Introduced in 1958, the .338 Winchester Magnum has plenty of fans as well as its share of detractors. Some say it is our all time greatest elk, moose, and grizzly cartridge, without being totally ridiculous when used for hunting deer size game. Others say with equal fervor that the .338 generates more recoil than most hunters can handle and its power is excessive for all except dangerous game. There's no law that says the .338 Magnum can't be used on deer and the like, but the cartridge is seen at its best when used on bigger game. Whether or not the .338 Magnum is actually a better elk and moose cartridge than the .300 Magnums, or even the 7mm Magnums, will long be debated, but when large carnivorous game becomes the topic of conversation all such arguments quickly end. 

This text is based on information from “Cartridges of the World”, Hodgdon reloading manual, the cartridge designer and/or own resources.