Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 338 WM + 225's

What are your favorite powders? This rifle deserves a good load:

R19 and or H4350

Dober

Gracias. Tried I-4350?

225 TSX and rl22 shoots lights out with a starting load for light recoil and hits another node at the top end in my Kimber Montana.

also R17

Dober

Back when I had a 338WM, it really liked RL19 with 225gr Nosler PTs. It would also shoot 225gr Hornady SPs to the same POI. The 200gr Hornady is a great bullet to load light for range time. It works great on deer too.

The only issue with RL19 is that the max loads in the various books vary A LOT. IIRC, max loads are anywhere from 74.5gr to 78gr.

RH

IMR4831 has given the best results in mine.

I liked the Reloader 19 in my 338 Win. Mag. with 225gr Barnes. That was pre TSX though when they had the blue coating.

In about a dozen I've had the most accurate, consistent and highest velocity, was RL22, the downside being sesitivity to extreme cold. After that in descending preference, H4831, N160, RL19 and H4350.

From the Sierra 215 to the 230 FailSafe, for me, RL-22 is king with most any case and a Fed. 215 cap.

Where did you guys get load data for R-22, the only manual I see it in is Sierra, but I'm loading 225 Noslers and 210 TSXs.

Alliant and "old" Hodgdon.

Note the pressures listed in the Alliant manual, if it isn't riddled with Speer stuff by now and devoid of the RL-22 loads.

250's can be elevated to make the 340 Weatherby look silly with the same powder.

I should mention I find the WLRM to be hotter when temps are high with a thicker cup; the Fed. 215 is more friendly and less apt to surprise you when working up.

I don't have a hard copy, but their on-line stuff is riddled with Speer, no R-22 data at all listed for 225s, only for 250 Speers.

Lemme see what I can procure....

Maybe AussieGunwriter will chime in. I know he has a plethora of 338 data with pressures listed.

I had originally found the R22 load on the Alliant website, but they've since removed it. It was a great load that was fast and accurate. I ran a few of them through pressure trace and found that it was creating two pressure curves. The initial one was just under SAAMI specs, but the secondary pressure spike ran up into the 80,000 psi neighborhood. I don't use the load anymore.

IIRC, Brian Pierce had similar 338 loads lab tested; I got the velocities but way less on the powder charge in two 338's.

I always tested my loads as hot as I could get the gun and ambient temp..

I go back to Hercules data, then Alliant in their reloading guides. Nosler also has it.

I've never bothered to look at books after running the loads for over 20 years, and with a Pressure Trace about 10. The accuracy and maximums were always with 75g to 78g using Federal 210M's, the latter providing the better accuracy, lower SD in single digits, and the higher velocity by a few fps.

Re 19 or H4831sc for 225's and IMR 4350 for the 250's.

Where does Nosler have r-22 loads for 225s?

I use Rldr-22 in both my .270 Win. and .338 mag. The .338 load is 73 grs. and a 225 gr. NorthFork. That combo gives me 2800 and consistant grouping of around an inch. Don't need better than that for moose.
Bear in Fairbanks