I built a 338 Win Mag just to have a bigger caliber gun if I ever go hunting for something bigger than a deer. It was kinda a budget build on a Rem 700 action, cheap 1-10 twist barrel, and big $40 muzzle brake. Stock is a nice HP precision with mercury recoil reducer in it. Accuracy isn’t super but acceptable for me considering this is a budget build. I’m getting best accuracy every time I take the gun out with a 200 grain SST bullet. Today I shot 300 yds. 200 grain SST shot a 4” group, 230 grain ELD-X shot a 5” group, 200 grain Accubonds shot a 7” group. Should I just stick with the 200gr SST, the 230gr ELD-X, or find a better heavy bullet. Gun will be used for big game hunting, IF I ever get that opportunity. Thanks!
Bullet for 338 WM
- Thread starter EasyShooter
- Start date
FNSafari
Gold $$ Contributor
I would agree with the above on bullets. Nosler partition bullets sometimes get a bad rap accuracy wise, but that has not been my experience in either the 30-06 or 338WM. You just need to shoot them to find out. By a 4" group at 200 yds you mean actual measurement or reduced to mod? If actual that isn't too bad as you probably will be shooting at an elk or moose sized animal. If partitions don't work try swift A frame or some other bonded core bullet like Hornady interbond or woodleigh weldcore or swift scirocco. Your other option is to fit a really good barrel to the action and have the action accurized.
Elk would be the bigger animal I would be most likely to get the opportunity to hunt. I had good hopes for the 200gr accubond bullet but it just didn’t shoot well. I was thinking I would want a bullet over 200 grains for this gun on big game. Have been testing it with some bullets I already had for my 338 federal which are mostly lighter bullets. Gets kinda pricy to buy a box of bullets just to try a couple and find out they don’t work well. On deer I have actually gone to a faster expanding Ballistic Tip bullet to knock them down better. I don’t know how many deer I have shot and watched them walk away after just poking a hole in them with a tougher bullet. Deer that did drop would have the small entry hole and a slightly larger exit hole with not much damage al all. Everyone’s experience is different though. If shooting accurately bullet type doesn’t matter as much. If I’m shooting off my table I can easily shoot sub MOA with most guns. Shooting in the field off sticks is way different. The 230gr ELD-X might be the way to go for me. I have a couple 210gr partitions I could try. Wish I had some 250gr partitions to test.
It was 4” at 300yds by precision eyeball measurement, so about 1.3 MOA. Problem is that is off a table. If I was out hunting and shooting off sticks that would probably go to 3-4 MOA. I’m thinking about taking off that $40 muzzle brake to see how it shoots then. I did blueprint the action before I fit the barrel. I do worry about that soft lead tip on the Partition getting deformed by bad handling but they usually do shoot well for me too. I should load up some of the 210gr Partitions I have to see what they do. Still hoping of finding a heavy bullet that works good.
Kurz
Silver $$ Contributor
I wouldn't settle for any of these as a choice for your rifle just yet.
I suggest measuring the chamber to be able to work with seating depth, know where your lands are.
Work up some ladder tests to see if you can resolve some of the accuracy questions. Perform these at 2-300 yards.
Yes components are hard to find and getting expensive but testing to know your load is necessary.
I agree with the above. Nosler Partitions have always performed for me and I've been able to achieve better than average accuracy. The 210 grain Partitions will work just fine. There's no need to buy the 250 grain when you have the 210s already. I shoot the 225 grain PT.
You're better option is to practice using field positions after shooting from the bench.
Enjoy!
Thanks. Seating depth for all my tests so far have been .020” off the lands. I am going to try these 210gr partitions but I only have around 10 of them so if they work I will need to find more. I have lots of the other bullets I tried.I wouldn't settle for any of these as a choice for your rifle just yet.
I suggest measuring the chamber to be able to work with seating depth, know where your lands are.
Work up some ladder tests to see if you can resolve some of the accuracy questions. Perform these at 2-300 yards.
Yes components are hard to find and getting expensive but testing to know your load is necessary.
I agree with the above. Nosler Partitions have always performed for me and I've been able to achieve better than average accuracy. The 210 grain Partitions will work just fine. There's no need to buy the 250 grain when you have the 210s already. I shoot the 225 grain PT.
You're better option is to practice using field positions after shooting from the bench.
Enjoy!
Kurz
Silver $$ Contributor
Coyotefurharvester
Silver $$ Contributor
The 200 gr SST is a very good game bullet, shoot what is most accurate. Plenty of bullet for elk, moose, bear.
My Custom, 25 1/2 ", 1-10 Twist, Douglas Premium barreled, MKV Wby, in .338 Win Mag. shot "Clover Leaf's" EVERY Year with, the Nosler 210 Part's. with, 74 Grains of, IMR 4831 for 2,937 FPS Velocity and Thumped Elk, "Hard" !
YUP, and "Thumped" my shoulder, pretty good, too !! A GREAT "Killing", accurate, Bullet for, the .338, tho !
After finding a "good" Load, practice, Field Positions Like, Kurtz said, but, I'd USE, a 6.5 Creed or .243, for that, LOL !
Now, I shoot , a .270 WSM ( Plenty, for Elk with, Berger 140 Classic's, going, 3,185 FPS ). I'm older and Wiser, now !
Sold that, wonderful, ole' .338, AND, my, "Flinch", is almost,.. gone ! LOL !
YUP, and "Thumped" my shoulder, pretty good, too !! A GREAT "Killing", accurate, Bullet for, the .338, tho !
After finding a "good" Load, practice, Field Positions Like, Kurtz said, but, I'd USE, a 6.5 Creed or .243, for that, LOL !
Now, I shoot , a .270 WSM ( Plenty, for Elk with, Berger 140 Classic's, going, 3,185 FPS ). I'm older and Wiser, now !
Sold that, wonderful, ole' .338, AND, my, "Flinch", is almost,.. gone ! LOL !
Last edited:
FWIW, in my 338-06 Ackley the Speer 200 Spitzers are almost identical to the 210 Partitions for load development purposes & much cheaper to shoot. The loads I worked with the 200s switched over to the 210s with minimal, & I do mean minimal, change. I think it was a 1/2 gr. heavier powder charge with the 210s & I could have left the BTO length where it was, but couldn't leave well enough alone getting maybe a slight improvement with about .010" change. Both bullets shoot around an inch or better, at very close to same POI, with a 5x scope & old eyes @100yds for 4 shot groups. As always, my stuff is different than your stuff so back off at least 5% & rework.
Practicing with a lighter recoiling rifle, even a 22 rimfire, will help you improve your position shooting. The body mechanics (except recoil & scope to the forehead when shooting uphill
) are the same.
Practicing with a lighter recoiling rifle, even a 22 rimfire, will help you improve your position shooting. The body mechanics (except recoil & scope to the forehead when shooting uphill
) are the same.I did try IMR 4831 in my first test loads. My gun got best accuracy using IMR 4350 so I have mostly stuck with that powder. The gun has a heavy barrel, big brake, and a mercury recoil reducer in the stock. Recoil is more of a long hard push than a sharp punch and isn’t really that bad. Gun is actually fun to shoot. I do have other lower recoil guns I shoot. Just finished a 22 Creedmoor and tested it yesterday also. It put 5 shots in a 5/8” group with my first test loads. Think I’m going to like that gun also. Here is a pic of my 338 Win.
Attachments
I have had excellent terminal results with 225gr hornday bullets. I have taken large bears, moose, and elk with them. I have recovered several bullets, they had great expansion and high retained weight.
I've been using 225 grain Barnes bullets since the late 1990s. I loaded the Xbullet originally and have transitioned to the TTSX version. I have killed Sitka Blacktails, Caribou, Goat, Moose, Black Bear and Brown Bears with them. They work. Most accurate load in five 338 WMs (Browning Abolt, Xbolt, Weatherby Vanguard, Rem 700 and Rem 700 with custom barrel) used a max load of IMR 4350 with bullet seated .050 (fifty thousandths) from the lands. (edit: actually 4 of 5 rifles...the first rifle shot best .020 from the lands and I never did test it .050 from the lands) Nothing else is really needed for North America. This cartridge and load will do it all. Of course, so will other manufacturer's bullets.
Last edited:
Thanks for that info. So far I am also getting the best patterns with IMR 4350. I almost always start my test loads at 0.020 back and adjust from there. Right now I have some 230gr ELD-X bullets loaded up 0.010” back and 210 Partitions loaded 0.020” back. I am getting around or just under 1 MOA with most test load so far which isn’t bad but always looking for better. I have tried 5 bullets so far but not the 225gr Barnes. I might keep my eye open for some of them just to try also. Thanks.
All those bullets should shoot well in the 10T barrel. The 230 ELDX shoots very well in mine. Not sure how much you've shot 300 yards and while it's not LR, it's not 100 yards if you've only shot 100 yards. Give the 300 yard shooting some time and get a shooting form locked down and your groups will shrink. If you've done it plenty and it is the rifle, you will find the right bullet for it if you keep looking.
I wouldn't worry about killing game with the 200gr sst if that ends up being most accurate bullet, I am a lifetime user of various 338s from many factory win mags to custom long barreled 33xc and haven't had anything survive a hit yet with any bullet out of them. A friend has great accuracy with 185gr Barnes in a factory win mag. While not a loooong range bullet should do fine at 400 yards or less on anything.
Right now I am leaning towards the 230 ELD-X just because I have plenty of them and it is shooting as well or better than any other bullet I have tried. So far this gun is shooting just over or a little under 1MOA. A lot of my shooting is at 100yds but I do stretch it out sometimes too. With my 300 WM I almost always get better groups at 300yds than 200yds. Zero most my guns at 200yds.
Upgrades & Donations
This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.