.338 Shooters: Whats your bullet?

[Michael Eichele]

I have very mixed feelings on this. There is just no perfect bullet that does well up close and offers high performance way down range. That said, I like the 225 Nosler ACCUBONDS for large game up close and to medium ranges. Then I like the 300 grain Hybrid from Berger. For smaller targets like deer and sheep I will use the Bergers for all ranges. There is enough material there to get the job done even if it comes apart up close and offers little drift for the long haul.

For very large game up close I dont trust the Bergers. They have come completely apart on moose up close with no major bone contact. I would be scared to death to see what a Berger would do on a shoulder bone in a moose at 100 yards. Hence the 225 ABs.

BTW, I am running the 300 Hybrids at 2725 FPS.

 

[sp6x6]

Micheal, Have you tried the 250 AB'S?If so thoughts?I am going to work on load this winter for 340 for my son

 

[Michael Eichele]

Micheal, Have you tried the 250 AB'S?If so thoughts?I am going to work on load this winter for 340 for my son

I bought some 6 months ago but never have tried them yet. I would guess that they would be great. The 225 grain 338 AB's have worked very well and the 150-200 30 cal ABs have been awesome. I cant imagine the 250s being any different.

M

 

[specweldtom]

Angus, good point about magazine length. The .340 takes the 250 Nosler Partitions in the mag box without any problem, but the 300gr Smkhp's in the .338 x .378 just don't work for me at magazine length. My mag box will take 3.8" OAL, but the bullet seats very deep in the case, using up too much powder capacity. 3.9" OAL is accurate, but I seat at 4" for the additional powder capacity, and accuracy is as good. There are no signs of pressure. At 4" OAL, the 300gr Smkhp is still .119" off the rifling. So, single load only, no quick backup shot.

The .340 would be a better choice for me if I was hunting something that could bite or scratch. 2 quick backup shots. I haven't found any 250gr bullets that my .338 liked, or I could load them to magazine length too, but the rifle is 3" longer and 4 lbs heavier than the .340.
Crap, I'll just have to keep both of them!

Tom

 

[angus-5024]

specweldtom,
i had a .340Wby once (its now belongs to my Dad). It really liked the 250 GameKings. I never took that load very far, but i did shoot a black bear at 420yards with it, and shot into about 3/4 MOA.

has anybody had any issues with OAL being too long running 250's?

 

[D.Camilleri]

I have been shooting 225 accubonds for the past several years and I finally recovered one this year on a frontal quartering shot on a nice mulie at about 200 yards DRT. The bullet broke the on side shoulder and was recovered under the hide on the far side ham. Bullet performance looked excellent, large mushroom aproaching 1 inch and it appeared to weigh over 70%, didn't get a chance to weigh it however because I left it in the kitchen and someone threw it away. I dropped my speed with the accubonds down from 3300 with 97 grs of rl25 to 3150 with 94 grs of rl 25 due to loose primer pockets after one firing. I also worked up a load with 225 TTSK with 93 gr of rl 25 but haven't made a kill with them yet. Unfortunately no new elk in the freezer this year due to passing on too many bulls and having to cut the hunt short. I sure hope I can draw this tag again, because I have never seen so many bulls. Last night of hunt, I had two bulls at 800 yards and I just wasn't confident enough in the range finder because I kept getting different readings and it wouldn't pick up on the elk, so I didn't shoot.

 

[specweldtom]

D. Camilleri: It's not easy to pass on a shot. Skill is knowing how to dope the shot, but ethics is knowing when not to take it! I admire your choice.

Best regards, Tom

 

[D.Camilleri]

ethics is sometimes learned from a bad shot and an unrecovered animal, age teaches don't make the same mistake over.

 

[captacademy]

I have had great luck with the 250 SMK in my 338 RUM. I have taken large
African plaines game to a mule deer out to 600 yards with this bullet. All one shot kills! The bullet will shoot 1/2 MOA or better, depends on me.

 

[Outlaw6.0]

.338 Ultra w/a 27" Shilen Select Match bbl, 300 grn SMK's have been the bullet of choice so far (I suffer from severe tinkeritis). Thought I had the world by the short hairs when a stout load of 7828 showed 2812fps & 1/2moa only to find out the primer pockets only last ~2 loads....****!! Playing with Retumbo right now...

 

[specweldtom]

Outlaw, if your brass is good other than the loose pockets, try the primer pocket tightener from Midway. I got one, but haven't used it yet. It's crude, but looks like it will work good!

7828 is a good powder for .338 x .378 too. I tried Retumbo in my .30 x .378 and it sucked.

Tom

 

[Outlaw6.0]

Tom, thanks for the help, I will definately look at that. There were absolutely NO other pressure signs with that particular load even at an ambient temp of ~80 degrees, I was really disappointed when I found out about the pockets (especially when it was the first load I tried!!).

Thank you very much!

 

[D.Camilleri]

Tom, thanks for the help, I will definately look at that. There were absolutely NO other pressure signs with that particular load even at an ambient temp of ~80 degrees, I was really disappointed when I found out about the pockets (especially when it was the first load I tried!!).

Thank you very much!

Same with me with my 3300 fps load with the 225 nab, no other pressure signs, just very loose primer pockets after one firing. Exactly how does the primer swager work to tighten the pocket? Too bad lapua doesn't make some 338 ultra brass.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

D.camelleri, My accuracy load I hunt with and took my elk with last year is 99 grains of RE-25 with the 225 AB. My chrono shows 3260 fps out of my rem 700 338 RUM 26" barrel. I have shot 4" groups with it at 800 yards. Just an accurized factory rifle. I noticed your load at 97 grains got loose primer pockets. I get 5+ loadings at the 99 grains. I am seated off the lands.

Angus, The 225's are fine inside 800 yards and are my choice at that range because they are a proven quality big game bullet and not a target bullet. Last year I got a lot# of them just after nosler started back production of them after crunch time hit. I saw four failures from that lot #. Others have had good success with them. I now have some newer ones with different lot numbers to try. My wife shot a very nice heavy bodied mule deer this year with a 338 Lapua at 516 yards with the 225 AB. It was one of the new lot numbers with excellent performance.

I shot an elk at 908 yards with one and last year shot an elk at 740 yards with one. They do well at those ranges. When you go beyond 1000 yards the high BC bullets start taking over though. If you want to spend the money I tried some 225 and 250 grain Rocky Mountain bullets. BC is .849 or so with the 250 with good performance on game. The 225 is in the .7's. Those are the best hunting bullets I am aware of right now for long range 338's.