I have been shooting and loading the .338WM for 43 years,owned 13 rifles so chambered and now have 6, mine have ranged from 22.5" to 26" and I prefer a 23" with 250s over RE-22 or H-4350 for all-around use and performance.

In my P-64 Mod. 70 Alaskan rifles, four of them, with their original 25" bbls. I get an easy 2800 fps-mv with the 250NP and RE-22 and seldom use anything else. This has been my favourite cartridge/load since almost forever and not particularly unpleasant in recoil.

So, while I do have a 20" tubed P-64 in .375 H&H as a Grizzly gun when fishing, etc. I would gladly use a .338 Carbine for this use, I know that it needs 23" of tube minimum and recommend 23" as optimal.