Just a quick poll,forget what your going to shoot with it,which bullet weight displays the best accuracy in your 338 Win.Mag?

Browning A-Bolt Composite Stalker. 210 nosler Partitions and IMR 4350 or RL19. Groups run .75" and under. This is the only weight I use. I tried some Barnes X 180s and the group looked like buckshot !!!!

bowhuntr

Also a Browning Composite A-Bolt Stalker. 250-grain Sierra Game King with 65 gr. IMR 4350 and Winchester mag. primer.

I am still getting used to this, but last time out I put two bullets in the same hole. I flinched slightly on the third shot, but still had <1/2" at 100 meters.

kk

The 250 Sierra Game King has been the winne for myself and a friend. Half inch groups or better is the norm. We're both shooting about 4 gr. below max with 4064. I don't remember the grain charge weight at the time, so won't post it.

Someone I correspond with from Canada has a couple of .338's with after market barrels that shoot about 1" at 200 meters. Sounds incredible, but it is true. He uses 180-grain bullets for deer-size animals, and 225-grain A-Frame for large game. Earlier this year he killed a grizzly at 170 yards (or so) with one shot. The grizzly dropped dead and rolled down the side of a hill.

I don't remember what bullet the 180 grainer is. I will ask him to post here, because he is always developing great hunting loads for his rifles. I have the feeling he likes to get high speed from his .338's by using the lighter bullets, and I imagine around 3,000+ fps is very possible with the 180 grainers.

Ray asked me to post some of my more accurate loads for my 338's so here are the 3 that give me the best groups at 200 meters. I found that testing at 200 meters gives me a truer indication of the loads ability to group so that is why I do virtually all of my testing at that range. Also, with today's high tech bullets like the 225 Swift 'A' Frame I don't believe that you need the bullet weight like you used to so I haven't even tried any 250 grain or heavier bullets in my rifles.

#1 - 180 Nosler Ballistic Tip, 66.0 grains Re15, Federal 210 Match primer, Win or Federal cases. Velocity in my rifles 2990 fps. Pressure indications are below factory. I have tried up to 68.0 grains for 3100 fps but the 66.0 grains load is far more accurate and just as good on deer. Recoil is like a 7mm Rem Mag. Deer and practice load only. I have tested the expansion in soaking wet phone books and the results indicate that it will hold up well in medium sized game. I got 70% plus weight retention from 100 to 300 yards.

#2 - 200 Nosler Ballistic Tip, 78.0 grains Re22, Federal 215 Mag primer, Win or Fed Cases. Velocity in my rifles 3000 fps. Pressure indications is higher than factory. This is my max loading for pressure. Recoil is more like the 225 grain bullets but extremely accurate in 1 rifle with the other only so so. Deer, sheep, elk and moose loading. This bullet has a fantastic B.C. of over .500 in practical tests so with this velocity it is really a flat shooting load. I haven't done any expansion testing yet but will in the near future.

#3 - 225 Swift 'A' Frame, 76.0 grains Re22, Federal 215 Mag primer, Win or Fed cases. Velocity in my rifles 2850 fps. Pressure indication is the same as factory. This is my all-around hunting load for heavy game such as moose, elk, and grizzly. Shoots only 3" lower than the 180 grain bullet at 200 meters so I pack several when hunting deer in bear country.

These loads will shoot under 1" for 3 shots at 200 meters in my rifles. The 180's and 225's will shoot in both rifles this accurately while the 200 shoots well in only the Ruger.

Neither of my rifles will shoot 210 or 225 Nosler Partitions at all at max pressures. 65.0 grains of Re15 and the 210 Nosler is very accurate but slow at 2850 fps. Also, I tried the 185 Lazzeroni/Barnes bullet with excellent grouping results but when I tried the blue coated 185 Barnes they wouldn't shoot at all. I have also noticed that my rifles seem to like either fast burning powders or slow burners but not the classic mediums such as 4350.

Hope this all helps.

Good luck, Steve

200 grain Ballistic Tips, Win cases, 215 primers, 76g RL19, 1"@100, 3010 fps, no pressure signs. Preformance of these bullets on deer and elk has been impressive.

Rifle also likes the Federal Premium factories with the 210 partition, 2950 fps, .75". Will work with the 210's next.

So far I've only shot 200gr. Power Points factory loads outta my Savage 338,I only have 22rds. thru it so far its shooting around 1 1/4" with these.I think as the barrel gets "broke in" the groups should shrink some.
I picked up 2 boxs to sight in /break in with then I will develop loads.I know its up to the rifle but I'm pondering between 210s and 225s at this point as a start.

Sierra 300 HPBT
RL-22 From 63.0 grains to 68.0 grains
Remington 9-1/2M Primer

I have shot my 338 alot and all bullets shoot pretty well. It likes the 250 grain bullets the best. With just a little tinkering I can get all the 250's to shoot about 1 inch.

I have only "group" tested one load in my Savage so here it is. 250 gr. Hornady RN, Fed LRmag primer, 73gr. of Rel 22 in Herters cases. Only tayloring I did was to seat them .03" off the lands and the only group I shot and measured was .87". The first two are 1/4" and when I saw this I got excited and threw the third.

In my gun,Weatherby Vanguard, Speer 200s and 275s.

Steve,

Those are pretty impressive results!! What gun/optics are you using?? Thanks.

1. 300 Grain Match King--seated to near the lands.
2. 200 Grain Nosler Ballistic Tip

Nebraska. I have 2 - 338's. One is a SS Ruger 77 Mk11 and the other is a SS Winchester Mod 70. The Ruger has a 26" Pac-Nor barrel, Leupold 3-1/2 x 10 Vari-X 111, Timney trigger, and Boyd JRS laminated stock. The Winchester has a 24" Hart barrel, Leupold 1-1/2 x 5, stock trigger, and Rimrock stock. Each rifle was chambered by a different reamer and built by different gunsmiths to different specifications. Both were totally blueprinted while being rebarreled. However, I am used to shooting heavy recoiling rifles and am not particularly recoil sensitive. I also use a rifle rest that has an intregal forearm rest and butt pad with a leather cup made in Washington. This adds several pounds to the rifle weight and supports the rifle during recoil firing. When the rifle fires, the recoil drags the rest backwards also. I find that I shoot better groups using this rest than when I just use sandbags. However, I also noticed that the rifles will not shoot to the same point of aim when shooting from sandbags or a sling in the prone position. So I test for groups using this rest and then re-sight in the rifles using sandbags and check the POA while shooting prone. I hope this is the information you desired. Steve

Through a few rifles, over a dozen, I've never had any bullet weight stand out as most accurate. Seems like I had more loads developed for 225's than any other but I've had rifles that also shot 200's and 250's most accurately. I'd say it depends on the barrel and the load.

Mine 225 grain Hornady shoots 18 mm groops without any trying to find a good load