Anybody have any experience with IMR 4320 and
the 338 wm? The manuals show the 338 getting
close to max velocity with 8 to 12 grains less
powder. This I think would make the 338 a lot
more pleasant to shoot.

Most knowledgeable reloaders strive for near 100% density of propellant in a case for load consistency and greater accuracy. IMR4320 won't allow that. I shoot a bunch of 338's but I've never tried the powder for the above reason. The 338 Win Mag is a hunting cartridge. One problem you have with a propellant that doesn't fill the powder chamber is that in a hunting situation with a downhill shot, the powder in the case can move away from the primer if the case isn't near full. It can also do this on level shots depending on how the cartridge is handled and the location of the powder in the cartridges still in the magazine after an initial shot. This situation has been known and tested to show there is a great disparity in accuracy. Your faster powders also do not reach peak and optimum pressure for optimum performance. I think you'd do better with a slower propellant for all but the very lightest of bullets in the 338.

I concur with Bob338...4831, 4350, RL-19 and RL-22 work best in the 338 Win.

Just what I said. It's not a target cartridge where you can shoot in the 1's and set up each cartridge identically for every shot when punching paper. It's a hunting round that in the field will be subjected to very hard handling. Shots will be in very different attitudes from when a cartridge is shot from a bench. You can't tilt the bullet up for every shot to insure the powder is at the base and on the flash hole.

I haven't loaded for or shot a .338 in more than a decade, but when I did, I got the best reslts with IMR 4350.

Ironic that I find this question on the forum just after reloading 50 230 grain WFS bullets using 70 grain of RL 19.

I have had the best experience using RL 19 for the 230 to 250 grain bullets and IMR 4350 for the 225 grain bullets.

BTW- I am learning to hate the nickel cases. The neck appears to split quicker and every now and then, one can be a bitch to chamber correctly. I have noticed a much longer case life and less problems with Winchester, brass cases.

I'll try to recover a bullet from a big MT whitetail this weekend and post the picture here!

Ski+3

I don't have a .338 or load for one,and I'am new to all "MAGS" as far as reloading,but I've been reloading for a long time.I Concure that a slower burning powder is or should be better for the .338 as well as most the other "MAGS".But I do have a Question or 3.
1-Are we saying or the reloading manauals saying that only slow burning powders are to be used in a round like this?
2-Whatever happened to all the data for this and other rounds like it using fast buring powdeer like the above IMR-4320,4064 and even 3031?
3-Whatever happened to listing all the powders and data for them in all powders not just a few for each caliber?

I can remeber the days when all we had where the above IMR's and very few others,and that slowest powder was 4831.Seems like with each new powder that comes out we loose data for the older one's.

I didn't mean to get off topic,but it did seem like a good time to ask the above.

[ 11-26-2002, 09:59: Message edited by: Tiny ]

Give IMR-7828 or REL-25 a try in your 338 mag. It should fill the case to the shoulder and give good hunting accuracy. Magnum cases perform best with slow burning powder and a case full of the right slow burning powder to the shoulder of the case. Most hunting is done in any and all weather conditions and the right slow burning powder will give more consistant results. Follow your reloading books specs for the cartridge and bullet weight your shooting.

Tiny: 1-Are we saying or the reloading manauals saying that only slow burning powders are to be used in a round like this?

Not at all. If that is what you want to use, there are plenty of Loads available from the actual Powder Manufacturers.

But, just as Bob338 and the others have said, the slower powders will work better. They will typically provide better accuracy from all shooting positions and more balanced Internal Ballistics.

Tiny: 2-Whatever happened to all the data for this and other rounds like it using fast buring powdeer like the above IMR-4320,4064 and even 3031?

It is still listed in the FREE reloading Manuals provided by the Powder Companies. Just picked up two at random and the IMR Handloader's Guide even lists Loads for IMR-4227, IMR-4198, IMR-3031, on up through IMR-4831 for the 338WinMag.

Accurate Powder has loads starting with their XMR-2495, XMR-2520, XMR-4064 on up through XMR-8700 for the 338WinMag.

Hodgdon too. So, it is there if you want it. Just look in the Powder Company Manuals.

Tiny: 3-Whatever happened to listing all the powders and data for them in all powders not just a few for each caliber?

See answer to #2.

...

Use what you want, but if you want the best chance at consistant repeatable accuracy and top performance, the slower powders are the way to go in this cartridge.

[ 12-09-2002, 18:16: Message edited by: Hot Core ]