Lets talk .338 bullets

[jwp475]

If one intends to maximize the long range potential of the big 338's (Edge, Lapua, Rum,Allen Mag, Etc,) then the 300 SMK is truely the only choice IMHO. With a BC of .768 nothing else can compair in the wind drift department or in the amount of down range momentum this baby carries. 2600+ FPS is all that is needed to enjoy it's advantages

Place the 300 SMK in the kill zone and then the work will begin

 

[D.Camilleri]

LTLR,

I just bought a box of 225 TTS that I want to give a try. How does your powder load selection out of your 338 rum compare between the Barnes and the Accubond? I am currently using 97 grains of RL25 with the 225 accubond.

 

[angus-5024]

I thikn I'm gonna give the 225 TSX's a try. like LTLR says, flat shooting for less adjustments is what they're about. I have never had poor terminal performance from any barnes, I just cant get them to shoot under .5 MOA consistantly out of my rifle. The other big turn-off with barnes is the price... they are bloody pricey. Up here in Canada everything cost you more when it somes to firearms.

I think that I will still use the 300 SMK for longer shots, probably mostly on targets. I hear what your saying about the high B.C of the 300's jwp 475. The first time I shot them out to 950 yards I was made a believer.

So it will be the 225 TSX (if they shoot) and the 300 SMK. LTLR, can you give me any load data with the 225 TSX useing Retumbo or RL 25? Any load data with the 300 SMK would be appreciated also. currently I'm using 88.5 grains Retumbo, but i think that it is a cool load and would like to go hotter.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

I think that is a very good choice. Like JWP says, there is nothing that beats a 300 SMK for extreme long range hunting. And it will kill a grizz. Grizz is not a long range species though and no guide worth his salt would allow you to shoot a grizz long range and he should have his license pulled if he did. Therefore I would use a 225 TTSX for grizz. It is guaranteed to perform perfectly.

The solid copper bullets can build up more pressure and require a lighter load. Depends on your barrel diameter and they vary slightly among producers. A tight barrel and you would build up some pressure. I think you can start out with the 97 grains of RE 25 and work from there unless that was max in your rifle then drop it a couple grains to be sure. I shoot 99.5 grains with the 225 AB at 3264 fps. I have loaded brass five times with that load and no problem out of my Rem 700. With the 338-300 ultramags we were shooting the other day I think we used 102.5 or 103.5 of RE 25 with the 225 TTSX and hit 3320 fps very accurately. I would have to check that load though but I think that is right. Retumbo seemed to be to slow for the 225 but shoots well with the 300 SMK.

Another thing about Barnes bullets I really like. I seperate a box of bullets depending on weight. Three groups for right on, light side and heavy side. Then the way out of the norm I use for blowing out brass in wildcats. With a box of Barnes I have one group and they are right on. The only bullets I can say that for. Before the rings were cut in the barnes you couldn't hit a barn door from the inside. Now they are extremely accurate bullets. Two days ago we were getting my son's 257 wby ready for opening of deer season. Again it grouped into 1 1/2" at 400 yards with the 100 grain TSX at 3780 fps. We walked to an unknown distance to simulate a stalk then turned around and ranged it at 623 yards. He folded down the bipod to shoot his simulated deer hunt. One shot for the kill. The shot went through a 2" bullseye at 623 yards. He is 16 years old. The Barnes will shoot! Yesterday he shot a monster of a mulie buck at 356 yards perfectly right through the heart on opening day. I have never seen a larger bodied mulie. Old buck with a huge rutting neck that had to weigh at least 350 pounds.

 

[jwp475]

I think that is a very good choice. Like JWP says, there is nothing that beats a 300 SMK for extreme long range hunting. And it will kill a grizz. Grizz is not a long range species though and no guide worth his salt would allow you to shoot a grizz long range and he should have his license pulled if he did. Therefore I would use a 225 TTSX for grizz. It is guaranteed to perform perfectly.

The solid copper bullets can build up more pressure and require a lighter load. Depends on your barrel diameter and they vary slightly among producers. A tight barrel and you would build up some pressure. I think you can start out with the 97 grains of RE 25 and work from there unless that was max in your rifle then drop it a couple grains to be sure. I shoot 99.5 grains with the 225 AB at 3264 fps. I have loaded brass five times with that load and no problem out of my Rem 700. With the 338-300 ultramags we were shooting the other day I think we used 102.5 or 103.5 of RE 25 with the 225 TTSX and hit 3320 fps very accurately. I would have to check that load though but I think that is right. Retumbo seemed to be to slow for the 225 but shoots well with the 300 SMK.

Another thing about Barnes bullets I really like. I seperate a box of bullets depending on weight. Three groups for right on, light side and heavy side. Then the way out of the norm I use for blowing out brass in wildcats. With a box of Barnes I have one group and they are right on. The only bullets I can say that for. Before the rings were cut in the barnes you couldn't hit a barn door from the inside. Now they are extremely accurate bullets. Two days ago we were getting my son's 257 wby ready for opening of deer season. Again it grouped into 1 1/2" at 400 yards with the 100 grain TSX at 3780 fps. We walked to an unknown distance to simulate a stalk then turned around and ranged it at 623 yards. He folded down the bipod to shoot his simulated deer hunt. One shot for the kill. The shot went through a 2" bullseye at 623 yards. He is 16 years old. The Barnes will shoot! Yesterday he shot a monster of a mulie buck at 356 yards perfectly right through the heart on opening day. I have never seen a larger bodied mulie. Old buck with a huge rutting neck that had to weigh at least 350 pounds.

I agree the TSX is the Premier hunting bullet today. I have been shooting them Long Range out of my 300 Win for years and have taken game out to 777 yards with the 180 TSX. The 300 grin SMK has the ability to buck wind like no other bullet on the market today. Thr TSX is a killer for sure and certain IME

Barnes is coming out with a long range TTSX in 30 cal and 338 cal. They wil require a faster twist than normal I have been told. They may be the answer to the question of choosing a hunting bullet or a match bullet for long range hunting

 

[angus-5024]

Thanks for the load data LTLR. I would never attemp a long shot at a grizz, I have seen first hand how hard they can be to stop and the amount of time they can go missing major organs and bones. I cant afford a guide so It'll be a DIY hunt for me.

 

[jwp475]

Thanks for the load data LTLR. I would never attemp a long shot at a grizz, I have seen first hand how hard they can be to stop and the amount of time they can go missing major organs and bones. I cant afford a guide so It'll be a DIY hunt for me.

A DIY hunt for Grizz, where?

 

[Topshot]

Has anyone had any bad experience of barnes bullets? Either not expnding or expanding poorly.

I have not herd of this hapening with .338 caliber bullets but I have with .308 calibre bullets.

This has been the reason why I have not considered these bullets for my rifle.

 

[D.Camilleri]

About 12 years ago I shot a really nice mule deer buck at about 550 yards with my 338 win mag loaded with 225 barnes x bullets. I hit the deer perfect behind the shoulder and it took off. I hit it again and the deer disappeared. I looked for the deer all day long and finally saw it walking about 1000 yards away. It vanished and I couldn't find it. The next day when I had almost given up, I found the deer. Both bullets had pencilled the buck. No expansion and no wound channel. I don't know the cause of this, but the bullets didn't expand. I killed another deer at about 300 yards and it never took a step, but the bullet hit bone in the neck. I had one other kill with the barnes x that baffled me and it was a doe that I shot in the head, looking straight at me at about 150 yards killed her dead, but the bullet didn't exit.

On the plus side, I killed several elk one year with 210 gr xlc barnes bullets shot out of my 338 rum. Both were one shot kills, one at 200 yards, and the other was a finishing shot on a cow that my brother had hit in the ham with a 7 mag, at about 550 yards that broke both shoulders dropping her on the spot. I recovered the bullet on that shot and 3 petals were intact, perfect mushroom and it was in the far shoulder.

The main reason I stopped shooting the x bullet was that my factory barrel on my 338 rum went bad and the new douglas didn't like the barnes or a lot of other bullets. We will see how my new broughton barrel likes the 225 tts later this week.

 

[angus-5024]

jwp475,
I dont know about visitors, but resident hunters in British Columbia put in for an limited entry hunt in the spring or fall. I know multiple people that have taken Grizz on there own. In fact I've never met anyone that has been guided for one.

I gotta look at these TTSX's. maybe thats gonna be the ticket. Have any of you guys got your hands on the Hornandy GMX's?

 

[jwp475]

Has anyone had any bad experience of barnes bullets? Either not expnding or expanding poorly.

I have not herd of this hapening with .338 caliber bullets but I have with .308 calibre bullets.

This has been the reason why I have not considered these bullets for my rifle.

Since every bullet from every manufacturor in the world has failed in one way or away at some point in time, I fail to see your concern

 

[D.Camilleri]

Midway USA has a price posted on the GMX, and says available soon. They are about 10.00 a box cheaper than the Barnes and might be worth a try.

 

[Topshot]

Since every bullet from every manufacturor in the world has failed in one way or away at some point in time, I fail to see your concern

jwp475,

My concern is that I have not used them and have got mixed reports back about their performance.
I may wish to give them a try in the future and would like to hear from other hunters about their experiences with them. Either good or bad.

Sure all bullets can fail, but if there is a trend of failure with a particular bullet then I would like to know about it.

 

[Ron Johnson]

I have a 338/416 Rigby Imp, with a 34"Lilja barrel and a orginal Vias brake I bought from George. This rifle has taken 33 antalope, 3 elk and 6 mule deer since about 1997. I have tested lots of different bullets, still always coming back to the Sierra 300 Gr matchking. On goats, I have taken 3 beyond 1200 yds and the wound is still quite large with large organs pulled out the exit wound. Two of the elk were cows shot @ 656 yards and both a little angled with the exit being just beyond the last rib. In both cases the liver was pulled thru the exit wound. I have used the Nosler AB 160 in a 7mm Rem Mag on a large 6x6 bull in Idaho at 787 yds and in was just under the hide on the off side, speed at impact was later measured at 1738 fps. When I was an outfitter in Idaho, I saw some bullets that were too slow in opening up, and we had game that we had to track and finish off, where a lighter constructed bullets might have put them down right there. We have to hit them in the right spot, AND use a bullet that has the weight and/or construction to pentrate. Sierra has told me many times not to use the Matchkings on any game. Ihad used a 30-378 I had build in '79 on a Ruger #3 with a 30" Douglas barrel to kill a 5x5 bull at about 600 yds in the Selway. The bullet was a Gameking at about 3400 fps. The same load blacken a whole front shoulder on a muley buck the same trip. The 300Gr Matchkings shot longways thru goats with the lead core exiting and sometimes the jacket being hung in the wound channel somewhere. So what does this tell me? Use a heavy weight bullet for the diameter, and one that will shoot well in your rifle and business will pick up. Anyway these are rambling thoughts on performance. Good hunting!!!!