Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 338-06 bullets

Just curious what bullets those of you shooting the 338-06 are using.

It seems a lot of 338 bullets are designed with the magnum velocities in mind.

I picked up a box of 200grain hornady ftx's for fireforming but curious how you guys think they would do on deer & black bear.

I'm thinking since it was developed for the slower 338 Marlin Express it should do pretty good velocity wise, but new to reloading and want to make sure I pick the right bullet for the job

Nosler 210 Partition 2800 fps out of a 338/06 AI

I have taken a few bull elk with a .338-06 and 200 Nosler Ballistic Tips. All were one-shot kills and the two that didn't drop at the shot died within earshot. No flies on the 210 Partition, either...

The 210 Partition works perfectly in that cartridge or a standard 338-06. Another great bullet for deer especially is the 180 NBT. You have to hunt a round a bit for them but you see them around from time to time. You can do it all with those two bullets.

I noticed SPS has the .338 200gn E-Tip in stock. Might be another good option.
200gn E-Tip

210gr Swift Scirocco at 2850fps. Accurate and great terminal performance. I should add this is with 338-06AI.

with mine, I don't think one needs premium bullets...

I tend to use the old Hornady 200, 225 SPs and my favorite, the old 250 grain Round Nose...

Funny, but I could get more speed out of the 200 BT than the 180s.
I doubt you need premiums at this speed but when you are sitting on 650 of the 210s... WHY NOT ?? Put one thru both shoulders on a spike Alaskan moose once and he didn't say I couldn't shoot him because I was shooting premiums. I think the way my 338-06AI shoots the 200 BTs makes my varmint rifles try a little harder too.

A few elk, a few hogs, a couple of mule deer, a nilgai, a black and a grizzly bear using the 210 gr Partition, 185 gr TSX and 225 gr AB. All good though my preference is now the 225 gr AB.

Woodleigh make an excellent pair of 338 bullets specifically for the 338 Federal and 338/06. I run the 200gr version in my Fed with good results

The 200gr Ballistic Tip or the Combined Technologies version are pretty dang good at 2,850fps from my 22" 338WM. I don't run them hot because I really don't need to. There's no reason in my mind as to why they wouldn't work well if started 100-150fps slower. They put a hurting on deer and hogs and will generally exit. We only stopped one, and it was trying to exit the shoulder plate of a 300lb+ boar that was hit way back in the guts on a hard angling shot at 200yds.

I'm with Seafire, 200 and 225 Hornady 's have worked well on moose and elk, Lots of good 338 bullets out there.

I just picked up ~150 225 Partitions for mine. Shoot real well and I know the Partition will do the job on any shot I make (intentional or not). Really a lot of great options though

.250 NP @ 2600FPS have been working well for me for many years. Caribou, moose, deer and blk bear. --- Mel

I have used both the 210NP and the Speer 200HC on both deer and black bear. They didn't know which hit them. One of my favorite cartridges. Have not seen any Speer HC lately.

Great cartridge! Been using a 250 Gr. Hornady RN at about 2,500.
Don't care for the lighter bullets in that cartridge at all.

I'll be odd man out, I run 185gr TTSX's took 8 animals with that bullet in Africa from Springbok to Eland

That is still the only other bullet that really catches my eye in .338 caliber. My father runs the 210gr TTSX in his .338WM, but I think the 185 should be plenty for what we do. If it will work on eland, it should work on a 300lb hog.

I'm really liking the 185 TTSX in my 338-06.

A 210 Nosler partition over 53 grains of Reloader 15 may not be the best of all possible loads, but it's done every thing I ever wanted it to do in a very positive manner.