Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters .338 Barnes X Bullets

I found some .338 Barnes 175 gr. X bullets. I want to load them up for my .338 Federal. I cannot find any published load data for X bullets.

I called Barnes and they told me they never developed any loads for the 175 gr. X bullet in the 338 Federal. They did give me some info to start load development.

Has anyone one here used the 175 gr. X bullet in the 338 Federal? Any accurate loads or recommendations?

Cool. I’d probably look at 180 AB data and then look at 185 TTSX and 160 TTSX. Kind of see what makes sense. What’s the bearing surface of an X compared to a TTSX? As for powders, I’d say AA2230/x-terminator, H322, H335, 8208XBR, and TAC would all be viable.

I have 160’s I’m going to load for a 338 Federal if Shilen ever ships my barrel to ctw.

Have not used those but the original X will run at higher pressures than the grooved TSX & TTSX's. I found in other cartridges I could load to within a grain or so of the max for conventional bullets, but I have no idea what the actual pressures were. Just looking at the data for other bullets I would load up to about 2,700 or less and stop there.

I had similar issues when I loaded X bullets for my 300 Wby. That is why I'm being cautious.

PRM that is what Barns told me to do. Start with the TTSX starting loads.

My Kimber groups the 160s better than any other bullet. I killed a few deer with them and they went right down. All passed completely through.

BTW Thanks guys!!

I forgot to add, be careful with Barnes 338 Fed load data. It’s pretty stout. I often end up a grain below their indicated max, and that’s consistent across 5 different barrels.

Thanks prm!!

XBullets may or may not be accurate in your rifle. Molycoating them improve accuracy.

Compare 308/180gr loads? Use their starting loads?

No grooves, may leave copper in barrel and pressures may be higher than TSX/TTSX loads.

I have had good luck using other data for jacketed bullets. Starting load to start and work up.

Tom that's what I intend to do. Start low and work up. Hopefully I'll find an accurate load at a decent velocity.

This particular rifle, a Kimber Montana, likes lighter bullets and I gotten the best groups with the Barnes 160's. The Barnes 160's were scarce for awhile but just recently I was able to buy one box so I should be good with them and the 175's.

They do real well in a Sako 338 Win mag too.

That's some good information. Thanks.

Both the 160 and the 185 TTSX shoot very well in my Sako 85. The 160 knocks the heck out of VA whitetails. I harvested a + or - 150 pound buck that had bedded about 150 yards away. The bullet went through the neck re entered the chest and ended up at the rear ham after penetrating hide 3 times.

They seem to almost drill holes through em. The 160 is quite traumatic.

Good luck and shoot straight y'all .