Hunting with a 338 Lapua

[ML_Hunter]

Well not to put anyone down but the response I get, well I have in the past anyway is that a bigger more powerful gun will make up for my lack of marksmanship! I've heard that at least twice!

so to be honest the last buck I shot, I couldn't wait for him to turn sideways or he would have went behind a tree so i made the shot from the front and turned everything inside to mush but he still ran off 100 yrs and almost down a very deep hollar. So basically that is why im asking this question. One dime size drop of blood on impact that is all I found.

 

[CHRIS WILSON]

So i ahve a friend of mine who is getting up in age and i noticed that he hunts with a 338 Lapua for white tail. I thought that was a little over kill but he told me the reason he liked it, before i even said anything is that it drops them where you hit them so he doent have to track em through the brush. Whats your thoughts?

Personally, I think it's a bit overkill on TN whitetail.....even for doing drop'em right there shoulder shots but if he doesn't mind dealing with the recoil and/or rifle weight....more power to him.

 

[Huntaholic]

Theres no such thing as too dead. There IS such a thing as not quite dead enough. Ive killed deer with everything from a 223 to a 375 H&H. My go to antelope gun is a 300 ultra mag. The ONLY reason I dont deer hunt with a 338 lapua is that I DONT HAVE ONE.

 

[ML_Hunter]

Theres no such thing as too dead. There IS such a thing as not quite dead enough. Ive killed deer with everything from a 223 to a 375 H&H. My go to antelope gun is a 300 ultra mag. The ONLY reason I dont deer hunt with a 338 lapua is that I DONT HAVE ONE.

I think this may have put me over the edge. Because you never know when you may need it for a 600 yrd shot.

 

[East TN Hunter]

338 would be costly to shoot

 

[EJ1]

I'll stick with my 308. I can't count the deer that gun has killed and the longest track was maybe 50 yards with 99% being DRT.

 

[ML_Hunter]

338 would be costly to shoot

but really whats the cost? Sighting in may cost a bit but every deer season i only shoot 2 or three times to make sure its sighted in and 2-3 bullets to take deer. SO the costs are probably less than the normal plinker with a 5.56

 

[ML_Hunter]

I'll stick with my 308. I can't count the deer that gun has killed and the longest track was maybe 50 yards with 99% being DRT.

but it would have been zero track with a 338.

 

[Hduke86]

but really whats the cost? Sighting in may cost a bit but every deer season i only shoot 2 or three times to make sure its sighted in and 2-3 bullets to take deer. SO the costs are probably less than the normal plinker with a 5.56

That's mine thing, if I was out shooting 100 plus rounds a month then I would take into consideration cost of ammo but a deer rifle that's shot a few times a year I don't care about cost of ammo. That's like having a 5 star level kitchen and only fixing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in it cause you think steaks are expensive.

 

[Talome13]

50BMG FTW

 

[chris1976]

but it would have been zero track with a 338.

The size of the round does not equate to deer dropping where they stand. That has everything to do with shot placement. A head shot, neck, high shoulder or spine drops deer. If you shoot them anywhere else, no matter the caliber, they're going to run a little. 7mm weatherby mag is way more than enough gun for our deer or elk or moose for that matter.

 

[tellico4x4]

Big gun doesn't make up for poor marksmanship.

 

[jlanecr500]

I have 2 338 Winmag rifles. I like them. Sure, I have many other high power calibers to hunt with, even 45-70's. The majority of my deer hunting is with sml's. IMO, bigger is better, bigger holes let the wind and blood out faster. My 40 cal smls are about right. A 300gr projectile at 2800 to 3400 fps, depending on load, gets the job done right on out to my self imposed limit of 600yds. Even a 45cal 250gr projectile at 2700fps does a good job in the woods.

 

[megalomaniac]

Mu cousin hunts with a .338 EDGE built with a 36in bbl. It seems to knock them over pretty good.

But of course he pistol hunts with a .416-06 JDJ. That also seems to tip them over as well.

No such thing as too much gun.

 

[killingtime 41]

I usually hunt super thick stuff. Lots of briar thickets and tree saplings. Mixed with cedars more saplings. And some massive red oaks. Also a few white oaks. I've been hunting with a 30/30 last few years. Shot placement is key yes. But in those kind of areas I would think a bigger more powerful round might be a good idea. Cause shot placement is any opening in that thick stuff you can get a bullet in between.trying to make the deadliest shot possible. I do not and will never do head shots or neck. It would be great to have something that would drop them quickly. Bigger bullet seems more internal collateral damage. So if you cannot make the perfect shot. It'll still be very deadly.

 

[ML_Hunter]

50BMG FTW

i stand corrected. yes a 50 cal would be the final option but damn thats a big rifle to tote around.

 

[Falconi]

Big gun doesn't make up for poor marksmanship.

If your statement were, "There's no substitute for marksmanship, big gun or not," then I'd agree wholeheartedly. I don't think there's any question that a big gun will often make up for poor marksmanship. Just my opinion.

 

[ML_Hunter]

If your statement were, "There's no substitute for marksmanship, big gun or not," then I'd agree wholeheartedly. I don't think there's any question that a big gun will often make up for poor marksmanship. Just my opinion.

Agreed but even a perfect shot with a 7mm, I tracked a buck down a hollar 100 yrds. if he had run 50 more yards i would have never found him

 

[Remi]

Ive killed a bunch of animals and the only sure way to anchor them is shut down the CNS by breaking bones. Shooting them in the ribs can give you runners, I've helped track them with everything from a 223 through 300 win mag. Bust those shoulders and shut them down with a high shoulder shot and you'll have them laying in their tracks.