338 Win Loads for alaska

[Thebear_78]

I just got a Stainless Ruger 77 MKII in 338 win mag and have been going about getting a couple good loads for it.  I got a box of Hornady 225gr SST to practice with mainly due to thier very reasonable price, costs me less than $9 a box to reload,  but would like a better all around bullet for a hunting load.  So far my short list is the 225 Nosler Accubond, 210 and 225 Barnes TSX, 250 Nolser Partition, and the Combined Technologies 230gr Failsafe.   I really like the looks of the 225gr Accubond, Its extremely high Ballistic Coef. makes it really flat shooting.  I have heard its a great moose/carabou bullet but might be a little light constructed for bigger bears.  What do you guys thing of these bullets for alaskan game?

Here is a pic of the rifle, It has the new style synthetic stock and I mounted a Burris Euro Diamond 30mm 3-12x42.  It gathers a lot of light.  I compared this scope quite a bit with a buddy of mines Swarski 3-12 and couldn't tell that the swarski was any clearer or gathered any more percievable light, I also really like the ballistic plex reticle on the burris and the fact that the crosshairs don't get thicker when rasing magnification like they do on the swarski.  Surprisingly the ballistics of most 338 loads can be closely tuned to the ballistic plex reticle.

[Sourdough]

I've killed lots of Moose with the Nosler 225gr partition, and one with the 210gr partition.  I started using the 250gr partition a few years ago but don't like it as well.

[Don Fischer]

Something I don't understand. Why do you want a cartridge capable of delivering the power of the 338 win mag with 250 gr bullet's then use lighter bullet's throwing it back into the class of several 300 magnum's? The bad thing about the 250gr and 275gr Speer, if they still make it , is recoil. Either of those bullet's would be awsome bear load's and I'm quite sure they'd work well on a moose also. Not much fun to shoot tho. I've owned two 338 win mags and found them overly powerful for any north american game. Yet when used with the lighter bullet's, I could match it with several 300 mag's and get bullet's with better penertating and flight qualities.

The beauty of the 338 win mag is it's ability to deliver absolutely massive power at normal game range's with bullet's of great penetrating ability.

[while99]

I've been to Alaska a few times but have never hunted there.  I use the .338 Winchester magnum quite a bit for elk hunting and I always use the 250 grain Nosler partition or the partition gold version.  It always expands and always shoots the whole way through.  I've never recovered one and I've never wounded and lost an elk.  Like Elmer Keith once wrote "big bullets for big game, I say".

[LongShadow]

I own the same gun and I really do like what it offers in this caliber.  Price is right. Function is great and stainless/syn can't be beat up here!

I think a 225 to 250 grain is a good selection for the .338.  I reload the Sierra 250gr boat-tail bullet.  Have had good success with it and get decent groups with it.

Mark

[AkRvrrat]

It is the same argument about recoil on any.338 and I own 2 of em whether it is a 185 grainer on up to the heavies. Find something that holds together and is accurate - that is the key. Overkill is still dead and their is no beating dead! I do not favor the partitions and have used them still no matter what I do not like about them they still kill. I also do not believe in soft jacketed bullets asI do not like to eat blood shot animals. So I use either a fine Barnes or a Swift, now I have used Trophy bullets and like them alot but they are a bit to expensive per 25 rounds. With heavy recoilers I like  or prefer bullets with a cannelure but that is me. Reloading is still the key.

[Thebear_78]

I was having some trouble with the Ruger in the accuracy department.  I tried a few factory load in it along with my reloads and it would group a few then wander around with a few, group a few wander around with a few.  It got pretty darn infuriating.  So I traded it in on a Tikka T3 laminated stainless 338.  The tikka is easily 3lbs lighter than the Ruger was.  Weighing in at just over 7lbs with the 2-7 leupold VXII its a dream to carry around but kicks like an angry mule.  It was without a doubt the hardest kicking rifle I have shot.  With a limbsaver recoil pad and a Past recoil sheild I was able to shoot 15 times off the bench before I started to get tender.  its really not bad from the standing position, even without the PAST, but off the bench recoil was pretty stout.  It would be just about unbearable without the limbsaver pad and PAST.   Accuracy was good though, with groups of 1 - 1 1/4 for 3 shots at 100 yards.  They started to open up a little bit after 15 rounds but that was my fault for being a wimp.  I think this will be a dandy rifle for up here.

 

[Dand]

Bear - after your body get a whackin, it just starts doing the logical thing - it says no more!  Trying to hold onto a light 338 with serious loads is plenty of battering - especially off a bench.  While working up heavy 220 gr bullet loads in my 300 (which isn't light) I found that over about 15-20 rounds I just lost control of some of my shoulder muscles - they would kind of bunch up and move around all on their own.  I got into the habit of only shooting 10-15 rounds at a session.  Have done up to 40 rounds of 165-200 at a session but my shoulder turned yellow and I got flinchy.  I've worked with some 338s, a 375 and a 458 but the last two only offhand.  Good luck on load development.

[Sourdough]

Factory loads just beat me do death.  I hand load and have tamed it well.  Reduced the recoil and maintained the velocity.  I still have the opinion that even thou you are hunting Caribou and they are easy to kill you need to be armed for bear literally, Grizzlies hang out in the same area.  Hunt bear and you won't see one, hunt something else and you will run across one or two.  I now carry the Nosler 250gr partition with all my .338s.  I tried the Speer 275s years ago and did not like the way they came apart with big moose.  Haven't seen any of those lately.  Now that I think about it, I've still got a full box of those in the garage.

[Thebear_78]

After talking to a few friends I decided to have a muzzle break put on the tikka.  I took it to Accuracy Arms here in anchorage.  Accuracy Arms is owned by Homer Strickland.  I was very impressed with him and what I saw of his work.  It was done two days after I dropped it off.  I was kind of worried how well he could match the matte finish of the tikka, they use a very course finish.  I shouldn't have worried because it matches perfectly, he just had to bead blast the whole thing to make them match.  Not only does it match perfectly, but also the whole guns looks better.  I haven't gotten a chance to shoot it yet but will tomorrow.  He cuts his ports at an angle  away from the shooter that is supposed to limit the muzzle blast.  I'll give a better review tomorrow after I shoot it as to its effectiveness.  Here is a look at it.



close up of the break

[Jim n Iowa]

Bear
The 338 is my favorite rifle. Ruger m77/Bausch-Lomb 4200  2.5x10 scope. I put the muzzel brake on it. I am trying out various hand loads from 200- 250 and got tired of the beating. So far it shows no real preferance, doing 1.5 to 2 at 100. This is ok with me  for now, but their may be the "magic combo" somewhere out there.
Jim

[Thebear_78]

I took it out and shot it today.  Only had 9 shells loaded up but was able to notice a few things.  Number 1 thing noticed was that recoil was reduced by at least 50-60%, it felt like a 30/06 instead of a 338.  I guess I'll have to change the guns name.  I was calling it "The Mule" because of how much it kicked.  Second thing I noticed was that the break had no effect on accuracy, the gun is still shooting 1 - 1 1/2" @ 100 yards, but it is a lot easier to shoot.  I didn't  notice it being any louder than it was before but it did sound different.  I am very pleased with it.

[Jim n Iowa]

When it goes off it blows all the bugs away from you and the bench.
Jim

[Daveinthebush]

I used to do a lot of 12 gauge slug shooting. While my .35 Whelen doesn't bother me, 10 or more slugs get a little tiring.  I finally stole my sons ankle weights, 5 pounds each.

I would place one bag over my shoulder and the other over the barrel.  I also wore my heavy hunting coat.  With the 5 1/2 pound slug gun firmly against the one bag, the recoil was tolerable.  

Just a simple way to take the pain away.  You never seem to notice that the gun goes off when actually hunting anyways.