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

Personally I don't care for the 200 or 210 grain bullet in a 338. Poor sectional density and poor ballistic coefficient. The 200 grain Nosler Partition in the .308 caliber is a stream line deep penetrating slug. In a 30 caliber magnum class rifle it is a hell of an elk round, in close or far away! Off subject but look at the statistics on this target bullet from Sierra granted it is a 240 grain .308 caliber BTHP for 1000 yard plus shooting, but it is impressive in a 30-378 Weatherby with a custom 30 inch barrel!
# Sectional Density: 0.361
# Ballistic Coefficient: 0.771

As I noted above, there is no universal �best� elk cartridge. That said, I thought I would add that I have a .338 Win Mag being assembled from parts � a Ruger �boat paddle� semi-skeletonized stock, a stainless MKII action and a factory 22� barrel with iron sights that has been fluted. I also have a Ruger laminate stock for it. It should be ready in late May and I plan to hunt elk with it this fall.

The load I intend to use is a 225g AccuBond with a claimed BC of .550. Using MPBR zeros for a target 6� in diameter and comparing to the 2882fps stated in Nosler�s �Reloading Guide 6�, I have been unable to find any load that shoots significantly flatter. In fact, the �flattest� load I can find is from Hornady�s 8th Edition, a 3000fps 200g SST with a claimed BC of .455. While it is 1-1/4� flatter at 500-600 yards when using a MPBR zero for a 6� target, it falls behind at 700 yards. Moreover, the lighter Hornady 200g SST load loses the velocity race inside 350 yards, at which range the 225g AccuBond delivers an extra 300fpe.

Granted, there is a slight price to pay in recoil � with an 8.3 pound rifle and scope combination the 225g AccuBond load has a calculated 37.0 foot-pounds of recoil versus 35.3 foot-pounds for the lighter 200g SST load. Don�t think I can get too excited about that...

All the above calculations are just that � calculations. With a little luck, this fall I�ll get to see just how well the 225g AccuBonds perform.

Best? I doubt it's the "best"......but it's a good one,no doubt.There are others just as "good".

Like others on here,I don't think there's a "best".

Just thinking out loud here, but if most of my shots were under 200 yards, I'd have a handy little .308 win. But that's just me.

There is one gun which comes up in every discussion of elk calibers that I have seen. Hope I get this right... The best elk gun and caliber is the one you have in your hand standing over the elk pulling out your cleaning tools.

Someone just about always ends up saying this.

For me it was the .338 winmag using 225 gr nosler partitions.

I do get a kick out of some of the famous old time Elk hunters like Jack Atcheson Jr and there sayings on Elk cartridges....

Jack says that other calibers put 'em down but the .338 Win Mag numbs them...And he has shot more than a few...

Gotta love it.

Jayco

My last elk was a cow, knocked over with a 300 wby mag 180 grain nolser ballistic tip.

I wonder how many elk have been killed with a leveraction rifle in 32-20 or even a savage 99.

Friends of mine out there used to kill them with 30-30 lever actions when they were kids. They all pack 300 ultra mags today.

...now you have gone and opened a can of worms. We all know ballistic tips don't kill elk, they blow up on the hide. I know, I have killed a dozen or so with ballistic tips, but don't tell anyone. ;D

Jon, sectional density is a stupid number to base anything off of. You can have a long bullet with great sectional density, but it blows apart on impact. Yup, good thing it had good sectional density.

The reason your heavy partitions don't kill so well, is because they don't disrupt tissue like the lighter bullets. ie; they don't expand well due to low velocity. They simply plow through. But, I am sure in all your infinite experience, you know this ;o) Flinch

....................Whew! Glad I`m in the 1% minority!

x2! That's a big 1%. I know a whole bunch that can shoot .338's and ultras well. Conversely, I know of a whole bunch more that can't shoot any damn gun well be it an '06, .30-30, .270, .22lr, .22short, you get the picture.

Two guys at the range Saturday had some of the worst cases of magnum eyebrow I have ever seen. Both their noses were swollen up with a MAJOR cut right between their eyes. Blood streaming down their faces. They are good for their 600+ yard elk depredation hunt next weekend with their .338's and ultras. They had 14" groups at 100 yards, but are "sited in and good to go."

I watch 50 guys a day try and shoot the big mags. right before elk season. Seldom is there one of them that can even put a bullet in the 14" black circle at 200 yards off a rest. These are the guys that actually "site in" their rifles before the hunts. Kind of funny, but oh well. Yet they all brag about their 1/2" shooting rifles. Flinch

I'd consider moving for safety reasons.

Your range sounds scary. I would find a different one.

janesvillejohn,

Actually, the 200-grain Ballistic Tip and AccuBond have better BC's than listed by Nosler--and even the Nosler guys have admitted that to me.

In actual field-testing, the 200-grain .338 BT shoots just about as flat as the 200-grain .30 Partition, with both started at the same muzzle velocity. I know this because I have done it.

I have also killed a number of big game animals of various species with both bullets. In fact have taken elk with the .30-06, .300 Winchester and .300 Weatherby with the 200 Partition. There is a noticeable difference between how the two bullets kill, and it's in favor of the 200 .338 Ballistic Tip.

Just curious: How many animals have you shot with various 200-210 grain .338 bullets to come to your conclusion?

John, have you tested the 200 and 225 NAB head to head? How much b.c. do you feel the 200 is giving up?

I haven't tested those two bullets head-to-head. In fact the idea has never occurred to me.

Just curious about your thoughts on the b.c. being higher than the published .414. I haven't given them too much experimentation due to the b.c. but may in the future. On a similar note, the b.c. of the 185ttsx seems higher than what Barnes has pegged it at. Any experience with that one?

I've never been able to get any of the really light .338 TSX bullets to shoot very well in the .338 Winchester, so dunno. They always seemed like more of an option for the .338 Federal than anything else.

A lot of the BC's published by various bullet manufacturers (especially hunting bullets) are computer-generated rather than from actual testing, and tend to vary due to different rifles, velocities and conditions anyway.

I tried the 200 grain Nosler BT in my 338...and I didnt care for them. I thought penetration was poor at best and they didnt kill animals faster or better than my 250 grain partitions.

I got hung up on all the ballistic tip craze as well as going light for caliber...1994 was the year. I had to try them.

I shot a dall sheep, black bear, bull moose, a bull elk, 2 doe deer, and a whitetail buck with them that year.

I recovered 3 bullets from the above animals. Black bear broad side shot broke a rib on entry and exit side...bullet under the hide. The moose broadside shot it through the top of the shoulders, bullet between off shoulder and body cavity. Shot the bull elk broadside first shot, bullet exited. Bull ran maybe 50 yards and I shot it through the neck the second time, breaking the neck. Found the bullet under the skin on the off-side of the neck.

It worked good on the sheep and deer...but nothing to brag about and I could have had the same results with just about any other caliber from 243-338 and just about any bullet. Nothing special and IMO severely lacked the penetration abilities of the 250's.

A few of the BT victims from 1994, at least I gave them an honest try:

JB, Curious how many elk you have killed with a 200 grain bullets? 225 grain bullets and 250s in the 338 win mag?

Good post Finch. I personally have no time for SD in any bullet evaluation. Anyone who thinks a 275gn Speer .338 bullet will out penetrate a 150gn .308 TSX has a lot to learn, and if I am wrong, it will only be a couple of bits of the Speer that limp along that far, not the entire bullet.

John

It's a public range and the marshals are all old guys that don't offer much help or direction. It is a safe range and nobody can keep people from wacking their eyebrow, due to being stupid. It happens on all ranges. It is a nice 300 yard range nestled between two mountains with a creek running through it. It is only a couple of miles from my house, so I'm not going to move because of morons that can't shoot.

I have a Sportsmans Warehouse, Cabellas and several other big gun stores nearby. Most have young guys, or older guys that don't hunt working the gun counter. EVERY time I am in these stores, the counter help tells the potential buyer that they need a .338 or one of the Ultramags for the numerous elk here. Everything else will bounce off. I just overheard a customer wanting a .30-06 to hunt deer and elk with. The counter guy said, "I would never hunt elk with a .30-06. It just isn't big enough and drops like a rock past 200 yards. You need an ultra mag."

All the wannabees read crap on the internet about needing wonder magnums for elk, then get reassured by the inexperienced counter help that they need these super magnums as well.

The used shelves are FULL of used wonder magnums. Most have eyebrow hair or a blood smear on the scope. I would say that about half the big rifles have some kind of a half azzed brake on them. So they went from hard recoil, had them braked, then sold them because they were too loud...lol. Flinch

Never have killed any elk myself with 250's. Have killed a handful with 200, 210 and 225-grain bullets.

But one thing I learned long ago that it's much easier to gain considerable experience with bullets by giving them out to other hunters, and to go along any chance I get with other hunters. I distributed some 200 Ballistic Tips among local friends when they first came out, but only after I'd done some penetration tests and used them myself on enough game to know that they'd penetrate sufficiently. And I only gave them to people I knew would make precise evaluations of performance, not just say, "Yeah, it worked good."

I've also used the .338 on other large North American game considerably, including musk ox and Alaskan moose, and in Africa even more, where I also observed other people using it a lot. My experience is that African game of about the same size as elk (especially gemsbok, blue wildebeest and zebra) is a very similar bullet "test." The data gathered was considerable, encompassing dozens of animals and a wide variety of bullets from 200 to 275 grains, though probably the most-used bullet weight was 225 grains.

My overall observation is that on both elk and other elk-sized animals, in general 200-210 grain bullets kill at least as well or better than heavier bullets from the .338, and are easier to hit with because they recoil less.

They also penetrate plenty, except possibly on rear-end shots. I've only shot one animal up the rear with a .338, a blue wildebeest that was already wounded. It worked, but took a while, despite the 250 Nosler Partition ending up in the front of the chest.

The 200 Ballistic Tip has always penetrated plenty. Some people object when any bullet is found in an animal, but my experience is that the 200 BT either exits or ends up under the skin on the far side of the animal, after doing a lot of damage. The most penetration I've seen was on a bull gemsbok of around 450 pounds, shot quartering toward me at about 150-175 yards. The bullet broke the shoulder and the spine (the spine drops down between the shoulders on a gemsbok) and ended up under the hide on the rump on the far side, at least 3-1/2 feet of penetration, some of it through heavy bone. That is one of the few I've recovered, and I've seen the 225-grain Nosler Partition and AccuBond recovered just as often on the same size animals.

Oh, and all the friends I gave 200 Ballistic Tips to 20 years ago reported fine results on elk. My most trusted friend shot a big cow at 300 yards. The bullet got part of one shoulder and the bottom of the spine, and exited.

I should also point out, however, that I've shot more elk with .30 calibers than any other bore size, the cartridges ranging from the .30-06 up to the .300 Weatherby, including my three biggest bulls. None have gone more than 25 yards, and my biggest bull went only 20 feet after being shot with a 180-grain bullet at 250 yards--from a .30-06. So I'm also a natural skeptic when people start proclaiming something "the best" on any kind of game, partly from having seen so much game shot with various cartridges and bullets.

With the .338 and elk part of my skepticism comes from a survey on the Campfire several years ago--after yet another post proclaiming the greatness of the .338. Turned out he had shot one elk with the .338.

So I asked everybody else to post their experience with the .338. It turned out that very few had taken more than a dozen animals with the cartridge, and the average was between 4 and 5. In my experience, a dozen animals is a start on learning what a cartridge will do, but several dozen is a much better number. Four or five doesn't tell us much at all.

I guess a measly 17 elk, 14 deer, mountain goat, moose, black bear, and sheep with a 338 isnt enough to form an opinion.

However, other than 1994, I've shot 250 gr. partitions exclusively and they performed much better than 200 BT's, no question and no debate about it.

I don't know why you seem to be getting upset. You have plenty of experience and you have a firm opinion. I have a different opinion, and so have several other people who've posted on this thread, who also have a lot of experience with the .338.

I'm always interested in input, and would be very grateful to to know in what ways the 250 Partition performed better. Reading your description of the animals taken makes it sound like none went over than 50 yards after being hit.

I guess I sit in the outer here having generally settled on Sierra's 215grain gameking. It's cheaper than the noslers, not as funky and given I shoot most of my stuff inside 250 yards the BC is not super critical.

Does this make me old school...

Anybody ever blast a big bodied animal with a 225 Accubond out of a 338 Rum, at under 200 yards? Seems like it's got a ton of energy. I'm don't think I should be concerned about zooking the 'bond?

BTW, I'm a 1%'r too.

I like the 225-gn Accubond a bunch from my .338. It's accurate as hell, has a very good BC which largely irons out any trajectory advantages that lighter/faster bullets might otherwise have, and the few times I've seen it work on elk, it was perfect- elk that were essentially DRT with an exit wound. I guess my other experiences with Accubonds factor in too, as I've only seen them work about exactly how I like to see bullets work.

Flinch I think you are overstating your case against .338's just a "bit". It's a very shootable cartridge and many guys can and do shoot it well. I do.

bigsqueeze I'm still laughing. Man that is a good one. Whew! Glad I'm in the 1% minority! Love it!

There is no best caliber or bullet for elk/moose. Dozens of calibers and bullets make this job perfectly if you hit on right place from right distance.
Do not have experience with 338. Was once close to buy for Africa but end up with 9,3x64 brenneke (293gr bullet). Familiar also with blood on eyebrow (twice) using high recoil guns. Main reason for that is too close scoop and wrong body position. Using 9,3x64 caliber for Africa hunting and reason is simple. If you pay 500$ or more for trophy there is no room for mistake and big caliber give some advantage. But to be honest largest Kudu bull take down with 30-06 Norsler AccuBond from 100yrs and it drop down same place where I hit it...
Newer used 9,3x64 caliber for moose/elk as in my opinion too large. Twice used for wild boar. They drop down is same place and both time damage was huge...
Therefore my favorite for moose/elk hunting is 30-06 Balzer93, bullet 185-200gr Lapua Mega as reasonable caliber and mild recoil. Have also 308 and 7x57 and also this calibers work well. Important is how gun suits in your hand and how familiar you are with that...

Every man like gun and caliber what they have...

Haven't from an Ultra but I've shot quite a few 300+lb pigs within 10 yards without so called bullet failure. MV was around 2885. Recovered one bullet after a Texas Heart Shot. Bullet was resting next to the pig's jawbone that showed textbook expansion.

I did a survey at an SCI SHOT show once and the .338 handloaded with 250gn Nosler was far and away the most preferred combo with international hunters. What was interesting was hunters are similar to benchrest shooters, in that if they hear of a combo that works, they tend to follow that line.

The downside, or enlightening side, is that these same people who settle on a combo exclusively, tend not to experiment and are seldom open to other options.

As an example, one member was a bear hunter. didn't matter what kind of bear, if he was hunting overseas, he was hunting bear. His combo was a .338 handloaded with 230gn Failsafe's. He was happy with that.

Regarding the .338 for general use, no-one likes recoil and the fact is that "everyone" will shoot better and more confidently if the recoil is reduced as much as possible. One way it can be done is with lighter bullets. Because of the demands of mondern hunters, bullets have improved to the point where they are trustworthy, particularly in .338 caliber.

I know I handloaded some 200gn Nosler BT's for a hunter going after Reds and he reported excessive bullet blow up. but that was around 20 years ago and modern BT's are not the same bullet, just as the bad experiences from the mid 80's with Bt's when first introduced, are no longer representative of what is available today.

The .338 with any Nosler Partition is a good elk combo for any hunter who can handle it. Fact is, it is adequate for any non dangerous game on the planet, no point picking out a single species.

John

Your RUM only gets 2885 FPS with the 225 AB?

Define "best". In my 338 Win I use 225 TSX bullets in my 338 Lapua I use 300 grain SMK, but it is for long range shots not normal hunting ranges. I normal hunting ranges the TSX bullets do what I want done and put everything that I have shot or seen shot on the ground pronto

No, I said I haven't with an RUM. Those were WM velocities.

My bad.......

Regarding the bloody eyebrow: I've never gotten one though I did get hit on the brow firing a ZKK 602 my dad used to have when I crawled the stock. However, as the facts bore out, the reason was poor stock fit.

I'm looking forward to the 375 Redneck is putting together for me with Charley Santoni. At normal hunting ranges it'll do what the 338 will do. and no I don't labor under the misapprehension I need it. on the contrary, i just want it. just so happens I expect it'll be more than up to the task for this fall's moose hunt. as I imagine would the 338.

Thanks for the reply John.
Havent killed a dozen elk with the 338 yet, so I guess I have a few more to go before I realize what a fine elk round it is. Back to the original question I ask. How many ELK have YOU shot with a 338 win mag with all bullet weights?

If I recall correctly, four, all with 200-225's.

This might be the dumbest question I've ever seen posted on the fire. A true or false question about an excellent bullet in a well known elk killer? Did you not have anything more stimulating to do when you wrote this little snippet of genius? What's next - "the best fruit chewy candy is starburst, not skittles, true or false...."

The best elk cartridge is whatever you like to use that kills an elk - I could give a rats ass whether you use anything from .243 up to .500 nitro express. Dead is dead, there is no "better dead".

FWIW, I prefer skittles.

I will take both.

One thing I have noticed about a 338 win is the elk usually die closer to the truck. Now if I could find a caliber/bullet which would drop them in the back of my truck it would be great.

The way I see it there is some great information here about the 338 win and a few other calibers as well.

Nah, your not "old school". Most of the guys here in my area still use the 250 gr. sierra gamekings becasue we know they work . They are accurate as hell, hit with authority, enter and exit (although last years bull the core exited and the jacket was found on the off side up against the hide). Use what works and don't worry about what others say . I also like them because I can keep in cheap practice with them too at around $20.00/50 that's not too bad. Also they make my Ruger M77 shoot groups like this:

None in the 210 grain Partition, because no matter what I just couldn't get them to group like the 250 (which grouped the best), followed by the 225 grain partition. I never had problems with the partitions, as far as failing to expand. Now I had the front shear off, but the rear was intact. On heavy game animals, I just don't like the idea of fragmenting, lighter bullets. The Balistic tip definitely is more aerodynamic than the Partition, but what if you hit bone with the Ballistic tip. That's what would bother me. I'm sure the Ballistic tip makes spectacular kills if no heavy bone is hit. I just like the idea of full penetration, if you have to track your game. At least you have a good blood trail.

Off the subject a bit, but a friend of mine has been to Africa several times and shot 3 cape buffalo. He was using a 416 Rigby, with solids. He also has taken an elephant. These light fragmenting bullets hold no water in there argument when it comes to thick hided dangerous game like cape buffalo. The 243 lovers will never get that point, but it is pointless to try and convince them otherwise. I personally have never been to Africa, but I will take the word of my friend and his hunting partners who have.

Does anybody here use the Ruger 338 RCM in their compact 20 inch barreled rifle? How is the performance compared to a 338 win with a 24 inch barrel?

Well, that first group isn't too bad but you clearly missed the bullseye. Typical Ruger...

The second group is even worse.

I would like to help my friend load up his newly inherited 338-06. Any advice on this? I would think the 200-210's would be ideal. My buddy just sent me a picture of a 12" 3 shot group w/ a 338 RUM. It was also about 4" left of center. I would still put him in the 1% though as it was shot a a range of 1760 yards. We all shoot 300 grain SMK's or VLD's in our 338's.

There is a nice piece of information on the .338-06 using a 210 Nosler Partition bullet at the time in Nosler's newest reloading book #6 on page 468 by Steve Timm.

Also a good piece in an older manual back in the early 1970's that Nosler printed up too! The .338-06 can do anything that the .338 Win mag can do out to 250 yards or so and do it with authority. I'll be using this caliber in a lightweight model 70 come next fall.

Why would the 338-06 be limited to 250 yards?

Well the hardest part of shooting and elk or a moose, is finding one to shoot. After that you pretty much can turn them in to steaks, Roast, chops and stew with just about any reasonable bullet and launcher. The other hard part in this Equation is being able to shoot in the first place. I you can't put a bullet in the right spot under field conditions, when you are either cold, wet, hot or just plain tired, it don't matter a wit. Sure the 225 gr Nosler Partition is a great one out of a 338 Winchester or 340 Weatherby or 330 Dakota, but then again so is a 180 gr Nosler out of a 30-06, so what is the point to this?

Tonk -

With a 225g AccuBond, (BC .550), I wouldn't have any heartburn stretching that out to 450 or even 500, at which range is has about the same velocity and considerably more energy than my .30-30 has with 170's at 100 yards.

Good luck this fall.

I've used the 210 NP with great success on elk and black bears. I've used a 225 Hornady Interbond most recently. Very accurate in my rifle and held together well a couple of Springs ago on a very large and close (75 yards) Vancouver Island blackbear. Broke the off shoulder and kept going leaving a softball sized hole in the off side hide. My experience tells me that a Nosler Accubond would perform similarly.

That 210 NPT is one of those bullets that kind of defies logic. I prefer the the 225 Accubond for it's far superior flight ballistics but I'm always pleasantly surprised by the consistant love for that 210 Noz. It gets a good writeup in the Noz manual, too.

Flight ballistics mean d!ck at the ranges most critters are shot. For example I used the 210 PT on 3 pronghorn over 2 days that totaled less than 300 yds for all.

Yeah, true enough. In fact, most if not ALL of the stuff we fret about means dick at the ranges most game is shot!

With that being said, the 225 NAB is one of those bullets that stands out, to me, as being pretty clearly "best"- for my purposes. Not much to fault.

I think there's many excellent cartridges & bullets; not a lot of separation between "best" and the other top 5 or 10.... though around here, it doesn't take much separation to fire up a pizzin' match!

after 8 pages here, can anyone really think of a 338 Bore bullet that IS NOT GOOD for elk hunting??

I can't...

Lack of field experience, that's how...

I can agree for the most part, which means we should spend less time/money on that stuff and more on tags and trips! The $$ to rebarrel you Kimber would probably have covered a whitetail hunt in ID. I bet it turns out pretty cool though...

Ahh, nothing quite like ballistic gak! I've been using the 210 Nosler Partition for years in my 338 Win Mag, on everything from 8' Grizzlies to Idaho Whitetails. Fortunately none of them have read the "ballistic gak", they just fall over and die! The only one that required a second shot was a Whitetail that I shot as he was streaking across a river bottom. The second one tipped him right over. It's the perfect match for the 338 Win Mag and I don't even try other bullets anymore. I'm sure they'd work, but the 210's are a proven killer for me. I carried some 185 TSX's last year, but shot my deer with the 210.

I dropped a 20" black bear with the 210xlc out of my 338 Rum going 3150 at the muzzle. It was damn impressive how fast that bear hit the ground.

The gal at the sporting goods store gave me a box of the Federal 225 Accubonds for the 338 Rum. I decided to pick up a second box too. They shot moa in my rifle, and had the same poi at 100 as the 210xlc! The federal box says they have a muzzle velocity of 3020 and still pack 4045 ft-lbs of energy at 100yds.. Looking forward to pounding a few bears with the 225 accubond!

Being able to shoot a 160 grain bullet all the way up to a 300 grain bullet is where the 338 really shines. The is not another caliber that can do this.

Actually, in the 375 H&H one can shoot 220 gr Hornady flat nose bullets as well as 380 gr rhinos from SA.

160-300=140 grain spread
220-380=160 grain spread

Cool learn something everyday.

"A friend of mine has been to Africa several times and shot 3 cape buffalo. He was using a 416 Rigby, with solids. He also has taken an elephant. These light fragmenting bullets hold no water in there argument when it comes to thick hided dangerous game like cape buffalo."

Yeah, let's compare a 200 grain ballistic tip to a .416 solid for African African DG. Yup, another moronic statement from an arm chair hunter. Let's compare a Volkswagon bug to a Armored personal carrier. I know the difference is hard for you to comprehend.

So let me get this straight Jony, you have been hunting with the .338 for 20+ years and you have a hand full of elk to your name. Keep hunting those roads, one is bound to run across in front of you. Flinch

Pesky varmint rifle shooters. Darn, almost as irritating as mosquitoes.

I'll stick with the recommendations from the bullet manufactures, thank you.

Flinch your friend make wise decision to choice solid. Otherwise he should have fast legs to run...as buffalo and elephant is normally shot from 50-60 yrds...lol

Wasn't my friend that used the solids. I was quoting Jon's moronic comparison statement. Flinch

Hey Flinch, when are you going hunting for the big coastal Browns in Alaska with your 243?

I could see ole Flinch running like hell after he shot a buffalo with his 243. Poor ole Flinch just isn't in to making wise statements.

Who ever mentioned coastal Browns or Cape Buffalo with a .243 in this thread? I think you're the only one...

Deer and elk are NOT Brown bear and Cape Buff...

Sooner or later these kind of threads turn into crap and everyone looses interest. I want to thank everyone whom responded, there is a lot great info here and a ton of experience to back it up.

When have you actually hunted anything other than your wiener hiding under your fat gut? Flinch

JWP-475, I suppose if you look at the energy that compares the .338/06 to the .338 Win mag, the win mag is just a 125 yards better when looking at the energy developed. I realize anything I ever shot was never killed by frigging energy but I would still say the .338-06 is a 250 to 300 yard bull elk caliber. The .338 win mag you can reach out further is all and still penetrate plenty into the body of that bull elk. Most guys I know would not shoot over 300 yards on an elk for fear of missing the critter, us older hunters don't see as well anymore. Nonetheless there's an old boy who works for Nosler Bullets that never had any problems knocking down the grizzly that wanted to eat him that day, guys name is "CHUB"

It is insinuated by Flinch that caliber means nothing, just shot placement. Yes I know no one mentioned Brown bear or Cape Buffalo, I was just being sarcastic.

Oh Flincher, you have to come up with a better one than that. I was probably hunting before you were a thought in your daddy's sack. When you get over you flinch, you maybe able to handle a man's caliber.

Not directly, but everything you ever killed relied on energy transferred from the bullet to do the damage that resulted in the death of the animal. A bullet can�t transfer energy it doesn�t have and the velocity of the bullet has a major bearing on the speed of the energy transfer. (As do other factors like the bullet�s design, etc.)

Coyote Hunter, I don't plan on going back to school to take a class in Physics or any other subject but I know for a fact what my rifles can do in various calibers with the proper bullets I choose to use in them.

However, in my eyes the bullet does the killing and I'll keep it simple as that because I don't wish to get into some long drawn out battle of what is or what isn't on this forum. Some people around here act as tuff as nails anyway and I sure don't want to get on their bad side. Hell they might want to look me up or knock on my door for satisfaction over something that doesn't amount to squat and I sure don't what that to happen. High velocity with small bullet or Low velocity with a big bullet, it is all the same to me in the end...cause Dead is just that DEAD!!!

Tonk �

I�ve seen posts where such is threatened. People that make them are dumber than bricks. If you make it to Denver I�ll buy the beer.

Tonk �

I�ve seen posts where such is threatened. People that make them are dumber than bricks. If you make it to Denver I�ll buy the beer.


Edited to add:

Dang, Looks like I just erased a post to which I was trying to add the above line. Hate it when that happens...

The gist was this:
1. A bullet is just an instrument used to deliver energy (or momentum, if you prefer). It is what that transferred energy does that kills. (Basically, accelerating flesh and bone past the limits of elasticity.)
2. There is a reason a .50 ball fired from a slingshot doesn't kill as well as the same ball fired from a muzzleloader.

DayPacker:

Any time that you state that something is "the best" on the Internet, you are begging for a debate.

I bet that you are going to get a lot more false responses to your inquiry than true responses.

That's not the combination that I use, so of course my response is false.

KC

Worked pretty good at 220 yds. I recovered the bullet on the hide, after it went trough lungs and the offside shoulder, it it looked great.

To answer that original question, I will have to say NO to the .338-RUM but surely have with my .338-Win mag and it got the job done with flying colors to boot.

Now ifin it didn't mind you, I just reach for a bigger caliber next time up with a larger bullet also. I can proudly say, I have only lost one big game animal in my entire hunting time spent in the woods or high country.

I also never shot an animal just soo's I didn't get skunked! I have passed on many an animal because I figured it was not mature enough for my wall. In doing so, I have always relished the hunt itself weather or not an animal was taken. The glory of that hunt was always enough and the memories that took place.

The interesting thing is that the 338 RUM with the 225 Accubond absolutely smokes the giant killer 375 H&H and 300gr bullets at 100yds in energy.

4046 for the 338 Rum, and 3230 for the H&H, according to federal ammo's website.

IMHO, which is only based on seeing a few elk killed with it and putting about 600-700 of the damn things downrange out to 625 yards, the 225-gn Accubond is one of those bullets that stands out as arguably "best"... there's a lot of good things coming together in that bullet.

The elk killed by it in our camp went down DRT, at ranges in the 250-300 yd range. I don't have any personal experience with what it does at very close range- though Calvin's RUM experience at ~200 yds on a brown bear gets close to simulating a 338WM at close range...

Very well said Jeff. One thing about the 338 is it works wonderfully on elk with just about any bullet. I like the heavy 250 gr. sierra gameking because I know it produces DRT's and others like the lighter bullets because they think they "kill faster" for some reason . The 225 is right in the middle and should be golden in the 338. I'd use it with no qualms whatsoever.

Calvin it may very well do as your posts states but I can tell you it is no match for that .416-Rem mag with a 350 grn bullet.
I am beginning to love that rifle caliber more and more let me say that to all who wonder or don't know it's benefits.

With my Ruger .338 Win. Mag., I have killed elk with the 225 grains Nosler Partition, the 210 grains Nosler Partition, and the 225 grains Hornady Interlock.

I could not tell the difference in any of the three. Accuracy is the most important thing, in my opinion, with these three bullets.

L.W.