jamming in the Bar but i always worried about it so i sold it I will tell you this i had cut the 24" barrel down to 18" it made for a great atv rifle  My nephew now ownes it. As far as accuracy that 18" barrel with a leupold vari-x II 2x7 grouped 1 1/2 inches at 240 yards. As far as loosing the mag if you hit the release button this cannot happen as the clip snapped into the hinged floorplate . It never opened on me and if it ever did all you would have to do is close it.You could not change clips as fast as you could with the remington , but the remingtons dont come in magnum calibers

[Val]

The bottom line is, the more parts a device has, the lower the  reliability. That's why bolt actions are more reliable. In the defense business reliability calculations are based primarily on the parts count.

[victorcharlie]

Go, I guess that's why the U.S. Military replaced the bolts with auto loaders back in the 40's?

[Don Fischer]

Actually the military replaced the bolt with the auto to gain fire power. I recently read where for every VC killed in Viet Nam, 360,000 rounds of ammo was expended. The military attitude is to fill the air with bullet's and let the enemy run into them. That of course doesn't apply to sniper's.

Likely semi-auto's are plenty reliable for most situtation's. But they need to be kept clean, you need to amend reloading process. I'm not sure just what you have to do, I've never reloaded for semi-autos. Lawdog said you need to full lenght resize every time and years past I heard you had to use a special shell holder. I loaded some ammunition for a Rem 760, for a friend. I used his dies and he supplied a different shell holder.

Where the biggest what if come's in is, absolute reliability when faced with an animal that fight's back. In this case probally the best choice would be a double rifle with the bolt coming in next.

[cvixx]

I also have a BAR, made in 1971, and a Ruger 77, both in .338.  The Browning handles recoil better, especially as it was magna-ported, and is more acurate.  However, the BAR jammed once on me in a hunt and I have never trusted is since.  While I had cleaned out the barrel and action after several range trips, I had not broken it down and fouling had gotten into the action rod area, IIRC.  Cleaned it out and it works perfectly.  

So, if you remember to detail strip the rifle after shooting it, there should be no problems.  They are neat rifles...Bruce in Utah