Elk bullet for 338 win mag?

[Junglebird]

You are right they are not all created equal. The 225 Sledge Hammer will have the ability drive end to end on an elk

Steve

With the stout construction of your bullets would I be better off with a lighter bullet with more velocity? Does the twist rate matter a lot between your different weights? I'm guessing this rem 700 is going to have a 1:10.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

With the stout construction of your bullets would I be better off with a lighter bullet with more velocity? Does the twist rate matter a lot between your different weights? I'm guessing this rem 700 is going to have a 1:10.

Yes you are correct with the 1-10". The 225g Sledge Hammer is fully stable with a 1-12" twist barrel. You will have stability to spare. For your ranges where bc doesn't matter I think the 225 is perfect. The 186g Sledge Hammer would run super flat to your yardages and still have 90% weight retention and work just fine. I just had a customer that was hunting hogs in Texas and shot a 600lb boar at 25 yards that was charging him with his 338-06 and the 186g Sledge Hammer and dropped him to a skidding stop. They found the bullet in one of the hams.

I am a velocity hound so would not talk you out of a lighter bullet. All of our bullets retain the same amount of weight regardless of the impact vel.

Steve

 

[257Tony]

I've used 225 interlocks, 225 sst, and 250 gamekings in my 338 to kill bulls. They all died with one shot. I think after my current stock runs out I'll try some of the 225 Hammers.

 

[Junglebird]

I am a velocity hound so would not talk you out of a lighter bullet. All of our bullets retain the same amount of weight regardless of the impact vel.

Steve

So, what you're saying is we can now "have our cake and eat it"?

 

[RockyMtnMT]

So, what you're saying is we can now "have our cake and eat it"?

I should rephrase that. They retain the same % regardless of impact vel. Sorry.

It has always been said that there is no magic bullet. We have a bullet that does as we say from the highest impacts down to our advertised 1800fps. I think we are pretty close.

There is something to the Sledge Hammers and their larger meplat/hollow point and how hard they hit. The reports back from those hunting with them are stellar.

Steve

 

[HARPERC]

........HARPERC, the question about bullet weight is a gerneral question regarding most of the bullets suggested. I realize not all bullets are created equally, but as a general rule would a 225g be preferred over a 200'ish g bullet for elk in a 338 wm?..........

Where Steve and I differ slightly he's comes out more velocity, I prefer more heft. My preference being formed in a lot of heavy cover hunting. In comparing apples to apples the heavier 225 has more curb appeal to me as an elk bullet than the 213. I readily admit were into "preference" at this point.

Roughly bullets come 4 ways, 1) those that don't expand, those that mushroom, and maintain a large frontal area, those that shed the front end, and the shank continues to penetrate, those that come completely apart. This is complicated by terminal velocity making consistency unpredictable when the "same" bullet may demonstrate the entire spectrum at different ranges, or even lot to lot.

The 225 Accubond I like, but have seen them expand to the point they did not penetrate well, even in small whitetail. The 225 Sledge Hammer in the same situation is very unlikely to be recovered. Neither will the 250 Accubond, and neither would the old 210 Partitions.

The Hammer is in the category of shedding the front portion of the bullet, and the shank continuing on to provide a long wound channel, and I believe from watching them develop over time, they will provide this same consistency over a wider range of terminal velocities.

I'm going to guess your magazine is about 3.4", although there are aftermarket products that can get you to 4".

 

[86alaskan]

With a 24-26" barrel, get any good 225-250gr bullet moving well and it'll flatten just about anything. I ran the Hornady 250gr psp interlock in my 338wm tikka. Pushed hard I had it around 2800fps and it accounted for several large alaskan game animals. At less than 30yds, 3 of them had near compete side to side penetration on an 8ft brown bear. Found 2 and lost the 3 in the gut pile. They had about 75% retention and had passed through both front shoulders. Find one that shoots and hit them in the boiler.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

I just went through the exercise of running ballistics with prospective muzzle vel for several of our bullet in the 338wm. The customer that I was doing this for was looking at a potential long range of 600y. The easy conclusion was to run our 213g Hammer Hunter. It would give 3000fps+ muzzle vel with a .266 g7 bc. I ran the numbers at 1000ft elev, so the numbers would get better with higher elevation. With 1800fps being the low limit the 213g Hammer Hunter has a max range of 750y. It would have an impact vel of 2179fps at 500y. A max point blank range of 375y with a 320y zero.

We designed this bullet to give the best vel to bc ratio for fast flat shooting to moderately extended ranges.

With ranges of 400y and under my choice would be the Sledge Hammer. I believe they just hit harder with the larger initial frontal area.

Steve

 

[MagnumManiac]

Thanks for the input!
For the 0-400 yard range would you recommend the <210g or the jump up to the 225gr?

I have been hunting large critters with the 338WM since 1990, of all the bullets I tried, the 225gr Accubond and a dose of 76gr of RE19 have been so accurate that I have never looked back. This load yields 2890fps in my 26" tube, YMMV though. This load/bullet gives the longest MPBR in this cartridge, sure there are higher BC bullets, but this just works right out past 400yrds.
For bears, years ago I was using Speer's 275gr Hot Cor semi spitzer with great results. When they were discontinued, I switched back to old favourite 250gr Partitions.

Now, Elk are tough, but ANY weight from the 338 placed correctly will take it down, it may or may not travel some distance, which in my experience is why I try for a high shoulder hit that takes out the spine behind it, no travel, or minimal, is best for easy recovery.

Great choice in calibre BTW, I have 3 cartridges currently in this cal with a 4th I'm still working on.
I have 338-06 that I run 210gr Partitions, 338WM with 225gr Accubonds, 338 Edge with 300gr Berger. Building a 338/416 Rigby Improved, just waiting (still) for my McMillan stock and bottom metal to arrive, 12 months so far. Australia it seems, is the last place to have stuff shipped to, even Alaska gets their stuff before we do.

Cheers.

 

[RevJim]

I would think that you have used a lot of Woodleighs in your 338's? Which type (RN or PP) and how heavy worked good for you sir? I've shot Woodleighs a lot in 30-35 cal but only killed one medium size hog with the 310/35 cal. Totally unnecessary, but my only opportunity to use them, ha. So little time...

 

[MagnumManiac]

RevJim,
I have used many Woodleigh bullets in 30 cal, 33 cal, 37 cal, 416 cal, 458 cal 423 cal & 505cal. They are very cheap here!
Out of my 338-06, 338WM & Edge, I have used the 225gr PP & 250gr PP.
I was enamoured with their terminal performance, excellent bullets on game, but their trajectory is somewhat lacking beyond 400mtrs.
I really like them in the thick stuff, but recently I changed tactics and shoot over fringe country where farm land meets the forest, long shots are normal.

Cheers.

 

[jwbronco]

It's hard to pass up the bargains at Shooters Pro Shop for their blem and overstock bullets

www.shootersproshop.com/nosler-products/bullets/nosler-338-caliber-225-grain-e-tip-banded-bullets-blem-50ct.html
http://www.shootersproshop.com/nosl...iber-225-grain-accubond-bullet-blem-50ct.html
www.shootersproshop.com/nosler-products/bullets/nosler-338-caliber-200-grain-e-tip-banded-bullets-blem-50ct.html

 

[FEENIX]

Nosler 225gr Accubond should be a top contender.

Agreed! While I have a few other bullets in the inventory, the 225 NAB is the only one I have ever loaded with mine, it performed so well so I never bothered to explore other options ... I am sure I am missing out on the fun big time.

 

[Crunchy]

I vote for the 225 Accubonds in the 338. Proven killer