338-06 Loaders

[Linkerman]

It is a process where you are getting shoulder in correct position when you are taking a casing and altering it in any way into another cartridge. In this case it’s just necking up 30-06 brass to 338-06. Sometimes shoulder might not be 100% to your particular chamber. Normally you could just seat your bullets just slightly into the lands so the bolt face is without a doubt on case and cannot shift forward if the shoulder of your case isn’t close enough to the shoulder in chamber ( headspace can vary). Then when firing pin hits primer case expands, shoulder is blown out to match chamber etc. going from a 30-06 to 336-06 probably isn’t a big deal doing this. But with ackley chamber or fireforming a 220 Russian into a 6ppc, it may take 2 firings to get it 100% blown out.
I would probably shoot all the rounds at least once before hunting with them. Below is why.

I have a 9.3x62 and decided I would buy some cheap hornady brass to hunt with locally on deer etc. then if I lose them who cares. Well I had a round not go off one morning shooting at a doe. I dropped firing pin 2x on same case and nothing. Chambered another round and killed the doe. Called a friend and he told me to check headspace/shoulder. I also fired the rest of the ammo and 3-5 wouldn’t fire. All of those when we checked the shoulders were set back really far, so when the firing pin hits primer primer, case just scooted forward enough and not enough tension back to set off primers. I pulled them down, new primers from same sleeve of primers, same powder right back in it, seated bullets to hit lands and they fired perfectly. Those cases had very round shoulders and after firing you could see the difference. It was apparently a known problem others had with hornady brass I just didn’t know until my buddy told me. That would have sucked if it had been a kudu, or a big buck, etc.

I hope this all makes sense, if it does not, send a PM and we can just talk on phone. Sorry for rambling.
P.S.
shoot the brass before hunting

Excellent, thank you for the thorough explanation!!

 

[fourfive8]

All chambers vary and full pressure firing stretches cases. Be sure to trim after each cycle to about .010” shorter that chamber.

Varget powder, 225 gr TSX with a muzzle vel of about 2500-2525 fps is a very effective hunting load in the 338-06. Accurate with relatively low two digit SD (mine averages about 11 fps). Varget is temperature insensitive and in general burn range of 4064, 4895, 4320 and Rel 12&15.

 

[Linkerman]

Stroke of luck this morning. I went into a local small gun shop and found (1) 1 pound can of Reloader 15 and (1) 5-pound keg of Reloader 15, needless to say I picked up both!! So here will be my test loads starting at minimum and working up.

Barnes TSX 210 grain with 50 grains Reloader 15
Barnes TSX FB 225 grain with 48 grains Reloader 15
Nosler Partition 210 grain with 49.5 grains Reloader 15
Bosler Partition 225 grains with 46.5Reloader 15

Any real-world experience on plains game with any of these load combinations?

 

[DocHolliday]

Stroke of luck this morning. I went into a local small gun shop and found (1) 1 pound can of Reloader 15 and (1) 5-pound keg of Reloader 15, needless to say I picked up both!! So here will be my test loads starting at minimum and working up.

Barnes TSX 210 grain with 50 grains Reloader 15
Barnes TSX FB 225 grain with 48 grains Reloader 15
Nosler Partition 210 grain with 49.5 grains Reloader 15
Bosler Partition 225 grains with 46.5Reloader 15

Any real-world experience on plains game with any of these load combinations?

Killed kudu, gemsbok, impala and zebra with 210gr NP’s over midrange dose of Varget (very similar burn rate to Re15) 2500 fps. Nothing went over 20 yds. Shots from 30m-200m.

 

[fourfive8]

Plains game real world experience with 338-06, Varget, 225 gr TSX load at about 2500+ fps as I described? Plenty. Waterbuck, impala, hartebeest, kudu, oryx, wildebeest. Rifle is Winchester M70 with 24” Krieger barrel, 10” twist. Of the bullets recovered, all showed near perfect petal formation and 95-100% weight retention.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

All chambers vary and full pressure firing stretches cases. Be sure to trim after each cycle to about .010” shorter that chamber.

Varget powder, 225 gr TSX with a muzzle vel of about 2500-2525 fps is a very effective hunting load in the 338-06. Accurate with relatively low two digit SD (mine averages about 11 fps). Varget is temperature insensitive and in general burn range of 4064, 4895, 4320 and Rel 12&15.

@fourfive8
Dang @Rick HOlbert gets those speeds out of his itty bitty 358 win with 225 gn Woodleigh RNSP and north forks and that little round flattens pg with authority with no recovered bullets.
The 338-06 should be putting those TTSX down rang faster than a 358.
Dang then Whelen is sending the 225s down range at 2,900fps with sub moa groups
Sorry I'll stick to the Whelen instead of the pipsqueak 338.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Plains game real world experience with 338-06, Varget, 225 gr TSX load at about 2500+ fps as I described? Plenty. Waterbuck, impala, hartebeest, kudu, oryx, wildebeest. Rifle is Winchester M70 with 24” Krieger barrel, 10” twist. Of the bullets recovered, all showed near perfect petal formation and 95-100% weight retention.

@fourfive8
And here's silly me thinking the tsx were good penetrators but you managed to recover them.
The 225gn Woodleigh RNSP that Rick shot his sable with out of his 358 wasn't recovered. He was annoyed that he couldn't recover a bullet out of any animal because of complete penetration.
Bob

 

[fourfive8]

@fourfive8
And here's silly me thinking the tsx were good penetrators but you managed to recover them.
The 225gn Woodleigh RNSP that Rick shot his sable with out of his 358 wasn't recovered. He was annoyed that he couldn't recover a bullet out of any animal because of complete penetration.
Bob

Oh yah, the TSXs do penetrate! But I’ve been able to recover a couple of them, but only two recovered out of several animals. Both large adults, one a kudu and one a wildebeest.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Oh yah, the TSXs do penetrate! But I’ve been able to recover a couple of them, but only two recovered out of several animals. Both large adults, one a kudu and one a wildebeest.

@fourfive8
The TSX & TTSX penetration is extremely good, I have never recovered one on anything I have shot in Australia. I do find whilst very effective they don't appear to kill as quickly as cup and core or bonded.
A big billy goat I shot with a 100gn TTSX that started out at 3,600fps gave no indication of being shot despite being a just behind the shoulder shot he just stood there. I was just about to put another one in him when his fron led buckled then the back legs. He went down like he was laying down to have a rest. The exit wound wasn't very dramatic but he leaked well from both sides.
The 117gn SST in the other hand usually punches a big hole out 'tother side and they go down instantly.
Bob

 

[fourfive8]

If you want to increase odds of a petaled mono soft point TSX/TTX staying in a plains game sized animal out if a 338-06, use the 210 grain at a little higher velocity (2550-2600) instead of the 225. I try to plan for largest margin for error that ensures penetration so prefer the 225 TSX. Also, that margin for error is handy for unplanned chances like stumbling into a 2000 lb, mother of all eland while hunting a 120 lb impala.

 

[Linkerman]

@fourfive8 Depending on if my rifle will shoot them and no reason to beleive that it wont, Barnes TSX 225 grainer's are what I am going to run with. Would you mind sharing what speed and powder that you have had best sucess with? Thank you!!

 

[Linkerman]

Oops... I missed it above.

 

[fourfive8]

For most plains game the 210 gr TSX will work fine. But, odd angles and hurried follow up shots, particularly for big animals like eland, favor the 225gr. And of course as you stated, any load needs to be accurate. I found the 210 gr a little more accurate out of my rifle than the 225 gr. But, the difference was very small and not significant.

Many powders in that mid burn rate range will work. Years ago I decided to simplify and settled on Varget. It seems to do well in most all cartridges calling for that mid range burn rate plus it is temperature insensitive so no surprises like sticky bolt lift while hunting in field conditions where temps and sun exposure can’t be controlled.