.338 loads for deer

[Maplicito]

Now that I've had my initial fun with reloading, and am a lot more comfortable with it, I want to get a head start on finding a load for deer.  I MAY have a more suitable gun by deer season, but I'm not counting on it, so that means I get to prepare to use my .338 win mag.  So, never having hunted before, I'm looking for advice on finding the appropriate loads.

I'll be hunting for meat, so keeping meat damage as low as possible is definitely a plus.  I guess a good place would be choosing a suitable bullet - I have zero knowledge of what a good bullet for the purpose is.  So, I guess I might as well list off what I already have.

Bullets:
300 grain Sierra Matchking bullets
250 grain jacketed Hornady bullets

Powder:
IMR4831 and Reloader 19.

I've got nothing against getting different powder or bullets if what I have isn't appropriate.

My understanding is that it's the bullet speed that really damages the meat.  Is that true?  If so - is it better to use a heavier bullet to try and slow things down?  If this is not the case, and ligher bullets are better - should I be getting something like a Speer 160 grain?

If the components I have are adequate - would you suggest just loading to the recommended starting loads in my manuals?  A liittle hotter?  A reduced load?

Thanks in advance for any advice, and thanks for being ever patient with a new reloader 

[AtlLaw]

Some time ago I started looking around for a deer bullet to use with my 338/06.  I tried the 180 gr. Nosler BT and really liked it.  Of course they promptly discontinued that bullet!     But a was able to find a couple of boxes so I have a lifetime supply.  Well maybe... I was loading them to around 2750 fps (as I remember) but Tim, the moderator over on the H&R forum, pointed me to a load using 180 gr. bullets and BL-C(2) that hits 3K!  I got to try that out!

[EsoxLucius]

The .338" 210 grain Nosler Partition loaded to 2900 fps works well for deer.

[Maplicito]

Maybe I'll have to look at getting Nosler partitions.  So... 2900 fps isn't too fast, and isn't going to cause excessive meat damage?  Right now I'm just a keyboard jockey, so I only know the things I read.  If you figure that's a good load though, maybe I'll have to give 'er a try.  AtlLaw - if you give that load a try, let us know what you think!  Thanks guys.

[Emmett]

   Well, I've tried the Nosler 210 Partitions in my .338 (Win.70 XTR) and just can't get them to shoot decent. I've run thru IMR4350 and RL 19 so far and am going to try IMR 4831 next If that doesn't work, I'm going to switch bullets. I killed several deer with this gun shooting Win. factory 200 gr. loadings, and for the fact that there were no truck tire marks on the deer, the effect was the same. Good luck in your search...all guns are individuals, and yours may like them just fine.

[Cheesehead]

I have no experience with the 338 but a friend of mine uses it exclusively for deer. He uses a 250 grain bullet and claims total penetration on any deer at any angle, I believe him. The 300 grain bullet might be more recoil and bullet weight than you need. I would stick with the 250 grain bullets you have and experiment with your existing powders. If the starting recommended charge is accurate, I would go with that, no need for maximum charges. Good luck.

Cheese

[Lone Star]

The problem with many bullets designed for the .338 Magnum is they are pretty tough for lower velocities and fail to expand well, sometimes acting like solids.  And yes, more velocity usually means more meat damage.  I don't use my .338 WM for deer - have a perfectly good .338-06 for that, and in the latter I use the Speer 200-grain SP.  This bullet expands well on deer at muzzle velocities between 2600 and 2750 fps without much meat damage, yet it kills quickly.  A problem with thougher bullets is that they will penetrate a deer (no surprise since they were designed for moose and bear) but may do too little damage for a quick kill.  In your .338 you can load the 200s to around 2600 fps with 72 grains of Reloder 19, and it will kill just as well as any .30-06 with less meat damage.


.

[Mohawk]

   Years ago I used a Model 70 .338 and changed to a .30-06 and .243 due to the damage was horrific with the .338. Fine for bears but seemed too destructive for whitetails. I was using factory Winchester 200gr soft-points. On a good note, they did not go very far at all.

[moosie]

Sierra will tell you that their MatchKing bullets are not designed for hunting which suggests that they might not hold their weight after impact.  A splattered bullet will damage more meat than the air shock from speed
Mooise

[Questor]

Instead of using a heavier bullet, I'd use a light bullet then use a load that is relatively light so I get decent velocity without the magnum recoil and velocity and meat destruction.