looking for some of yall favorite loads for the 338. I'm shooting the Armalite AR10T. I have been working with mostly TAC powder and Nosler BT, Accbd in the 180 to 200 gr.. Anybody want to share favorite loads I would like to hear from ya
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Re: any 338 Federal loaders out there
I guess no one reloads for it....
I was just researching this round and found your post....Bump for some info....out of just shear curiosity...how about using some of the 300Gr offerings....
I guess no one reloads for it....
I was just researching this round and found your post....Bump for some info....out of just shear curiosity...how about using some of the 300Gr offerings....
Re: any 338 Federal loaders out there
I think that ChadTRG42 does but I don't know if he's done anything with the 300gr pills for that stubby little case, unless you're going for max impact energy from a subsonic round.
I think that ChadTRG42 does but I don't know if he's done anything with the 300gr pills for that stubby little case, unless you're going for max impact energy from a subsonic round.
Re: any 338 Federal loaders out there
Though I have given the chambering some thought, my view is that if I were going to go for a larger diameter bullet on the .308's case capacity, I wouldn't employ half measures. I'd go whole hog and work with the .358 Win. For subsonics, I'd be looking at heavier nominally .38cal and 9mm pistol bullets; because IMHO, a subsonic is simply a pistol round built on a rifle case. ...Or more properly, I'd be playing pretty exclusively with .44Mag/SPC carbines. No need to get more specialized than that.
Greg
Though I have given the chambering some thought, my view is that if I were going to go for a larger diameter bullet on the .308's case capacity, I wouldn't employ half measures. I'd go whole hog and work with the .358 Win. For subsonics, I'd be looking at heavier nominally .38cal and 9mm pistol bullets; because IMHO, a subsonic is simply a pistol round built on a rifle case. ...Or more properly, I'd be playing pretty exclusively with .44Mag/SPC carbines. No need to get more specialized than that.
Greg
Re: any 338 Federal loaders out there
I was looking at the numbers using the 300's and its really not that impressive. If I were to guess (non subsonic) you may be able to run them at about 2000fps, just my guess. If thats the case the standard 308 with 175s deliver more energy at 2775 fps (my load) than this does with the 300's a 2000.....I was slightly dissapointed in that. I was hoping for "Thor's Hammer" out of a nice cheap case and a short action.
I was looking at the numbers using the 300's and its really not that impressive. If I were to guess (non subsonic) you may be able to run them at about 2000fps, just my guess. If thats the case the standard 308 with 175s deliver more energy at 2775 fps (my load) than this does with the 300's a 2000.....I was slightly dissapointed in that. I was hoping for "Thor's Hammer" out of a nice cheap case and a short action.
Re: any 338 Federal loaders out there
Don't short sell a 2000fps 300gr bullet just because of the energy. That bullet will perform in a penetration test like a drill... Big, fat, slow bullets are incredible penetrators and do exceedingly well on game.
Take for instance, the 45-70. There's a guy (and for the life of me I forget his name) who sells hard cast bullets for a living, his championship winning "penetrator rifle" is a 45-70 stuffed full of powder with a 405gr super hard cast lead bullet going 2200fps.
Don't short sell a 2000fps 300gr bullet just because of the energy. That bullet will perform in a penetration test like a drill... Big, fat, slow bullets are incredible penetrators and do exceedingly well on game.
Take for instance, the 45-70. There's a guy (and for the life of me I forget his name) who sells hard cast bullets for a living, his championship winning "penetrator rifle" is a 45-70 stuffed full of powder with a 405gr super hard cast lead bullet going 2200fps.
Re: any 338 Federal loaders out there
I understand what you are saying, just defining energy is only half of the story, its the projectiles ability to retain that energy.
Who makes 300 gr softies?
And what are the weight offerings for the 458?
We are STRICTLY talking about a hunting application.......
I understand what you are saying, just defining energy is only half of the story, its the projectiles ability to retain that energy.
Who makes 300 gr softies?
And what are the weight offerings for the 458?
We are STRICTLY talking about a hunting application.......
Re: any 338 Federal loaders out there
You can cast your own 33's in pretty heavy trim, for a hunting rig only a 338 bullet in a FP or RN is a heavy dose of medicine.
Hornady makes some hard hitting heavies for hunting in 33's and I think that Sierra does as well.
For 458 offerings the sky is the limit practically. Everything from "smooshed" pistol bullets that are resized to 458 through things like 500gr dangerous game solids.
Hard cast lead in 458 is a serious pill to shoot anything with. My dad and I did a bunch of testing with a 44cal wildcat using hardcast 458s lathe turned down to 430. They weigh 460gr and after 2 deer a year for the past 5 years plus a bunch of water jug troughs and wet newspaper he has yet to recover a fired SUBSONIC 460gr bullet. It drills right through, the farthest deer that ran made it appx 50yd.
You can buy 'em or make 'em yourself, even purchasing them, it's cast lead, they're freakin' cheap.
You can cast your own 33's in pretty heavy trim, for a hunting rig only a 338 bullet in a FP or RN is a heavy dose of medicine.
Hornady makes some hard hitting heavies for hunting in 33's and I think that Sierra does as well.
For 458 offerings the sky is the limit practically. Everything from "smooshed" pistol bullets that are resized to 458 through things like 500gr dangerous game solids.
Hard cast lead in 458 is a serious pill to shoot anything with. My dad and I did a bunch of testing with a 44cal wildcat using hardcast 458s lathe turned down to 430. They weigh 460gr and after 2 deer a year for the past 5 years plus a bunch of water jug troughs and wet newspaper he has yet to recover a fired SUBSONIC 460gr bullet. It drills right through, the farthest deer that ran made it appx 50yd.
You can buy 'em or make 'em yourself, even purchasing them, it's cast lead, they're freakin' cheap.
