I happened onto 10 boxes factory loaded Winchester Supreme NP Gold 250gr for my 338 WM for nothing more than a cup of coffee and some pleasant conversation (price was right ) .
I have a buff/PG hunt planned for August 2006 an plan to take the 338 along for PG. Is the 250 gr at tad heavy for PG that included zebra and eland. Would a better bullet be a 210 gr NP as I am told to sightin for 200 yds.
I'm mostly a bow hunter,but making this gun hunt to accomodate hunting with an aged family member whom only hunts with a gun. Thank you Cats

I've never hunted with a .338 Win Mag but I watched my friend Kate's .338 WM in action back in 2000 in South Africa.



Handload: .338 Win Mag with 250 gr Nosler Partition (regular Partition; not Gold) at 2651 fps (chrono average). It worked great!!

IMHO, I think the 250 gr bullet is the choice for plains game in the .338 Win Mag. I think your Winchester Supreme 250 gr Nosler Partition Gold ammo is a good choice.

My two cents....
-Bob F.

Take those 250 gr NP and USE THEM. They are a fine choice.

Ditto! You'll be very happy!

Gentlemen thank you for your speedy replies. Cats

Terry,

I can assure you it will be crushing on the plains game..My son shot a zebra big stallion and he could hardly go after being hit...3oyds
and down for the count...

Mike

Another vote for the 250gr golds. They are amongst the very best. If you hand load and there's DG around I'd take and load a couple of solids in the bottom of the mag just in case.I've had good accuracy with the barnes 250gr solids.

They will be perfect.
I would take a few solids as well. If you do not reload get some from Superior Ammo.
They are handy if you "stumble" into some cow elephants or buff when carrying the 338.
Sevral time while hunting plains game with my 9,3x74R double [the 450 No2 back at the Safari Car] we would bump into elephants. The PH would have me load 2 solids until we could sneak away from them.

I'd certainly use those 250 gr. Partition loads for any and all African PG purposes, and never give the matter a second thought. I believe you're better off with the 250s rather than the 210s......

AD

It always amazes me how quickly quality feedback comes from some of the long time quality members of AR.
One tends to forget such quality members exist among the frequent threads created for what would seem no better reason that to argue. Thanks once again gentlemen! Should we ever meet the first round is on me.

Meet me in Dallas.

Terry

Cats, I don't mean to be redundant but I have used my 338 on 3 pg safaris with 250gr A frames and partitions for everything from warthog to Eland and never felt the need for any other caliber or bullet weight. Good luck.

I'll make it unanimous. I have used a .338 loaded with 250 Noslers on 2 safaris. A full range of over 30 plains game animals were taken- from duiker to zebra to eland. It would have been impossible to have more effective bullet performance than I experienced.

I remember a story from Jim Carmichael about 15 years ago about him using his favorite rifle...I think it was a David Miller but definitelly a .338 Win. with 250 Grain Nosler handloads at around 2,700 fps as his main plains game rifle in C.A.R. and running into 3 Northwestern Buffalo bulls with the .338 in his hands. One shot and one dead buffalo. Those Partition Golds are every bit as good or better (penetration wise) than the original Nosler Partitons a fact that makes them, I guess, better than they need to be. Use em!

Rich Elliott

Rich, you're right about Jim's use of 250 gr. Partitions in his 338 Win. Mag.

I've hunted with Jim a couple of times, and I've also worked with him testing rifles for the 'Outdoor Life' "Gear Test" issue on two different occasions. Luckily, I've been able to handle and examine his fine David Miller 338 Win. Mag. at length, and it's a magnificent and incredible, well-cared-for rifle that has seen extensive use on something like 200 big game animals. I think Miller delivered in to him in 1978.

The ONLY load that he uses in it is the regular 250 gr. Nosler Partition, IMR 4350 powder, CCI 250 primers, and Winchester cases. He's used that same load on at least two buffalo, lion, leopard, plainsgame animals seemingly without end, plus elk, moose, grizzly, goat, brown bear, etc., etc. That one load has been used 'round the world time and time again.

I often think about Carmichel and his 338 Win., because it demostrates what can be done by one good man with one good rifle and load. Most of this cartridge selection/bullet game is a waste of time and resource. Come up with one good rifle and one good load, stick with it, and go hunting. Familiarity can be a great thing when it comes to rifles.....

AD

I always had the impression that Carmichel has a great love for the 338WM and has been vocal about his distain for the 375H&H on buffalo. I have the distinct impression that he felt the 375 H&H was not adequate. Interesting since Craig Boddington seems to have the opposite opinion on the 375 H&H. I don't think there is any disagreement on the 338WM and 250gr partitions however.

Allen : As I mentioned earlier in this thread I am mainly an archer these days (no pun). Having been fortunate to hunt thruout NA with my bows. This is not to say I don't own a gun safe with some fine firearms enclosed therein that I will never part with out of nothing more than love for them and previous owners to them .
I've reloaded my own ammo since my teens starting with the little setup of a Lee handi loader that took me a week of working with in my parents basement to produce a single 20 count box of reloads.
You hit on a favorite topic of mine. That being one good gun with one good load. Though I own somewhere around 100 centerfires from .17 thru .460 my go to gun is a simple Winchester mdl 54 carbine 30-06 with 165 gr BT SPT. I've killed everything from whitetails to coastal grizzlies with that combo over the years.I started to carry this rifle out of the love I held for the man whom first owned it (my father). Whom carried it himself from Pa to Ak to Zim. until age overtook him. Never once after reutning from fields far away from home did dad ever bother to ask me how the rifle/load performed. His simple inquirey was,"Did you carry my rifle with honor and enjoy yourself?" For he knew what I eventually learned. That if you know and trust one rifle/load combo the comfort of that friendship produces amazing results. Cats

Pathfinder, I don't know to what use Jim has actually put the 375 H&H, for buffalo or anything else. He's big on the 458 Win. Mag. for buffalo, I know that much. He's always used handloaded 500 gr. Hornady steel-jacketed solids at something over 2100 fps., and between trophy hunts plus control hunts he's taken nearly 100 buffalo with his home-built 458 Win. Mag., plus elephant, etc.

Craig's experience with the 375 H&H is simply beyond question, and I'd take Craig at his word over the capability of the 375 H&H any day of the week, although I must say that I'd rather be armed with a 300 or 338 plus a 416 or 458 of some sort for a mixed-bag hunt that'll include buffalo, hippo, elephant, and lion.

Cats, you dad's Model 54 30-06 sounds like my kind of rifle! I absolutely love to hear stories about well-used, solid hunting rifles with a history. When I visit my friends and look over their rifles, I always spend the most time looking over the real users. The engraved safe queens that never get fired or hunted with have very little appeal for me........

AD

Another great fan of the .338 Win. Mag. is Dick DuPont. He's been using one that Al Beisen made up on pre 64 Model 70 in the early 60's. He's used the rifle extensively in Africa since 1971.
Again it's the 250 Nosler Partiton w/ 67 grs IMR 4350. He also used the .338 cal. 250 grain Hornady Solids when they were available. A lot of both PG and DG has fallen to that combination in that rifle.
Rich Elliott

Sighting in at 200 is OK for Western USA, for Africa 100 is better. Unless you are going to some very dry parts of Namibia perhaps.

I had very poor accuracy from "Combined Technology" partitions in my 338, normally a very accurate rifle. I believe the steel insert in the butt of the bullet was the culprit...not concentric.

If this ammo shoots well in your rifle, use it one everthing up to Buffalo (not legal but the dead buffalo doesn't know that).

Russ I'm headed to northern Namibia and was told by the owner of the company to sightin @ 200 yds.
Since first starting this thread I've had a chance to do just that. 5 shots @ 200yds from my bench and bags netted a group at just under 1" . To an archer that sure seems like a long way to the backstop. Cats

Cats

Don't change anything...it's ready!

RIch Elliott

Cats:

I agree with Rich, go with what you have. I like the 225gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claws in the Federal Premium line myself, but would perfeer the 250gr bullets anytime in a 338WM. Anytime you have a flat shooting, over .300 sectional density bullet, it will be a winner.

cats:
Don't get me wrong, I ain't trying to raise hell, but 1/2" MOA with a 338 WM hunting rifle at 200 yds?
I've got 3, 338 WM and I'm lucky to keep any of them under 4" at 200 yds.
Could we see a pic of this rifle?
By the way, take the Noslers, they'll work fine.

I guess you could see a picture if I took one scanned it then could figure out how to size it so I could post it.
The rifle is a Remington 700 Classic produced just 1 yr (1986 I think) to which I had the trigger replaced,bedded and now have a Burris Fullfield 4.5-14x42 BPLX scope mounted on with Warne hardware an replaced the recoil pad with a Simms. Surely nothing special about this production gun with the exception of how it shoots.
Your comment about raising hell was made tongue in cheek and taken as so. As stated I'm an archer mainly these days. Though there was a time I fancied myself of some sort of gun nut pouring thousands into the hobby.
Stop by we'll shoot sometime when you get to Pa. Cats

IMO the 338 win is the best PG rifle for Africa.

It gives you the extra horsepower needed for those tenacious African Beasts.

yes like the mighty duiker

I've shot 50 or so head of game with the .338 and 250 grain bullets. You probably want to use a .375 with solids to shoot the small stuff. On larger game such as eland gemsbok kudu wildebeast roan and sable the 250 gr is a devestating load.

its doable. I didn't think it was but I shot a 1/2" 3 shot group at 200 yards with my ruger 338 and a nikon prostaff scope. I used a 225 gr barnes 3x. i sorted the brass by weight and weighed every charge though. all my other groups have been around 3/4" at 100

quote:

Originally posted by TJ:
cats:
Don't get me wrong, I ain't trying to raise hell, but 1/2" MOA with a 338 WM hunting rifle at 200 yds?
I've got 3, 338 WM and I'm lucky to keep any of them under 4" at 200 yds.
Could we see a pic of this rifle?
By the way, take the Noslers, they'll work fine.

I have taken over 40head of PG from Klippy to Eland with my 338 using 225Xs and barnes solids in 225. For my tastes it just doesn't get any better. Longest treck after the shot was less than a hundered yards and that was my Giraffi, (Giraffi PG?). The 338 is the supreme PG round bar none. Do I have an opinion, eh.

What is the load details , when using the 225 barnes in the 338 that you guys are having the success with??

THANKS

I use "up to" 70 gr of 4350. Start low and work up.

My I pop in with a question?

Have any of you used the 250 gr Round Nose Soft Point Woodleigh in 338 Winmag? (not the PP bullet)

This bullet shoots like a dream in my Ruger M77, and I plan to use it in May in Northern Cape and Limpopo.
Biggest critters this time will be zebra, waterbuck and black wildebeest.

I know its not the most streamlined bullet, but 3 shots is grouping constantly at an inch at 100 meters / 2630 fps.

Just wondering if it is a bit on the soft side with all that exposed lead in the nose...

I don't remember the load for sure cause I've got it written down at home. I think its right around 72 gr of reloader 19 and I seat the bullet to the bottom lip of the first groove. It's supposed to clock at 2650-2700 fps. I'm using winchester brass trimmed to the trim to length and magnum primers. I also sort the brass by weight, (wich is tedious, but worth it when you get tiny groups). I also full length size the brass, not neck size.

quote:

Originally posted by chopper12:
What is the load details , when using the 225 barnes in the 338 that you guys are having the success with??

THANKS

The 250 gr. Nosler is a great bullet in the .338...but here is a surprise, the .210 Nosler will out penetrate it as a rule. Both work well...

In my old .338, I shoot the great 300 gr. Woodleigh dead on at 100 yards, and the 250 Noslers hit 1 inch high and the 210 Nosler is 3 inches high, all on the same scope setting...Is that great or what?? Love this gun..