Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 338-06 with 210 partitions. Which powder?

I’ve decided to shoot the 210 partition in my incoming rifle. I’ve acquired headstamp brass and bullets, and now pondering powder choices. It needs to be temp stable. What y’all recommend in a powder that is readily available.

RL-15.

RL-15 is not particularly temp-stable--or wouldn't be in the wide range of possible temperatures in Alberta where laker1 lives. I have proven this during my own temp-testing of various powders here in Montana, which borders Alberta. It loses considerable velocity in real cold, which I define as anything from zero Fahrenheit and below. RL-15 also gains considerable velocity in real heat, say above 85 degrees F. Either tends to affect POI considerably. In fact, this is why the new Reloder 15.5 was developed.

My suggestion would instead be H4350 or Ramshot Big Game--if he can get the Ramshot powders in Alberta. Both have proven to to be very temp-stable in my tests, which are actually done outdoors, in ambient temperatures--NOT by just cooling or heating the ammunition.

Might also mention that there's an entire chapter on this subject in my Big Book of Gun Gack II, which includes tests for a number of cartridges made in ambient temperatures, not just by heating or cooling the ammo. It can be ordered from www.riflesandrecipes.com.

MD, thanks for the correction. I have good results with the RL-15, but you're right, I don't have the temp swings around here that laker1 does.

Varget or RL-15.5 for temp stability

Heeler,

I kinda suspected that! Have been to Missouri a number of times, including winter--and it ain't like Alberta (or Montana).

In general, my tests have found that most smokeless rifle powders are pretty stable from the 20s to around 80 Fahrenheit. But beyond those parameters things start changing....

If you can get H4350 try that. Worked very well year round in my friends 338-06 with 210 Partitions.

I have a nice for sale in the classified. With the 210's and 215's it liked I4064, I4320 and VV 140
So VV 140 would be my choice.
Varget would be another to try

No doubt about that on the cold!!! We might get down to single digits for a couple of weeks, but that's about it.

I used a Win. case and WLRM primer with this load.

I'm in the same load development with the 210gr Partitions. So far I've tested for velocity with Reloder 15, H380, Win StaBall6.5, and H4350. So far only H4350 was the only powder to break 2700fps.

I've only tested for accuracy with H4350 and at 62gr it produced a 4 shot group that was .878 inch.

Anyone have any data using Ramshot BigGame? It's not listed under 338-06 in the Western powder manual

I can live with that.

Unfortunately I never got to use BigGame in my .338-06. Never could find the stuff. Now that I don't shoot the .338-06 anymore, I have about 10lbs of the stuff.

RL-15 generally launched the 210's around 2690fps for me out of a 22" barrel. H-4350 worked well too, but I didn't work with it much after I found my RL-15 loads.

Not sure if this will help and sorry if a bit off topic, but I've broke 2700 fps with 225 accubonds and H4350, MOA too. I would suggest getting those if you can find them. I sold all my 210 Partitions when I couldn't get the velocity I wanted. I do have a couple of boxes of 210 TTSXs. I've gotten some great velocities with 760, but accuracy wasn't there. I think I could tune it in though if I played around a bit.

My 338-06 was a Remington 700 Long Range 30-06 rebored by JES.It is one of the best shooting rifles I own.I really like the 200gr bullets,both the Silver Ballistic Tips and Accubond.My rifle shoots them both same POI.It's accurate with several loads.I have found it shoots well with so many powders,but I keep going back to Big Game because it always groups so well with it.I've had good luck with powders from Varget to the 4350 range in this cartridge.I use the WLRM Primer and resized Winchester 30-06 once fired cases necked up on all of them.The 210gr Partitions are a bit different than the 200gr Ballistic Tips or Accubonds.I use about 2-3grs less powder with the 210gr than what I use with the 200gr.I don't think it has as much to do with the extra 10grs as it does the flat base and the difference in bullet bearing surface.Here is my load data.
180gr Accubond 58.0grs Varget 3010fps
180gr Accubond 60.0grs Big Game 2940fps
200gr Accubond 60.0grs 760 2790fps
200gr Accubond 62.0grs H4350 2740fps
200gr Accubond 63.0grs Hunter 2730fps
200gr Accubond 59.5grs BLC-2 2830fps
200gr Accubond 56.0grs Varget 2849fps
210gr Partition 54.0grs Varget 2721fps
200gr Accubond 59.0grs CFE223 2807fps
200gr Accubond 59.0grs Big Game 2812fps
200gr Accubond 61.0grs Accurate 4350 2661fps
210gr Partition 59.0grs Accurate 4350 2777fps

I would try Varget or Big Game powder. The Hodgdon website indicates top velocities with H4350 but when I tried it with 210 partitions my ES was about 75 FPS and poor accuracy in my 338 06 AI. Varget has worked for me but I'm considering giving BG a try in this gun.

I prefer Varget, after having tried most of the powders for the 338-06.