[alyeska338]

Something you have to think about when comparing cartridges of different diameters. Even though the speed may be the same between the 200 grain 338 load and the 200 grain 300 load, the sectional density and ability to penetrate and jacket thickness of the two bullets differ quite a bit. The 200 grain load in a 338 is not ideal for bone breaking shots in big animals, but it is in the 300. To get the bullets to act similarly upon impact, you need to move up in weight for the 338. I don't have any bullet data in front of me at the moment, but would suspect you need to move up to the 225-250 grain class in the 338 to get bullets with similar design characteristics and performance. The X bullets and Failsafe's are kind of an exception to this rule, though you can still count on the heavier X to hold together and penetrate further in each caliber.

To compare apples and apples when thinking of bullet performance on game between different calibers, we need to compare bullets of same construction and densities. Speed is what gets us into the operating parameters of the bullets design and allows us to place our shots where they are most effective, it is the bullet that does the work.

Just one man's humble opinion through years of shooting moose, caribou, sheep and deer.

 

[alyeska338]

More thoughts about the 300 and 338, unless you really redline the 338 or until you get into the 250 grain and heavier bullets, the felt recoil isn't as bad to me as 180 and 200 grain 300 Win Mag loads. It may be heavier, but isn't near as sharp or painful, at least to me.

Having said that, the 338 really doesn't come into its own until used for such large animals as moose, grizzly or brown bear. I've used mine on deer and sheep, but doesn't kill any quicker or more effectively on those size animals than a 7mm or 30-06, at least from what I've observed. I have typically loaded heavy when using mine because the very reason I was carrying it instead of lighter caliber was because I was just as likely to see a big bear as I was a deer or sheep.

If the big bears aren't on the menu, other cartridges will perform just as well and be in a lighter rifle with lighter recoil. It is a grand cartridge, as is the 300, but kind of like keeping a Ferrari in second gear if it isn't used for what is designed for. I've had 3 or 4 338's and a couple of 300's, I'm down to one 338 now and no 300's. I do have my eye on a 300 H&H, though.

 

[alyeska338]

Moose are big animals, no doubt about that, but aren't that hard to kill. Unless you hit the CNS, you probably won't drop one instantly, but if you get a nice heart/lung shot give them a few minutes, they usually don't run far and will be on the ground shortly. You just can't shock these animals down. Thousands of really huge bulls are taken every year with 270, 7mm, 30-06 class rounds and as long as you put the bullet where it counts, are perfectly adequate. The trouble with 270 and 7mm on the really large 65"+ and 1700 lb bulls are that shot angles are very restrictive. I wouldn't shoot one in the hump, not a good place to shoot one, it's mostly muscle. Moose just aren't that hard to kill, they do take some time to expire, though.

300 is probably a bit more versatile than the 338, but even it isn't really needed for moose. The 30-06 gets the bullets in the performing velocity just fine out to as far as the moose needs to be shot. Use 180 grain Failsafe, Barnes or Nosler Partition and the old 30 is a grand performer.

Having said all that, I'll keep my 338 because of the bears.