.338WM

[boomer68]

Just added another T3 to my collection and this one is in .338WM

It's been over 20yrs since I have loaded for this round and was wondering what powders work best. I have some 225 TTSX and Interbonds to get me started.

 

[DrMike]

IMR 4350 and RL19 are two excellent powders in the 338 WM. H4831SC and H4350 are also good powders for the cartridge with that weight bullet.

 

[preacher]

Its been about 16yrs for me, but I settled on H4350 in my 338WM, also in the 340 Bee. Good luck to you, I sure like how a 338 thumps big critters!

 

[SJB358]

I use a lot of RL17 and RL19 in my 338.

 

[boomer68]

Its been about 16yrs for me, but I settled on H4350 in my 338WM, also in the 340 Bee. Good luck to you, I sure like how a 338 thumps big critters!

What bullet are you using with H4350?

 

[str8meat]

73.gr. rl 19 hands down was superb in my rifle

 

[preacher]

What bullet are you using with H4350?

At the time I was using the older ( new then) Barnes 185gr XLC. I started out using R19 and got good speed and groups all summer/fall. Then, about 10days before a late December cow elk hunt it got really cold/snow. I thought I best check my zero and sure enough, at 10 deg my group was about 4 inches and I had lost over 100fps. I don't have my notes on it right now, but it was a compressed load. I pulled the bullets and the powder was one solid cake, had to dig it out with a screwdriver. Since I had used H4350 in the 340W, and with the 250 NP in the 338, I quickly worked up a good load. I knew the Hodgdon Extreme powder would be fine, and it was. Seems like, and don't take my word on this, I used somewhere around 66 to 68gr of the H4350 behind the 250. Now, lots of folks like R19 ( I still do in the 240W) but it spooked me. It could have been a bad lot, or too compressed, I don't know. I would be tempted to stick with H4350 or R17 and I would use a LEE Factory Crimp Die. But that's just me. ha. I come so close to the grand 338WM with my 35 Whelen Ackley Improved ( I use the 200 TTSX at 2950fps) that I gave that rifle to my Pastor in Texas. I really do think that the Medium Bores are about perfect for elk and such. I shot that cow elk around 250yds, tight behind the shoulder. I got a complete pass through, a lot of damage inside, no ruined meat and she stumbled about 15yds and dropped. I slid her off the ridge and she went around 100yds and her back legs got hung up between two aspen. I thought I was going to die of a heart attack getting her un-hung, ha. Have a ball dude!

 

[boomer68]

Thanks for the info. I will give H4350 a try with the 225s and see how they perform.

 

[Vince]

H4350
IMR 4350
IMR 4451

Those are the powders I would try. I use IMR 4350 in my .338 but will start working up a new load with IMR 4451.
Good luck and have fun Boomer!
Let us know how it goes.

Vince

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk

 

[preacher]

Hogdons website shows 69.5gr of H4350 for over 2700 with the 225. Some rifles may take less, some more, but that's in the right ballpark anyhow. I like Federal 215M primers but you have to use what you can get nowadays! I just wanted to add that I played with a 338 RUM back in 2007, shot a big Aoudad ram in West Texas with it. I used the Nosler 180 AccuBond. It hammered that ram, also right around 250yds ( must be my "sweet spot", ha) and it looked like a Partition had been used. So, if you can get them, they are worth a try. With new bullets, especially the monometals, it doesn't take a lot of bullet weight to shoot plumb through big critters. Now, I still like using heavy bullets, just to be Old School because they work, but if you want a flat shooter, you have to fall back in bullet weight, of course. I used the 210XBT in South Africa & Namibia in that 340W, it worked from Impala to Zebra. I never saw anyone around here who got great results using the Hornady 225 SP....don't know why. I do know, very well, a great guy who uses the 200gr Hornady SP exclusively in his 338/06. He has taken elk out to 400yds with it like nobodies business. A magnum may push it too fast, I don't know. I do know, from experience, the Speer 200 was too soft for the magnum on one deer. It really messed up a South Texas whitetail around 150yds...lost a lot of meat. I feel its better for the 338 Federal, but, I'm working on the Barnes 160 TTSX in it right now, ha. Love those Barnes and Noslers!!