I'm going to be taking the old Winchester 1886 out for deer this year. If I remember right from the serial # it was made in the 1920s.

I have some ammo from Buffalo Arms that I bought a few years ago.

I am thinking about ordering some bullets from Hawk. Someone I know told me they were great bullets. What is your guy's opinion of the Hawk bullets or should I just stick with the Buff Arms ammo?

How does your rifle shoot with the Buffalo Arms ammo? Does it hit where you want it to? Do you have enough ammo to get through the season?

If your answer to the last two questions is yes, then really there's no need to go with different ammo now.

If you're strictly looking for a change, then go ahead. But as long as Buffalo Arms makes ammo that is reasonably well constructed, there's no need to change. Deer aren't armor-plated and are pretty easy to kill, providing you put the bullet where it needs to go.

Hawk makes very good projectiles.

I have used the in many different cailbres.


The major complaint on AR seems to be "Too Soft" which I have not found to be the case.

(However ,in the larger calibres I have always ordered the heavier jackets.)

They remind me of the Barnes originals and CCB 's I bought years ago.

http://hawkbullets.com/Pricelist.htm

thanks for the repies.
I tried the Buff Arms ammo on some trees a few years ago and it seemed acccurate. I'll try them out on paper targets this weekend. If they are way off, I'll order some Hawk bullets to reload and see how they do.
Bob

I have shot deer and pigs, impala and a baboon or two with Hawk bullets in my 9,3x74R, 285gr with the .035jkt, at @2225fps, and a deer and several pigs with the 450/400 using 300gr Hawks with the .025jkt, at @2330fps and one pig with a 400gr Hawk with the .035jkt. at @2200fps

They work great. They expand to a very large diameter. They do not seem to shatter/fragment, just mushroom BIG.

The 300gr .025jkts in the 450/400 will "coin out" meaning they expand to the thickness of a coin, no shank left.

The .035jkt bullets expand nearly as wide as the thinner jacket but still have some shank left.

I think in the 33WCF I would go with the .030 or .035jkt.

Call Andy at Hawk and he can advise you which would be best.

I like them.
I had one pig run a few feet, everything else had been a bang flop.

I have shot around 25 or 30 animals with them.

Is Hawk the only folks that make .33 jacketed bullets? What about Barnes originals or Woodleigh???

Barnes has dropped many of the "Originals" including the FP 33's
(if they would make a 33 version of their FN 30-30 bullet that would help)

Woodliegh has a SP 250 that will work , but no FP.

a list of custom makers--

http://www.corbins.com/bmakers.txt

You know Hornady has released the gummytip leverevolution bullet in .338. It will give a bit better extended range, with the penalty of being very long. I do not know if you would have to shorten case length like you do in the Marlin Expresses, my guess is in an 86 you would be ok on case length.

quote:

Hornady has released the gummytip leverevolution bullet in .338.

Does a 1886 Winchester in .33 WCF have a .338 bore?

Yup-.338.

Have not seen the LeverEvolution (FTX) one, other than as loaded ammo-- but the 250 SP Hornady will work.

What about Beartooth hard-cast bullets? Anyone shoot these in a .33 WCF?

And while on the subject has anyone ever killed something like a grizzly with a big hard-cast lead bullet?

Yep, there've been lots of big things killed with big, hard-cast bullets.

This was taken with a 420 gr. hard-cast.


And if that wasn't big enough, how about this one? Shot with a 540 gr. hard-cast.

Check with Hornady. They make periodic runs of 200gr bullets specifically for the .33 Win. and have load data in their current manual. Despite it case capacity, ballistics make it .35 Remington on Cheerios, not steroids. Bullets for the .338 Marlin and .338 Win mag would both be too strongly constructed to be of much use.

ledvm,

yes, until about 1860 everything was. I got my own hardcast bullets for my 505 Gibbs that will penetrate thru a 24" pine tree and keep on going at 100 yards.

Duggaboy--- midway carries them as componets.

quote:

Originally posted by buckeyeshooter:
Duggaboy--- midway carries them as componets.

That's great news.
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewP...productNumber=384021

Last time I checked with Hornady on the .338 FTX, they "had no planned date of release as component".

--And still do not list them as a component on their site.

https://www.hornady.com/shop/?...5e2ba0e497ce50156edb

What about .33 WCF brass? Is it available readily?

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
What about .33 WCF brass? Is it available readily?

Form your own- OR:

http://www.grafs.com/fc/browse/800/427

http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/4,157.html

http://www.qual-cart.com/headstamp.htm

speaking of .33WCF..Here is mine.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
What about .33 WCF brass? Is it available readily?

Can be formed from .45-70.

Hornaday used to make a 200 FP specifically for the .33 Win. I've used this bullet in reduced loads for my .338 Winny sucessfully.

They stopped making them, but you might stumble on them . . .

Now that is what i call a great rifle !
I like bolts and single shot's but nothing tops a classy old winchester.
forgive me for asking but Is that origional or restored. The wood looks almost to nice to be origional.
...tj3006

Jens,

Truly a beautiful rifle! A takedown with stunning wood, pistol grip, and a 2/3's magazine. My jealousy knows no bounds!

Nice rifle!

quote:

Originally posted by Thomas Jones:
Now that is what i call a great rifle !
I like bolts and single shot's but nothing tops a classy old winchester.
forgive me for asking but Is that origional or restored. The wood looks almost to nice to be origional.
...tj3006

All forgiven sir !.

The rifle is all original from butt to muzzle..untouched and unfooled with.
It actually shoots well with hornadys 200grain FN backed with 42grain Norma 202. At 100 meters I can have 4-5shots within a handspread. Good enough for woodshunting if one wanted to.
The funny thing about this rifle here, is it has a ivory wedge at the bottom of the pistolgrip to protect the wood. All the checkering on pistolgrip is still visible, where the forearmss checkering is more "feelable".
I found this rifle at a guncollector in 1992, and payed 3000 USdollars for it, which was back then, the marked price for such a rifle.
One day, this rifle will once again finds its shelf out west, surrounded by prarielands, tumbleweed and buffalogras.

Hornady InterLock Bullets 338 Caliber (338 Diameter) 250 Grain Round Nose Box of 100

or

A-Square Bullets 338 Caliber (338 Diameter) 250 Grain Dead Tough Round Nose Soft Point Box of 50

or

Woodleigh Bullets 338 Caliber (338 Diameter) 250 Grain Round Nose Soft Point Box of 50

When everyone is talking about having a hard time getting bullets for the .33 WCF...why won't the above bullets work in it?

You can use them, some folks are just "Flatpoint conscious" with respect to lead to primer interface.

Simply desiring the added area of impact spreading recoil over a flat rather than any rounded area (slightly more pointed) in a tube type magazine.

Also the 200 was the "classic" weight in the .33WCF.

DuggaBoye,
Should I be afraid of those "really round" RN bullets in a tube magazine? My own common sense says they are safe. Your thoughts???

Well I've used them without issue--
but my "common sense " has occasionally been in question

And I have used these
and like them
http://www.montanabulletworks.com/wst_page5.html

Those look just like Beartooth's. There are lots of cast bullets for the .33 WCF. Probably will load it with hard cast Beartooths.