Several cartridges used by snipers have gained popularity with outdoor sports. For example, the .300 Winchester Magnum and the .338 Win Magnum are examples of these bullets. The powerful iron core bullets in the 338 Winchester Magnum and 300 Win mag can dispatch large animals.
These cartridges shoot flat, accurately, and provide a lot of power across a long range. Even though the two cartridges don’t have the same weight class, they’re ranked high among commercially available high-capacity cartridges due to their popularity and prominence in pop culture. Let’s discuss about 338 Win Mag Vs. 300 Win Mag.
Structure Of 338 Win Mag
Size
This cartridge was introduced in 1958 by Winchester Repeating Arms and is a .338 in (8.6 mm) caliber, belted, a rimless cartridge designed to replace the .375 Harrington Magnum.
Design And Specification
Modern cartridge designs feature a minimal taper case to ensure maximum case capacity and reliable feeding and extraction. This is how the .338 Winchester Magnum cartridge is designed.
This cartridge was developed from the .375 H&H Magnum. It was reduced to 2.500 inches (63.5 millimetres), blown out, and necked down to carry a .338-inch bullet (8.6 millimetres).
Performance
Bullets in this cartridge have an energy value of 3,918 ft-lbs (5,312 J) at 200 yards, almost half of the energy value.30-06 Springfield at the muzzle. Bullets come in a variety of shapes and weights.
The most popular bullets for the.338 Winchester Magnum range in weight from 200 grain (13g) to 250 grain (24g) (16g). The typical bullet weights include 200 gr (13g), 210 gr (14g), and 225 gr (14.6g).
Ammunition
North American manufacturers offer a broad variety of rifles chambered in .338 Winchester Magnum. Many custom rifle manufacturers in the U.S. and Canada make .338 Winchester rifles, along with Blaser, Mauser, Sako, and Tikka in Europe.
An extensive array of rifle options is available for the .338 Winchester Magnum, which gives riflemen a more extensive selection of choices. The general market is provided with numerous loadings of the—338 Winchester Magnum by all North American ammunition manufacturers.
It replaced the light Magnum and Heavy Magnum ammunition lines. However, it adds up to 200 foot-pounds (61 meters) of speed without adding shock or muzzle blast compared to Federal’s Vital-Shok and Fusion ammunition lines.
Advantage Of 338 Win Mag
Heavy Hitters
338 Winchester magnum works so well that it can be a significant factor in big situations. The rounds are heavy hitters, which is very necessary to shoot the big deer and species.
Store Huge Amount Of Energy
338 win mag can store lots of energy to make the ammo so much speedy towards the target. Here energy is a big factor. The more energy the mag has, the stronger the processing will be.
Excessive Range Capacity
Normally 338 Winchester magnum can be useful from 600 to 800 yards. As it can store the energy, it can be suitable for 1000 yards too.
Disadvantage
Effect On-Ear
338 win mag sound is louder than any other cartridge. Without any Muzzle brake, it can harm your ear permanently. I know many people who lose their hearing capability when they use it. So it’s better to use a muzzle while firing 338 win mag.
Pros
- The enhanced range and downrange energy.
- Have better accuracy and ballistics than most.
- Less weight and an alternative to the .50 caliber.
- A good shooter can hit a target well beyond 2000 yards using a .338 in some circumstances if they are highly trained, highly talented, and very experienced.
Cons
- The cost of shooting is higher.
- Uncontrolled power
Structure Of 300 Win Mag
Size
It was developed by Winchester Repeating Arms Company and known as the 300 Winchester Magnum, as a belted and bottlenecked magnum cartridge designed for use in typical rifle actions.
Design And Specifications
This cartridge has the same case head as its parent, the—375 H&H Magnum. The taper of this cartridge has been lengthened, thus permitting the cartridge to have more volume and therefore more powder capacity.
By extending the case and moving the shoulders forward over the.338 Winchester Magnum, the 308 Norma Magnum, or.30-338 Winchester could be adapted to.300 Winchester Magnum dimensions, though the disadvantage was that the neck and shoulder were smaller than needed.
Performance
The 150-grain (9.7 g) bullet and the 12-gram (180 gr) bullet, factory ammunition suited to the.300 Winchester Magnum can reach speeds of 990 m/s (3,260 ft/s). While antique Western “PowerPoint” soft point bullets can travel at speeds of up to 1,000 m/s, they may go as high as 3,400 ft/s.
Advantage Of 300 Win Mag
Substantial Accuracy
300 win mag prominent for its various features. One of them is accuracy. When you are using your gun for long-range, you need to have perfect accuracy; otherwise, the ammo won’t be reached to the target acutely. So here, 300 win mag will give you better output.
Works Well In Sniping
As we mentioned before, 300 win mag is suitable for long-range. In Ak47 or 56, it can work well for short-range. On the other hand, in kar98 or sks it works too well because these are the best for long-range.
Disadvantage Of 300 Win Mag
Heavy Recoil
Though in some sniper rifles like kar98, or you can say M24 there recoil level is too good when using 300 Winchester magnum. But the problem is that when you use 300 win mag by firing Ak47 or Ak56/ Sks, their recoil level is slightly heavier than the previous guns.
Here for long-range, the recoil will be excessive. That’s why it’s hard to aim ideally towards the target most of the time while spraying fast.
Pros
- High-speed.
- Bullets with a long/heavy trajectory.
- Cases with greater capacity.
Cons
- While using it for a hard rifle, its work is not satisfactory.
338 Win Mag Vs. 300 Win Mag. Which One Wins The Race?
At first glance, these cartridges appear well-suited for hunting various large game species, but in reality, their performance is quite different. You may consider hunting deer, black bears, or pigs in an area where long-range shots over 200 yards are rare, and bullet drop does not pose a significant concern.
Any of these cartridges could be used in such situations, but if that is the only type of hunting you do, none of them are required, and something lighter would be sufficient. When hunting mountain goats, sheep in the mountains, or wilderness, do you often need a lightweight rifle? 300 Win mag’s relatively flat trajectory and low recoil make it a good choice for sheep or mountain hunting.
Although they all perform well in their designated tasks, there are some significant differences between them (300 Win Mag versus 338 Win Mag). You should carefully consider your future needs and choose the firearm that you feel would be best suited to meet them. Here some points are given below for helping you to choose your favourite one.
Work At Long Distance
If you notice the practical round, you will find the use of 300 win mag mostly. But when North American hunters hunt any animal on the game, they see 300 win mag and 338 win mag’s performance are similar.
While hunting animals stay at extremely long ranges than the hunters, reaching the target animal with the 300 win mag isn’t easy. On the other hand, the 338 win mag can reach out up to 1 mile easily. So, we can say that 338 win mag is a winner for long-distance hunting.
Different Purposes Of Use
When hunting, the 300 Win is ideal and likely to be more effective. The 300 Win Mag, whether you’re hunting in the Northeast or the Southwest, will take care of any animal at a reasonable distance and use it for fast killing. Furthermore, ammunition is more affordable and more accessible, allowing you to practice extensively.
But 338 win mag kills the object cruelly. For this reason, many games organizer cancel the use of that cartridge. Mainly, it is trendy for military purposes. So, 338 win mag lags behind at the race of the all-rounder.
Cost
338 win mag is quite expensive. You can pick its 20 round box, which costs is $90, and per brass, the cost is $3. Knowing the cost, we can say that 300 win mag is quite cheaper than 338 win mag. Their brass cost range is $0.9-$1.00. As a result, if you want at a cheap rate with versatile quality, you will choose this one.
Conclusion
I hope now you understand about 338 Win Mag Vs. 300 Win Mag and which is better and suitable for you.
Tripe!