Top BC .338 Bullet

[284winner]

277 mtac cutting edge bullet looks good also. Lighter but BC is equal to most at 300 grains

 

[284winner]

Anybody try the 257 grain(338) Lehigh defense ELR bullets ? I purchased 50 to try out but haven't loaded any yet. Says .890 BC. Pretty darn good looking bullet. I think I'd prefer a 300 grain bullet over a 250 class. Even tho the .890 looks appealing, weight in ELR is as important as it's not effected by environmental conditions as much as lighter bullets.

 

[284winner]

I try all the heavier higher BC 338 bullets out there. The one I ultimately decide on IS the most accurate bullet regardless of BC. Another couple minutes on the dial means nothing in a heavy bullet. Currently the 285 ELD seems to be the best option in my gun. The 300 Berger and 300 SMK are very close seconds.

 

[Terry]

BC does not tell the entire story. Precision first then accuracy. I have tested many different bullets in my 338 L Improved at 1000 yards with multiple 10 shot groups. Test at distance and go with the bullet that shoots the smallest elevation not the bullet that has the highest BC! In my setup the Berger 300gr gave a consistent 9-15" of elevation for 10 shots (eight 10 shot groups). Sierras gave 3.5"-6.5" of elevation. The "low" BC Sierras were good enough to win the Victrix ELR match in Blakely.

Also, the last light gun winner at Blakely, whom I coached, was shooting "low" BC Sierras. The final stage he used factory S&B ammo loaded with 300 SMK's going 2860fps with stellar results.
YMMV.
EJ

Just ordered more 300 SMK.

Thanks

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

BC does not tell the entire story. Precision first then accuracy. I have tested many different bullets in my 338 L Improved at 1000 yards with multiple 10 shot groups. Test at distance and go with the bullet that shoots the smallest elevation not the bullet that has the highest BC! In my setup the Berger 300gr gave a consistent 9-15" of elevation for 10 shots (eight 10 shot groups). Sierras gave 3.5"-6.5" of elevation. The "low" BC Sierras were good enough to win the Victrix ELR match in Blakely.

Also, the last light gun winner at Blakely, whom I coached, was shooting "low" BC Sierras. The final stage he used factory S&B ammo loaded with 300 SMK's going 2860fps with stellar results.
YMMV.
EJ

I'm very sorry for this, but you deserve a spanking for that comment and the way you did it.

The title of this tread is "Top BC .338 Bullet". It is not "Top precision .338 Bullet." All we were talking about is BC. So for you to come late to the party (I mean, several months later,) and take my statement out of context, then proceed to argue about stuff I never said, and pontificate about what this tread was not about is somewhat beyond the pale.

One again, we were talking ONLY about BC values.

 

[r bose]

I tried the new Nosler 300g RDF and they impacted 14" higher at 600 yds than any other bullet so far (have not shot any of the solids). That said, I can't find published BC from Nosler. They also shot very accurately.

 

[Tempest]

Just my $.02.

I've used the Berger 300 hyb @ 2,800 with really good results for ELR out of a stock 110BA. Would expect even better results with a good barrel.

 

[Texas10]

I'm very sorry for this, but you deserve a spanking for that comment and the way you did it.

The title of this tread is "Top BC .338 Bullet". It is not "Top precision .338 Bullet." All we were talking about is BC. So for you to come late to the party (I mean, several months later,) and take my statement out of context, then proceed to argue about stuff I never said, and pontificate about what this tread was not about is somewhat beyond the pale.

One again, we were talking ONLY about BC values.

Sorry, but I'd have to disagree with your disagreement. He added much valuable information to the discussion by stating that BC isn't the only consideration. Due to marketing trends, we have a tendency to buy into the false narrative that heavier is better, that a higher G1 rating is better, when in fact precision is the more important factor in competition, since grouping is the yardstick of precision.

FWIW: I liked your post too for listing the BC. That too is good, accurate information, that is always appreciated.

 

[284winner]

I'm very sorry for this, but you deserve a spanking for that comment and the way you did it.

The title of this tread is "Top BC .338 Bullet". It is not "Top precision .338 Bullet." All we were talking about is BC. So for you to come late to the party (I mean, several months later,) and take my statement out of context, then proceed to argue about stuff I never said, and pontificate about what this tread was not about is somewhat beyond the pale.

One again, we were talking ONLY about BC values.

I think the question in the body of the thread was highest BC/weight bullet ? Not strictly BC.

 

[Terry]

I deeply appreciate all responses.

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

I think the question in the body of the thread was highest BC/weight bullet ? Not strictly BC.

Well, understanding that BC in inherently linked to the weight of the bullet, your last point is a non sequitur.

A formula to calculate BC is; BC = SD / i. Where SD is Sectional Density and i is the coefficient of form or form factor. As you can see, the greater the SD and the smaller the i, the greater the BC. Now, the sectional density of the bullet is directly linked to weight of the bullet. In a specific caliber, like .338, the heavier the bullet, the greater the BC provided the form factor remains the same. In order to increase the BC of a bullet, you make the bullet heavier, increase its SD. There are two ways to accomplish this; 1- make the bullet longer or 2- use a higher density material. Method 1 is about the only one that we can use and still be able to afford bullets. Lead has a pretty high density, but the bullets get pretty long for these high BCs. Now, if we could use tungsten, gold, platinum, or depleted uranium, we would be able to have shorter but heavier bullets and still have the high BC in the tread title.

Or we could use something like osmium or iridium, but that last one didn't work out too well for the dinosaurs, as you might remember. We need to respect our K-T boundaries.

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

Sorry, but I'd have to disagree with your disagreement. He added much valuable information to the discussion by stating that BC isn't the only consideration. Due to marketing trends, we have a tendency to buy into the false narrative that heavier is better, that a higher G1 rating is better, when in fact precision is the more important factor in competition, since grouping is the yardstick of precision.

FWIW: I liked your post too for listing the BC. That too is good, accurate information, that is always appreciated.

I'm betting that you never had discussions similar to "what is the fastest car?" or "which one accelerates the fastest?" or "what is the fastest plane?" Or if someone around you ever did, you would jump in and inform everyone that there's more to a car than raw speed, thinking this was an obscure secret that had never been revealed before.

 

[Texas10]

I'm betting that you never had discussions similar to "what is the fastest car?" or "which one accelerates the fastest?" or "what is the fastest plane?" Or if someone around you ever did, you would jump in and inform everyone that there's more to a car than raw speed, thinking this was an obscure secret that had never been revealed before.

You're correct. Raced aircraft for years, and know from experience that there is much, much more than raw speed at play, and no, it's not an obscure secret. The secret to winning is to know how to push your opponents buttons and get him/her to make a rash decision or take a chance they wouldn't ordinarily take, while you are consistent in what you do. Turtle and the hare.

 

[284winner]

Well, understanding that BC in inherently linked to the weight of the bullet, your last point is a non sequitur.

A formula to calculate BC is; BC = SD / i. Where SD is Sectional Density and i is the coefficient of form or form factor. As you can see, the greater the SD and the smaller the i, the greater the BC. Now, the sectional density of the bullet is directly linked to weight of the bullet. In a specific caliber, like .338, the heavier the bullet, the greater the BC provided the form factor remains the same. In order to increase the BC of a bullet, you make the bullet heavier, increase its SD. There are two ways to accomplish this; 1- make the bullet longer or 2- use a higher density material. Method 1 is about the only one that we can use and still be able to afford bullets. Lead has a pretty high density, but the bullets get pretty long for these high BCs. Now, if we could use tungsten, gold, platinum, or depleted uranium, we would be able to have shorter but heavier bullets and still have the high BC in the tread title.

Or we could use something like osmium or iridium, but that last one didn't work out too well for the dinosaurs, as you might remember. We need to respect our K-T boundaries.

Incorrect... Partially. Yes the heavier 300 Berger(.822) does have a greater ballistic coefficient number than does the 250 Berger(.685). The 257 grain Lehigh defense ELR bullet has an .890 BC. In this case, the lighter bullet certainly outclasses the heavier 300 Berger. Heavier isn't always better in terms of BC BUT I'll say after shooting beyond a mile with the lighter 338 bullets, they don't play very well in wind vs the heavier 300s. On a calm windless day, they outperform the heavies. Meaning less elevation and windage. Windage is the issue when wind is in play. The lighter even slightly higher BC bullets do not make the target as consistently as the 300s do on windy days

 

[Geno C]

On the right is a 350gr 375 bullet. On the left, is a 338 bullet

 

[284winner]

On the right is a 350gr 375 bullet. On the left, is a 338 bullet View attachment 1190077

Who's 338 bullet ?

 

[243Mendoza]

..The lighter even slightly higher BC bullets do not make the target as consistently as the 300s do on windy days

This is mystery that has yet to be explained. One would expect a higher BC bullet to behave better in the wind despite the lower weight but apparently they do not

 

[284winner]

This is mystery that has yet to be explained. One would expect a higher BC bullet to behave better in the wind despite the lower weight but apparently they do not

Theory is great and many times proves true. Shooting a 6.5-284 with equal BCs to my 284. (140s vs 162s) and at 1200 yards on the same day, the 162s were better in wind and the bullet weights weren't very different. Then shooting my 338 LM improved with 300 smks vs a 300 NM with 230s and again, the heavier 300 bullets were better in wind. Bullet weight was a greater spread but similar BCs.

 

[Geno C]

Who's 338 bullet ?

Badlands Precision. The 285 on the left has a G1 of 1.001

 

[284winner]

Badlands Precision. The 285 on the left has a G1 of 1.001

Wow. Amazing for a .338/285. The 260 grain ELR Badlands bullet is the heaviest I've seen. It's around .84. I think you'd need a 7-8" twist barrel for the 285. The 260 needs a 9 twist.