Cartridge profile · Introduced 1958

.338 Winchester Mag

Built for elk, moose and brown bear where heavy bullets and deep penetration matter.

Good for: Elk/moose, Big/dangerous

A typical factory load is a 225 gr soft point bullet at about 2,780 ft/s, with roughly 3,861 ft-lbs of energy at the muzzle.

Typical load
225 grsoft point
Muzzle speed
2,780 ft/s
Muzzle energy
3,861 ft-lbs
Typical BC (G1)
≈ 0.40typical, varies by brand
Twist rate
1:10
Practical range
400 yd
Point-blank range
273 yd6" vital zone
Recommended platform
Heavy rifle, 9 lb+Very heavy recoil; not for ultralights or beginners

On the Hunting Rifle Cartridges chart

Made to hunt
Built for elk, moose and brown bear where heavy bullets and deep penetration matter.Elk/moose · Big/dangerous
Typical load
225 grsoft point
Typical muzzle fps
2,780ft/s
Typical muzzle energy
3,861ft-lbs
Typical BC (G1)
≈ 0.40typical, varies by brand
Twist rate for typical load
1:10
Effective ethical range
400 yd
MPBR
273 yd6" vital zone · Near zero 25 yd · Far zero 233 yd · Min PBR 0 yd · Max PBR 273 yd · Sight-in @100 2.73" high
Recommended platform
Heavy rifle, 9 lb+Very heavy recoil; not for ultralights or beginners

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Speed, energy and BC are typical figures for the listed load; real numbers vary by brand, lot and barrel length. Always check the ammo maker's data for your exact load.

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