Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Deer load for .338 Win Mag

That's slightly under the combined bullet weights used on all 4 deer I've shot the past two years...grin...

+1 on that....I'd probably opt for the 225 gr: Not because deer are hard to kill but because you could use that as a deer/elk/bear load and be set for life, plus that bullet won't break the bank so you can practice all you want and know you'll get great expansion and penetration on just about any game animal. Although the op was asking for a 180-200 gr. bullet, that was the first bullet I thought of when he said "deer".....

How would you feel shooting 250's at them?

If I were to shoot a .338 Partition at a deer from my rifle, it probably would be a 250 since they shot much better than the 210.

The deer that I've shot with a .338 Win mag were taken while hunting elk, so I used my elk load. It is a 250-grain Partition at 2,700 fps. It just punched a hole in the deer, they toppled over, and there was no blood-shot meat.

If I had to choose one gun and one load for everything in North America, that would be it.

Poor rabbits.

I took my first Rabbit with a 338WM.

Dropped him clean

Speer 275gr RN over a charge of SR4759 for a velocity of ~1800fps.

Bughole groups @ 100yds, doesn't tear up meat but puts critters down. Sitka Blacktails died quickly with it.

Ed

What was left? The ears?

I hunted elk for several years with a 338 Win Mag loaded hot with 210 Partitions. Every few years I'd forget and use it on a deer.
Two words: Holy Crap.

One foot - Now he uses it for good luck

For a few years I hunted a ranch along a small river in central Montana, and often used my .338 with 200-grain Speer Hot-Cors and 60 grains of IMR4895. In the 22" barrel muzzle velocity was 2650 or so. The bullets left a 1" exit hole, and dropped deer quickly without much meat damage.

No doubt the 200 Hornady or 200-grain Ballistic Silvertip would work as well.

Good timing. Funny how this works....I was just about to load some.338W rounds and 200 gr. bullets for a friend who wants to use it on deer and I was debating what powder to use. Had pretty much settled on 4895.....Looks like 60 grains is the way to go. Thanks.

Sadly a long discontinued bullet by Speer... I miss that one!

My choice of bullet would be a 225 grain Hornady...more than needed, but if Elk or Bear opportunity pop up, I am set for those also..

Might a c&c (200 Hot Cor, 200 Interlock, 180 Ballistic Tip) actually be more effective than a Partition or Barnes, or other bonded on a deer? I know, dead is dead, just thinking they may open up better on such a small, light critter and create a bigger wound channel.

I think I saw that load in a GUNS magazine article of yours on the 338WinMag. I sent that issue home with Dad a few days ago. The 200's over RL15 or Varget are sounding more and more like the route we should take.

Happen to shoot any elk with a 200 Hot Cor (or similar) starting at 2650?

No, never did. No doubt it would work, though.

From what I have seen the 200 Hot-Cor is a little tender at close ranges with full-power .338 Winchester Magnum velocities of close to 3000 fps. But slowed down a little it works pretty well! Plus the recoil is more like a .30-06.

If I'd had those loads I probably wouldn't have sold my tang 77 .338 back in the early '90s. I miss that rifle.

As I stated before I use the 200g BT or Ballistic Silvertip but at 2900 - 2920 (ish)

They do a heck of a job, when I can find a deer.

They work on hogs too

Snake