Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Favorite 338 Win Mag loads

Recently picked up a Tikka T3 in 338 WM, looking to load 210 grain bullets (Nosler Partion,Barnes TTSX,Swift Sirrocco's) but this could change. I plan on using it to hunt elk and black bear hunt (dark timber).
Post your favorite bullet powder combo for the 338 please.
Thanks

180's 200's and 210's; 74 grains R-19.

225's [Work up. It used to be book max but they have cut back in some of them.] 76 R-22.

I would prefer using H4350 and H-4831 respectively but they are not nearly as accurate in my rifle.

I use a pretty stout load of RL19 and 200gr. Ballistic Tips for whitetails. Call me crazy.

The following load has given us good results in a couple of Remington 700's chambered in .338 Win Mag. As always, work up, perfectly safe in our rifles, maybe not in yours. Both guns give groups of about 3/4 inch and velocities of about 2900 fps.

Win Case
Fed 215 M primer
72 grains H 4350
Barnes 210 grain Tipped TSX

RP hulls
Fed 215
250 NP
73.0 gr H4831SC

Worked flawlessly for 15 years here in AK

No 210 loads here, and if they wont shoot for ya, you may want to try my load.

WW Brass
225 TTSX
70 gns H-4350
Fed 215
Vel 2825

Stupid accurate out of a Kimber walnut 8400 SA rifle.

Gunner

My favorite load for the 210 NPT is 74.0/H205 in WW cases behind a Fed Mag primer for 2959 fps. I've used this combo for over 30 years in North America for moose, caribou, black bear, grizzly, and elk.

My supply of H205 is getting low, and I doubt you'll be able to find any nowadays. I've also used 77/H450 for 2940 fps, 76/N204 for 2963 fps, and 75/R-19 for 2937 fps.

These loads are perfectly safe in my current .338, a Remington 700, but you should work up from well below.

dawaba, not to hi-jack but I traded into about 4 LBS of N-204 with only one container being opened.

Whats the 204 good for?

Thanks
Gunner

Gunner, Norma 204 and Re-19 are probably the same powder, being manufactured by the same company in the same plant. So, allowing for lot-to-lot variation, loads appropriate for Re-19 should work quite well with your Norma 204.

Based on my experience, I'd say you're fixed up with your N204 in the .30-06/165+180 gr, the 7x57/140 gr, and the .338 WM/210 gr. If there is just ONE load that is made in heaven, it is in the .30-06 and 180 NPT: 57-60 N204. In several -06s, it gives fine accuracy with top velocity.

Thanks Bud, have kept it stored in a CC room with the rest of my powder, it's in red and black metal cans w/ small screw off caps.

Have never noticed it in any RL manuals and didnt know what to do with it. I do now, Thanks

Gunner

My load for my .338 WM is a 225 gr. Northfork (sorry - no 210's here) and 73 grs. of Rldr-22.
Close to 1" groups which is plenty good enough for moose. I've found Northforks to be slightly more accurate than a Partition and they don't lose as much weight.
Bear in Fairbanks

Thanks for all of the great loads....anyone running 200 Nosler Accubonds?
How about anyone using IMR 7828 powder in the 338 WM ?

I can't get top velocity with the lighter bullets with IMR7828 before running out of case room. Save this powder for the heavyweights like the 250 gr.

Depending on the lot, RL15 should get you 2,950 or so with 65-66gr and a 200gr Nosler AB/BT. Accurate bullet in my 700. Recoil is not brutal.

Ever try Varget or Big Game with those 200's?

My favorite in several .338s for more than 30 years is:

73 gr/IMR 4350
Fed 215
210 gr Nosler Partition

Winchester or Nosler brass.

I've always used RE-22 with 225 grain bullets, somewhere between 74-78 grains depending...

Just recently I gave RE-15 a try with 210 TTSXs and been impressed with the accuracy...in mine 65 is great, but 66 is a touch warm.

That sounds like a load I'd try....How fast are those running? Probably pretty close to 2,900 huh......

70 gr/H4350
Fed 215
225gr Accubond ... shoots lights out in my Howa, afraid to crono it :P