The thread on favorite Alsakan calibres was useful though maybe predictably with all of the 375 (HH and Ruger), 338 (mainly WM), and some 300 WM advocates. A parallel question may be more important. What does one handload for these calibres? If hunting a moose or caribou where a bear may roam, how does that affect bullet choice and loads?

416Tanzan-

I like this question but it will be real hard to answer with a short post. Heres an attempt.

First the lightest bullet I use in ether of my .300 Win mags is a 180 gr NBT. If I had a bear inccodent while carrying this on a deer etc hunt I'm sure it would work fine.

My other bullet I use in my other .300 is a 200 gr. Speer. I have this load with the idea in mind that it might someday come up against a bear intentionally or not. I did backup a bear hunter one time with a .300 win mag but I don't remember the load. That was almost 24 years ago and I did shoot the 200 gr speers in that rifle but I also shot 220 gr. I don't remember wich.

I shoot 250 gr. Hornady interlock in two of my .338's and 250 gr. Sierra GK in the other .338. I've Taken Brown bear with Both these bullets and had good results, I do prefer the Sierra's though.

I shoot 270 gr. Hornady in one of my .375's and 300 gr Sierra GK in the other. Again I've taken brown bear with both of these bullets and again I prefer the Sierra but not by much and the one .375 shoots the Hornady better.

For no unusually compelling reason I load Barnes TSX exclusively for my Alaskan hunting. In my .375 I load 300g TSX's and in my 30-06 I load the 180g TSX. I have found that brand of bullet to be accurate, terminally sufficient and with the foaming bore cleaners easy to maintain. (The rifle that is,)

I don't think my results with the TSX are unusually compelling because I have had good results with Nosler and Swift brand bullets also.

Before I tried the TSX I thoroughly enjoyed reloading for hours and the long process of experimentation that went with accuracy testing. Barnes has ruined that for me. Now its buy the TSX's, look on Accurate Reloading to see what works in the cartridge I'm loading for, press it and I'm done. Damn, I guess I'll try golf.

quote:

Damn, I guess I'll try golf.

Not in Dillingham

quote:

Before I tried the TSX I thoroughly enjoyed reloading for hours and the long process of experimentation that went with accuracy testing. Barnes has ruined that for me. Now its buy the TSX's, look on Accurate Reloading to see what works in the cartridge I'm loading for, press it and I'm done.

Well, I didn't see any good loads listed for the 338 WM, 225 TTSX and Rel 17 or Rel 19. Surely there have got to be some of those. I'm using Rel-17 (69 gr) with 225 TTSX at the the moment, for about 2800fps or just over and apparently without high pressure. I would have preferred trying to build a load with Rel19 for the safety of slightly slower powder but there wasn't any available.

Another notion I've been pondering is loading up some Nosler 210 Partions in 338WM in order to collect a few more bullets. The three TTSXs last month all went 'zip', 'plop', animal down.

I use a 250 grain Nosler Partition or Barnes TTSX in the 338wm.

quote:

Originally posted by Akshooter:

quote:

Damn, I guess I'll try golf.

Not in Dillingham

Nuts.

Good point.

quote:

Originally posted by 416Tanzan
Well, I didn't see any good loads listed for the 338 WM, 225 TTSX and Rel 17 or Rel 19. Surely there have got to be some of those. I'm using Rel-17 (69 gr) with 225 TTSX at the the moment, for about 2800fps or just over and apparently without high pressure. I would have preferred trying to build a load with Rel19 for the safety of slightly slower powder but there wasn't any available.

69g IMR4831, 250g Hornady SP or Nosler Part, Fed-215 = super accurate & 2670fps in my Ruger.

My "go to" load in my .338 WM is a 225 gr. NorthFork and 73 grs. of Rldr-22. This load is a bit under max but is accurate - even slightly moreso than a 225 gr. Partition. I get 2800 fps with it and I've found the NF's hold together very well on moose. I just love NorthFork bullets even though they're on the expensive side. For just plain practice, I use the 225 gr. Hornady.
Bear in Fairbanks

In my .300 Apollo(a .300 WinMag with a long throat)and using a cup-and-core I choose a 165gr Sierra SPBT with a bunch of IMR4831 and a CCI250 for 3200fps.
If I'm after more penetration, I choose a Barnes X-bullet(180gr) and a compressed load of Retumbo and Federal 215 primer, for just under 3200fps.
My .375 is a leveraction wildcat M71 Winchester(Browning) with a 20" barrel, for "close encounters of the worst kind," but I use the Hornady 300gr RNSP with a "handful" of "Big Game" and a CCI250 for 2300fps.
If I'm taking the rifle after more conventional game, ie Moose, or Black Bear, it'll probably have a cast 300gr RN with IMR4350 for 1700+fps.
My guns are a little eccentric, like their owner, but the loads can be duplicated in more conventional guns.
Have fun,
Gene

1st ak. grizzly 330 dakota fed 215 primers 84.5 gr of Retumbo 225gr swist a frame recovered both bulletts 2nd Ak. brown bear 375 hh 300gr swift 68.5gr of 4065 both bears were shot twice both only needed 1 shot. 300 win. mag load 76.9gr RL 25 200 gr bear claw all loads shoot under minute of angle. shot AK. moose (3) WITH 35 WHEELEN IMP. 225GR SWIFT they always work

My Sako AV 375 H&H shoots the TSXs very well, 270-300 gr doesn't matter over RL-15. Load 250 gr Accubonds over H4831 in the 338 Win.

Phil

Another vote for 69g imr4831 and 250g nosler partitions. velocity at 2760 and very accurate.

RL 19, 250 gr. X bullet Win. cases, Fed 215 primer works well in my .338 Win. Mag.

73 grains of RL 19 and a 225 grain bullet is a good load to start with if you want to shoot 225 grain bullets.

RL 19, 180 grain X bullet, Win. cases, CCI standard primer works well in my 30-06

How much powder your guns will like will be different then my guns,

300 WM 200GR. NP 80GR H-1000 2960FPS

338 WM 225GR. SAF 76GR R-19 2820FPS

375 H&H 300GR. SAF 80GR IMR 4350 2540FPS

These are the loads I used in my years in AK. They are heavy loads but were/are safe in my rifles.

Mark

For both my 338 WMs 68.5 grains IMR 4350 ignited by CCI 250 primers in WW cases holding 225 grain Barnes TTSXs. It's my "do everything" load.

This spring I'm gonna try H4350. I've been reading and talkin to some folks about Hodgdon's Extreme line of powder and supposedly it retains its velocity quite well throughout a wide temperature range.

My "go to" for the 300 Win Mag is 76 gr of RL22 under a 180 gr Partition. This load has never disappointed me.
when I feel the need for more caliber, it is a 35 Whelen loaded with 250 gr Hornady SP's.

I don't own a .300 but I kill everything in that ballpark with a 30/06 Shooting 180 grain Sierra BT's, 56 grains of IMR-4350, WW cases and CCI or WW primers. Just under 2800 fps in a 22" tube.

For my .338 Win Mag I shoot 225 grain Sierra's and 70.5 grains of IMR-4350 in WW cases and FC cases, CCI mag primers going 2825 fps and puts 5 shots in an all touching cluster.

My .375 H&H Mag shoots 300 grain Barnes TSX with 71 grains of Reloader 15 into tiny groups (5/8") going a blistering 2694 fps!
I can also substitute 300 grain Nosler Partitions in the above load and the groups open up to just over an inch and they print 2" higher on the target directly above the Barnes.

These loads are safe in my rifles, use with caution in yours.

My best to date load for my 100% stock factory M700 in Stainless steel syn/stock is:

75.5 grains RL-19
225 grain Nosler Accubond-or
225grain Nosler Partitions
225 grain Hornady Interbond-or
225 grain Hornady Interlock
Winchester new never fired NK/sized only brass
Federal 215M primers.

MV I'm guessing at 2800-2850fps.

Anyone of these reloadings shoots scarry acurate groups at 200yrds. I only shot the Nosler Partitons and Accubonds at 400yrds. Both shot excellently, and I could keep the Partitions in a empty Colman fuel can at 400yrds with quite surprising ease, and the Accubonds in a paper plate 11 of 12 shots.