I recently purchase a Weatherby ultralight in 338-06. I am am going to be using it mainly for deer hunting but possibly elk as well.
What are some good hand loads that have worked well in the caliber?

Thanks

53 grains Reloader 15
210 Nosler Partition
Just a common Vanilla load, but I've seen it work well on several Elk.

I use Rel 15 and the Swift 210 gr Scirocco.

62gr H4350, 210 NP, CCI 200 primer in necked down 35 whelen brass.

Nice snag, you don't see many of the Weatherby 338-06.

Doc

agree that re15 is a good powder to try

I've run Varget, RL17 and H4350 in mine. H4350 with 225s is my go to load. A bit slower, but more accurate than RL17. Varget worked fine for 200gn bullets.

I had some wonderful accurate groups using 250 gr Sierras and H380.......

Plus ONE...
I always maintained, if I had to rely on just a couple of rifles for all my big game hunting, and could pick any rifles I wanted, as much as I love my Winchesters... I'd pick a Weatherby Ultralight in 338/06, 7/08 and 243.

my loads for my 338/06...

65 grains of H 380 and a 200 grain bullet ( your choice)
62.5 grains of H 380 and a 225 grain bullet
60 grains of H 380 and a 250 grain Hornady RN..

or
57.5 grains of IMR 4895 with a 200 grain bullet ( your choice)
55 grains of IMR 4064 with a 225 grain Hornady SP
50 grains with a 250 grain Bullet or your choice, mine being the Hornady SP or my favorite, the 250 Gr RN.

You will enjoy reloading the 338-06. As noted above RL 15 for light 200-210's and H4350 for 250's should work fine.

TSX and TTSX in 210's with 52, 51 gr of RL 15, respectively works great in mine!58-58.5 of H4350 w/250 A Fr also works nicely.

Work up as usual although theses are not hot loads based on all the manuals.

I have a 338-06 AI. I've got three sets of bullets awaiting workup: 230 FailSafes, 250 Speer GS, and 250 Partitions. I'm really interested in seeing how the FailSafes do.

Anywhere between 50-53grs of RL-15 with the Barnes 210 TTSX all shot sub-MOA for me out to 600yds. I settled on 51.8grs @ 2660fps
so I could match the drop in my Shepherd P2 scope. 53grs put me @ 2920fps so work up carefully.

Hope this helps,
johnny

I had really good luck with lots of powders in mine and H4350 and N160 worked really well with 225 Accubonds. I am using the N160 for 2650 fps and 1/2" accuracy.

60 grains IMR4350 with 210 gr. Partitions.

54 grains H4895 with 180 AB's

H-4350 with 200 BT's or 210 Partitions covers about all.

I have had good results with Rel 15 and 200 gr bullets, even better results with Varget and 210gr bullets.

I keep waiting for the pro shop to have 225 Accubond seconds, those 225's have a great BC.

Yeah, I bought 3 bags last time they had them. Keep looking and they pop up on here occasionally.
Lee

My 338-06 shows a noted preference for loads towards the upper ends of the range.

I normally shoot mid-rangeish loads in most of my rifles, but saw a definite accuracy improvement, with three different powders, as I increased charge weights in my 338-06.

FWIW, I settled on 210 gr Partitions and IMR 4064.

My load is Big Game and 225 SP Hornadys.Very effective on moose.I worked up to 2650 with a 22" barreled FN.That was the slowest powder /highest velocity that would fit in my rifle.

I think the world is missing an opportunity with this cartridge.

If Winchester made 2 versions in the Featherweight model, one blued and juicy walnut and a SS version in a tupperware moulded version, it would be rather popular with the handloading inclined.

JW

I don't disagree. I would love a M70 Featherweight in this cartridge. Currently have one built on a Savage action. I also think a Kimber 84L Montana in 338-06 could quite possibly be an ideal mountain elk rifle. Running some 210 Partitions or maybe a 210 TTSX would make it a winner.

I've been toting mine off and on for about 10 years now. The combo I've used the most is H4350 and the 200 NBT. Seems to me that the load goes about 2825 or 2850 and it flattens elk and the smaller big game.

I've also used the 250 NPT with 4350 as well and it's flat out fun to run.

Tried R17 and got about 50-75 more fps but not the same level of accuracy so I've gone back to H4350.

R15 is another powder that runs well for me.

Dober

Side note, was just one the web site for Nozler and it appears that they're gonna make 338/06 brass.

Dober

That's very surprising, albeit pleasantly. Wonder what led them to believe there was a market for 338-06 brass? Weatherby/Norma is already available, reforming from 30-06 is easy enough and I'm not aware of anybody chambering factory rifles in 338-06. Strange. They working behind the scenes with someone introducing a 338-06?

I saw it on their web site today is all I know

Dober

I have plenty of brass, would like to get some more bullets though. I been thinking real hard about changing horses in the middle of the stream. Yep, those Nosler Partitions in the 210 weight may be taking a backseat to the Nosler Accubonds in the 200 grn weight.

You can send all those unwanted 210s to me.

For the money the Accubonds cost, ever think about how much BC you are giving up shooting them compared to Sierra 215gr? Just checked Nosler and Sierra #s and the difference is 70pts in favor of Sierra. You can buy 100 Sierras for about what the Nosler cost. Of course, it ain't about the money though...

I like the Nosler 230 FailSafe in my rifle. In my area of AK we have Mat-Su bear which are Very Large and Good size moose; often in our yard. The .338-300 only holds 3rds and is too much for wife, so the .338-06 w/1-4x vxII is By The Door and hold 5rds.

I have begun working with my NEI .338 mold that throws a 300gr RN bullet. That will likely take the place of the FailSafe for BTD duty...

I have always preferred Sierra bullets. The 215gr is better choice in lightweight bullet in my book for its trajectory performance.

I really thought I'd like the 215 for the reasons you mentioned. Then I shot them into dry phone books and found out they didn't open at all. I'm talking a .338cal hole through a very large stack of phone books(6 or 8 thick ones?) and it kept on going. Another member here tested them in milk jugs filled with water. His didn't open at all either. Mine hit at essentially muzzle velocity of a 338-06 so going too slow was not the problem. Not to say I want to be on the receiving end of one of those whether it opens or not, but for hunting I'd prefer a bullet to open a bit.

ttt

RL-15 and H-4350 have worked best for me.

Big Game works really well in this caliber. Great velocity and accuracy clear up to 250's.

How much BG do you use with 200-210 bullets?

With 225s,it was as much as you can get in the case ,61.0gr or so.

That is definitely interesting as Nosler used Norma brass for factory loading of the 338-06. When I first got my 338-06 I bought about 4 boxes from Nosler, all the brass had Norma on it.

To the OP, I've found 52gr RL-15 and 210gr Scirrocco work well in my Encore handgun.

A bump for who cares.
Checking to see if anyone can add more to this thread.

Take care.

Only thing I have to add is, last summer when loading up a new batch of 210 pt's for an upcoming moose hunt, I couldn't get them to group worth a schit. This was a proven load. So, I started from scratch with 185TTSX and RL-15. Ended up at 58 grns, 2900fps and sub-moa groups. I think I should have stopped at 57, but left it alone for the hunt.
My boy used a bullet a piece for two moose within minutes of each other. Couldn't have asked for better performance.

Ten years later, Varget is still my favorite for the 200-210gr weights. I have used IMR 4064, Big Game, H4895, and IMR 4451 and some I have probably forgot.

Have another 338-06 coming to match my 416 Remington. The smith is being a little slow getting the Dakota open sights installed. Once I get the open sights filed in they will both go back for Cerakote treatment.

Once finished, I plan to shoot my 338-06's a bunch this summer along with my 338 Federals.
Got a bunch of the 185gr Federal Fusions from Midway. Really looking foward to banging a bunch of steel practicing field position shooting this summer.

Some of the best groups I've ever shot used 4320 and 210gr. NPs.

I have a Shilen barrel on a Savage. Using 210Gr. Hammer Hunters and Varget, I'm gettiing .3-.4 accuracy at 2625 fps.

Sounds like fun.

50 grains of 4064, yields an MV of 2500 fps, in my Model 70 with a 24 inch barrel...

with a 200 gr Hornady SP, a 225 gr SP and a 250 grain SP....with the point of impact within an inch of each other...

I call that convenience....

I used 185 GMX and 4064, it killed elk just fine.

That's quite a bump!

180 Accubonds and IMR4064 = sub MOA, 3000 fps (most accurate)
185 TTSX and H4895 = sub MOA, 2950 fps
225 Accubonds and H4350 = sub MOA 2720 fps
250 of just about any brand and H380 or W760 = 1 inch 2500 fps +

LH Rem 700, 1:10 inch 24 inch Douglas SS barrel

Hammer Hunter Bullets: Sound great, I have a friend he uses them in a 6.5 Needmoor
The .338 bullets should rock pretty good.

I just ordered 205gr hammers for my 338-06. Loads will be with either Varget or Big Game. Quickload seems to like Big Game for about 2800 fps. Ive used 213gr Hammers,185gr barnes, 200 gr Accubonds and 225gr Accubonds all have taken Elk easily.

250 Skinners and it's near .650 BC,at 2550fps. Hint.






They don't bounce off much. Hint..............

Both of mine like 62.0 of IMR 4350 and 215 grain Sierra GK, but both also shoot lights out with 53 of RL15 and a 210 Nosler Partition. Haven’t used it on elk, but deer and large hogs take a dirt nap.

These are mine:

200gr Speer for deer & 210gr NP were loaded for elk. The 200’s are for my converted 700 Mtn that I made up as a tracking gun whitetail thumper with a 20” bbl and the Partitions are for my Wby UL 338-06 with a 24” bbl.

Please share pics of your 338-06 mountain rifle! I’m a mountain rifle looney! I also have a Mark V ultralight in 338-06. I recently acquired some 200 grain ballistic tips for deer/bear here in central Pennsylvania.

I thought I'd ask this question: Wondering if anyone has tried RL-15.5 in their 338-06 rifles.

I know RL-15 works very well. I've heard RL-15.5 is a bit slower burning.

Thanks.

Hammerdown,

I've run about 6-7 lbs RL 16 in the 338-06 short (338 rcm).

Great powder, great accuracy, great below-zero cold weather performance, but a wee bit slow.

Id MUCH rather have RL 15.5 as an all-around 338-06 powder. I hope you find some. If you do, grab as much as you can.

I would love to try some Rel 15.5, but have not found any.


I like that rifle!

I’d love to get my hands on a lb or two of that!

I have a 338-06AI. The ingredients used are the 210gr Swift Scirocco and RL17. I have no complaints with this mix. Outstanding accuracy and on game performance is second to none.

We must always be on the hunt for powder.

Ain't that the truth. Finally found an 8lb container of Varget. I will be able to feed my 338-06's and 416 Remington for quite awhile again.

Yes Randy,
I played around with it in one of my .338-06 (have 2) and wrote it up fairly extensively HERE

I know you were on that thread so maybe not a useful link, but perhaps you forgot?

Please post your results back here.
Rex

Trex, wtf?!

You literally did all the leg-work with 15.5, hammerdown responded and now here he is again.

Maybe the same Canadian that got Paul Pelosi, "hammerdown" on this fkn dude's head?

Just got an email from Bruno's. RL 15.5
IN STOCK

Oh, I don't take any offense at that. I'm sure he's just reaching out to find out if anybody else has experience to share.
RL-15.5 is definitely a bulky powder. It is surprising to me but I am thinking it may end up being most useful to me in the 30-06.
I've not yet run it more with heavier than 225 grain bullets in the Whelen, nor in my 24" barreled 338-06. That is the more accurate of my two 338-06 and maybe RL-15.5 will be a performer in it?
Do you have any expereince with it in your rifles?

Thanks,
Rex

Thanks, that did slip my mind.
I did find me some RL-15.5. I was fortunate enough to get 2 #

Take care.

Not sure why you have a burr under your saddle.
I hope you have a better day.

If I have forgotten something that has transpired, I'll blame it on the medication and my stent in the Hospital.
I had my entire Lumbar spine fused my SI joints as well.
This was my 5th/ spinal surgery; I had X-Rays done on my neck today, prolly have MRI on it next week. Possibility of another surgery, this would make the second surgery on my neck.

I'll try to keep up a little better.

Take care