I have read many posts by both LAWDOG and LONGWINTERSÂ… and both of these fine gentlemen have an exceptional grasp of hunting, shooting and firearms.
However, in this case, I must agree with LONGWINTERS. I used an “Alaskan” Model 70 Winchester in .338 Win. Mag. that I purchased “new” in 1959 for a mere $149 & hunted with for over 40 years before “retiring” it, several years ago, in favor of a birthday present given to me by my two sons, my daughter and my hunting buddy. This "gift" consisted of a "like-new", 1953 Model 99 (late model "EG") Savage in .300 Savage caliber that came out of a gentleman's private gun collection. I now use this sweet-handling lever action for hunting eastern whitetail deer.
That .338 Winchester Magnum rifle beat me severely when shooting it off the bench-rest using my hot handloads (a 210 grain Nosler Partition Bullet @ 3,020 fps) which yielded recoil similar to or slightly higher than a .300 Weatherby using a 180 grain bullet. It got to the point where I did NOT look forward to firing the .338 more than 15 or 16 rounds in a single session at the rifle range.
I experienced an objection to the .338's heavy recoil even during the years I was shooting an average of 6 rounds of trap using my 12 gauge Remington Model 1100 or a similar number of rounds of skeet using my Belgium-made 12 gauge Browning Superposed almost every weekend.
Withstanding the pounding of 150 rounds from 12 gauge shotguns (especially the Browning Superposed) in a single shooting session doesn’t make me a “candidate” for being a “recoil-chicken”, yet even in my “best days”… during my mid-20’s to mid-30’s, I found the recoil of the .338 Winchester Magnum in a 10 lb rifle to be “unpleasant” if I shot more than 15 or 16 rounds out of the “Alaskan” Model 70 from the bench-rest.
I recently read a study which claimed (and I believe it) that the “average man” can handle up to about 26 ft/lbs of free recoil before experiencing “problems”. Recoil beyond that amount tended, according to the report, to cause most men to have a tendency to “flinch” or exercise less-than-desirable sight and/or trigger control.
According to the same article, a .30/06 shooting a 180 grain bullet at maximum safe loads yields about 22-24 ft/lbs (slightly less than the “maximum tolerable recoil”) depending on rifle weight while a 7mm Rem. Mag, firing a 150 grain bullet yields free recoil of about 27 ft/lbs… or slightly MORE free recoil than an average man finds “tolerable”.
When a rifle moves into the 30 to 40 ft/lb recoil range, it is obvious what happens to the “average man’s” tolerance to withstand the recoil of such a rifle.
I am often asked for my “advice” by others (hunters/shooters) who respect my knowledge and experience with firearms, shooting and hand-loading… hunters who wish to get a center-fire hunting rifle for MOST North American game. Without exception, I’ve been recommending the .30/06 as “THE” single, best, all-around cartridge for MOST American big game. It will do a fine job of dropping elk and moose with good bullets like the Nosler Partition Bullet and proper bullet placement.
I do NOT recommend the .30/06 for the BIG BEARSÂ… even though it will kill them, it may NOT kill them FAST ENOUGH to prevent them from making a successful counter-attack on the hunter before they die!
For dangerous North American big game (namely grizzly, bigger grizzlies a.k.a. “Kodiak Bear” and Polar Bear), I do recommend the largest caliber the hunter can reasonable shoot… I.E., the .338 Win. Mag. and “up”. These larger magnum calibers, throwing a heavier, larger diameter projectile, are MORE sufficient to STOP a big bear where it stands with much more “authority” than any .30 caliber cartridge including the otherwise excellent .300 Weatherby Magnum or .300 Win. Magnum.
Usually, if a man can afford a trip to Alaska for the "big bears", he can also afford to buy another rifle in a heavier caliber that is more than capable enough to adequately handle the "big bears".
But, this controversy will go on foreverÂ… and this is only one manÂ’s opinion.
Strength & HonorÂ…
Ron T.
