338 Win Mag for plains game

[curt672]

I have used my 338 -- forever and I am old , currently loaded it for my Grandson to use In Africa, using 180 gr acubond for the small stuff with very low recoil. for the bigger stuff I loaded some 265 gr long range Nosler. Tally Hoooo

 

[M70375!]

I have a Model 70 in .338 WM (1:10 twist, 24” barrel) that I plan to take to S Africa next August.
I’ve been shooting Barnes projectiles in most of my firearms for the past several years, so naturally that is what I began looking at for the .338. Swift A Frames will not be an option unless I get lucky enough to catch them in stock or load my own.
Kudu, Wildebeest and Zebra will be the largest animals on my list.
The factory offerings from Barnes (210 and 225 TTSX) aren’t very far apart, but Double Tap ammunition offers a 160gr Barnes TTSX that they claim is over 3000 fps and has 4100# of energy at the muzzle. Keeping in mind that these bullets perform their best at 2,000 fps and above, would the 160gr be a better choice than the 200+ gr projectiles, or am I overthinking this a bit too much?
Any input will be much appreciated.

stay with the heavier bullets

 

[MTNYALA]

I used 338 mag, Remington Safari, 225 Swift A Frames. Eland, kudu impala, warthog, blue wiledebeast, zebra. Worked great! As others have stated, good bullet in the right place will do the job every time. I think a 3006 with 180's would be hard to beat.

There were many safari’s when I only took my .30-06 and 180 Nosler Partition handloads successfully killing most of the African plains game. 3” high at a hunder yards and season at 225. I even used it on Mt Nyala. In a pinch I had some of the old 22O gr Hornaday steel jacketed solids. Good for dispatching wounded game and penetrate hippo shills like a drill.

 

[MTNYALA]

I don't care how you load it, the 35 Whelen is about a 250 yard cartridge. Out to that distance, it definitely has a decisive edge in terminal performance over the 33's. But, the fat, stubby 35 caliber bullets start to fall out of the air past 250 yards. From there, even the modest 338-06 will walk all over any 35 caliber in existence. The various 33 caliber bullets simply fly better than their 35 caliber counterparts, making precise payload delivery much easier. That is a factor that matters very much. The 185 and 200 class .338 bullets can be driven well north of 3100 fps from a Win Mag case and a 24" barrel by any competent handloader. Even driven at the same velocity, no similar 35 caliber bullet can compete. The margin grows wider as the bullets get heavier.

Inside 250 yards, though, the 35 is the clear winner. Which one is better depends greatly on one's hunting style, shooting skill level, and logistical factors surrounding the chosen cartridge.

Truthfully, though, a properly loaded 30-06 or 300 Win Mag is more versatile and less fuss than any 33 or 35 caliber. That's if we are taking a practical approach to ANY of the problems being considered. OTOH, what fun is that?!?

I used a super accurate.35 Whelen the first decade on this century to take 4 moose and 4 elk. Chronographed at 2,525 fps with 57.5 grs of Reloader 15 and Nosler 250!gr Partitions and produced 1/2 “ 3 shot groups. Sighted 3 “ high at 100 yds it was dead on at 200 and 19 low at 300. I stretched it to 280 yds in one moose. The rest were around 200. The elk were all close range in theat spruce and fir jungle called “the Bob” in Montana.

 

[MTNYALA]

Would you feel comfortable using that load on an eland? I may be hunting eland and bushbuck in a few weeks (If my buff doesn't work out) and I'm looking for my "One gun" answer. Thank you, Sir!

I’ve only ever shot one eland. .30-06 and 180 Nosler P put him down.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I used a super accurate.35 Whelen the first decade on this century to take 4 moose and 4 elk. Chronographed at 2,525 fps with 57.5 grs of Reloader 15 and Nosler 250!gr Partitions and produced 1/2 “ 3 shot groups. Sighted 3 “ high at 100 yds it was dead on at 200 and 19 low at 300. I stretched it to 280 yds in one moose. The rest were around 200. The elk were all close range in theat spruce and fir jungle called “the Bob” in Montana.

@MTNYALA
It's a pity you didn't discover CFE223. It gets those 250s up to 2700fps and gives an even flatter flight path and a lot more hitting power. They are still hitting with 2,00fpe at 400 yards
Bobl

 

[MTNYALA]

CFE223 came along about 3 years after I quit hunting the mountains. My .35 Whelen load was developed about the turn of this century. The rifle is a 700 Remington Classic. 22” barrel which was handyI in the bush and in a saddle scabbard. I’m rather old fashioned. Except for the old Hornaday .458, .375, and .308 caliber steel jacketed solids, everything that exited my muzzle was a Nosler Partition.

 

[MHYOUNG 375]

24on48hunting,

338 WM, 340 WBY and 338-06 all will preform wonderfully with the 210 TSX. 338 caliber has been one of my favorites for many years and I've used a lot of different bullets in them. I've come to the conclusion the the 210 TTSX ot 210 TSX is a great choice for anything up to Cape buffalo.

Mark

 

[meigsbucks]

I’ve been using .338’s since the late ‘70’s. I’ve yet to take the .338 Win to Africa, but have taken three elk a couple of mule deer and several other critters with it. My favorite bullet in it is the 250gr Speer Grand Slam (2nd version). The 250gr Sierra totally broke up on a mule deer and I was disappointed in the penetration of the 210gr Nosler Partition. Since I have a limited supply of the 250gr GS, I’ve worked up a load for the 225gr Barnes TTSX with H414 and hope to use it in Africa at some point.
I used a .338 RUM with 225gr Swifts in Namibia on game from Blesbok to Eland. Great results.