Any of you use 250 gr bullets in a 338? How do they perform speed and accuracy wise?

don't know about the 338 but i use 250 noslers in my 340 weatherby--work pretty good cause i killed a moose in newfoundland this past sept. at over 450 yards.

I have loaded 250 gr Nosler Partitions and Sierra Game Kings for my .338 WM. You can get a fair idea of the speed from a ballistics chart; I don't own a chronograph.

Accuracy? I usually shoot about 3/4 inch groups at 100 yards. I love the gun, and it's nothing special: a production Browning A-Bolt composite.

I moved recently and had to join a new range. After a few rounds my first trip out, we went out to pick up our targets. An old-timer was watching me, so I looked at the target and said, "Well, if that was a moose it would be dead."

He said, "If it was a mouse it would be dead."

Go heavy. It's what the gun was made for.

In my 338 RUM I shoot the 250gr bullets. Nosler,
Hornady & Serria. Went Black Bear Hunting with it shooting 250 gr bullets. I had them down loaded to 2750 FPS.

Any accuracy issues with shooting 250 grainers in standard rate of twist factory barrels?

I am of the opinion that the 338 Winchester is at its best with 250s. I use Nosler's 250 grain partition and I've never been disappointed.

SW, the .338wm is designed around the 250gr bullet so rate of twist is correct. They penetrate like crazy & provide a lot of energy, but don't overlook good bullets like the 210 & 225grNP or 230grNF, they are excellant performers especially when the distances increase.

quote:

Originally posted by Snowwolfe:
Any of you use 250 gr bullets in a 338? How do they perform speed and accuracy wise?

I like the 250 gr. Swift A-Frames. Speed and accuracy are as good as anything out there and they hold together better than the Noslers. Performance is boringly consistent, just the way I like it.

quote:

Originally posted by Snowwolfe:
Any accuracy issues with shooting 250 grainers in standard rate of twist factory barrels?

No there wasn't any accuracy problems. As a mater of fact all my rounds went to same hole at 100 yds. When I tried the bullets for accuracy. I was shooting those RN 250 gr bullets for bear hunting.

I used 250 NPs last May in Namibia and they worked great. One shot zebra, springbok and two shot gemsbok (one insurance shot). Will use them again on my next trip!
John

I have used the 338 win mag in Africa to take a zebra, sable, 8 or 9 impala, bushpig, warthog,and leopard. I used a 250gr woodleigh psp which was extremely accurate in my rifle at 2690fps. I did not care for this bullet at all since it seemed very soft to me and in the case of the leopard the bullet "failed". The leopard was very dead but we found a piece of the shank indicating that the bullet came apart on impact.Two other recovered bullets did not come apart but they over expanded with very little shank left. I have had very good succes with North Fork, Barnes X, and Nosler partitions.

I loaded 250 barnes X bullets in a ruger 77 I had a few years ago. I was working up a load with it. My bullseye was a 2" orange sticker and my scope was a 4X leupold with the target dot. I fired 20 rounds and all landed in the sticker at 100 yards. Never had it chronied and don't remember the load. I do remember they kicked a lot less than the 275 speers I was also shooting.

Originally Winchester loaded a 300 grain bullet !!!

I been kicking around the idea of adding a 338 for my annual Kodiak deer hunt. Something that has some stretch out to 250 yards yet would make a reasonable bear stopper if the need was there.

quote:

Originally posted by Snowwolfe:
Any of you use 250 gr bullets in a 338? How do they perform speed and accuracy wise?

Snowwolf: My Ruger M77 MK-II (stainless, of course) shoots about any heavy bullet well for a hunting rifle (it's not a sniper rifle, you know). I have killed most of my moose from 100 yards to nearly 300, most with one shot each. I used the 230-grain Lubalox-coated FS for a few years, and this one, even if not as accurate as the Nosler 250 grainer, was devastating on moose. I have also killed moose with Federal HE and 250-grain Partition, and again good accuracy and great results on moose.

However, you can go even heavier if you like, specially if you want to go on special hunts such as the big bears. For this type of hunt the 250-grainers from Nosler, Swift, and Kodiak work fine, but the 275 to 300 grainers from Swift, Kodiak, and Woodleigh should provide the greatest punch. Keep in mind that I haven't killed anything with any of the heavier bullets from 275 grains and up, but I reload a few 275-grain A-Frame to keep with me when moose hunting in September.

Ray,
Thanks. I ordered a LH stainless Ruger and plan on rebarreling it to 338. After all these years it is one caliber I have never owned. Seems like it could make a great rifle caliber for Kodiak and moose. I been carrying a 375 for so long for moose this would be a welcome reprive.

Snow-for what it is worth I am more than a fan of the 33's.

I've done a ton load with the 340, 338, 338/06 and now the 338/300 wsm.

IMO the 250's have always been the easiest to get to shoot. The day in and day out accuracy of the 250 Horn is really something else.

I've also used the Sierra, Noz, X and the TB's.

About anyway you go this bullet should shoot.

Mark D

I hear there will be a 250 TX out soon, can't wait to give it a go in my 340.

I have loaded them to a Browning Bar, 2550 fps and enough accuracy for deer size and up.

I have loaded the old speer 275 and 275 kodiaks in the 338.They did pretty good but I liked the 250 Nosler Partitions better.I also like Speerr 250 grand slam bullets they were just as accurate as the Noslers.I used the grand slams on bear and they worked awesome a black bear.The bullets broke both shoulders and took out the heart in lungs.I was shooting the 225 gr and it stopped undere the hide so I switched to the 250 gr.

Youg guys wanna know something sort of interesting.

If, you were to look into my box of recovered bullets (out of game) you would find way more 338's by a long margin than all the rest put together.

Maybe it's because I've carried the 340 on many mo hunts than anything else?

Mark D

I have some bullets I bet none else here has shot.Its 265 gr .338 bullets by Heters .They were made in the late 60s or early 70s.They shoot good I want to try them on moose.You can load the 338 up to 2800 fps with the 250 gr bullets.I get 3150fps with my 338-378 Weatherby.You not going wrong hunting with any of the .338 caliber rifles.When you go too fast bullets start flying apart.I have to be picky which .338 bullets I use in my 338-378.I have some custom bullets for it made in Canada that are bonded and are 325 grains.I wish I had a box or so of the old winchester power points in 300 gr.I do have two boxes of 250 gr winchester silver tips I want to try in my 338 win mags.Those Herter 265 gr bullets have to be seated deeply to be chambered.