Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 338 win mag with 225 nosler partion

After looking at a lot of different forums I believe the 338 win mag with 225 nosler partion is the best Elk round. True or false?

That combo worked great on my last spike(2009).However the range was only about 10 yards.

YEP!

It's not a true or false question. There is no best for everyone; some don't like the recoil of a 338.

............The best elk cartridge/bullet combo can best be determined by the hunting situation which in some cases are un-foreseen. Sometimes a 338 Win using a 225 gr NP will be the best elk round, while in other times that may not be true. The 338 Win imo, is one of the finest all around big game cartridges available.

But if I were for example ever faced with a 450-500 to 700 yard elk shot and couldn`t get closer, a 338 Win using the NP, would imo not be the best choice in "that particular" hunting situation. Instead and for that purpose, I`d much prefer a fast 7mm or a fast 30, preferably using heavier Berger hunting VLDs or another good (BC) high flying elk bullet. However, that doesn`t mean that I won`t be using my 338-378 Bee MK5 on a future elk hunt.

What is the best or ideal elk round and bullet, really depends on the circumstances of the hunt.

I prefer the 200 grain Nosler ballistic tips personally. If a guy feels the need for a premium, the 210 grain partitions work very well. Everyone has their own opinion and there really isn't any perfect bullet weight. It depends on what your rifle likes more than anything.

I like a bullet to open fast and cause a LOT of internal trauma, dropping the elk on the spot. That is what the ballistic tip does, then it exits with a major bleeder hole, if needed. The .338 isn't a fast round, so premiums sure aren't needed.

I cringe when guys show up packing .338's or ultra mags, because 99% of the time, they can't shoot them well at all. Most guys that recommend a certain cartridge or bullet weight for elk have never shot the round, let alone shot any elk with it, but they "read" or "heard" it was the perfect elk combo. In fact, everyone I know that has killed a lot of elk have dropped back down to less abusive rounds. Most shoot 7mm mags now or .300 Win mags. They all used to shoot .338's and .375's for elk.

Buy a lot of inexpensive ammo and become VERY proficient with your rifle in field conditions without flinching. There isn't a .338 load or bullet on the market that won't cleanly kill elk all the time, every time. Flinch

I'm with Flinch on this, I totally dote on the 200 NBT. Have used it on elk with my 338/06 and my 340 and it does an incredible job near or far. And, it's very decisive!!

Used to use the 225 Nozler out of my 340 but got my head around the 200 NBT and never went back.

Side note, I also like the 250 Sierra.

And like Flinch noted, the 338 isn't exactly a speed demon and will do very well with the 200's. And the 200 Horn has done well for us as well.

Dober

If a guy believed all this spit he reads on forums without his own experiences,the .243 would be King of the Elk Cartridges......

On one hand a few say the 243 is all you need yet chime in on the 338 being king of all.......

The net is a wonderful place to learn about hunting,isn't it........

Jayco

I don't know guys, I was reading over in the hunting section of RimFireCentral, and they swear those new 17HMR Partitions are realy working well...

They do..Put 'em in an eye ball or an ear and you have a dead Elk....


Jayco

Ok maybe everyone can not use a 338. I use a 300 wby and most elk are DRT at whatever the distance provided I hit the heart and lungs. My shots are under 200 yards mostly. I believe anything under the 24 caliber makes you under gunned. 30-06 is the middle of the road. Of course these are general statements. There are too many factors to look at such as, shooting ability, distance, bullet used, small cow or giant bull, and too many more factors to list.

That's the whole thing,DayPacker...There are a ton of calibers that "work" on Elk under certain circumstances, but few calibers work in "all" circumstances"

In following this and the 243 thread,one see's a couple saying the 243 is all you need then they say in a different thread, the 338 is the kats azz...

Do they have a 338 Mashburn? If they did it would rule net net with the "in" guys!!!!

Jayco

I'd replace the NP with a 225 Accubond with it's .550 b.c. Haven't noticed any difference in effectiveness.

....dammit...now I have to sell the .243 and the bow....grrrr! 3 of the last five elk I have killed with a bow tipped over in their tracks. Sure wish I had a .338 instead ;o) Flinch

The 225grain Nosler Partition is all I use. Had used the 250 in that brand, but went with the 225. A good compromise between the 210 and the 250. Nothing but Partitions for me for the last 20 years for elk. Tried my 300 WSM in the 180 grain Partition a couple years ago, and didn't like the performance of it compared to the 338 in the 225 bullet weight. As for the 243, yep it's a good starters gun for deer for women, but if you talked with any bullet manufacture it sure wouldn't be in the top ten. If I was really recoil sensitive I would go with the bigger calibers in a Browning BAR with a muzzle brake (which a good friend of mine uses in the 300Win Mag in the 200 grain Partition with great results). If your stuck with bolt action only, then a 270 win in a 160 grain Partition, 308 Winchester in the 180 grain Partition, and at the bottom a 7mm-08 in the 175 grain Partition or possible the 160 grain bullet. There have been allot of new bullets made, but the Nosler Partition still shines!

Were not all well endowed from the start...Everything comes with experience and a good teacher..New too needs to start out and learn just like we did without honking of horns...

Just a thought...


Jayco

There is no universal "best" elk round.

I've used the .338 quite a bit, using various bullets from 200 to 275 grains. My experience is that the 225 Partition doesn't significantly deeper than the 210 Partition--and the 200 Ballistic Tip penetrates almost as much as the 210.

Have said this before, but the longer I've used the .338 (since the late 80's) the more I've come to the conclusion that 200-210 grain bullets are most effective for most game. They shoot flatter, kick less and kill quicker than heavier bullets.

The bigger bullets might be better choices for really big game that weighs well over 1000 pounds. Then again, maybe not. I've taken both Alaskan moose and African eland with the .338 with heavier bullets, and could have killed either with a 210 Partition just as easily.

Just askin' here, but if a fellow was going to use the 200 grain bullets, would there be any advantage to using the .338 bullet over a .308 bullet of 200 grains?

Fred