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330 Dakota powder help

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12 July 2025, 08:04
MyNameIsEarl
330 Dakota powder help
Im helping a customer out who just purchased a beautiful 330 Dakota rifle. He wants to load some 225 grain Accubonds. I have looked in my reloading manuals and see I have several powders on hand. IMR4450 IMR 4831, and R19. My question is for that have loaded for it what powder did you find to be your most consistent. I care more about accuracy than velocity. Appreciate any help
12 July 2025, 20:51
Jayhawk
I have shot Dakota's for twenty years. My current 330 is a Hill Country sporter style. I load 83 grains of RL-19 with 225 gr Barnes TTSX. With a 26" barrel they shoot very consistent around 3090 FPS.(85 grains is the max load listed in the old Barnes manual). I do not have signs of increased pressure, although you might. Accuracy is 0.5"-1"depending upon my abilities at the time. The biggest problem now is finding Alliant powder!
13 July 2025, 05:48
375sunrise
My rifle likes 869. I used 33 Nosler data to get started. Accuracy is excellent & velocity made me happy in my barrel.
13 July 2025, 05:50
bigbull
Great caliber and one of my favorites for moose, I load the 250 Hornady Sptz bullet and have taken moose with them, they are a little too fragile for Dakota speeds, but they have killed whatever they were shot at but we had some terrible failures to penetrate due to bullet blowups but fortunately the moose have died quickly, I have used the Accubonds on Moose and they stay together no problem, my powder of choice is WMR by Winchester that is unfortunately no longer available, but there are many others, like W760, IMR and AA 4350, VV N160, RL-19, H4831 and others but I have no experience with them. Hope others chime in with more data.
BB
13 July 2025, 09:47
crbutler
My Alaska load was around 75 grains of H4350 with a Swift A frame.

RL 19 worked pretty well with the Accubond for me, but I wanted the heavier bullet and since 100 yards was what the maximum range was expected.
14 July 2025, 00:22
MyNameIsEarl
Thanks for the information gentlemen. I didn't consider N160 for some reason. I can get that powder pretty easily. I am not happy about the limited supply of Alliant Powder. I loved their powder and every single rifle I own shoots well and excellent velocities. Frustrating that I have to change alot of them.
14 July 2025, 19:55
phurley5
I don't shoot your rifle but do shoot a .338 Lapua and a .340 Wby. My go to powders are RL-33, VV-565 and H-1000. The VV-565 was designed for the .338 Lapua as a sniper rifle and I just thought it would be good for your rifle. Good Shooting.


phurley