Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Hornady 338 225 IL accuracy?

I notice many folks use the Hornady 225 IL in 338/06 and up and report very good accuracy. I first tried them in a Ruger MKII 338 win mag in early 90's and couldn't find a powder my rifle liked, or so I thought. Back then, I can remember reading where that particular bullet was "iffy" for accuracy. The 338 Hornady 200gr and 250 were always deemed accurate. Anyone remember that? Did Bob Hagel write anything about it being poor accuracy? I was just wondering if it was a bad Lot that got out amongst the Public or it was all in someone's head? Seems I'm missing any mention of when they began to be recommended for elk in 338 caliber. To me Hornady bullets always seemed made of "harder" jacket/core than many others, one reason they are known for penetration, as a whole. Anybody really like them in the slower 338's i.e. the Federal, 338/06s or are they just "passable" and used more for practice rather hunting?

Shots 3-6 from the rebore. Just found a partial box of them, seated them at the lands and added 52 grains of 4064.

I was happy for it being a fresh rebore. It’ll only get better.

I tested these same bullets at 2900 from my 338 and it made mince meat out of them. Probably fine at 2600 or so though.

You were nice enough to test them out for me, when I sent you some for some penetration tests. They fared not too well, if I remember right. I know the older ones held together real well. I used them on coyotes and even rabbits out of my Ruger m77 mk2 rifles. The older ones always shot great, but I think the newer ones, with the relocated ogive shoot a little better. I was disappointed when they did not hold together well on milk jugs filled with water, or wet newspaper.

The velocities are written on the target. Not approaching 2,900, but close to a 2,850 fps average, it does a very good job on elk. Sorry, I don't have any experience with the slower .338's.

If the OP ran into a bunch for cheap, I'd buy them up. They shoot well enough for me, out of my rifles.

To the OP, back in the 90's, I was running RL19 and AA3100 for my 225gr loads in the 338wm. Now I run H4350, as that gets me everything I want. Also, it may not have been a "powder" issue, as much as it may have been a bedding issue with that old M77 mk2 of yours.

Those were the leftovers from what you sent me.

I’m sure they’re fine once the initial steam from the Win Mag comes off. I tested them at 25 yards so that is as brutal as it can get on a bullet.

Haven't shot any animals with that bullet in a long time, but did use it considerably in the late 80s and early 90s. It always grouped well, and at 2850 or so expansion and penetration was very good on game up through elk. The only one I recovered retained a little over 60% of its weight, which is very good for a cup-and-core.

Also have known two experienced elk guides, one in Idaho and the other in Montana, who used it in their .338 WMs when backing up their clients.

Dunno if anything has changed with that bullet, but doubt it.

I haven't had a .338-06 in years, but the 225 HDY IL was so accurate from the start, I never tried other bullets. My initial loads were worked up with IMR4320. Theer was a shortage of IMR4320 (mid-to late 1980s as I recall) so I switched to IMR4064. It worked as well as IMR4320 so I stuck with the 4064. Muzzle velocities were around 2600 fps, maybe a little better. I used that bullet on my first bull elk in Colorado more than thirty years ago.

Thanks guys. My MKII was straight factory. The main reason is it shot Factory Remington loaded with the 250 Grand Slam, remember those? By shoot, I mean bughole sized 3 shots, then next two they opened the group a tad under 3/4" for total of five. I was thrilled as that sorry trigger had to be 5--6 pounds (well, it felt like it anyhow, ha) That doesn't mean it would not have benefited the 225 trial if it had been tweaked. Oh well, I guess it "afflicted me" as I never tried any more 225's in any 338 or 35 Whelan. Just light on one end, heavy on the other. Thanks for the input guys. I may never even get around to trying the 250 spire pts anyhow. My friend sent almost a whole box of the Sierra 250s, so won't buy any Scenars in 250 either. I appreciate you gentlemen, you are all straight shooters and don't make me feel like a "rube", lol
I still like that 250 in any medium for 2 reasons. First, my maiden trip to South Africa with the 35 Whelan AI/Barnes 250X going 2550-2600 proved it was an eye opening killer! Then Second, so old African Professional Hunter told Elmer Keith that the "best, most reliable" killer in Africa ( I assumed it wasn't DG, or course) of Plains Game was a good 250gr going 2500. It sure made a believer outa me, ha. But when the trip with the Barnes 200X repeated the deeds, and was flat shooting, well, there was my "light end", so to speak. So really, not enough time and money to try out the 225s enough to make a choice!

I have not tried them in my 338-06 but shot them a lot in several different 338 win mags. Always very nice accuracy.