Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Good 338 Federal loads

Did some fiddling with primers today. Using 185 TTSXs and 180 BTs, and TAC and 8208 XBR and then loading each with Fed 210s and BR2s. Found that with 8208, groups were the same regardless of primer. But with TAC, the BR2 groups were much better with both of the bullets. Surprised me. Just tossing this out there to see if anyone has found anything similar.

Just posted this on Savage Shooters but it works for this thread too.

It's been almost a year since I did any serious work with my stash of Nosler 180 gr. Ballistic Tips so last week I got started again. I've already got a good hog/deer load for my rifle using the Hornady 200 gr. SP Interlock but the Ballistic Tip should be pretty good too. Here's how the Ballistic Tip was working last year.



This load used reformed .308 Remington brass. I've got a good supply of unprimed .338 Federal brass now so I decided to stick with those. Hodgdon H4895 has always work great in my Model 11 but I decided to work up some loads with Accurate 2230-C just to see how ball powder would do. I'm a little leery about using ball powder during the cold deer/rifle season so I'll probably stay with H4895 when hunting.

Here are the chronograph results with the above load (but using Federal cases this time). Barrel is a PAC-NOR, 24 inch, 1 in 10 twist, 3-groove.


























Bullet: Nosler 180 gr. Ballistic Tip
Powder: Hodgdon H4895 46.0 grs.
Primer: CCI-200
Case: Federal
LOAL: 2.895 (2.250 base to ogive with Stoney Point)
Avg. Velocity: 2674.02 fps
Spread: 39.97
Std Dev: 15.81
Comments: Seated to fit the magazine, 0.043 jump to lands. Five shots group at 100 yards measured one inch.

And my initial load using Accurate 2230-C.

Bullet: Nosler 180 gr. Ballistic Tip
Powder: Accurate 2230-C 45.0 grs.
Primer: Federal 215
Case: Federal
LOAL: 2.895 (2.250 base to ogive with Stoney Point)
Avg. Velocity: 2629.39 fps
Spread: 23.45
Std Dev: 10.19

And here is the second ball powder load tested today (96� F - Ugh!)

Bullet: Nosler 180 gr. Ballistic Tip
Powder: Accurate 2230-C 46.0 grs.
Primer: Federal 215
Case: Federal
LOAL: 2.895 (2.250 base to ogive with Stoney Point)
Avg. Velocity: 2692.53 fps
Spread: 21.54
Std Dev: 10.81

I forgot to measure the 100 yard group but here's a picture (4 shots).



























Normal pressure signs on all loads.

i'm thinking that will work. If you want to try something, TAC has really proven itself to me in the 338 FED. You'll get 2800ish with the 180BTs, maybe a bit more given a 24" barrel, and very temp stable too. JB ran 49gn, I've settled on 48.5. Mild pressure signs with 49gn in ~100deg conditions and rather toasty rifle. Definitely the extreme. Some initial indications my accuracy is better with BR2s than FED 210s, need to get a few more data points though. Of course YMMV. 8208 is good with 180/185s as well, but I'll see pressure at slightly lower velocities than TAC. Lots of good choices out there.

Elk hunt 'round the corner. Anyone got any updates on loads?

I'm looking at 210 Scir, Fed 215,48.6 LVR. No chrono on this, but I'm guessing btwn 2575-2625 based on previous data of mine and others. At 7,000+ feet, I feel good to about 300-350 yards.

Sounds good. Let us know how it works.

Now that the heat wave is over and fall is almost here I've been working on a new .338 Federal hunting load again. Accurate 2230-C has been shooting great (five shot, 3/4 inch groups at 100 yards) but I just don't like using ball powders in cold hunting conditions. I've been using 8208 XBR and it looks a great powder if you want velocity. We were letting some teens try out our rifles today so I didn't get to shoot for groups - but I did get the chronograph results. IMPRESSIVE! Normal extraction, rounded primers - could probably push it some more (I don't want to!)

Bullet: Nosler 180 gr. Ballistic Tip
Powder: IMR 8208 XBR 48.0 grs
Primer: CCI-BR2
Case: Federal
LOAL: 2.895 (2.250 base to ogive with Stoney Point)
Avg. Velocity: 2768.83 fps
Spread: 20.29
Std Dev: 6.63

The entire string.
#01 2780.83 fps
#02 2763.06 fps
#03 2766.85 fps
#04 2762.43 fps
#05 2774.46 fps
#06 2760.54 fps
#07 2775.73 fps
#08 2763.69 fps
#09 2768.11 fps
#10 2764.95 fps

Guys I have just not had time to do anything with my .338 Federal it has been in the box for almost a year!

Finally going to have some time to tinker. I have all the componets I need except brass & dies so plan to order some. The Federal head stamped brass is not available any where I checked on line, so I will neck up some .308 brass. What brand .308 brass is best to neck up? Also other than normal factory tolerances is there any appreciable differences in RCBS or Redding for a std. 2 die set in .338 federal?

308 Lapua brass worked very for me. But then again so did old Federal 308 Win brass (the internet says it's not good and that it's not possible for that brass to work...whatever). RCBS worked fine for me, but now use custom dies.

Federal 308's have worked great for me. I run 46gr H4895 and the 200gr Interlocks and they have accounted for a pretty good pile of game. I checked them this summer and they averaged 2620fps out of my Tikka. Great cartridge and easy to shoot. T.S.

Against the wishes of many, my W-W brass is now on it's sixth firing. Couldn't recommend hunting with that brass anymore, just saying it has held up well while making test loads. Started using the cheap junk because it has less brass-more volume than several other brands I weighed.

Why did you switch? Who made the dies?

Switched to Lee custom dies only because I read positive things about them. Send them a couple pieces of fired brass and a bullet and they will make them for that particular rifle.

http://leeprecision.com/xcart/Custom-Collet-Necksizing-Dies.html

Not that a grain or so should matter for a hunting load but does one brand of brass typically yield more capacity than the other brands?

Short story,I purchased a Sako 85 S in 338 Federal. Fired 8 rounds of Fusion 200 grain and the grouping was about 5 inches at 100 yards. I removed the action and saw right away what the problem was. I took it around to several gun smiths and one of them knew what the problem was before was before I even open my mouth. Only problem was that he was about 5-6 mounts out. Well I got it back on Thursday and took it out today. I had loaded 10 rounds of 200 grain Hornady with 64.2 grains of RL 15 to get on target. Groups were under 1 inch and I�m pleased. I recently picked up some Hodgdon Lever and loaded two rounds at 50, 51 and 52 grains behind Sierra 215 gr. Spitzer�s to try out. Lever is a ball powder, the temps were at 28 degrees and I used standard Win. Large primers. Recoil was stout. Bullet placement with 50 grains of Lever behind Sierra 215 gr. Spitzer�s was 2 inches above the 200 grain Hornady. 51 gr. of Lever was yet another 2 1/4 in. above that and 52 gr. of Lever still higher. To much bad weather to bring out the chronograph. But even without the chronograph I can tell that Lever is something special. It looks like Lever has only performance gains for the 210, 215 and 225 grain bullets.
I also will have to try some different primers, as there were some signs of unburnt powder. I�m thinking mag.primers and careful load development are in order, along with the Oehler by my side.
Thanks Dave

http://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/SuperLever.pdf

Personally, I would stay away from the 215 Gameking. A few of us experimented with that bullet at 338 Fed speeds and had trouble getting it to open. It's built for 338 WIn Mag speeds. If you really want to shoot 225 bullets, try the Interlock or the Speer Deepcurl.

I have found 200 Hot Cors and 200 Ballistic Silvertips to be the most accurate in mine.

wild wilson, what was the problem with your rifle? I am new to reloading, only been doin it a year or so. what shell holder do you need for the .338 Federal? i assume since no one makes a special one that a .308 holder works. I have a Hawkeye and was wondering what problems people ran into with this model? I hope to start loading ASAP.

Same shell holder as the .308. No issues reloading for my old Ruger. Nice mag that would accept up to 2.88 COAL.

Any problems with the Hawkeye models? as soon as the weather gives a litttle, i am going to shoot some factory amm0. want to see the groups from that, then figure out my handloads later in the spring. I am going to start with Ramshot X-Terminator and Hornady 200 grain SP. when those are dialed in, i plan on workin up a load with Barnes 210 TSX. Love those Barnes! And I have a shell holder.

Does anybody have any loads for the 160gr TTSX using RL-15? Whitetails and the occasional bear is what I will use it for and should be the perfect load. Otherwise I will go to the 185gr TTSX.
Thanks

In my opinion, RL15 would be very slow burning for the 160 TTSX. Barnes reloading data uses RL 7 for the 160. RL 15 would be better suited to the 185 though. A faster powder such as AA2230/X-Terminator, H322 or even IMR 8208 will get you more velocity, likely much more with the 160. I got 3044 on the chrono with AA2230 (Barnes book load) and in the low 2900s with 8208 (Hodgdon book load).