.338 180gr Accubond vs. Caribou

Anonymous · Aug 5, 2013

On a hunt with a friend of mine this week, he shot a good sized caribou with a .338WM loaded with Federal Vital Shock 180gr AccuBond ammunition. About a 100 yd shot so impact velocity was approx 3000 fps.

He hit it high shoulder, quartering too from above so the bullet penetrated above the near shoulder and exited just in front of the off side hip fairly low. Almost no other shot with a longer path through the critter- probably 5' of straight line penetration. Excellent expansion, no fragmentation despite the high impact speed and absolutely wrecked everything between the entry and exit. The caribou never so much as twitched.

I think the 180gr .338 bullet in the .338WM makes the old standby a whole new cartridge....impressive.

gerry · Aug 5, 2013

Sounds like good performance, the old 338 WM is a pretty versatile cartridge. If you have any pics of the hunt it would be nice to see.

JD338 · Aug 5, 2013

Congratulations to your buddy.
That is some serious penetration.

JD338

SJB358 · Aug 6, 2013

Very nice. I have had a bag of those bullets on my shelf for a long time. Plus, I wanna say, with a 338 you can push those things up into the 3200 mark. While BC isn't exactly high, that gives some serious ballistics out to 400 or so...

Anonymous · Sep 22, 2013

My buddy hit another with the .338WM/ 180grAB combo at about 300 yds. A big bull, strongly quartering away- hit in the rear hip, busted the ball joint, travelled forward and wrecked everything in it's path, exiting just behind the off side front shoulder. Dropped at the shot and DRT.

Complete penetration through a LOT of caribou and the tougher parts besides. No fragments found in the meat- just straight line penetration.

I'm liking this 180AB in the .338- shoots as flat as my .300 and hit's like Thor's hammer. I'd rate this as one of the most useful bullets in the bore size.