Originally Posted by BWalker
Originally Posted by Ray
Originally Posted by John55
I've shot several factory loads in mine with no issues. I recall Darcy mentioning one particular loading to avoid, but don't remember which one it was. I typically shoot game in the shoulder area, something the folks in Africa were adamant about. The mono bullets excel for that type of bullet placement, and for me they've produced some pretty dramatic drop in their tracks kills. If I were more of a chest cavity shooter I'd think the NP or similar bullets might show quicker effects. The high shoulder shot that imparts shock into or severes the spine is very reliable and provides zero tracking jobs. I like that!


I never had any issues with the factory loads using the original Lubalox-coated FS, but when Winchester replaced the Lubalox with molybdenum, I decided not to use those for hunting.

The one at the left was retrieved from a moose I shot with my .338 years ago. A 200-yard (or so) shot that broke the near shoulder bone clipped the heart's arteries, and stopped at the hide after hitting the far shoulder. The second is a 250-grain A-Frame from another moose I shot through the shoulder at about the same distance, maybe a little farther. While the front lead portion broke off the A-Frame, you can clearly see how well the jacket is fused to the lead. It's quite a tough bullet, but very expensive although I like it more that the softer NOS Partition for hunting in bear country.
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I have only been able to retrieve that FS, and the A-Frame from moose. And all the Barnes 3-shock have passed right through and killed fast. I settled down to the 225-grain TTSX for all my hunting.

I would take a partition over either of those every day of the week. Wouldn't worry about the need to hit the shoulder blades to get abrupt kills either.


Not me. I don't have any trouble with a 255 through 250-grain (or maybe 275-grain A-Frame), but I only use Barnes TTSX these days. And I don't shoot to break the shoulder unless for whatever reason I want to. I have shot moose through the lungs with the Federal 250-grain NOS HE. It dropped right there, and my friends and I were amazed about the lead and jacket disintegration. But I would not use that bullet/load combination to break a shoulder when hunting in bear country.

Last edited by Ray; 04/10/16.