Just picked up a new to me SS M70 in 338WM.

Plan is for elk and maybe brown bear in a few years.

Is the .338 a 225 or a 250 gr bullet rifle?

(I know it is both, and I have always thought of it as a 250 gr rifle, but the 225's seem to be more popular)

I've always heard from people who shot it that the guns like 210 and 250 gr. better than 225 gr. In that regard it's a matter of discovering what your gun likes.

The other consideration is that the 338 has no advantage over a 300 unless the heavier bullet is used.

quote:

Originally posted by Winchester 69:
I've always heard from people who shot it that the guns like 210 and 250 gr. better than 225 gr. In that regard it's a matter of discovering what your gun likes.

The other consideration is that the 338 has no advantage over a 300 unless the heavier bullet is used.

I agree. The 300 magnums and 200gr bullets are made for each other. 338 seems a bit unnecessary if you only want to push a 210 grain bullet although I havent really looked at the ballistics of the .338 210 gr bullets

I use the 225 gr Partitions in mine. I switched from the 210 partitions years ago for no other reason than personal preferences. I never had a problem with the 210's.

I've never recovered a 210 or a 225 on elk. They have always exited on my elk. It may just be the way the shots have been presented to me at the time of the shot. It's hard to claim I need the heavier bullets when the 225's are exiting.

Every game shot has been a one shot bang-flop with either bullet, so I don't think one has any merits over the other on elk, at least in the win mag. Maybe the rum would be different, I don't know.

I've never seen a reason for the 250 gr for me, in my woods on elk. We don't have brown bear hear in AZ, so it's not an issue for me. I doubt I would take a shot past 250-300 yards, no matter how steady my rest was anyway.

I think if I was after grizzly, I may load the 250's instead?

My rifle's a M70, and it happens to LOVE imr 4350 and 225 partitions, oh and I'm using federal mag primers too.

The 250's and up have the .3 sectional density preferred for good penetration. I have used them all from 200 to 300 grains. On deer the 200 nosler works fine. I like the 250 on larger game and the 300 woodleigh on potentially dangerous stuff.

quote:

Originally posted by Duckear:
Just picked up a new to me SS M70 in 338WM.

Plan is for elk and maybe brown bear in a few years.

Is the .338 a 225 or a 250 gr bullet rifle?

(I know it is both, and I have always thought of it as a 250 gr rifle, but the 225's seem to be more popular)

250g Hornady, BarnesX & Nosler

Congrats on your new .338. It is a highly favored and lucky round for me. I am, over 40+ years of hunting, quite partial to Nosler Partitions in many calibers for game larger than whitetails.

With the 250 gr Partition, behind a stiff load of MRP, I've taken a brown bear from Kodiak Island and a grizzly from the Seward Peninsula. In May, this bullet will be with me on Prince of Wales Island for a hopeful huge black bear.

The 210 gr Nosler is a lucky bullet for me. I can get 3000 fps behind a hearty hat-full of Hodgdon H205 powder. This bullet has allowed me to take a 60" moose and 395" caribou from the Hoholitna River region, an average black bear, and a 350-class elk from Arizona.

I've never shot any 225 gr bullets, fearing that they would usurp my lucky 210s. Feel free to do so on your own. Enjoy.......

Try both 225 and 250.

Working up two loads is twice the fun.

I have found the 225 gr Accubond with IMR 4350 loaded to upper-mid level book charges works great on elk and is extremely accurate in mine.

There really aren't any poor bullets for the .338 -- just those that shoot better in your particular gun. Mine likes 225 Nosler Partitions and Accubonds at a little over 2900 fps. It even shoots 200 grain Ballistic Tips to the same point of impact. I've never needed more than 225 Noslers (having taken game up through kudu, zebra and wildebeest with them), but if going for Kodiak and similar I don't see the harm in the 250 Nosler. In my opinion, little is to be gained with heavier than 250 grain bullets by trying to make the .338 something its not.

Welcome to the 338

Long time 338 shooter I have 2, but bought a 116 Savage 4 years the thing will digest anything from 210gr NP to 300gr Sierras using RL-19 with Fed 215GM primers being the best.

My main hunting bullet has been 210gr NP and I practice all the time with Hornady 225gr SST they shoot about 1" lower @ 200 yds

The .338 Winchester is my favorite big game cartridge. It does not fly as straight as a .300. Nor does it hit as hard as a .375. I use 250's exclusively. I have used 225's with no complaints, but when I was hunting game that could hit back, I stuck with 250's and have not looked back.

Reloder 19 and IMR 4350 work well with the 225's and the 250's.

225s or 250s....

the lighter ones I use in the 338/06....but I also use 225s and 250 RN's in that one also..

Mostly 250 NPs

200's on deer if there is no bear threat.

Midway made a mistake on pricing on 250 gr Nosler Gold Partion, moly.

I would not own a 338 for a few years, but at hose prices, I bought a lifetime supply.

Now I have a 338 BAR and 338 reamer.

I have a box or two of Barnes triple shock bullets, but those cost money

1) 250 gr
2) 250 gr
3) 300 gr Woodleigh

You would sooner get me to part with a few of my fingers before I would part with my beloved .338wm. I have shot bullets from 180 to 250 grains from Hornady, Sierra, Speer, and Nosler. With the exception of the Speer GS my .338wm shot them all in groups of 1.25" or smaller. It shot 225s from Hornady (Interloks) and Nosler (Accubonds) into nice tiny bug holes. So for hunting elk I use the Accubonds and for every thing else I use the Interloks.

The list of what I have shot from memory:
Nosler BTs in 180 & 200grn
Nosler Partitions in 210, 225, and 250grn
Nosler Accubonds in 225grn
Sierra Game Kings in 215 & 250grn
Speer plane gane 225 & 250grn
Speer Grand Slams in 225 & 250grn

I also tried powders suitable for the 338wm from Hodgdon, IMR, and Alliant. Hands down without a doubt my gun strongly perfered Alliant RL-19.

I use Nosler 200gr CT Bullets. Love em

The .338 is my favorite bore diameter. I have shot quite a few big game animals with it. My current load is the 250 grain Nosler. It is hard to beat and pretty hard to stop.