Anyways, I appreciate the responses. Is there any glaring difference besides size between a 338 and 300 Wm? I’ve heard 338 tends to drop a lot more where 300 is flatter. No experience with either though

Western and Rocky Mountain game shooters"... Some thoughts from "back in the day"

Brown Bear come in 2 noticable differeneces...Coastal aka Kodiak's are usually bigtime larger critters than the Interior Brownies that do not live on a steady Salmon diet... IMO and I'd use a 338Wmg as a minimum. I sold the Alaska Fishing Guide Assc a run of a couple dozen SAKO 375H&H in Mickey stock carbinbe's that weighed 7lb's bare nekkind with iron sight's, set up to facilitiate use by a fly fishermen as carry as a over the shoulder rifle that would not interfere with a fly rod's use. Shot the little gun sample I had a box or 2 to demo it and it would lift me of the bench about 5-6"s from a seated position...but off hand was a "lovely and very accurate shooter" as long as you kept your feet & shooting form properly placed.

Lots of my Rep buddy's from the Rocky's in those days used 270,30'06,7Rmg, 300Wmg for their great average rifle for deer family critters, and our sister Dist Co in Denver sold as many non mag calibers as we did in the Texas market....but outsold us in 338's by a factor of 5 or 6 times as dedicated Elk or Black and occasional Brown bear guns.

I kept a pair of guns in those days as a Go Anywhere in Texas and the Rockies in a 270 & 300Wmg, as the 270's 130gr's and the 300's 165gr's have about the same drop at out to 500 yards, and the 270's 150's & the 300's 180's same way 2nd verse in those pre range finder/BDC days when I depended on God's Mk I eyeball's and learned muscle memory holds on game shots from field practice.

Today for a 2 gun battery I'd look at bullet performace paradigns along those lines in whatever calibers/Rifle brands I was comfortable shooting and could afford....but for a dedicated Brown Bear rifle a I would be carrying an All Weather 375 H&H or something that would reach more better for a Brown Bear Charge Stopper...as you cannot out run one and he's NOT afraid of you.
Ron

Shot my BB with a 7mm, shot many elk with 7mm and now 300 wsm, never a problem on game that size.

I have a buddy who has hunted almost every corner of the earth and can afford any firearm he wants, he prefers his T encore in 300 wm and has take several big bears, one huge book bear on Kodiak. Not sure how many moose he has taken, but a few with the same rifle.


Side note, surprised no one said use a .223 it will do anything

I could do it with a 22LR, but I didn’t want to brag

After looking at a few different rifles and seeing these comments, i have a bit of a love affair with the Kimber montana 300 wm. I think thats the route to go.