Need 338 WM Pet Load

[okie john]

Anyone got anything for a 225- or 250-grain bullet?

Thanks,


Okie John

[Malamute]

My notes show 68 grs IMR 4831 with 250 gr Nosler Partition with a magnum rifle primer (didn't have the make in notes, probably CCI). I intentionally stayed a little under max to alleviate potential extraction issues. I never chrono'ed it, the notes say 2650? which would be about 50 fps under factory 250s show I believe. They shot well in my gun, though pretty much everything seemed to. I was getting 1 1/4" groups for 3 @ 100 yards sitting with a 4x Leupold in an older Ruger 77.

Had a nice grouse and small game load also. Used the Hornady flat point 33 Win bullets pushed about 1500 fps with the Dupont powder commonly used for reduced loads. Very accurate, small fingernail sized groups for 4 shots @ 50 yards.

[SLG]

Can you be more specific? What gun? Which bullet?

My 230gr Bergers are the most accurate 300WM's I have ever shot, but they are a max load and are safe in my gun, whose chamber was cut for them. Not sure about anyone else's gun. I have 8 loadings on my brass, which I'm told is unheard of in a WM. Chambers matter.:-)

[okie john]

It's a Browning Safari. Haven't decided on a bullet yet. Probably a Partition.


Okie John

[GJM]

It's a Browning Safari. Haven't decided on a bullet yet. Probably a Partition.


Okie John

Used for what?

[okie john]

Used for what?

Game is Roosevelt's elk on tree farms so I expect mostly short shots with some chance of needing to reach out to about 300 yards.

Sorry. Should have put that in my first post.


Okie John

[GJM]

My wife shoots Federal Premium .338 WM, using a 225 Barnes bullet, and has had good luck on game with that. In years past, I primarily shot a .338-06, using a 210 Nosler Partition, and piled up a bunch of moose and caribou with it. We now try to use copper bullets for harvesting things we eat.

[SLG]

Apparently my eyes stopped working yesterday at around 7:51 or so...

I'll go back to lurking.

[GJM]

Apparently my eyes stopped working yesterday at around 7:51 or so...

I'll go back to lurking.

I was just happy to see you, even if your 0's and 3's were confused.

[SLG]

Thanks. I still want to shoot your 338-06 sometime. Just because. I've never seen one in the wild.

[GJM]

Thanks. I still want to shoot your 338-06 sometime. Just because. I've never seen one in the wild.

Before there were so many great bullets, a .33 caliber, 210 grain pill, in a model 70 standard action that held five down, non-belted rounds, made a lot of sense. Today, I think I would just go .30-06 with premium bullets.

[okie john]

Before there were so many great bullets, a .33 caliber, 210 grain pill, in a model 70 standard action that held five down, non-belted rounds, made a lot of sense. Today, I think I would just go .30-06 with premium bullets.

This.

I've had two 338/06's, two 35 Whelens, and a 9.3x62. Based on having shot a bunch of feral cattle with the 9.3x62 and a 30/06, I feel like if you need something more than a 30/06, then you need a lot more. Of those three, I'd take the 9.3x62 if for some reason I didn't think a 30/06 would work. You can get a 286-grain Partition moving 2,450 fps, which gives you pretty much the same trajectory as a 300 Savage. You can also move a 250-grain spitzer at 2,650, which runs right next to a 338 WM but holds five in the magazine of a true Mauser action.


Okie John

[GJM]

I have a Sako Black Bear in 9.3x62, that I got from SteveB, to use as a walking around rifle. Five down rounds and a slick action is attractive for this use.

[SteveB]

This.

I've had two 338/06's, two 35 Whelens, and a 9.3x62. Based on having shot a bunch of feral cattle with the 9.3x62 and a 30/06, I feel like if you need something more than a 30/06, then you need a lot more. Of those three, I'd take the 9.3x62 if for some reason I didn't think a 30/06 would work. You can get a 286-grain Partition moving 2,450 fps, which gives you pretty much the same trajectory as a 300 Savage. You can also move a 250-grain spitzer at 2,650, which runs right next to a 338 WM but holds five in the magazine of a true Mauser action.


Okie John

This is good stuff. The 9.3X62 is essentially a .366-06. Having slimmed down my hunting armory, my rifles now go from .30-06 to .300 WM to 9.3X62.

[okie john]

Thanks to everyone who replied. I settled on 75 grains of RL-22 under a 225-grain Nosler Partition.

http://i.imgur.com/NFeGpUC.jpg (http://imgur.com/NFeGpUC)

It seems to shoot pretty well at 100 yards.


Okie John