best .338 bullets for hunting at extended range

[wildcat westerner]

Hello,
I can purchase a 33 inch 1.5 diameter fluted barrel made by Pence, which is unchambered. I am considering doing it for a long range hunting/target rifle. I have shot .338 Winchesters and .338 Lapuas and I shoot the Winchester rifles better. So I would really appreciate reading which bullets for hunting the readers of this forum have successfully used in their .338 rifles

Thank you,

WW

 

[sable tireur]

I can purchase a 33 inch 1.5 diameter fluted barrel made by Pence, which is unchambered.

Just an observation, Ron Pence retired from barrel making about 15-20 years ago so you have an original 'oldy but goody'!

I am considering doing it for a long range hunting/target rifle.

Long range target rifle I can understand but as a hunting rifle, the weight alone would put you in what I consider to be the Sniping category. Carrying this rifle during a still hunt would test the meddle of every hunter I know unless you chose to hike into a spot where the rifle would be set up in order to wait for an appropriate tag candidate to happen along. I suppose a box stand would be an alternative to a ground blind also.

The .338 I've used the past is a Norma Magnum in a 28" barrel using a 1:9" twist rate. This barrel is a Bartlein #9 Heavy Varmint weighing 7.4# according to their website. The bullet I'm currently using in this rifle is the Badlands 250 gr. Super Bulldozer2 because of the amount of open ground I may have to cover.

Enjoy the project!