Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 338 win mag?

sorry not to mention what ill be using it for. mostly the south and east texas dangerous game FERAL HOGS. im planning on elk and other bigger critters though. got my brass some 225 and 250 grainers and my dies in yesterday so ill start on load development tuesday or wed. im going to use ya'lls recomendations. thanks again

jorge,

Thanks for the tip on the 210 Federal primers. I'm messing with a muzzleloader right now for a Colorado elk hunt, but I promise you that I will try the 210s in the 338.

Don

With 200 gr I would use RL15..give up about 70 fps but greatly decreases recoil.

I suspect RL17 may be perfect but sold my 338's and got a 375

Jorge,

Just wondering why the 210 federal primers rather than the 215 primers? What was the difference?

LowBC

Guys, I don't know what the difference is other than the obvious, but all I can tell you is my groups shrank noticeably. On the other hand, I tried the same thing with my 375 H&H and 76gr of H-414 and the 210s gave me poorer accuracy and get this: pressure signs, go figure. jorge

You don't really meed magnum powders until you are well into the 70 grains of powder consumption. The .338 will work fine with standard primers. If you hunt in very cold temperatures, you may feel more confortable with a hotter primer but the emphasis will be on "feel" rather than "need".

JW

80 grains is the threshold for me. For a long time Alliant, and Hercules before them, didn't recommend magnum primers for their powders unless they specified it. They only specified for cartridges holding more than 80g of powder. If anyone still has their old reloading manuals, see Footnote #3.

The explanation I have heard and read as to why standard primers can be better than magnums, is that the greater brisance of the magnums "fractures" the kernels of the charge rather than igniting them. I've done quite a bit of testing with the two in 338 Win Mag with RL22. Not only did I get better accuracy but slightly better velocity, probably with an insufficient test sample to state conclusively, but both the ES and SD were much better using 210M's versus 215M's.

Bob,

For many reasons, if I could load my .338 with RL-22 I'd be happy. I've been advised against it here directly and in other's threads. You've got me curious, I've seen it posted enough now where i've got to give it a whirl.

I'll post my result and hopefully soon.

David

Carolina Shooter,

Curious as to why you've been advised against R22. I know many prefer the R19, but I'm struggling to come up with a reason a .338 WOULDN'T shoot the R22 as well.

I've got both on hand and I'll be trying both as soon as the .338 SKane sent me arrives, but the loads Scott tried with R22 sure were impressive.

The ONLY reason I'm even going to try a few loads with R19, is that my .270 loves that powder and I've got a bunch on hand already

Dave

I use 71.5g of IMR 4350, Fed 215 Primers, W-W cases, and 225g Nosler Partitions in mine. Book velocity is 2882 fps, and it clocks right at 2850 fps in my 24" M70.

R22 seems to be the powder for my .338. I've found that 76 grains works well for me in everything from 200 to 225 grain bullets. A slight reduction from that also works well with 250 gr. loads.

Jim

I too don't know why anyone would recommend against it. I've owned and loaded for about a dozen of them. Without exception it was THE powder and still the one for best velocity and accuracy, in all cases slightly better than RL19. It is closer to 100% density than RL19 behind either 225's or 250's, with between 76g to 78g behind 225's and between 73g to 75g for 250's. The only knock against it I can see is its sensitivity to extreme cold where I've chronographed it at over 200 fps less than in my very mild (read WARM,) temperatures where the loads were developed. My use was always late Fall in Montana and Wyoming. H4831 was the best substitute I could find with its temperature tolerance, and almost as good with the other factors. I wasn't happy with results in the couple of tries I made with the Ramshot line of temp tolerant powders. I used 210M primers also with the other propellants with better results than with magnums.

I'm running 73 grains of RL19 under a 225 grain accubond, federal 215 primers and WW brass. In 2 of my last 3 .338s, that's been my most accurate load. In the other one, it was 73.5. Got a buddy with a .338. His likes 74 grains best.

I think I see a pattern. I think a person with a new .338 would be wise to run a series of loads from about 72 up to 74 by half grain increments with those primers, powder, and bullet before bothering with anything else. Might be you'd save a ton of load workup.

My 2nd most favorite powder, especially with 210 grain bullets and lighter, is H4350.

well i got to the range on tuesday afternoon and tried the .338 for the fist time. loads were 5 at 70 grains and 5 at 72 grains of rel 19 w-w brass and fed 215's. bullets were hornady 250 gr round nose seated to the cant.

fist five at 70 grains averaged 2560 with a diviation of 26 group size was 3/4 of an inch

second five at 72 grains averaged 2620 with a div. of 15 group size was .398"

needless to say i was impressed. im going to rerun the 72 grain load again on my next day off to check repeatability for the 250's

then ill be on to try the 225's in hopes that load development will go just as smoothly. thanks again

Nice shooting Muzzleblast.

The 338wm just seems to be one of those cartridges that is inherently accurate. I hear very few stories of 338wm's that don't shoot. Amazing cartridge that by today's standards is more closely aligned to a non-magnum status given its mild velocities...perhaps there's something to be said for that.

LowBC