338 win mag load

[Big Mike]

Hi guys, I am going to load 215gr Sierra gamekings over H4350 and WLRM primers. Anyone else loading something similar? Just would like to know how many grains you started at? My manual shows 210gr bullets and 225 but no 215.

 

[blargon]

You'll be safe using the starting loads from the 225gr...

Hodgdon shows 63gr as the starting load for the 210gr and the 225gr...pretty safe bet there...

 

[Big Mike]

well I got some good results with 71.5 grs of H4350. The 215gr Sierras were leaving the barrel at 2940 fps.

 

[ebrand]

I have found that max loads work best in my .338. It loves the most powder and velocity. Work the loads up slowly but my humble experience with my .338 seem to be the hotter the more accurate. Watch for pressure signs but load them up.

 

[brobones]

Never loaded the 215's, but got a real good light load with the 225's with IMR 4831. As the charge was increased, the grouping size also increased dramatically. Once I got it loaded hot, the group shrunk to SMOA. The 250's required a hot load before they would shoot well. The 275's also needed to be loaded to max before they would perform.

 

[todbartell]

I load the 215 gr Sierra's in a friends M700 SS 338WM. Its a very light rifle and he doesn't like to soak up all that pain so I load them to 2650 fps with 58 grs H4895. Scary accurate out to 1/4 mile and kicks like a 270

 

[Pathfinder]

Never loaded the 215's, but got a real good light load with the 225's with IMR 4831. As the charge was increased, the grouping size also increased dramatically. Once I got it loaded hot, the group shrunk to SMOA. The 250's required a hot load before they would shoot well. The 275's also needed to be loaded to max before they would perform.

That's also my experience, I use the same powder. A starting load for 200's for woods deer hunting. Max loads with 225's for Moose.

 

[dan belisle]

I use RL19 under a 210 gr bullet, a Nosler Partition. I think at the speeds you can get from that combination in a 338 WM you need a tougher bullet. Depends on what you're hunting though. - dan

 

[Budweiser2]

I also use H-4350 71.5 grains like Big Mike and it performs great with
215 gr bullets.


Straight Shooting

Budweiser2

 

[SteveB]

In my 338's I found that the taditional medium powders such as Re19 and 4350 weren't as accurate as either the faster burners such as Re15 and Varget or slow burning Re22. I found this to be true in about 5-6 338's in my experience. 2 loads that are tack drivers in my rifles are 180 Accubonds, 66.0 Re15, Fed 210 and WW brass. Velocity is about 3000 fps depending on conditions. Second load is 225 Accubonds, 75.0 Re22, Fed 215, WW brass. Velocity is about 2825 fps. Both of these loads have been pressure tested and are under SAAMI spec's. They both will shoot under 1" using 3 shot groups at 200 meters. Steve

 

[Big Mike]

Thanks for all the responses. I am taking it out to the range in the AM to get her sighted. I figure 2" high at 100 should be great out to 300.

 

[t-star]

what really shines in the 338 is the 250-275 bullet weights- lots of whomp and stomp on both ends and if you tag what ever it is properly, it's down for the count- if you use anything less , it's just a necked up 300 mag, which is just an '06/308 on super speed- i hunt the same country roughly as you do, and that's my ticket for elk/g-bear