What tests have you run with .338 bullets in regards to hunting rather than targets?

I used to use 250gr Sierra ProHunters and then bought a pile of Woodleighs on close out. I've used up nearly all my stock and am looking at choices. Use will be N.A.- Elk & moose.

Nate

I have not tested alot of .338 bullets for penetration or anything else for that matter.

But I have shot some critters with the Hornady sst's and prefer the regular spire point in 225 and 250 grains better.

With the .338 of any chambering I feel any animal we hunt on this soil does not stand a chance with a properly placed shot with any bullet.


Cal30

Nate:

What .338 are you using and at what velocity? A .338/06 might need different bullets than a .338 Lapua.

185TTSX, 200 Fusion, 200 Interlock, 200 SST, 215 Gameking

Shot from a 338 Federal to water jugs. impact velocities about 2550-2650 except for the ttsx at 2800.



210 NP at 2600 &160 ttsx @ 3000p fps



different view of sierra and fusion

I've used the 250 grain partition on everything from badgers to elk, and they tip right over when I do my part.

I've been using Northfork bullets since 08 and haven't felt the need to try anything else. Best bullet I've tried and they just flat work.
Accurate, foul less than others, allow me to obtain the velocity I'm after with less powder and I've yet to experience a failure of any kind be it a soft point, cup point solid or a flat nose solid.

Here are my notes on the game I have taken with my 338/06 with bullet and powder. This is really just a journal but maybe this will be of some help. Limited to just two bullet types though.

10/22/2011: 117" 10pt Whitetail 35yds DW: 168lbs Deer was strongly quartering away to the left and moving. Bullet entered approx. 8” behind right shoulder and did not exit. Deer dropped at the shot but flopped around some. Bullet not recovered but vitals were a mess. 200gr. Speer Hot Core / 53.5gr RL-15
12/28/2011: Whitetail Doe 75yds DNW. Deer was almost broadside. High shoulder shot with pass thru. DRT. 200gr. Speer Hot Core / 53.5gr RL-15
06/04/2012: Impala - Meat 40yds DNW. Impala was quartering slightly towards me. PH said to shoot him in the head so I shot him in right eye and bullet exited behind left eye. DRT - Never seen an animal hit the ground so hard. 210gr. Nosler Partition / 61gr. H414
06/06/2012: Waterbuck 135yds DNW. Waterbuck was broadside. Mid shoulder shot and animal dropped at the shot. He was still alive when we got to him but could not get up so I gave him a finisher. Skinner recovered first bullet under spine. Perfect mushroom but bullet had weird path. Hit vitals but ranged upward to under spine. 210gr. Nosler Partition / 61gr. H414
06/07/2012: Impala - Trophy 50yds DNW. Slightly quartering away. High shoulder shot with pass thru. DRT Had a 6” window in scrub to shoot thru. Exciting stalk as we followed him for about an hour before he gave us a shot. DRT! 210gr. Nosler Partition / 61gr. H414
06/08/2012: Bushbuck 40yds DNW. Slightly quartering towards looking at us and about to bolt. Spine shot - Only top third of body visible, so I held right on the brush and hit him right where I wanted. Dropped at the shot still alive but paralyzed when we got to him. Gave him a finisher behind the shoulder. Both bullets passed thru. 210gr. Nosler Partition / 61gr. H414
06/09/2012: Impala - Meat 75yds DNW. Quartering towards at waterhole. Neck shot with pass thru. DRT. 210gr. Nosler Partition / 61gr. H414
11/23/2012: Whitetail Doe: 80yds: LW: 122lbs Quartering away. Behind the shoulder shot. Bullet entered approx. 6” behind right shoulder and exited just behind left shoulder. At the shot the deer stumbled, then turned and ran straight at me. Ran about 40yds then fell 40yds from me. Backtracked for fun and found a good blood trail beginning about 10yds from where was standing when shot. 200gr. Speer Hot Core / 53.5gr RL-15
12/27/2012: Whitetail Doe: 130yds: LW: 112lbs: Broadside. High shoulder shot with pass thru. DRT. 200gr. Speer Hot Core / 53.5gr RL-15
12/31/2012: Whitetail Doe: 50yds: LW: 120lbs: Broadside. High shoulder shot with pass thru. 1.5” exit wound. Deer reared up on hind legs on impact and kicked front legs and then fell over. Huge spray of blood 3ft on exit side of deer and huge puddle when I turned her over. Should have gutted to see what happened but wanted to get home to see ball game. 200gr. Speer Hot Core / 53.5gr RL-15

I've run one test. On a moose and found the bullet under the hide on the right, hind quarter.
I swear I hit him behind the left front shoulder and how it ever got to the right rear side is beyond me. Range was about 150 yds at a steep, downhill angle - I was shooting off a cliff.
The rifle is my .338 WM with a 225 gr. Northfork at 2800 fps. This bullet is the only one I've ever found in a moose and it weighs 218 grains(or 217, I forget offhand). It's one or the other. This bullet is a perfect, textbook mushroom and I don't think you can do better. I have this bullet sitting on my desk now.
IMHO, you can't do better than a Northfork. For me, they're slightly more accurate than a Partition. No flys there BTW and they don't lose as much weight. More expensive but worth it in my experience.
Bear in Fairbanks

My son, grandsons and I have used the .338 bullets extnsively for several years. We have shot the .338 Win, .340 Wby and .338 Lapua for Deer Elk and Moose. We used several bullets of 225 grains up to 340 and 350 grains, including Nosler Partition, Swift A-Frame, Sierra Gamking, Hornady Interlock with much success. Then we discovered the Northfork bullet and our quest the all around bullet stopped. Recovered bullet from only a few animals, but the animal waa laying on the gorund. We can say the same for the .358 bullets having used the 225, 250 and 270 grainers on many animals in North America and Africa. Our test box includes wet paper files, a Bison hip bone or shoulder blade. The Northforks always lead the way in retained weight with that perfet mushroom, and reallly stood out in accuracy. Good shooting.

I am interested in your results with the 215 grain Sierra Game King heads.

I obtained a number of these as they are cheap. Have not tested them yet, but going bu the pictures, I am concerned they will behave like solids in my .338-06.

Would I be correct in assuming with a mv of circa 2700 fps, the bullet construction is not going to allow these heads to open up on deer sized game?

I am begining to think these are 'tough' bullets intended for .338 magnum cartridges?

quote:

Originally posted by robthom:
I am interested in your results with the 215 grain Sierra Game King heads.

I obtained a number of these as they are cheap. Have not tested them yet, but going bu the pictures, I am concerned they will behave like solids in my .338-06.

Would I be correct in assuming with a mv of circa 2700 fps, the bullet construction is not going to allow these heads to open up on deer sized game?

I am begining to think these are 'tough' bullets intended for .338 magnum cartridges?

I'm not sure if they just made a bad batch or what. I guy I know on the 24hourcampfire tested them on dry stack newspaper with a 338-06 and couldn't get them to open. I decided to stop messing them. At 2600-2700 impact, any bullet should open reliably.

Had the same problem with game kings and no longer use them. Have taken moose,deer,squirrels etc with 210gr Nosler Partition without any troubles. Taking 225gr Swift A-Frames to Africa in April but think the 210gr Nosler would also work. Bowed to internet pressure and worked up a 225gr Swift load for the 338win mag.

quote:

Originally posted by robthom:

I am begining to think these are 'tough' bullets intended for .338 magnum cartridges?

Plus one!

I went looking at my notes the other night and although I am still curious what to try next here are a couple I tried.
Tested into water filled jugs at 75 yards out of Win Mag.
200gr Nosler BT- Fragile, expanded violently found larger fragments and base in third jug.
200gr Barnes x- Could not recover. Found petals in jugs from 2 thru. 4 but shank always went out sides. Passed through 5 before exiting stack.
250gr Woodleigh- perfect mushroom, good retained weight, found in fourth and fifth jugs repeatedly.
250gr Sierra Gameking- found in fourth jug. Expanded well, core loose in remaining jacket.

I picked up a box of 225gr Deep Curls to try but I may not get to it for a while.

You don't normally recover too many 338 bullets from most game. Out of my 338 Win Mag, I have recovered 1 x 225 gn Hornady SST, 1 x 225gn Nosler Accubond, 1 x 225 gn Speer SBT, 2 x 180gn Nosler Accubonds, and 1 x 160gn Barnes TTSX. They all performed fine (6 dead animals).

#3, 4 & 5 are recovered .338 250 gr Partitions. From the 338 Win Mag at approx. 2,600 fps MV.



I'd say they all travelled at least 24", but remained inside the animal. All animals were Sitka Blacktails.

PM Terry Blaukamp...he goes to Africa each year for several weeks doing cull hunts, and often uses a 338.

My hunting partner and I took .338 WSMs (yeah, a wildcat) to Namibia two years ago for plains game. We used 210gr Nosler partitions even though I would have personally preferred 225gr. We each took six animals and only one required a second shot and that was the shooter's fault (mine).
The reason I would have liked the heavier bullet was to increase penetration on the larger game.

I have used a lot of 338 bullets over thirty years.
.338 250gn Sierras have a high BC but sometimes lost the core and I stopped using them.

250 NP were the bullet to beat in the 80's.

Now I'm very happy with the 225 gn Barnes TTSX .514 BC. That became our 'one bullet' for the 338 in Africa while we had a 338.

Last month I tested a 185 TTSX, 225 TTSX and 265 TTSX. All three bullets were turning in three shot groups between 0.5" and 1.0".

The 225 TTSX flies at about 2800fps from a 338WM. If that is enough speed for you, then the bullet will probably work for elk from any angle. It carries alot of energy to the impact and has a high sectional density for penetration.

I have never shot a water bottle with one, but I have killed at least 20 elk with a 210 Nosler Partition.
I wish I could post a picture but I never was able to recover any of the bullets.
Tried the Barnes 225 but it just would not shoot well in my rifles.

anyone have experience with the 338-06 on plains game? should lay the smack down without the recoil of the win mag

thinking about heading to Namibia this summer, dont have a big gun, 338 win mag or the 338-06 are on my short list

mainly traditional plains game, might have a chance at an eland but not on the top of the list

On another thread Ray Atkinson, a well-seasoned elder, said it well:
he doesn't have a need for anything else in .338" than a 338 Win Mag.

The rifles are readily available with any maker that one desires. That includes many 'controlled-round-feed' types, like the newer and pre-64 WinMod 70, Ruger Hawkeye, CZ 550, and assorted others. (The 338-06 is a virtual wildcat, though its loads can be duplicated by the 338RugerCompMag. If you have a small-framed shooter, you can look for a used or old-stock 338RCM.)

The 338winMag cartridge can be loaded down 3-6 grains or so to approximate the 338-06/338RCM levels.

The 338 Winnie has a fairly long history in Africa and is a known, respected item.

The 338s have more bullet weight and diameter than the .300's for the larger plains game, with excellent sectional densities. A great, high BC, deep penetrating bullet is available in the 225gr. Barnes TTSX with .514 BC. I would recommend this bullet as a one-bullet, plains-game combo at 2800fps. It's still doing 2100fps with 2200+ftlbs at 400 yards! Where legal or necessary, I would not hesitate to shoot a buffalo with it. CEB is coming out with an extended range non-con that may be the ultimate 'all-around'. You will need to see what shoots best in your rifle, and there are Hornady GMX, Nosler E-tip and Accubond as alternatives. Don't settle for less than 'accurate' and be practiced out to 300 yards. You'll have the time of your life.

Most people do not find the recoil unpleasant or bothersome. It's a gun that gets the job done.

Flatter shooting 338's are nice but unnecessary in Africa, where 300 yards is a long shot, and 400 is so rare as not to be included for calibre consideration. Yes, I would probably opt for a 338/375Ruger "338Campfire" if it were offered, and would certainly not refuse a 338 Lapua. For someone considering a 338-06//338RCM, the ultra flat 338's drop out of the picture.

you are right 416, i should just man up and get a 338 win mag, the bc and sd look somewhat better and i have a nice 338 spotted for sale

plus i will have the extra punch on out further if a longer shot presents itself, i have the opportunity to shoot alot and am capable of making longer shots with confidence so i will take a rifle that will do the job

my brother will be taking a 300 weatherby that is worked over, which i am sure will work fine, i will try a touch bigger gun for my first trip

Gale you won't be disappointed. I personally think the .338 WM is one of the most universally effective cartidges available. There are few things I'd feel undergunned hunting with one.

I have been using 250gr Woodleigh WeldCore for years and have been disappointed exactly ZERO times. I ran out of them and am considering what to use now, or bite the bullet (pun intended) and just spend the extra dough for the same or maybe Northforks. The gun caliber combo is quite effective though and honestly, for most anything in N.A. which bullet is probably not as critical as many would believe.

Has anyone tested bullets in the .338/378? Just curious to see how they hold together.

quote:

Originally posted by 416Tanzan:
On another thread Ray Atkinson, a well-seasoned elder, said it well:
he doesn't have a need for anything else in .338" than a 338 Win Mag.

The rifles are readily available with any maker that one desires. That includes many 'controlled-round-feed' types, like the newer and pre-64 WinMod 70, Ruger Hawkeye, CZ 550, and assorted others. (The 338-06 is a virtual wildcat, though its loads can be duplicated by the 338RugerCompMag. If you have a small-framed shooter, you can look for a used or old-stock 338RCM.)

The 338winMag cartridge can be loaded down 3-6 grains or so to approximate the 338-06/338RCM levels.

The 338 Winnie has a fairly long history in Africa and is a known, respected item.

The 338s have more bullet weight and diameter than the .300's for the larger plains game, with excellent sectional densities. A great, high BC, deep penetrating bullet is available in the 225gr. Barnes TTSX with .514 BC. I would recommend this bullet as a one-bullet, plains-game combo at 2800fps. It's still doing 2100fps with 2200+ftlbs at 400 yards! Where legal or necessary, I would not hesitate to shoot a buffalo with it. CEB is coming out with an extended range non-con that may be the ultimate 'all-around'. You will need to see what shoots best in your rifle, and there are Hornady GMX, Nosler E-tip and Accubond as alternatives. Don't settle for less than 'accurate' and be practiced out to 300 yards. You'll have the time of your life.

Most people do not find the recoil unpleasant or bothersome. It's a gun that gets the job done.

Flatter shooting 338's are nice but unnecessary in Africa, where 300 yards is a long shot, and 400 is so rare as not to be included for calibre consideration. Yes, I would probably opt for a 338/375Ruger "338Campfire" if it were offered, and would certainly not refuse a 338 Lapua. For someone considering a 338-06//338RCM, the ultra flat 338's drop out of the picture.

I couldn't have said it better myself!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Gale Johnson:
anyone have experience with the 338-06 on plains game? should lay the smack down without the recoil of the win mag

Gale,
I used my 338/06 on PG in RSA in May with excellent results 3 Impala, Busbuck and Waterbuck. All animals dropped at the shot. I gave the waterbuck and bushbuck second shots for humane reasons. See my post above.

I owned a 338 Win Mag for some time and it is a great cartridge too. However some time back I was cured of magnumitis and sold most all of my magnum calibers. For the ranges I feel comfortable shooting, out to 300yds or so, I just don't need them. The 338/06 is all the 338 I need but that's just me though.

quote:

Use will be N.A.- Elk & moose.

This inquiry was not for African hunting.

Hi all
Elk, Moose or Kudu or Eland a Barnes 210 or 225 TTSX doesn't know any thing about Latitude and Longitude they just kill them dead.
Bill

quote:

Originally posted by MuskegMan:
#3, 4 & 5 are recovered .338 250 gr Partitions. From the 338 Win Mag at approx. 2,600 fps MV.



I'd say they all travelled at least 24", but remained inside the animal. All animals were Sitka Blacktails.

According to the Alaska Fish and Game website, the average Sitka Blacktail weighs about 120 pounds. I would think a 250 grain Partition from a .338 Win Mag would have gone clean through from any angle. I've had better luck on elk with a 250 grain Speer Hot-Cor out of a 35 Whelen. Since you live in big bear country, I'd pick a better bullet.