Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters .338 Win mag lighter weight bullets

Anyone here have experience shooting the lighter weight .338 bullets, say, e.g., 165/185 gr TSX's in a .338 win mag and if so what was your finding with them? What game did you use it on?

A friend just gave me a ruger in .338 win mag and I don't like a lot the recoil of the heavier rounds. Anyone?

Thanks in advance.

Old Toot, IMO....a poor selection for such a fine caliber. Though, if “not” stretching the shots too far the 185’s should be great for medium to large big game. Wouln’t be my first choice for moose...though would probably do a good (not great) job! memtb

Barnes makes a 160

hanco, any experience shooting those in the .338 win mag? (I have a .338 Federal.)

memtb, I agree but would like to try it with lighter bullets to see.

My friend’s 338 shoots them well. I’m looking for a Sako 338. I’m gonna try them.

Good to know and thanks.

What about selling the .338 and using the money to buy a rifle in a lighter kicking round? You don't really need a .33 magnum to hunt in North America.

I killed 7 whitetail last season with the 160 grain Barnes TTSX in my .338-06. I loaded to 3100 fps. Exit holes were about what I like to see and that bullet is accurate (1 inch at 200 yards). I can't really say the kills were any quicker (or less quick) than other ought-six based cartridges but results were good.

The 185gr GMX shoot and perform great on elk from a 338-06, I suspect they'd be fine in a 338Win as well.

A 160 TTSX is fantastic at 3050. Out of a 338 WM it would be really wicked!

I had a 333 OKH Belted, which is the same thing. I ran 338 cases through the .333 die. I never thought recoil bad with 200 grain Barnes lead bullets.

I just want one, I have most other L-61 calibers

One option if you reload is to run something like a 210 nosler with a faster powder at slower speed. (like a 338-06)

When i had a .338 I used all bullet wts through 275.. Used the 250 Part. on elk.. A real killer.. In my .340 I have used Accubonds.. And the 210 Nosler.. It is a killer.. Bob Hagel said this was his favorite bullet for the 33’s.. Althought in his time the 225’s were limited to Hornady, he was a Part. Fan.. The .33’s are cool, you can’t kill game too dead too soon..

I've killed a swag of camels, donkeys,pigs and feral horses with the 160 grain TTSXs with great success at ful noise out of my Ruger 338 mag

I use a load I got from Mule Deer here. 65gr R15 under a 200/210gr bullet. It kicks noticeably less than other loads with the same bullets using "traditional" 338 Win powders. I've used that on everything from doe pronghorn to cow bison and bull elk. For deer alone, I'd give the 180gr Accubond a look as well.

I load 200 gr Accubonds for my .338 will be testing it out on hogs next month
185gr TTSX out of a .338-06 has taken everything from Springbok up to Eland without a hitch



.338 win 200gr AB 65 gr R15

Please post the poor results that you've experienced with these. At what range do you think is stretching it too far?

Thanks

Eland 359 yds 185 gr TTSX

I guess he didn't get the memo.