.338 Mag, Ultramag or .340 Wby mag.

shooter5

I am having trouble deciding between the 338 mag; 338 Ultramag; or the 340 Weatherby mag. I have fired the 338 mag but not the Ultra or the 340. How does the recoil compare and is the Ultra a consistant, reliable shooter. Any information would be helpful. This weapon would be used for Elk, Bear and Moose sized game. Thanks

valkyrie.rider

A recent article in Guns magazine tried to identify the ideal elk rifle. They decided on the 340 Weatherby because of somewhat flatter trajectory and power over the 338 Win. The downside on the Weatherby is that it is only chambered in a couple, relatively expensive, rifles and that ammo is expensive and sometimes hard to find. Their tests of the 338 Ultra found it did not live up to its advertising. It really didnt gain a lot over the 338 Win. Personally, I have hunted elk with a 338 Win for years and can't fault it. Out to about 300 yards, it shoots plenty flat and is plenty powerful. In my opinion, if you are counting on the trajectory and power of the Weatherby, you are shooting way too far. That being said, if money was no object I would probably go with a Weatherby. I would certainly not feel underguned with a 338 Win.