Looking for a .338WM bullet and load. What do you recommend or like the best?

225 TTSX I think I shoot 67.5 gr IMR 4350. They show up to 68.3gr now on the site. But that 67.5 load shoots extremely well in my rifle

d-c,

If you are simply gonna shoot deer with your .338WM - then I've got a great low recoil load.

Barnes 160 gr. TTSX w/AA-4350 or H-414.

The lighter weight Barnes bullets (although premium in performance) really take the sting out of the 338WM recoil.

If you are going to tackle larger, heavier beasts with it then go with 220's or 225's grainers.

I am a fan of the 225 grain TSX. If, I needed or wanted more B.C., I would go with the TTSX version.
I don't think there would be much difference using the 210 grain versions either. I like the mono-bullets, have been using the Barnes and have not tried others.

I shoot 250 grain noslers over H4831 in the charge that gives me the most accuracy in that gun. I have a pair the the charge is different in both guns.

I have a Win M70 338 Win Mag with a 21.5" barrel,
With 225 grain Sierra's (Pro Hunter) I get 2815 fps with WW brass and 2848 fps with FC brass, the load is 70.5 grains IMR4350.
That load usually shoots under an inch but have shot some 5 shot groups as small as .35".
Some will try to tell you that the Sierra bullets are too soft but not in my experience. I took it on a Plains game hunt and had a bunch of great kills with it and recovered one bullet only and that was a Wildebeest shot from shoulder to hip that recovered bullet weighed 206 grains and a picture perfect mushroom.
All other bullets made exit wounds and performed perfectly.
The 225 grain Sierra was for years a non cataloged bullet only used by ammo manufacturers in factory ammo. It is now in their normal line up.

Prefer the 265gr Nosler Accubond LR as a general purpose bullet for my .338 WM loaded at 2650 fps muzzle speed using Re19.

What is it you intend to shoot with your .338? Beer cans? Prairie dogs? Pachyderms? It certainly makes a difference. Please be a little more specific in what you're looking for.

Stone,
Thanks, I was not clear.

Africa - elk size, kudu, wildebeest, zebra, eland.

Yes, I know my .300WM will do the job too, but this is a new toy and I want to try it out.

One of my favorite loads is 225 Hornady IB and with 75 gr. Ramshot hunter in WW case with Fed 215 primers. This load is max in my T-3 Tikka and shoots under moa at 220 yards. Also the 225 Nosler partition shoots as well with this load.

I also did work up with Superformance to 76 gr and had very close to the same results.

200 grain Bitterroot Bonded Cores, appropriate to rifle charge of either Rl19 or 4350.

210 Nolser partition, a great Elk Killer out where I live in Roosevelt Elk Country.

And you do not have to stuff the bullet base way down in the powder area as needed with many of todays bullets.

Among five of us fellow hunters, all use the 338 WM with the Nosler 210 partition. I have seen one shot kills up to over 400 yards.

Know your gun and the trajectory!!!

Plenty of load data in the Nosler manual.

Much depends on what you're using it for. It would be easy to say "everything", but "everything" is seldom the real life use.

I used the 210 Nosler for years with RL-19 at near 3000 FPS..The last three years Ive used the 225 gr. Nosler Accubond and its a little better IMO and at 2913 FPS..I also like 250 gr. Noslers at around 2800 FPS plus a tad... These are my elk loads and I determine which bullet by the area terrain I hunt..Ive yet to shoot and elk more than once with the above loads in my .338 Win, and never has one run more than 50 yards, most much less. I am a fan of RL-19 and I load it max for my rifle.

My wife is using 225 TTSX’s, pushed to 2950 fps. RL 22, Fed. 215 primers, Federal Safari nickel plated brass. memtb

I used Nosler 225 Partitions on my African trip on kudu, Hartman's zebra, and red hartebeest. It was propelled by a charge of the old original surplus 4831 at 2900 fps and worked splendidly. I've since switched to 225 Nosler Accubonds and find them to be a tad more accurate and perform similar to the Partitions. But you can't go wrong with either. Since I'm still using on my stock of surplus 4831 I can't recommend any currently available powder for you, but I've found that the .338 likes powders toward the slower end. Try those with burning rates starting with the 4350's on the fast end and go up from there. A full case is a happy case.

A 225 grain bullet can be pushed fast enough to provide fairly flat trajectories, and penetrates adequately on anything appropriate for the 338, so I don't see the need of anything heavier. There is nothing wrong with the 250's, but nothing to be gained, either. Now, if your rifle happens to "like" the Nosler 210 Partition, well, that's a bullet that "punches above its weight" and will do everything the 225's will do.

I used a .338 WM in Africa this month. Load was 67.9 I4350 under a 250 A-Frame. Shot 12 animals with it; everything from grysbok to zebra. I used a 225 Hornady SP for a leopard for a total of 13 animals.

Counting the five I used to check my zero, I could have made that trip with a box of 20 bullets (one impala I shot sitting facing me from 250 yards required a finishing shot) and had one left over. All bullets completely penetrated.

quote:

Originally posted by BaxterB:
225 TTSX I think I shoot 67.5 gr IMR 4350. They show up to 68.3gr now on the site. But that 67.5 load shoots extremely well in my rifle

This in the five 338 Win Mags I have owned. I am now using Norma cases with a charge weight of 68.5 grains of IMR 4350. Seat the bullets 50 thousandths from the lands and enjoy!

I've shot quite a bit of African plains game with my .338 Win. Everything from Impala to Eland including Kudu, Gemsbok, Blue Wildebeest and a half dozen Eland. Everything with the same load. 225 Gr. Nosler Partition propelled by H-4831 and touched off by a Fed. 215 primer.

quote:

Originally posted by sep:

quote:

Originally posted by BaxterB:
225 TTSX I think I shoot 67.5 gr IMR 4350. They show up to 68.3gr now on the site. But that 67.5 load shoots extremely well in my rifle

This in the five 338 Win Mags I have owned. I am now using Norma cases with a charge weight of 68.5 grains of IMR 4350. Seat the bullets 50 thousandths from the lands and enjoy!

This is a great example of how guns differ. I load my TTsXs to factory oal, which is WAY, and I mean WAY off the lands. It shoots .75 all day long.. it’s one of the “bad” era 6-digit SS model 70s. True, it’s not finished very well, looks like a Friday afternoon gun, but that mofo do shoot!

Since you clarified what you intend to hunt. In Africa I would and have used the 250 gr. bullets, mostly Nosler partitions, some Swifts A frames, Sierras, and some GS Customs..They all worked, but for Africa and Eland, and considering where you hunt and the possibility of having a conflict with a Buff in a snare, or whatever I would definatly go with the Nosler 250 gr. partition..It works on anything with a properly placed bullet, and penetration would be my no. 1 priority..Of the bullets mention in this thread the 250 gr. Nosler partition will give you the highest percentage of complete pass throughs on elk size animals hands down. Id say 99% of the time they will give two holes..Not so the 210, 225s in partition and Accubonds, but these lighter bullet will 99% of the time stop on the off side skin in a perfect mushroom even at some angle and they work just fine and shoot a bit flatter Im told, I can't tell much difference in the field however.

My old 338 Hough rifle was about the only light rifle I carried to Africa, along with a 40 caliber of some sort for the big stuff, I have always beed deadly with the .338 Win., my newest being a Ruger African, a rifle Im very fond off..

quote:

Originally posted by dogcat:
Stone,
Thanks, I was not clear.
Africa - elk size, kudu, wildebeest, zebra, eland.

Without doubt, the 250 grs Woodleigh PP.

I have used this bullet home and abroad in 338 Winmag, from moose via zebra, waterbuck, wildebeest, kudu, down to impala, roedeer and springbok, and it simply work, everytime!

I like the Barnes 185 for an all around load in the 338WM. I also liked the 210 XBT ( the TTSX should be even better!) and I myself will be working up loads later on with the 160/200NBT/200AB/210PT. I have some 250s PT and AB but will wait for later on them.

Dogcat, when you add 'Africa' to the parameters, I probably have something to add.

Those above who mention light Barnes bullets have given excellent advice for many situations, but not for Africa, in my opinion. I use 74 grains of R-17 over a 185gnTTSX for deer in California. While it would work in many cases in Africa it is not what I use nor what I recommend.

In Africa a person needs to consider a bullet that can be used 'when things go wrong'. A 338 WinMag is not a "dangerous game" rifle, but it is used in hunting fields where dangerous game exists and where there is a chance that it may be called to service in a dangerous game situation. 35 years ago the bullets of choice were the 250gn NPartition (or Swift Aframe when available), 275gn Speer, and 300gn Barnes original. Those bullets were excellent and I used them on African game (including buffalo back in the day), although the Speer is no longer produced and the equivalent to the 300gnBarnes is the 300gn Woodleigh. However, today I've streamlined my choice and recommendations.

The 225gnTTSX provides a high BC (.514) and its monometal construction penetrates deep, typically exiting. It is a GREAT bullet for plains game and antelope. My son put one into the back of the neck of a wounded buffalo and out the face, producing instant calm. In terms of penetration, a 225gn monometal is probably the equivalent of a heavy-jacketed 250gn lead-core bullet.

For loads you will need to test your rifle. I have used between 69 and 71 grains of Rel-17 depending on the rifle. I have one in Tanzania whose chamber is rather large and it uses 70.8gn to do what another rifle does with 69 grains (2835fps, sighted in 2.0" at 100 yards, -6.3" drop at 300 yards and over 2800ft# thump way out there). They have been good, safe, max loads in my rifles. So I would expect to build up from 67 grains, maybe chronographing one round at 65grains to set a starting base line. You will probably find a very accurate load somewhere between 67 and 70 grains. If you would like, try the newer Rel-16 powder (temperature insensitive), too, maybe between 66 and 70 grains.

With a 225gnTTSX I can walk the forest with confidence, having a great load for anything from oribi, reedbuck, up through hartebeest, waterbuck and roan. And I would not hesistate to use it on a buffalo or lion, should the need arise.

PS:There is a new Barnes 250gn LRX in .338" with a .602 BC. It may be excellent although one would need to test two parameters, stability and velocity. For Africa, robust stability is more important than shooting a delicate 400-600 yards! (Over 400yards is virtually unnecessary in Africa.) The bullet needs to be controlled and to 'sleep' quickly. And at 250grains, I like to get 2700fps muzzle velocity for a heavy punch on potentially heavy animals.

quote:

Originally posted by WoodHunter:
210 Nolser partition, a great Elk Killer out where I live in Roosevelt Elk Country.

And you do not have to stuff the bullet base way down in the powder area as needed with many of todays bullets.

Among five of us fellow hunters, all use the 338 WM with the Nosler 210 partition. I have seen one shot kills up to over 400 yards.

Know your gun and the trajectory!!!

Plenty of load data in the Nosler manual.

+1

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
Since you clarified what you intend to hunt. In Africa I would and have used the 250 gr. bullets, mostly Nosler partitions, some Swifts A frames, Sierras, and some GS Customs..They all worked, but for Africa and Eland, and considering where you hunt and the possibility of having a conflict with a Buff in a snare, or whatever I would definatly go with the Nosler 250 gr. partition..It works on anything with a properly placed bullet, and penetration would be my no. 1 priority..

+1 When in Africa I used the 250 Nosler Partition. It was great.

416 Tanzan,

Ray's and your advice about hunting in Africa is good.

I was looking at the Nosler .338WM reloading data using 250-grain and 265-grain AB bullets. Take a look at the loads for the 265-grain AB using RL19 and Norma powder (just open the link on the black box for 250-265 bullets):

https://load-data.nosler.com/l...8-winchester-magnum/

A 265gn lead-core at 2650fps or 2700 fps would be pretty awesome in a Win Mag.

I've never warmed up to the Accubond because they tend to shed alot of weight, but maybe I need to test the accuracy in my stateside rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by 416Tanzan:
A 265gn lead-core at 2650fps or 2700 fps would be pretty awesome in a Win Mag.

I've never warmed up to the Accubond because they tend to shed alot of weight, but maybe I need to test the accuracy in my stateside rifle.

Maybe the same bullet, but of 300 grains driven around 2,400 fps would be better for Africa? The recoil would be stiff, I imagine.

I have settled on the 225-grain TTSX for hunting in Alaska where I live, but have never hunted bears since I eat what I kill and don't like bear meat at all. However, the .338-caliber 225-grain TTSX is plenty for anything up here.

Notwithstanding the advances in modern projectiles, I don't see much point in shooting.338 bullets little heavier than weights used in the .30-06.

As 416Tanzan wrote, there's something to be said for having a bullet heavier enough to deal with dangerous game, even if you are not hunting it at the time. For this reason, I usually use 250 or 275-grain bullets and, when I was in Africa, 300-grain Woodleighs.

The latter should also be better for big deer heading away, though I did have one go through a small animal standing side on, without much expansion.

The recoil may push you back farther, but is not really any harder. Keep your eye away from the scope at the range and maybe use a pussy-pad there; but forget about the kick when hunting big game - you won't feel a thing and will hardly even notice the noise.

dogcat I haven't noticed this bullet mentioned yet. The 210gr Scirocco. I use it exclusively here in Sask on moose and elk with great success. The powder, RL17. Good luck.

Oh, forgot to mention, loved your writeups. enjoyed them very much. Thanks.

Another vote for Nosler Partition 210gr bullet with 72.0 gr of Reloder 19.

My experience with the Accubonds is they perform at the same level as the partitions, I get perfectly expanded mushrooms but most Ive shot at rather long range 300 yards to 450 yards and on elk and deer. Ive mostly used the 225 Accubonds in the .338 Win. pushe at 2913 FPS at the muzzle...Ive yet to shoot anything short of 300 yards with this bullet, but I did have great success with the 30-06 and the 200 gr. Accubond at 2650 FPS on plains game, elk and even small antelope and Texas hill country deer, a surprise to me..Its very versatile.

I've still got some Federal loads with 210-grain Nosler bullets someone gave me 30 years ago. I hear they are good but, since they shoot eight inches higher than anything else I've got, they don't get out much.

quote:

Originally posted by sambarman338:
Notwithstanding the advances in modern projectiles, I don't see much point in shooting.338 bullets little heavier than weights used in the .30-06.

As 416Tanzan wrote, there's something to be said for having a bullet heavier enough to deal with dangerous game, even if you are not hunting it at the time. For this reason, I usually use 250 or 275-grain bullets and, when I was in Africa, 300-grain Woodleighs.

The latter should also be better for big deer heading away, though I did have one go through a small animal standing side on, without much expansion.

The recoil may push you back farther, but is not really any harder. Keep your eye away from the scope at the range and maybe use a pussy-pad there; but forget about the kick when hunting big game - you won't feel a thing and will hardly even notice the noise.

You have made very good points about the light versus heavy .338 bullets. Bullet construction technology has advanced quite rapidly in the last few years as all bullet manufacturers compete against each other, which in turn has been to the benefit of us, the consumers.

However, in my view there are two ways to accomplish the same relating to heavy versus light: A heavy bullet does its best work within a certain range or distance. So if I want to maximum punch at close distance, I would prefer to use a heavy bullet. Then if I want the best performance from a bullet at longer distances (expansion, for example), a lighter bullet can accomplish that.

In my view what makes the .338 so versatile is the wide range of bullet weights and designs for one to choose from. This is not limited to the .338. I am just bias of course

I used the 210 NOsler partition for years at 3000 FPS plus a little..It always worked great except on two occasions..In one case I recovered a wedding ring of brass and the rest exploded, this was at near 300 yards in the rib cage, elk went 50 yards and died..The other was a come apart in the neck of an eland..Many many times it worked to perfection..

However I do prefer the 225 gr at almost the same velocity, why not?? I still lean towards the 250 gr. Nosler, Woodleigh, and even like the 250 gr. sierra BTSP, its flat shooting and has performed well for me..I also really like the 300 gr. Woodleigh PP or RN under the right circumstances just not across wide open terrain.

Light bullets in a 338 Win seems a waste to me, Id rather shoot 200 gr bullets like a partition or Accubond in a 300 H&H or 30-06 and get that long bullets SD and penetration, with less recoil and perhaps a bit flatter shooting. Im a beliver in the bigger the hole in the tube the heavier the bullet, not visa versa that seems popular with todays shooters..

quote:

Originally posted by Ray Alaska:
... in my view there are two ways to accomplish the same relating to heavy versus light: A heavy bullet does its best work within a certain range or distance. So if I want to maximum punch at close distance, I would prefer to use a heavy bullet. Then if I want the best performance from a bullet at longer distances (expansion, for example), a lighter bullet can accomplish that...

I agree with that sentiment up to a point, Ray, and maybe within my self-imposed range limits it still works. At really long distance, however, light bullets lose momentum and certain well-shaped but tortoise-like heavy bullets overtake them in energy, if not velocity.

As for worrying about having a load appropriate for “dangerous game”, foreigners hunting in Africa usually have a PH covering them with a true DG rifle.

So now “energy” is back as a measurement of killing power?

.

quote:

Originally posted by sambarman338:

quote:

Originally posted by Ray Alaska:
... in my view there are two ways to accomplish the same relating to heavy versus light: A heavy bullet does its best work within a certain range or distance. So if I want to maximum punch at close distance, I would prefer to use a heavy bullet. Then if I want the best performance from a bullet at longer distances (expansion, for example), a lighter bullet can accomplish that...

I agree with that sentiment up to a point, Ray, and maybe within my self-imposed range limits it still works. At really long distance, however, light bullets lose momentum and certain well-shaped but tortoise-like heavy bullets overtake them in energy, if not velocity.

True. But don't forget that all of that can be offset with bullets that are more aerodynamically efficient. Bullet-making technologies (design, construction, etc.) has evolved quite rapidly in recent years. Nowadays one can choose from a great number of differently designed .338 bullets, something that was not possible years ago when most bullets were either cup-core or solid.

Take for example the 210-grain Partition, a bullet that has been quite popular with elk hunters. This bullet has been made more aerodynamic with the AccuBond design. The same for the 210-grain Scirocco "tipped." Then, if what one wants is a tougher bullet one can choose a 210-grain TTSX.

These days my all around bullet choice in Alaska is the 225-grain TTSX. But if I were to hunt in a place where the shots can be close, then my preference would be a 250-grain A-Frame, or a 250-grain Partition loaded around 2,650 fps (in my view the Partition loaded too fast has the tendency to break apart too much for my liking).