What is everyone's favorite .338 bullet for elk?

[jonr]

Greetings everyone! I am trying to help someone work up a load for elk hunting and I would like to know what is your favorite .338 bullet for elk?

Thanks for the feed back!

Jonr

[Dirtysteve]

I have only owned a .338 for 6 months now but I am getting very good groups with a 225gr Hornady and 69grs of IMR 4350. I have yet to shoot anything but paper with this so I am interested on how the Hornady's will perform. I have always shot Partitions but thought with a bullet this size I shouldn't need a "premium" unless going after something that will bite back.

[jonr]

Steve:

Thanks for the reply. What type of 225 grn Hornady bullet are you using?

Jonr

[Dirtysteve]

Sorry I should have mentioned that. I am using the 225 gr spire point interlocks

[DesertRam]

Well, I've never shot elk with my .338, but I shot 6 animals in Africa with it using 225 grain Barnes TSX bullets.  I really liked them.  My M70 shoots 3 of them into about 2" at 175 yards (the longest I could shot in my arroyo) using RL19.  I'm sure they'd work equally well on elk.  Give the a try.  Oh yeah, mine likes those Hornadys too, but the POI is about 8" different than the Barnes.  At $20/100 they're pretty cheap practice, especially when compared to Barnes at $76/100.

Good luck.

[Lawdog]

jonr,

I prefer the 225 gr. Nosler Partition in both my .338 Winchester and .340 Weatherby.  Flat shooting, hard hitting and the usual great Partition penetration.  Lawdog
 

[aulrich]

I have to add to the nosler 225 I used them to tip over a cow elk and a doe mulie, It worked great on the elk maybe a touch tough for deer (the doe ran ~150 yards after a close range double lung ) if you rifle does double duty like mine.

[crow_feather]

IMR 4320 and the Nosler Ballistic Tip 200 grain bullet.  One shot drop on every elk I have shot with it.  The last one had the bullet go through the knee and into the body cavity.  I was shootin uphill at the south side of a north facing cow elk.

C F

[Joe44]

sierra 250gr SBT @ 2700fps worked great on the elk, deer, and antelope I took this season.

Joe

[while99]

I've killed four bulls and one cow elk in Colorado, all using a .338 Win Mag with Nosler partition bullets.  I used the 210 on the first bull and then have used the 250 exclusively ever since.  I now use the partition gold version of the 250.  It always opens, always shoots the whole way through.  I've never recovered one.  Also, I've never wounded and lost an elk.

[Lawdog]

I have used my .338 Win. Mag. loaded with 225 gr. Nosler Partitions on elk with great success.  Accuracy was very good grouping around 1” @ 100 yards.  But now I am switching over to the new Barnes TSX bullets and I believe that the 185 gr. should give excellent results for open country elk.  My pre-64 Win. M70 is grouping these just under 1” after a little load work.  I believe that the 185 gr. TSX will penetrate as well or better than the 225 gr. Nosler Partition.  Lawdog
 

[Spyro Andes]

I don't care what bullet weight...  225 or 250 or whatever ...  SWIFT A-FRAMES...  

I hate partitions, they are a 'comprimise' bullet.  The nose is built like a varmint bullet while the rear is like a solid w/ poor sectional density.

Controlled Expansion is the ticket with animals over 500lbs.

Swift A-Frames

[DakotaMike]

jonr,
I hunt big game exclusively with my .338 win mag in a Rem stainless synthetic. To date I have taken three moose and four elk. The only two bullets I use are the 200gr Nosler ballistic tip and the 250gr Nosler partition. All four elk were one shot kills with the ballistic tip, the three moose all required two shots with the partition before they were convinced they were dead. I have never shot an elk over a 100yds and all three moose were taken under 60yds. When hunting elk I use the ballistic tip as stated before but carry three of the 250gr partitions which go in the rifle the first time I cut a griz track. Accuracy is under 1" at 100yds with both bullets with the ballistic tip often having one or more holes touching. I have never recovered either bullet from an animal but at the ranges the animals were taken this is not unusual.
dakotamike

[Dogshooter]

I have taken a half dozen with my 338 and I use the 210 Nosler. Good ballistics and REAL good terminal performance.

[JD338]

I've only taken one elk, used a 338 RUM with a 210 gr Nosler PT. I got complete penetration on a bull at 350 yds. MV is 3200 fps.
My next elk hunt will be with the 225 gr Nosler PT, higher BC and SD.

Regards,

JD338