I would like to use Hornady bullets, ? weight, ? configuration, and IMR 4350 or 4831, ? grns. The deer will be from 30 to 200 yds. Thanks.

gunther, you have two good choices: the 200, or the 225 grain bullet in the Hornady line. Either one will work well.

1)200 grain #3310 IMR 4831 66.0 grains for a starting load.

2)225 grain #3320 IMR 4831 63.0 grains for a starting load.

If limited to the Hornady line, I would prefer the 200 grain Spire point, but actually, if you're only hunting deer and limiting your range to 200 yards, it just doesn't matter. Anything you put in a .338 will hit and kill a deer within 200 yards. The expansion and penetration characteristics of the lighter bullets will better match the physiology of a deer, and will also give you a bit less recoil than the heavier bullets, but the heavier bullets will hit and kill about the same, so just use whatever strikes your fancy, so long as it shoots well in your gun.

Shot a few mule deer with the 225 Hornady SP at the ranges you are talking - very effective (significant expansion) with very little meat damage - I use to use IMR-4831 but now using RL-19 for 2850 fps. A 200 gr Nosler BT shoots well in my rifle but no animals with it. It has a heavier jacket than the smaller dia ballistic tips - so it should be fine on deer or anything else for that matter.

Well, I shoot the .338 Win Mag quite a bit.

A friend bought one some time back and shot a number of deer with it using 200 grain Hornady Spire Points. It just killed the hell out of them, but man what a mess. Those 200 grain bullets sure blew those bucks up. Lots of meat destroyed.

I have to admit I never shot anything with them but a few ground squirrels just for practice, but boy, they expanded violently.

I have shot several wild hogs with the 200 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip in my .338 Win Mag. Very good performance every time. I have hunted deer with it, but just never got to shoot one.

On the other side of the coin, I have shot a number of deer in several states with my .338 Win Mag using heavier bullets. I have had really good success with the 215 and 250 Sierra boat tail bullets. Those 250 Sierra bullets put big mule deer on the ground and do not blow up a bunch of venison.

I have never shot anything but paper with a 225 Hornady but they should work a little better than the 200's, I think. In fact, I have decided I like that bullet weight pretty well. My current "shoot any darned thing" load for my .338 Win Mag is a 225 Nosler Partition loaded over a bunch of H 4350. It has worked well on wild hogs and elk so far.

R F

My recommendation would be to down load the rifle to the 2600 fps range of so. This will reduce any meat damage talked about by Mr. Flowers. I'd use IMR 4064, H 380, IMR 4895, or RL 15 powders for the lower velocity.

One thing good about the 338 bullets is that they are large enough they are going to down any deer that ever walked, as long as you do the right shot placement.

If your distance is 200 yds, or less, at 2500 fps, zeroed 2.5 inches high a 100 yds, you are going to be dead on at 200. You don't need a 500 yd load, to take a 100 yd shot.

You will probably enjoy the less recoil. Ballistic tips don't tend to blow up the meat under 2500 fps as they do over that figure.

good luck any route you take.

gunther:
I handload 73.0 gr.imr 4831, 200 gr spire pt, cci mag primer, no crimp. This is my dad's ruger in 338. Had no meat loss & shoots 1" groups all day when he does his part. I think it shoots around 2700 fps.

Not meant to draw flames in here, but why do you need such a big gun to hunt a whitetail? 30-200 yds? you'll be lucky to have a hamburger left. .30-30, 6.5 Swedish, .303 British, .30-06, and 7.62x54Rmm, plenty of deer medicine, not to say I can't handle a .338 WM, which I can with ease but here in the Northeast, you'll overgun yourself, but if you need to know, a 250 gr. "Partition" and some IMR 7828 @ 71 grs., and a Win. Lg. Rifle primer.

[ 08-10-2003, 00:17: Message edited by: Crazy Cledus ]

My experience has mirrored seafire's. I load the 200gr Hornady Spirepoint with a charge of IMR 4895. Start with 55 grains and slowly work up to the load that gives best accuracy. My rifle safely accepts 60 grains, but accuracy is better at 55 and 56 grains.
Max

I only shot a few deer with my 338 mag and my 338 06 I just use my full power 250 gr loads. That are loaded with the hornaday 250 sp. Kills them dead. Not any deader then my 300 sav 308 3006 8mm ect. I just don't like resighting in my guns.

Hornady offers four bullets for the .338: the 200 and 225 for medium sized game, and (2) 250's for heavy and dangerous game.

My bet is on the 225. I've used 200's before, but in the Nosler line, not Hornady. Other experiences I've had with Hornady bullets of various calibres have all been positive, so if you use the 200's slow them down. The 338 and 200 grain bullet combo. is capable of 3000fps, and it probably will leave a big hole in whatever it hits. The 225, I believe, is a tougher bullet.

Try 70.5 grains of RL 19, with either you should be in the 2700fps range. I am SURE this load will stop anything you point the rifle at.

There's no need to down-load the .338 Win. Mag. for deer hunting. I advise using full-power loads no matter what, which will allow you to make full use of your rifle's trajectory potential and versatilty.

I've used the 225 gr. Hornady @ 2850 fps. for mule deer, and the 210 gr. Nosler Partition @ 2960 fps. for whitetails in the .338 Win. Mag.

The 225 Hornady works well, but I prefer the 210 Nosler load hands-down for any deer hunting with the .338 Winchester Magnum. It shoots plenty flat, drops them instantly, and tissue destruction is minimal - no worse than with a .270 Win. Just as important, the 210 Nosler is a very consistent, predictable, versatile bullet that works well on elk, hogs, bears, or 'most anything else you'll hunt with the .338, and recoil is mild. This one load can practically do it all, and without fuss.

AD

My pet load is;
72 grains IMR 4350
Hornady 225 grain spire point #3320
WW brass
CCI LRM primer
oal 3.370" (Longest I can fit in my magazine)
This load shoots .75" in my Browning Safari
MV= 2898 fps, and 4196 ft/lbs energy
start lower, work your way up, USE A RELOADING MANUAL to verify all loads!!

I shot 2 deer the first year I bought my 338wm. A mule deer buck in CO with 250 grain Fed HE NP which worked great. (I was mostly looking for elk) And a whitetail doe here in WI with 225 grain factory win SP. Shot her at 30 yards broadside in the lungs and man did she go down hard. She then stood back up almost in reverse and started to walk off. So I shot her again in the lungs from the other side when she then started to run. One final shot again in the lungs(my rifle was empty at this point) and the stopped her for good. All 3 bullets expanded and would of stopped her by themselves, but I guess she was just tough. Never could figure that one out. Meat damage was minimal, no more than my
30-06. I now load 225 grain Hornady's for practice and deer @ 2850 fps and 225 grain Nosler Partition's @ 2950 fps for elk. The second load is right at max. Even had that load shooting over 3000 fps, but got sticky bolt lift. Powder in both my 30-06 and 338 is H4350 with excelent accuracy.
I really enjoy shooting the 338 even though it's not needed for deer.