.338 Win Mag for Whitetails

Ok so first thoughts are likely that’s way to much gun for whitetails and I would have totally agreed a few years ago but now I have completely changed my mind. Now this is not something I set out to do, I was put into this situation by chance and finances. My dedicated whitetail tool was (notice the WAS) a Remington 700 in .270 Win. A beautiful firearm that has been an absolute success in my hands for many years and never let me down particularly since I dialed a pet hand load that really made the accuracy and trajectory shine. Years passed and I got married etc and my wife decided she wanted to give deer hunting a try. Now I own a .338 Win Mag, a gun I was convinced to buy for a Moose hunt after hearing some stories about .270’s and .308’s not being as efficient as the 300 Win Mag or .338 Win Mag. (We’ve all been around that discussion multiple times so let’s just leave that as different strokes for different folks) Anyway I wasn’t in a position to get another centerfire rifle and who knew if she was going to like deer hunting in November anyways. She loves it. It’s her favourite outdoor activity to do period and with my 270 she has proven very efficient in taking deer (not 1 of her 5 has been taken under 130yds). So I used the .338 because it was what I had and I had to make do. Now I was nervous about the carnage that beast would unleash (it’s a Browning X-Bolt btw) and after I took the first deer with it I was kinda surprised how little damage there was, maybe I got lucky? another year later same thing. Year after that, beautiful exit, minimal hydrostatic shock on exit side. Every year in the last six years has been the same. The side bonus is I never have to track anything because they drop on the spot. So ya, it’s a big caliber and I don’t say I’d recommend it if all you are doing is deer hunting but at this point my wife has declared the 270 as “her gun” and I don’t think I will bother getting another 270 because the 338 is working out just fine.
Wondering if anyone else has found themselves using calibers that wouldn’t normally be associated with whitetails? I’m using hand loads with a 200gr Hornady interlock bullet if anyone was wondering what I’m shooting to have these results.

I endured the same skepticism and derision at my first deer camp when I hauled out a 7mm Rem Mag round and lay it on the table. The others were using traditional .308 and 30-06 in 180 and 220 gr, typical of what many of the other hunters in the area were using. I took a nice healthy 8 pointer next morning with a 175 gr Partition bullet. One shot in one side and straight out the other leaving a small hole and very insignificant meat loss. That deer went about the 3 ft straight down.
The others also took their deer and their slower 30 cal bullets tore ragged exit holes the size of a baseball. We processed those deer and not one word was said about my 'cannon'.

I use a 300 win mag for all my big game hunting from deer to moose, a few buddies use 300 short mags and even a few 300 ultra mags. Just stay away from heavy bone and they are quick and efficient.

I used a 300wm this season and a few seasons ago. I too was surprised at such minimal damage. Small entrance and exit holes. Definitely worth the bonus of not having to track and drag for long.

I have taken a few black bear with my 300 WM with little meat damage. The key with an caliber is to use well constructive quality ammo

We had 7 deer come into camp this year and the most meat loss to any of the front shoulders was done by a 243 at around 70yds. Everyone else uses 270,30-06,308,6.5CM and 270WSM

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Originally Posted by cantgetright

We had 7 deer come into camp this year and the most meat loss to any of the front shoulders was done by a 243 at around 70yds. Everyone else uses 270,30-06,308,6.5CM and 270WSM

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That’s interesting I took my first deer with a .243, using 100 grain jacketed bullet. It pass straight through heart and out the other side of the rib cage with minimal damage or waste. I can only image that your shooter’s bullet hit a heavy bone area, or he may have been using a light grain bullet. I have a picture of a carcass of a deer hit with a .35 caliber cast bullet and looks like the bullet blow the shoulder joint right out of the deer. A lot of times it is what the bullet hits as it passes through the animal, that results in a lot of damage and waste.


You don’t stop hunting because you grow old. You grow old because you stop hunting.
-Gun Nut

So this is what Dave Petal, Field and Stream Editor, said about 20 years ago, in his article, "12 top Deer Cartridges."

"** .338. ** The true province of the .338 is elk and bear, but it's a wonderful deer cartridge as well. The .338 is loaded with bullets ranging from 200 to 250 grains, and I prefer the ones on the heavier end of the scale because they destroy so little meat. The .338 kicks, and it will tear your head off if you use it in a rifle under 8 1/2 pounds. But it puts deer down right now."
I actually read a very good article 45 or so years ago, possibly by Wilf Pyle, about deer hunting with the .375 H&H. Why not? If it's the rifle you have, or the one you want to use, have at 'er!

My first modern high-powered rifle was a .300 Win Mag using 180 grain bullets. Other hunters that I knew frowned on it as a deer rifle. They said it was “too much gun” or it would “waste a lot of meat”. Neither was true and I came to the conclusion that most hunters know very little about firearms, ballistics, or shooting.

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Originally Posted by Sam Menard

My first modern high-powered rifle was a .300 Win Mag using 180 grain bullets. Other hunters that I knew frowned on it as a deer rifle. They said it was “too much gun” or it would “waste a lot of meat”. Neither was true and I came to the conclusion that most hunters know very little about firearms, ballistics, or shooting.

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Unfortunately theres some truth to that. The number of people I have firsthand knowledge of that literally pick up their weapon of choice and go hunting without practice or zeroing in is astounding. Pay 2000 for a moose hunt and dont even bother sighting in their gun annually then wonder why they dont hit anything. Another guy who has thousands invested in hunting gear but never read an article or book on whitetail hunting, never practices or sights in, wounded a couple deer and doesn't put in any effort to recover...Furthermore are the ones I know personally brag about being a hunter but can't manage to fill a deer tag in 6 years despite having sole access so some of the best whitetail hunting property in Ontario.

Calibre doesnt matter as much as how you use it, I think only ignorant people would argue otherwise.

What size whitetail are we talking about? If I hunted 250-300 lb trophy bucks only in northern sask I might shoot a magnum as well.

The Ontario hunts I’ve taken part Over the years are typically an all age/sex meat hunt. In these hunts the majority of deer taken are .5 - 1.5 years old meaning most deer harvested aren’t even full grown. The average weight of an Ontario harvested deer is probably less than 120lb on the hoof. Lots wouldn’t make 90.

I have 300 win mag. Plenty of gun for moose and bear. But I primarily hunt deer. It's still my go to deer rifle and works great. What more needs to be said

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Originally Posted by udderbrudder

I have 300 win mag. Plenty of gun for moose and bear. But I primarily hunt deer. It's still my go to deer rifle and works great. What more needs to be said

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How is the hunt doing in the hill.

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Originally Posted by outdoorlife

What size whitetail are we talking about? If I hunted 250-300 lb trophy bucks only in northern sask I might shoot a magnum as well.

The Ontario hunts I’ve taken part Over the years are typically an all age/sex meat hunt. In these hunts the majority of deer taken are .5 - 1.5 years old meaning most deer harvested aren’t even full grown. The average weight of an Ontario harvested deer is probably less than 120lb on the hoof. Lots wouldn’t make 90.

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They are a bit bigger than that. Very few wouldn't make 90 live weight (on the hoof).
If it's a buck with an eight point rack, its probably pretty close to 180 minimum field dressed.

That aside - if a guy can shoot a .338 accurately, he should be able to put it through the ribs and not waste too much meat.
If he can't shoot accurately - well - more gun always helps.

I agree with KC with the heavier bullet weights. With more powerful rifles ...and by that I mean a .308 and up... heavier bullets are generally constructed more solidly, blow up less and damage less meat.
In the .444, there's a huge difference between a hole left by a 240 grain and a 265 grain. The 240 grain is designed for the much slower .44 mag. The 265 grain is designed for the .444 and is meant to provide complete penetration on big game (moose/elk/bear).