[hardcorehunter5]

Well I got a new toy today at the cow palace gun show. Left-hand bdl in .338 win mag. It is used, but not very much. I couldn't believe the price, $449.00. I thought that was cheap for the condition of the gun. It was pretty clean. What do you guys think?? Can you rec. some good loads I can wor kup for the rifle. Thanks in advance.

[cheygriz]

Work up a load with the 200 gr Barnes "X" bullet. you can drive it 3,000 FPS and get flatter trajectory than a .270.

The solid copper 200 gr hollow point "X" bullet penetrates as well as a 250 gr Nosler partition on big game. You get the best of both worlds.

Then work up a load with the Nosler 200 gr ballistic tip for game smaller than elk, and practice. My two loads shoot to same point of impact, so I never need to touch the scope.

[Bottom Gun]

Welcome to the .33 caliber. The .338 Win is a great cartridge. I think you'll like it.

My rifle works well with 210 gr Partitions with 73.0 gr IMR4831 and 215 gr Sierra BTSP in front of 72.0 gr IMR4831.
I also use a 250 gr Sierra BTSP with 70.2 gr IMR4831.
These are moderate loads and you can go hotter if you wish. I never felt the need to.

I also loaded up some 200 gr Ballistic Tips with 73.0 gr IMR4831 and they are quite accurate but I wouldn't trust them on anything larger than a deer.

You'll probably want to neck size your brass to make it last a little longer.

Hope that helps.

[hardcorehunter5]

Thanks guys. Bottom gun, looks like 4831 is your powder of choice. What about with lighter loads?? Chevygriz what powder do you get best results from?

[hardcorehunter5]

Do you guys have a favorite bullets for the .338 win mag. Any help would be great. Thanks

[Mike Irwin]

My best results, in the limited loading I did for the .338, came with Reloader 19. What I found, though, was that once you dropped back below the midway point in the max loads listed in the loading manuals that performance and accuracy started to suffer.

[cheygriz]

Hardcore,

My best results have come with Alliant Reloader 19, and Hodgdon 4831SC. The 4831SC works well with both bullets, so it's the one that I've selected as standard, but the Re19 is great also.

My rifle is a Browning BAR Markll Safari in .338.

[Bottom Gun]

Hardcorehunter5,

I haven't loaded anything lighter than 200 gr bullets or anything slower than the loads I've listed since I don't do very much plinking with this one.

My rifle, a Sako Finnbear, does its best with slower powders.

[Johnny Guest]

Several years ago I bought an ugly old .338 from a pal. It was an Interarms Mark X Mauser, apperently pruchased as a barrelled action and rather clumsily installed in a clunky stock. Looked bad, but shot VERY well. I worked hard on some real, live MAGNUM loads for it, too.

The best-shooting bullet I found for it was the Hornady 225 gr. spire point flat base, with 74.0 gr of Reloder 19 powder.

And, happily, that bullet was the very least expensive .338 diameter bullet.

I cannot comment on the effectiveness of that bullet, though--Took it elk hunting twice but never scored. Had some heart trouble and some very extensive thoracic surgery and feared I'd never be able to shoot hard-recoiling rifles thereafter, so I sold that .338 and the dies. Thankfully, I made a better recovery than I would have thought, and was up for shooting big rifles again within three years. I now have a Ruger 77 in .338, but haven't gotten dies for it yet. Looks as it it will shoot, but haven't had a chance to put together any of my old 225 load.

LATE EDIT: I first wrote this away from my records and didn't want to quote the load without checking. The above load is over max indicated in the Hornady manual for their bullet. It is low in my Speer manual #12, though, and within limits for the Alliant Powder manual.. Always check at least two sources for load data. ;)

Good luck to you.
Johnny

[Johnny Guest]

Hardcorehunter5 - - -
Since both your threads dealt specifically with requests for handloads for this fine cartridge, I have merged both into this one.

Johnny Guest
H&R Moderator