Need advise on deciding 338-378 vs 340 vs 375

[Oregon Jim]

I love shooting targets at long range, but the bullet's time-to-target makes shooting at game seem irresponsible to me. It requires over a second, almost 1.5 seconds for my bullet to arrive at 1000 yards, and I believe that gives an animal way too much time to move before my bullet gets there, so even if my shot was as perfect as humanly possible, the animal may be injured and lost or even missed completely. Only under the most dire circumstances is that acceptable to me.

I do not doubt one's ability to shoot quite accurately at that distance, but I recognize the great ability of the game to move quickly. That makes long range hunting distasteful to me.

[Hazzardcountymechanical]

I own a 338-378. I love it. It's my "go to" big game hunting rifle. I have it in a accumark with vortex scope and couldn't be happier. To date I have killed 2 elk and 1 moose at different ranges(400 the longest) with single shots. This is a very effective large game caliber. I'm sure there is cons to this caliber/rifle set up(like anything else out there) but for me it can't be beat.

[Hazzardcountymechanical]

I agree with Oregon Jim

[godscountry]

Don't bash a guy because he wants to shoot 1,000 yards. We have enough anti-hunters and gun haters already doing that. If he wants to shoot 1,000 yards that's his business, just because some on here limit themselves to 2, 3, 400 yards doesn't mean we all should be limited to that. It takes an arrow 1-2 sometimes 3 seconds to reach it's target, should we all stop bow hunting? A man's got to know his limitations!

[Chris338378]

I am a HUGE fan of the .338-378 Weatherby Magnum, can't say enough good things about it.  I have one of the first ones made that I bought back in 1998.  In my opinion this is an AMAZING caliber all the way around and has never let me down.  So far I've shot mine out to 400 yards and the only reason I haven't shot it further is because of a lack of a range with a longer length. 

This caliber will do anything you want to in North America and Africa but the problem there is the minimum caliber laws, without any doubt as long as you do your part.  As for using it on an animal at 1,000 yards it will do the job very well as long as your shot is accurate.  To take that a step further at 500 yards the .338-378 Weatherby Magnum loaded with 225 grain Barnes TSXs has almost as much energy and velocity as does a .30-06 loaded with Winchester's 180 grain Super X bullets at 100 yards.

[BB340]

Add another +1 to all of ridgerunners posts.
If you want a real test of skill forget the thousand yard shots and try stalking to within 10 yards of game. That will sort out the true hunters from just shooters!
I myself am in a wheelchair and use my Polaris quadrunner for all my trophy hunting, and I still try to "stalk" in on an animal as much as I can whilst sitting on a noisy engine. Sure I could sit back 500 yards and have a crack at 'em and sometimes do, but I get the most enjoyment from getting in close as possible and making a clean kill.

[African Leadwood]

It all depends on what you will be hunting, the expected range and of course where.

I have the 340 Wby (and a 338 Win Mag both in MkV) , a 375 H&H (Mod 70) and a 375 Wby (in a 50's Weatherby on an FN Mauser which I still need to get licensed so I have yet to shoot it).

I live in South Africa. Your choice should be determined by what and where (countries) you hunt. Many African countries have requirements based on bore diameter in which case the 375 Wby is your first choice. The velocity advantage above the H&H makes it useful at longer range too with bullets in the 250-270gr class.

If not for that the 340 is a hammer and is potentially going to become my all time favourite cartridge.

The 250gr factory ammo which I have shot over a chrony was at 2952/2960 fps. I believe as a reloader shooting decent bullets you will seldom need more than this. These ballistics are the equivalent of the 338 Lapua, a highly respected long range cartridge which only saw the light of day in the late 1980's. Another example of Roy Weatherby ahead of the pack by probably two decades! Accordingly with the right bullet the 340 should make a fine longrange cartridge, but I would then suggest at the least an Accumark as opposed to a sporter type configuration.

For anything inside of 450/500 yards I would shoot a good premium bullet with a wide useable velocity range (i.e. tough but not too hard) and at longer ranges something of high BC easy to expand configutation.

[godscountry]

Brett, it's nice you can use your Polaris for stalking. That's not possible in LOTS of places. Where I hunt in Colorado motorized vehicles are prohibited. Even if they were legal the trails are so narrow, rocky and steep you would never get one on them. Every situation is different, every location is different and each place has different rules. People can't judge other's hunts by the places they hunt, too many variables.

[arctic_man700]

I like and thank everyone for all the input. However, I said 1000 yards if necessary. I'm not going to go out every time and look for long range shots. I was tought in the Army you prepare for the worst and everything else is easy. And practice practice practice. If a person has all the correct equipment and knowledge of their rifle and had practiced shooting at distance in various conditions why not take the shot if you know where your bullet is going to go? Now would I ever shoot at anything moving at that distance, no I would wait. There are times and reasons that stalking isn't an option like Godscountry has said. It's not any fun at all if you pay thousands of dollars for a hunt and the only shot you have is 800 yards and you can't take it because of the rifle and scope etc you brought. Yes the hunting is always enjoyable and all that but you could be going home with a nice animal if you had the right stuff.

[streaky5]

well heres my 2 cents ....have the weatherby 338/378 trr shoots accurately at 1000 meters 265 grain ttsx all stock  right from the factory .do I condone long range hunting ?? nope but If I need it it's there ? ear plugs a must ....

[Downeast]

IMO the longer your shots are the more proficient you will become. I agree that shooting at game at 1,000 yards may be a little risky, but to spend time with your rifle shooting out to 1,000 in increments will make you a better shooter and a better hunter, and will increase your confidence. How many of you really know how your rifle groups at 500 yards? If you don't, and you have the opportunity to try it, you may find that it is a lot of fun.

[Downeast]

I grew up hunting deer in SE Va where rifles (including Weatherby's) were illegal to hunt with. No one bow hunted at that time. I killed a lot of deer still hunting with a 12 gauge shotgun loaded with No. 1 buck. It didn't take long to figure out that the lethal range of buckshot was 30 yards or less. So, I know what Brett is talking about. To hunt from an ATV makes it even tougher.