The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Rifles Medium Bore Rifles 338 Win Mag - cow elk bullet?Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
| 338 Win Mag - cow elk bullet? | Login/Join |
| One of Us |
I have some 160TTSX, 185TSX, 225TTSX, not to mention some Noslers from 180 to 250 Accubonds and 200gr Ballistic tips. I don't want to bloodshot a lot of meat, as I love elk meat!  I am going on a late season cow hunt next winter. I've only shot one cow with a 338/and the old 185XLC. It was perfection, hardly any bloodshot and wicked fast killer. I have never used a TSX nor TTSX in a medium caliber on elk. So...you guys that have shot elk with your 338WM, what bullet did you use and how was it for any bloodshot? Thanks | ||
|
| One of Us |
Very hard to beat the 250 AB in my opinion. Bud I like heavy for caliber projectiles. "Suppose you were an idiot and suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself." Mark Twain | |||
|
One of Us |
You'll have a hard time doing better than a 225 TTSX, especially if you don't want a lot of bloodshot meat. | |||
|
| One of Us |
DLS- how fast did you push that 225 TTSX? | |||
|
| One of Us |
Lawdog. I used the 180 AB from a 338 RUM on a big Aoudad. It didn't hurt the meat and it was started out at 3500fps! I have a wad of the 250 AB I'm trying too, see how this rifle shoots them. | |||
|
| One of Us |
Oh yeah, I wanted to add that I didn't eat that smelly Aoudad! I gave the meat to the Mexican ranch hands. They ground it all up for Tacos they said, ha! | |||
|
| One of Us |
Jim, I mostly shoot factory ammo these days, the Barnes Vor-Tx load is 2,800 FPS. I shot a Livingstone Eland with that load last September. 1 bullet exited at 275 +/- yards and I recovered the other bullet under the far side skin from a 330 yard finishing shot. The bullet looks perfect with 4 fully opened petals. Significant damage in the wound channel but very little bloodshot in the meat at all. I’ve always shot Nosler Partitions in the past and really like them, but I’m very impressed with the TTSX. | |||
|
| One of Us |
Thanks D- I have used and seen used a lot of the Vortex ammo. Its a first choice for me if I go factory. | |||
|
| One of Us |
I saw a lot of Cape Eland on my SA hunts, and they were huge, but from pictures and a head mount I saw that Livingston is one big honking animal! | |||
|
| one of us |
If you don't want bloodshot meat, don't shoot the animal in the meat. Put the bullet in the thorax (through the ribs). So what if you have a nasty spot on the offside that is several inches in diameter? The loss of that amount of low-grade, low-yield rib meat is a negligible price to pay for the certainty of a dead animal from a properly expanding bullet. Bullets kill by inflicting trauma. If you don't want to do damage to the animal's tissue then you risk losing it to the vagaries of how far it can go in the half-hour it might take for it to stop running after being shot with a poorly expanding bullet. | |||
|
One of Us |
Correct ! | |||
|
| One of Us |
You bet, I hear you Pard! I like to hold tight against the shoulder about 1/3 to 1/2 the way up. If I get an angle, I put the crosshairs between the legs and about halfway up. I like an over the top of the heart/double lung hit. If I want to break them down, I'll shoot them at the top of the shoulders or base of the neck. As far as cows go, if they are up close, I'll head shoot the old girl at the head/neck junction. I don't mind breaking them down if I need to, bloodshot be danged, don't want to follow them down into some of the holes we have around here, ha. | |||
|
| one of us |
I have settled on the 225 gr. TSX for about everything I use the .338 on. I have killed several cow elk with it, as well as the 225 and 250 gr. Nosler partitions. They all worked fine. I like the Barnes because it gets no lead fragments in the meat, does minimal meat damage, and kills quickly. I have not gotten the TTSX to shoot as well in my rifle, but see no reason it would not work just as well if your rifle likes it. | |||
|
| one of us |
I've been shooting my yearly depredations cow elk for the last 6 years with the .338 225 gr. Accubond with total satisfaction..I shot the last two with the 200 gr. Accubond in the 30-06 and had the same results...Ive also shot several bulls with that bullet and the 250 gr.Accubond in the .338, all worked as well as anyone could ask for, the elk will run a bit further shot with 250 Accubonds or partitions, but never the less they always leave a good blood trail..I prefer the 225 Accubond over anything else Ive used. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
|
| One of Us |
I finally got tot he range and wrung out this new to me 338! Mod 700 Classic, has the long Remington throat. The 200NBT and 210PT averaged anywhere from 1 .25 to 1.4", not too bad but not what I had hoped for either. The rifle really loves the 250s though! I only used 3 shot groups for now, but with new WW cases/Fed 215M the 250NAB went into .52" with 74.6gr R26. That's right at 2800fps! The 250NP went into .64" with 74.6gr of N560, also right at 2750fps. I'm happy, way happy. The Limbsaver Pad helped but rifle was surprisingly easy to handle well off the bench. I don't want it lighter though, ha. I'll trade off these lighter bullets now, and check these heavies further out to see if the accuracy holds up. These loads were from QL, still under 65K, My .270 shined with both the 150 & 160NPs also! I got 2940 with the 160/60gr/R26 (.55") and about 2950 with the 150/59gr/N560 (.62: ! | |||
|
| One of Us |
I forgot to add that I did have a very good load with the R17/210/71.6gr. It went in a nice, rounded .85" and was not bad to shoot either. I didn't get a good reading on it, so think I'll try that one again. I'm betting it probably went 2900 or so. That one would also be a strong choice. | |||
|
| One of Us |
The key to cow hunting is don't hit bone. Head shot or through the lungs. I have seen lots of elk killed with 210 NP and not much meat damage. 225 Horn. is a very good elk bullet through the lungs, but any good 338 bullet should work fine. | |||
|
| One of Us |
I think it would be hard to beat a 250gr NAB at 2800fps as an all around load. Thanks for the data - plan on working up/trying that load in my .338WM for a October elk hunt. I'm currently getting 2770fps with a 250gr Nosler Partition and 75grs of MRP. | |||
|
| One of Us |
Hey Mike. I already had this powder but gave MRP a good consideration. I like R22, but read where MRP is so similar, and better temp stability ( for cold weather). I figured if these powders didn't work for me, I'd hunt down some MRP. Last time I used MRP was way back in 1980, it didn't do what I wanted in the 7mm Rem Mag I had. That particular rifle was an IMR4350 slut, ha. Lots of guys out here use R22/338, etc, but I wanted to try something different. Good luck to you Pard. | |||
|
| one of us |
Jim, Your satisfied with your present load, why change whats working for you?? other than curiosity I suppose..Its more difficult to find a 338 bullet that won't work btw.. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
|
| Powered by Social Strata |
 | Please Wait. Your request is being processed... |
|
The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Rifles Medium Bore Rifles 338 Win Mag - cow elk bullet?
Visit our on-line store for AR Memorabilia