I am taking the Dakota to AK this year for a Moose/Grizzly combo. I have only used Dakotas loads so far and have a lot of empty brass. I would like to work up an accurate load, and was hoping to get some hints here. Many thanks,
Don

I have found RL22 to work very well in this cartridge. I use the Barnes 225 grain X bullets, but there are many excelllent bullets to choose from.

The Nosler Reloading Guide has data

I use 82.0gr Win WMR powder with the Hornady 250 Sptz backed by 215 Fed primers all in original Dakota/Mast brass, Reloader 22 also works well in two of my buddy's rifles also with the same Hornady slug. Our experience has been that the bullets break up inside 100 yards on moose (3 so far)and we will be changing bullets to a bonded bullet of some kind. The longest shot so far was 220yds(ranged)and on that shot we had full penetration on broadside lung/far shoulder shot(bull moose/950lb field dressed). The other two bulls were inside 100 yds and the bullets broke up with no exits and no recoveries, all fragmented. I would suggest good controlled expansion bullets.
Barnes has lots of loads for Dakota cartridges.
Good Luck

I have worked up the following loads for my 330 Dakota - my rifle is a Dakota M-76 with a 26" barrel. All loads use Norma brass (from Midway) and Federal #215 primers.

225 grain Northfork
85.0 grs RL-22
OAL=3.33"
chrono velocity=3050fps;SD=13
very accurate 1" group at 200 yards


240 grain Northfork
OAL=3.33"
powder = RL-22
82.0 grs = 2948fps
81.5 grs = 2926fps
80.0 grs = 2870fps
Note: I just started working up this load, may end up being my all around load.


225 grain Nosler Accurabond
83.0 grs RL-22
chrono velocity = 2935fps
very accurate 3 shot group went 1/4" at 100 yards; this load is about 2 grains below max in my rifle, but with this accuracy I didn't care.


250 grain Nosler Partition
82.0 grs RL-22
OAL= 3.369"
chrono velocity = 2806fps; SD=5
group <1" at 100 yards


250 grain Nosler Partition
84.0 grs IMR-7828
OAL=3.369"
chrono velocity = 2887fps; SD=5
group = <1" at 100 yards


250 grain Swift A-frame
82.0 grs RL-22
OAL=3.34"
chrono velocity = 2792fps; SD=6
group = 1" at 200 yards


250 grain Swift A-frame
84.0 grs IMR-7828
OAL=3.34"
chrono velocity = 2819fps; SD=9
group ~1" at 200 yards


200 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip (coated)
85.0 grs RL-19
OAL=3.37"
chrono velocity = 2986fps; SD=11
group = 1" at 100 yards
cheap bullets good for practice


225 grain Swift A-frame
85.0 grs RL-22
OAL=3.338"
chrono velocity=3042fps; SD=8
group ~1" at 100 yards


If I were hunting bears in Alaska I would probably go with the 240 grain Northfork. I have used the 250 grain Nosler Partiton in Africa on plains game at 2887fps and it killed everything with one shot (only recovered one bullet). Good luck!