I have just begun reloading, and in my search for different recipes to try for this bullet, the only thing I've found is on the
Barnes website with IMR 4350 and Hunter powders.

The Hogdon website has recipes for the Barnes 265 gr bullets, but Barnes lists those as being for the .338 Lapua. They have no recipes for the 225 gr ttsx.

Do any of you know where I could find some more published recipes for the 225 gr ttsx?

Thanks in advance.

Barnes #4 book
Varget 51gr 2427FPS to 58grs for 2658FPS
AA2700 56gr 2430fps to 64gr 2667fps
IMR4831 62.5gr 2525fps to 68.5gr 2738 fps
H4831SC 63gr 2515fps to 71gr 2718fps.

I would suggest using the barnes 210gr bullet as it will act like a 250-275 gr regular bullet and you will get more speed out of it thus better expansion.

Thanks Diver.
I was looking at their website, and didn't know they had a book. I'll have to order one.
I'd like to stay with the 225 gr., as I have had great success with it, and have 100 of them on my bench.
If I happen across some 210's, I may give them a try, to see if they shoot better in my rifle.

Mmassey338:

The .338 225 grain TTSX sets the bar for 338 bullets.
It has guaranteed penetration for an angled shot and a great .514 BC for getting the bullet to the target. I would shoot a cape buffalo with it if necessary. It would make an awesome elk bullet, and would take a mule deer from any angle.

For loads, you need to check out all of the powder companies, especially Hodgdon and Alliant. They have online resources. (Hodgdon has data for IMR on their site, too.) I have recently had two different 338 WinMags (both Tikka) that seemed to use almost 2 grains of powder difference due to differences in the the chamber.

You should have two books on reloading to get started. Get the Barnes manual, and then try out one of the others, like Hornady. Reading through both introductions will help you see the whole picture and development the proper care necessary for safety and accuracy.
Another excellent resource for loads is AmmoGuide.com. There are many reloading sites on the web, but you need some experience to sift through good advice from poor/dangerous advice.

At some point you should plan on getting a chronograph and an inexpensive tripod. That will allow you to see what the loads are actually producing in your particular rifle. Variance from a published load can often be 50-150 fps. That is why a person works up slowly with every combination of powder/case/primer/bullet.

As for the 338 225 grain TTSX, it will typically produce about 2800 fps max, when properly loaded. But the important thing is finding where your rifle shoots the bullet the most accurately. One of my rifles liked 69 grains of R-17 for just over 2800 fps. That was a max load in that rifle, and accurate.

Welcome, to handloading. Once you start you may only want to shoot bullets that you've loaded yourself.

quote:

Welcome, to handloading. Once you start you may only want to shoot bullets that you've loaded yourself.

I haven't hunted with a factory center fire round for over 40 years.

416,
I agree about the 225 gr ttsx. I thought it odd that Hogdon didnt have any data for it, but had lots for the 265 gr ttsx in the Win mag.
I have the Lyman book, and have ordered the Barnes book.
I appreciate the help from all, here and via pm and email.
Thanks again.

Lawyer talk say that somewhere around 68.5 gr of H4350 and the 225 TTSX should be doable! Good luck and start low and work up! A superb weight and bullet big and bad enough for anything in North America.

quote:

Originally posted by mmassey338:
416,
I agree about the 225 gr ttsx. I thought it odd that Hogdon didnt have any data for it, but had lots for the 265 gr ttsx in the Win mag.
I have the Lyman book, and have ordered the Barnes book.
I appreciate the help from all, here and via pm and email.
Thanks again.

The 265 TTSX is a great bullet, too. However it is very long, 1.79".
In my current 338 I needed to seat it very deep to fit in the magazine. Too deep for my tastes. But it was accurate! And it has a great BC, though it is a little slow at something around 2570fps. even with Rel-17. (See AmmoGuide).

Below are some of the AmmoGuide loads with 225 grain bullets. Some are from published sources, some are private. I've deleted loads that go significantly over 4100 ftlbs and the majority of the leadcore bullets. Original ballistics in 1958 when the cartridge was developed were around 4050 ftlb [250 grain at 2700 fps]. The columns list bullet, powder, charge weight, velocity, energy, and barrel length. You will be able to see that 3900 ftlbs. is an approximate rating for the calibre these days with optimum powders. "M" in the charge column signifies a recommendation as a maximum load, 'C' that the load is compressed in the case. (By the way, mild compression is not considered a problem by handloaders, it can even be advantageous. Compression becomes a problem and must be avoided when it causes the bullet to move out or the brass case expands during seating.)

225 Barnes ___ Alliant Reloder-15 _____ 56.5 _____ 2590 __ 3353 __ 24.0
225 Nosler ____ Alliant Reloder-19 _____ 73.7 M ___ 2755 __ 3793 __ 24.0
225 Barnes ___ Alliant Reloder-19 _____ 72.0 _____ 2765 __ 3821 __ 24.0
225 Hornady __ Alliant Reloder-22 _____ 77.0 _____ 2790 __ 3890 __ 24.0
225 Barnes ___ Alliant Reloder-17 _____ 69.0 _____ 2810 __ 3946 __ 24.4
225 Hornady __ Hodgdon Hybrid 100V __ 71.0 CM __ 2815 __ 3960 __ 24.0
225 Hornady __ IMR-4831 ___________ 75.0 M ____ 2819 __ 3972 __ 24.0
225 Hornady __ IMR-4350 ___________ 72.0 CM ___ 2832 __ 4008 __ 24.0
225 Nosler ____ Alliant Reloder-19 _____ 72.5 M ___ 2832 __ 4008 __ 24.0
225 Barnes ___ Alliant Reloder-19 _____ 72.0 M ___ 2838 __ 4025 __ 24.0
225 Hornady __ Alliant Reloder-19 _____ 75.3 _____ 2865 __ 4102 __ 24.0
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
265 Barnes ___ Alliant Reloder-17 _____ 64.0 C ___ 2507 __ 3700 __ 24.4
265 Barnes ___ Alliant Reloder-17 _____ 65.0 C ___ 2566 __ 3876 __ 24.4
265 Barnes ___ Alliant Reloder-17 _____ 65.0 C ___ 2580 __ 3918 __ 24.4

Like Divernhunter said. The 210 gr TTSX and the 338 are made for each other.

quote:

Originally posted by snowman:
Like Divernhunter said. The 210 gr TTSX and the 338 are made for each other.

Things don't get much better than needing to choose between a 210 TTSX and a 225 TTSX. Both are winners.

The 210 will get about 100-125 fps more velocity, however, the 225 will penerate a few inches farther and will retain energy just a little better. The 210 TTSX has a BC of .482 and the 225 TTSX has .514.

For Africa, where buffalo might appear, and the antelope can be elk-size and larger, the 225 TTSX is probably the best. A raking shot can always use a little extra guaranteed penetration. The same might be said for an angled shot on a brown bear in Alaska.

For NorthAmerican game, the 210 shoots a little flatter, you can expect a velocity of 2875-2925, (2950 fps is around 4050 ft lbs., and probably on the hot side for many rifles). It would be the bullet of choice for big mule deer and possibly elk. For hunting whitetail in the deep south, or antelope in the west, you can also consider the 185 TTSX, since it has an excellent .432 BC for such a light, yet penetrating bullet. The speed allows it to resist the wind equivalently to the heavier, sleeker bullets. The 185TTSX would be recommended over the 160 in most applications because of its greater BC. Handloading lets you choose what you would like.

Here are some data from AmmoGuide, Barnes 3rd (all copper, but not TSX type) and Barnes 4th:

AmmoGuide
bullet____________powder______________charge_____vel fps___energy__barrel
210 Nosler _____ Hodgdon Varget ______ 58.5 ____ 2784 ____ 3615 __ 24.0
210 Nosler _____ Hodgdon H-4895 ______ 60.0 ____ 2788 ____ 3626 __ 24.0
210 Nosler _____ Hodgdon H-380 _______ 66.0 ____ 2797 ____ 3649 __ 24.0
210 Barnes _____ Alliant Reloder-19 _____ 74.0M ___ 2813 ____ 3691 __ 24.0
210 Nosler _____ Alliant Reloder-22 _____ 76.0 ____ 2840 ____ 3762 __ 24.0
210 Nosler _____ Hodgdon H-414 _______ 67.0 ____ 2848 ____ 3784 __ 24.0
210 Nosler _____ Hodgdon H-4350 ______ 70.0 ____ 2855 ____ 3802 __ 24.0
210 Nosler _____ Hodgdon H-4831 ______ 75.5C ___ 2888 ____ 3891 __ 24.0
210 Nosler _____ Alliant Reloder-19 _____ 74.0 ____ 2910 ____ 3950 __ 24.0
210 Nosler _____ IMR-4350 ____________ 75.0CM __ 3041 ____ 4314 __ 24.0 (too hot! not recommended. Users need to beware of internet data--Tanz.)


Barnes 3rd ed:
210 grain _______ AA 2700 ______ 69.0 _____ 2833
210 grain _______ RL 15 ________ 63.0 _____ 2891
210 grain _______ RL 19 ________ 73.0 _____ 2944
210 grain _______ Varget _______ 62.5 _____ 2853
210 grain _______ H380 ________ 70.0 _____ 2882
210 grain _______ H414 ________ 69.0 _____ 2891
210 grain _______ H4350 _______ 69.5 _____ 2924
210 grain _______ IMR 4320 _____ 63.5 _____ 2838
210 grain _______ IMR 4064 _____ 65.0 _____ 2895
210 grain _______ IMR 4350 _____ 69.0 _____ 2892
210 grain _______ IMR 4831 _____ 71.0 _____ 2933
210 grain _______ Norma _______ 69.0 _____ 2864
210 grain _______ VIT N160 _____ 70.0 _____ 2840
210 grain _______ Win 760 ______ 69.0 _____ 2902

Barnes 4th TSX:
210 gr TSX _____ Varget ___________ 60.0 ________ 2799
210 gr TSX _____ AA 2700 __________ 65.0 ________ 2785
210 gr TSX _____ IMR 4350 _________ 70.0 ________ 2903
210 gr TSX _____ Hunter ___________ 73.0 ________ 2931
210 gr TSX _____ IMR 4831 _________ 71.0 ________ 2875
210 gr TSX _____ H4831SC _________ 74.0 ________ 2857
Note that Alliant Rel-17 was not available for the 4th edition. In general something around the speed of IMR 4350 and Rel-17 will produce optimum velocities with this weight of bullet in the 338WM. Some might try 72 grains of IMR 4831, too. Slower powders get close, with less pressure. Faster powders give up velocity for slightly less cost, but they sometimes shoot very accurately.

I had good luck with the 210's with my 338-06. The Barnes rep told me the 210 was thier best 338 bullet.

rob,

do you remember any of your 338-06 loads with the 210 ttsx

Gale, I load for two of the best NA big game rifles, the 338-06. Here are a couple that have proved effective for me: 51.0RL 15 with 210 TTSX took six African plains game all with one shot, sable being exception as first shot spined and had to finish with second; 58.5 H4350 with 250 gr AFrame took big brownie clean in Alaska; 63.5RL 15 and 160 gr TTSX is death on big S. Texas white tail. Work up as usual although none of the above are over any book maximum loads. Good luck with my favorite caliber! In the second rifle I have gone to H4350 with heavy bullets and have found 60.0 works well with the 225TTSX in this rifle. Both rifles are pre 64 with original 30-06 barrels bored to 338. One a fwt and the second standard.

Wow! Six plains game animals all with one shot! How did you get them all lined up like that?

quote:

Originally posted by mmassey338:
Wow! Six plains game animals all with one shot! How did you get them all lined up like that?

Well, I personally think that while Barnes may be good, I'm very skeptical that they're THAT good.
Bear in Fairbanks

Gale,
I use 59 gr of IMR 4350 with the 210 Barnes.

How about the .338 win mag and the 225TTSX on spring bear in BC

Used the 225 gr. TSX on a plains game hunt to Namibia last summer. It was fired out of a .340 Weatherby at 3,000 fps (chronographed). The bullet was very accurae and killed well, but penetration was less than I expected.

On a gemsbuck that was slightly quartering away, the bullet struck in the crease immediately behind the right foreleg, broke the left front shoulder, but did not exit. The gemsbuck ran in a 25-yard half-circle and collapsed.

On a kudu quartering sharply away (60-75 degrees), the 225 gr TSX dropped the animal in its tracks, doing serious damage to the shoulder/spine, althought the animal was still alive when I walked up to it and was killed with a second shot.

As would be expected, I got full passthrough and DRT kill on a broadside springbuck at 225 yards and a head-on steenbuck at 60.

The surprising one was the warthog. It was nearly broadside, facing away slightly at 135 yards. The bullet hit center shoulder about 1/3 up the body, but instead of penetrating straight through, it deflected up the neck, trashing various vertibrae before coming to rest within one of the animal's warts. The pig dropped at the shot, thrashed for a while, chipping one tusk, then died.

Finally, there was a nice mountain zebra stallion, which was quartering toward me at about 125 yards. The bullet hit high on the near shoulder, breaking it and penetrating into the lungs, but did not penetrate completely through. The zebra ran about 75 yards before expiring.

Six animals--only four of which were big enough to give a .338-caliber bullet a fair trial--is an extremely small sample. However, on the basis of performance, my gut reaction is that the 225 gr. TSX may perform well in the slightly slower .338 Winchester, but in the .340, the 250 gr might give better performance over all.