338 Federal Loads

[prm]

Anyone else loading for the 338 Federal? Certainly not much factory ammo available. I loaded for, and successfully hunted with the 338 Fed for many years, then hunted with my 6.5 CM for a few taking a bull elk and a couple Mule Deer. While the Creed works fine, I did notice that 6.5 bullets do not create the same immediate reaction when they hit. For the ranges I shoot, the 338 Fed has been much better for me. So, for most hunting I intend to use one of my 338 Feds again.

160 TTSX
51.5-52gn AA2230/BR2/2.81”. 3030 FPS, very accurate

180 AB or BT
47.2 Benchmark/BR2/2.87”. 2768 FPS, very accurate (BTs for practice)

200 Northfork
46.8 8208/BR2/2.77”. 2616 FPS

185 Federal Fusion
47.7 TAC/210/2.77”. 2660 FPS. Mild load, but very accurate (my plinking load)

175 Hammer Hunter
47.5 Benchmark/BR2/2.76”. 2816 FPS. Need to shoot more to confirm accuracy, but seems acceptable so far.

200 AB
48.3 TAC/BR2/2.94 (max mag). 2620 FPS.

210 Partition
50 LVR/BR2/2.77. 2630

This is a start… I’ll be shooting larger numbers to validate accuracy of some older loads. And, I intend to try a variety of powders with the 175 Hammer Hunters and 175 Cutting Edge bullets.

 

[RedRaider94]

Best load I have ever found has been 185 TTSX with 50gr of AA2230 (this is over max and out of my Sako 85 that I worked up to). Extremely fast for the caliber and amazing accuracy.

We worked up to 49.0 grains in my buddies Tikka with the 185 TTSX and not a lot of drop in velocity with similar accuracy.

Should work well on Elk.

 

[prm]

That is a stout load of AA2230! I got a stiff bolt at 48.5 in my Kimber MT (~2840fps). But that bullet was moving right along! I have some 185 CX loaded with AA2230 to try out in my Tikka. Mid 2700s, and accurate, will make me happy. It was 2757 on the one I worked up. Barnes uses 49 as a max (2789), but I‘ve never been able to match their max loads. They are definitely not lawyered down loads.

I did shoot a bull elk with the 185 TTSX. He went ~20’. Worked really well!

 

[35WhelenAI]

Anyone else loading for the 338 Federal? Certainly not much factory ammo available. I loaded for, and successfully hunted with the 338 Fed for many years, then hunted with my 6.5 CM for a few taking a bull elk and a couple Mule Deer. While the Creed works fine, I did notice that 6.5 bullets do not create the same immediate reaction when they hit. For the ranges I shoot, the 338 Fed has been much better for me. So, for most hunting I intend to use one of my 338 Feds again.

Not loading for the .338 Federal however from what I have seen it's a superb round, I could get really interested in it if not for my 35 Whelen AI. Frontal area doesn't get the love it should.

I see the same thing with my 35 Whelen AI vs traditional .270/280/'06. Not just the ones I have shot, but watching many more taken by others in the field.

 

[gbflyer]

I got fabulous accuracy with H335 and 186gr Shock Hammer. Your throat is similar to mine.

 

[RedRaider94]

That is a stout load of AA2230! I got a stiff bolt at 48.5 in my Kimber MT (~2840fps). But that bullet was moving right along! I have some 185 CX loaded with AA2230 to try out in my Tikka. Mid 2700s, and accurate, will make me happy. It was 2757 on the one I worked up. Barnes uses 49 as a max (2789), but I‘ve never been able to match their max loads. They are definitely not lawyered down loads.

I did shoot a bull elk with the 185 TTSX. He went ~20’. Worked really well!

For whatever reason we couldnt get past 49 in the Tikka without pressure signs but in the Sako, everything looked totally fine. I didn't push my luck past 50 grains....

 

[prm]

I got fabulous accuracy with H335 and 186gr Shock Hammer. Your throat is similar to mine.

I thought I had tried that, but I only found loads with 8208. No H335 on hand, I do have some 186 Hammers and quite a bit of Benchmark, which has done well with bullets in this weight class.

 

[prm]

Tried a few more today. Tikka T3X, SWFA 6X. The 160 TTSX and 185 CX loads I tried were no bueno. Back to the drawing board. I do have 180 BTs and 185 Federal Fusions that shoot very well. I’ll use those for practice field shooting.

These worked reasonably well:

200 BT, 51.2 LVR, 2.915. 2667 avg for 5 shots

175 Hammer Hunters
47.5 Benchmark, 2.83 2826 avg. eh not great for accuracy
49 AA2230, 2.83, 2884 avg. Hard to not be happy with that.

 

[Treerat-sniper]

I haven't played with it in a while, but I seem to remember having good accuracy with 200 gr Hornady Interlocks & H4895.

 

[prm]

I haven't played with it in a while, but I seem to remember having good accuracy with 200 gr Hornady Interlocks & H4895.

I was never able to obtain those 200 Hornaday Interlocks but H4895 does work well with 200gn bullets in general. I have used it with 200 Hot Cor, Northforks and Woodleighs.

 

[BLJ]

@prm. What length barrel? Apologize if I missed it. Thanks.

 

[prm]

@prm. What length barrel? Apologize if I missed it. Thanks.

The Tikka is 22.4” superlite barrel. My Kimber MT has a 23” Pac Nor.

 

[BLJ]

Thank you

 

[peaceman]

I just ordered 175 hammer hunters and 186 shock hammers. I like the looks of your AA2230 load!

 

[peaceman]

I got fabulous accuracy with H335 and 186gr Shock Hammer. Your throat is similar to mine.

Do you recall the charge weight for this load?

 

[peaceman]

PRM, I tried the CX's but i couldnt get them to shoot as well as the TTSX

 

[Jon Boy]

Anyone running varget or h4350 in there's? How about lapua palma brass? I have both on hand. Always bugged prm on his builds and loads and the itch to build one goes away and then he posts something like this kimber hunter or tikka sl? Is the LA of the tikka advantageous with the 200 grain bullets?

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[gbflyer]

Do you recall the charge weight for this load?

45-46 grains depending on your rifle.


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[freddyG]

Anyone running varget or h4350 in there's? How about lapua palma brass? I have both on hand. Always bugged prm on his builds and loads and the itch to build one goes away and then he posts something like this kimber hunter or tikka sl? Is the LA of the tikka advantageous with the 200 grain bullets?

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

I did some quick tests of 200 grain hot cors in my montana using rl15. It patterned with any other brass/primer, but lapua palma/cci 450 tightened groups right up.

Next is 160 ttsx, and 2230 in palma brass.

 

[prm]

The M+ mags in the Tikka are very nice. Load to 2.94”. Load a 3rd mag, and carry a 5rd in my pocket. It is very handy with 200 Accubonds/Ballistic Silvertips. H4350 will be too slow. Leverevolution is pretty good with 200s or heavier. Also, Tac, H4895, 2230.

I just ordered some X-Terminator powder to try. I’ve spoken to some reps and heard it is basically the same powder as 2230, but from a different plant. May act different with some cartridges or identical with others. Barnes and Ramshot data are essentially reversed. So, decided to try for myself. Will try the 175 HH, 160 TTSX, and 185 CX. For whatever reason my Tikka doesn’t like the 160/2230 combo. That was excellent in two different barrels on my Kimber. Same with 185 TTSX vs. 185 CX. Kimber loves the TTSXs and the Tikka shotgun patterns the CXs. Very odd. Also loading up 10 or so 175 HH with 48gn of 2230. A quick one shot test over the magnetospeed resulted in 2860ish. If I can get 2850s, keep the accuracy and have nice round primers I’ll be very happy.