.338 Win. Mag. African

[Adobe Wells]

Shot my new .338 Win. Mag. African today. I am impressed. I have never owned a bolt action larger than a 30-06. I handload all my own ammo and will get out again soon to zero it in for this falls spike Elk hunt. 8)
Anyone else care to share their favorite .338 Elk load.?

 

[buckeyeshooter]

250 grain nosler partition, 72.2 grains of H4831, winchester case, fed 215 primer-- max load work up slowly. Shoots .85 inch at 100yards in my 77 tang rifle.

 

[picketpin]

250 grain Nosler Partitions 70 grains of IMR 4350 WW brass CCI 250 primer. Seated correctly for your rifle. The load gets 2845 fps across the screens out of my #1 with a 26 inch barrel.

I've killed 11 elk, a moose and a couple of caribou with it and to date have never recovered a bullet. Ranges were 90 yards or so out to nearly 350 on one old bull trying to sneak out the back side of a bog.

I guess it's hot so back off and work up BUT it shows no pressure signs at all in my #1. No flaterning of primers, no case stretching and no gas leakage so.........................

For what it's worth it was a standard load in older Speer manuals with their bullets. It shoot sub MOA for me.

Ross

 

[Stonewall]

Try 72 gr. of IMR-4350 with a WW case and Fed215 primer with a 210 Nosler .

Glenn

 

[Major T]

I used to feel needy if I did not have at least one .338 in the stable. buckeyeshooter and Ross have given you excellent loadings (and advice.)
I unloaded most of my magnums a few years ago but a nice #1 or the African might just rekindle old fond memories. Good day, Jack

PS. Do not overlook the 210 Nosler to add versatility. jt

 

[picketpin]

The 2000-210s are okay though the 250 has a higher BC and retians energy better especially at range. It also has more recoil, but managable. I've used the Swifts, both Sirrocos and A-Frames and Sierra Game Kings in 250 grainers with good results.

The thing NOT remomended is the 180s in a 338. Much better off if you want to shoot 180s to use a big 30 caliber mag. I have a #1 that started life as a early 30-06 "A" that became a 30-338 "S". It outshoots the 338 with the same weight bullet and essentually the exact same case due to much higher BC of the .30 caliber 180 over the 180 grain .338 caliber bullet.

It's also a bit to heavily constructed for deer/antelope etc. I shot a antelope with the 180 Nosler in the 338 one time. Side to side and knocked him off his feet. He popped right back up. Blood on both sides, .338 in and .338 out. Dad and I followed/chased him for 4 days and each day he got better. By the end of day four he was running across the desert like he'd never been shot. A month later he was still around chasing does all over the desert.

So, too light for elk and to heavy for deer. Pretty useless.

The .30 caliber 180 grainer not only has a better BC but it is also more frangible. A great long range deer bullet, especially out of the 30-338 or similar capacity case and a #1 with a 26" barrel.

Ross

 

[Boxhead]

Though a "only" a 338-06 shooter I have moved to the 225 gr Accubond for good. Worked like a chanp this spring on grizzly and black bear. Shoot it out to far and see how flat it flies.

 

[certified angus]

I haven't had the opportunity to use mine on elk yet, but I like 210gr. Nosler Partitions for whitetail deer. Very little meat loss with that bullet. I usually use the Federal Premiums. I should start reloading for it.

 

[Major T]

I never used any one's 180s in a .338. I did use some Hornaday 200s in a .338-06. They seemed to work OK on deer. I did load a few .338 Wodleigh 250s for a south Texas spring hog hunt (stand/feeder) one time. They penetrated to the next county. A hapless coyote came by and I shot him through both lungs, a little high perhaps. He lay "dead" in a two track ranch road for almost an hour. I looked back his way just as he was disappearing into the brush. I followed him, caught up and dispached him with a TPH .22LR. .338 in and out also. About the same on the hogs. My favorite for Mule deer in the trans-Pecos country was the 250 Nosler. Shots could be long. jack

 

[martyj]

210 shoot well for me. As far as a deer rifle goes this is probably not the best choice, unless shooting ballistic tip bullets. The bullet seems to pass right through and never expands.
Try some H4350 also.

 

[Adobe Wells]

Thanks Guy's for all the tips.
It seems that the Nosler Partition is the favorite of many. No one has mentioned the Barnes bullets. Since I bought a box of 225 grain TTSX I think that is what I will use. A near max charge of Ramshot HUNTER under the bullet.