Favorite .338 bullet

[redgun]

As a soon to be .338 Edge owner, I am about to place an order for bullets. I figured Berger's would be the most accurate, but seems quite a few people are running the SMK's. I want to go with the 300 gr and really am not sure what to order at this point.

I plan on loading to the lands, so fitting into a magazine is not a concern.

Any suggestions other than just buy a box of each & try them???

 

[C.O. Shooter]

I saw in Petersons Hunting magazine Nosler was advertising the 300 grain - 338 Accubond! I want to say they are claiming a BC of .710.

 

[Nimrodmar10]

The SMKs shoot better in my Remington 338 Lapua than the Berger OTMs and they're cheaper.

 

[redgun]

The SMKs shoot better in my Remington 338 Lapua than the Berger OTMs and they're cheaper.

Were you loading to the lands or magazine length???

 

[sp6x6]

The Bergers shoot great for me,and have a better BC,.818. I took a brush shot on bull last year at 50-60 yrds and blew a fist sized hole threw him,what more do you need.I may load some 250 or 300 Nab just for the thick timber,but a 300 gr.out of the supermags is overkill for any NA game less the big bears

 

[Broz]

I have shot probably 1000 of the 300 SMK's and close to 500 of the Berger 300 OTM's from my 388 LM. Same velocity about 2800. I have taken many elk with both and that includes bulls out to 1100 plus yards. Both will do a good job, the difference is this. The Berger simply do it better. All of my best 1000 and 1500 yard groups were with the Bergers. They group tighter and fight the wind better. I still have 300 SMK's on the shelf, but why would I ever load them knowing I have proven that the Berger will shoot tighter out of the same rifle. My testing on game for terminal results were similar. We have take everything from antelope to elk with them. The diference is in the accuracy and wind bucking capabilities.

Jeff

 

[Korhil78]

Jeff,

Have you found the BC to be correct for the Bergers or did you have to fudge anything in your program to get your drops right? If so, what did you have to change in order to get it to work for you?

Dwayne

 

[Broz]

Jeff,

Have you found the BC to be correct for the Bergers or did you have to fudge anything in your program to get your drops right? If so, what did you have to change in order to get it to work for you?

Dwayne

Well I have come to the belief that every rifle induces a certain ammount of its own affect on BC. Most times it may be slight but I have seen a few cases where it was significant. Whether it is from the groves the rifling inscribes, number of groves, grove diameter, twist rate or what I can not say. But this is why I believe every shooter needs to simply work out the drops for his rifle and log the data to fine tune it to his program. Now the simple answer is the adverised BC has alway got me out to 1200 yards with 1/2 moa accuracy with every Berger I have used.

Jeff

 

[Korhil78]

Yeah, I will definitely be doing my own drop tests but I just wanted to know how far off yours were. That is good to know that the listed BC gets you out to 1200 with no problem. That was what I was hoping to hear.

 

[D.ID]

I am torn on this subject as I have used a modest volume of each and concluded that in my rifle the bergers are 30-40fps faster under similar pressure and more accurate but the smk is not far behind in accuracy = 0.1 MOA behind to be precise. The smk is cheeper and "good enough" for hunting out to the 1200+ range. If I where actually competing where one inch at that range mattered I would use the bergers in my rifle. I started with the bergers but switched to the smk because at that time the bergers where largely untested on elk. Most of my development has used the smk but when I recently loaded up the last of my smk (still have 300 bergers) ........I relized I am completely torn as to which one to re-up with. You should try them both in you individual rifle and decide from there which is best and if good enough really is good enough for your needs. Good luck

 

[Ultramag45]

I have shot probably 1000 of the 300 SMK's and close to 500 of the Berger 300 OTM's from my 388 LM. Same velocity about 2800. I have taken many elk with both and that includes bulls out to 1100 plus yards. Both will do a good job, the difference is this. The Berger simply do it better. All of my best 1000 and 1500 yard groups were with the Bergers. They group tighter and fight the wind better. I still have 300 SMK's on the shelf, but why would I ever load them knowing I have proven that the Berger will shoot tighter out of the same rifle. My testing on game for terminal results were similar. We have take everything from antelope to elk with them. The diference is in the accuracy and wind bucking capabilities.

Jeff

with your success with the 300 Berger OTM, do you think the 250s will perform pretty well...and have you had good success inside 500 yards as well with the Bergers...I shoot a 338 Rum, just ordered 100 of each...thanksgun)

 

[Broz]

with your success with the 300 Berger OTM, do you think the 250s will perform pretty well...and have you had good success inside 500 yards as well with the Bergers...I shoot a 338 Rum, just ordered 100 of each...thanksgun)

Yes we have done pleny of testing many times closer than 500 and have never tracked an animal shot with a Berger. The only thing is at close range expect a very large exit so I put it in the ribs.

As for the 250's, since I have not used them I think someone that has should answer that question. But you asked what I though, t so here goes. I would do some testing on antelope first like I do with all bullets. The reason we start with antelope is they are usually out in the wide open and if one would happen to be wounded I feel we have a high chance percentage to recover it. That said, we have tested and used the 230's in a 300 win as well as the 190's and 210's. They all worked very well at all distances for what we like to see. And that is the animal down right there where we can watch him go down. I do feel the 250's will work fine, but my way of thinking is to use the bigger offerings. It is a well know fact that the Bergers go in, fragment and then in most cases we get complete pass throughs. So I like using a bigger bullet to allow a bigger piece to pass through. This works very well for us. Also, since I live where the wind blows I always take advantage af the BC to keep the bullet on track, and the weight to retain more velocity at long distance than the lighter bullet will. The only place I would consider using the .338 / 250 for my way of hunting is if I were shooting one of the smaller cased 338's.

Here is an antelope I shot while testing the 300 OTM's. This was shot at 500 yards and a MV of 2800 fps.

inside rib cage entrance.

Exit

DRT, and very little meat loss.

Jeff

 

[Ultramag45]

That is kinda what i was thinking..WOW that is awesome!!!!Ill try those 250s on some deer and see how they do, but I am gonna get those 300s shooting first..what kind of velocity should I expect...I have a Shawn Carlock 338 RUM Stalker built 26 inch tube...It shoots 225 ABs 3175...thanks...

 

[Broz]

..what kind of velocity should I expect...I have a Shawn Carlock 338 RUM Stalker built 26 inch tube...

Well with a 26" tube I will say 2725 maybe 2750 from a RUM with 300's.

Jeff