338 Fed load info needed

[Tikker]

This is a hard round to gather info on, found two sites that give some idea of where i should start but i need some real world experience on it.

Powders listed for this round are on the fast side, IMR 4198, Benchmark, and X-Terminator. But some reviews of bullets people give info with slower powders used. Range of bullets i'm looking at is from the 180-210gr, I have my eye on the SST but may try a SP or maybe Accubond.

[john keyes]

http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp


has a ton of em. 

160 GR. BAR TTSX  Hodgdon  H335  .338"  2.840"  43.8  2579  39,900 PSI  48.7  2814  49,700 PSI       
160 GR. BAR TTSX  IMR  IMR 8208 XBR  .338"  2.840"  46.0  2733  46,500 PSI  50.0C  2910  54,700 PSI       
160 GR. BAR TTSX  IMR  IMR 3031  .338"  2.840"  41.9  2559  41,000 PSI  45.5C  2763  50,400 PSI       
160 GR. BAR TTSX  Hodgdon  Benchmark  .338"  2.840"  45.1  2725  47,900 PSI  49.0C  2894  56,200 PSI       
160 GR. BAR TTSX  Hodgdon  H322  .338"  2.840"  44.6  2761  52,400 PSI  48.5C  2937  61,800 PSI       
160 GR. BAR TTSX  IMR  IMR 4198  .338"  2.840"  38.5  2706  52,900 PSI  41.0  2850  62,400 PSI       
160 GR. BAR TTSX  Hodgdon  H4198  .338"  2.840"  40.2  2756  53,600 PSI  42.8  2884  61,500 PSI       
180 GR. NOS AB  Winchester  748  .338"  2.810"  45.0  2486  40,300 PSI  51.0  2746  51,100 PSI       
180 GR. NOS AB  Hodgdon  BL-C(2)  .338"  2.810"  44.0  2338  34,700 PSI  50.0  2648  47,500 PSI       
180 GR. NOS AB  IMR  IMR 4895  .338"  2.810"  42.0  2373  40,700 PSI  47.0C  2624  50,900 PSI       
180 GR. NOS AB  Hodgdon  H335  .338"  2.810"  42.0  2483  43,000 PSI  47.0  2712  53,900 PSI       
180 GR. NOS AB  Hodgdon  H4895  .338"  2.810"  43.0  2486  42,400 PSI  47.0C  2682  50,800 PSI       
180 GR. NOS AB  IMR  IMR 8208 XBR  .338"  2.810"  44.6  2641  49,600 PSI  48.5C  2811  59,900 PSI       
180 GR. NOS AB  IMR  IMR 3031  .338"  2.810"  40.0  2438  42,500 PSI  45.0C  2705  55,200 PSI       
180 GR. NOS AB  Hodgdon  Benchmark  .338"  2.810"  42.0  2532  47,900 PSI  47.0C  2768  61,300 PSI       
180 GR. NOS AB  Hodgdon  H322  .338"  2.810"  41.0  2514  46,000 PSI  45.5C  2743  59,700 PSI       
185 GR. BAR TSX  Hodgdon  Varget  .338"  2.800"  42.0  2364  43,000 PSI  47.0C  2607  54,700 PSI       
185 GR. BAR TSX  IMR  IMR 4064  .338"  2.800"  41.0  2388  45,100 PSI  45.0C  2584  53,400 PSI       
185 GR. BAR TSX  Winchester  748  .338"  2.800"  44.0  2477  45,200 PSI  49.0  2665  53,100 PSI       
185 GR. BAR TSX  Hodgdon  BL-C(2)  .338"  2.800"  44.0  2386  41,600 PSI  49.0  2597  51,100 PSI       
185 GR. BAR TSX  IMR  IMR 4895  .338"  2.800"  41.0  2342  43,500 PSI  45.0C  2541  51,400 PSI       
185 GR. BAR TSX  Hodgdon  H335  .338"  2.800"  41.0  2460  46,300 PSI  46.0  2679  56,700 PSI       
185 GR. BAR TSX  Hodgdon  H4895  .338"  2.800"  42.0  2456  45,400 PSI  46.5C  2690  58,200 PSI       
185 GR. BAR TSX  IMR  IMR 8208 XBR  .338"  2.800"  44.2  2601  51,800 PSI  47.0C  2721  59,500 PSI       
185 GR. BAR TSX  IMR  IMR 3031  .338"  2.800"  39.0  2410  47,200 PSI  44.0C  2666  60,000 PSI       
185 GR. BAR TSX  Hodgdon  Benchmark  .338"  2.800"  39.0  2416  48,000 PSI  44.0C  2637  60,100 PSI       
185 GR. BAR TSX  Hodgdon  H322  .338"  2.800"  39.0  2447  49,400 PSI  43.3C  2645  59,700 PSI       
200 GR. HDY SP  Hodgdon  Varget  .338"  2.810"  42.0  2264  40,400 PSI  47.0C  2510  52,100 PSI       
200 GR. HDY SP  IMR  IMR 4064  .338"  2.810"  40.0  2224  37,500 PSI  45.0C  2486  48,600 PSI       
200 GR. HDY SP  Winchester  748  .338"  2.810"  44.0  2322  37,300 PSI  50.0  2584  49,500 PSI       
200 GR. HDY SP  Hodgdon  BL-C(2)  .338"  2.810"  45.0  2289  36,900 PSI  49.0  2442  43,300 PSI       
200 GR. HDY SP  IMR  IMR 4895  .338"  2.810"  42.0  2296  41,400 PSI  47.0C  2535  52,100 PSI       
200 GR. HDY SP  Hodgdon  H335  .338"  2.810"  42.0  2389  44,400 PSI  47.0  2606  56,400 PSI       
200 GR. HDY SP  Hodgdon  H4895  .338"  2.810"  42.0  2350  42,600 PSI  47.0C  2597  55,100 PSI       
200 GR. HDY SP  IMR  IMR 8208 XBR  .338"  2.810"  44.0  2504  50,200 PSI  47.0C  2657  60,300 PSI       
200 GR. HDY SP  IMR  IMR 3031  .338"  2.810"  40.0  2316  41,300 PSI  45.0C  2598  57,300 PSI       
200 GR. HDY SP  Hodgdon  Benchmark  .338"  2.810"  40.0  2309  43,200 PSI  45.0C  2584  59,700 PSI       
200 GR. HDY SP  Hodgdon  H322  .338"  2.810"  40.0  2412  49,500 PSI  44.5  2596  59,300 PSI       
210 GR. SFT SCIR  Hodgdon  Varget  .338"  2.820"  41.0  2248  42,000 PSI  46.0C  2503  56,500 PSI       
210 GR. SFT SCIR  IMR  IMR 4064  .338"  2.820"  40.0  2254  42,200 PSI  43.0C  2394  48,800 PSI       
210 GR. SFT SCIR  Winchester  748  .338"  2.820"  41.0  2289  42,200 PSI  45.7  2534  56,300 PSI       
210 GR. SFT SCIR  Hodgdon  BL-C(2)  .338"  2.820"  42.0  2270  52,000 PSI  47.0  2548  59,100 PSI       
210 GR. SFT SCIR  IMR  IMR 4895  .338"  2.820"  40.0  2195  39,500 PSI  45.0C  2482  53,900 PSI       
210 GR. SFT SCIR  Hodgdon  H335  .338"  2.820"  38.0  2267  45,300 PSI  41.7  2469  57,400 PSI       
210 GR. SFT SCIR  Hodgdon  H4895  .338"  2.820"  40.0  2281  41,600 PSI  45.0C  2551  58,100 PSI       
210 GR. SFT SCIR  IMR  IMR 8208 XBR  .338"  2.820"  40.7  2402  52,000 PSI  43.3C  2508  59,400 PSI       
210 GR. SFT SCIR  IMR  IMR 3031  .338"  2.820"  38.0  2267  43,700 PSI  42.5C  2499  57,000 PSI       
210 GR. SFT SCIR  Hodgdon  Benchmark  .338"  2.820"  38.0  2277  45,900 PSI  43.0C  2514  60,800 PSI       
210 GR. SFT SCIR  Hodgdon  H322  .338"  2.820"  38.0  2296  45,900 PSI  42.3C  2511  59,200 PSI       
215 GR. SIE SP  Hodgdon  Varget  .338"  2.810"  41.0  2216  41,000 PSI  46.0C  2452  53,100 PSI       
215 GR. SIE SP  IMR  IMR 4064  .338"  2.810"  41.0  2267  43,800 PSI  45.0C  2468  54,400 PSI       
215 GR. SIE SP  Winchester  748  .338"  2.810"  41.0  2218  38,000 PSI  46.0  2445  48,900 PSI       
215 GR. SIE SP  Hodgdon  BL-C(2)  .338"  2.810"  43.0  2242  39,000 PSI  47.0  2428  47,900 PSI       
215 GR. SIE SP  IMR  IMR 4895  .338"  2.810"  41.0  2234  42,400 PSI  45.0C  2448  53,200 PSI       
215 GR. SIE SP  Hodgdon  H335  .338"  2.810"  40.0  2312  46,100 PSI  44.0  2512  58,300 PSI       
215 GR. SIE SP  Hodgdon  H4895  .338"  2.810"  41.0  2297  43,500 PSI  46.0C  2539  57,600 PSI       
215 GR. SIE SP  IMR  IMR 8208 XBR  .338"  2.810"  41.9  2396  50,500 PSI  44.6  2519  59,400 PSI       
215 GR. SIE SP  IMR  IMR 3031  .338"  2.810"  38.0  2227  42,500 PSI  43.0C  2469  56,300 PSI       
215 GR. SIE SP  Hodgdon  Benchmark  .338"  2.810"  39.0  2286  47,200 PSI  43.3  2487  60,000 PSI       
215 GR. SIE SP  Hodgdon  H322  .338"  2.810"  38.0  2305  50,400 PSI  43.0  2504  60,300 PSI       
225 GR. SFT SP  Hodgdon  Varget  .338"  2.750"  41.0  2149  43,100 PSI  46.0C  2410  57,900 PSI       
225 GR. SFT SP  IMR  IMR 4064  .338"  2.750"  39.0  2148  43,800 PSI  43.8C  2386  58,400 PSI       
225 GR. SFT SP  Winchester  748  .338"  2.750"  41.0  2199  42,000 PSI  46.0  2453  57,400 PSI       
225 GR. SFT SP  Hodgdon  BL-C(2)  .338"  2.750"  42.0  2178  41,800 PSI  47.0  2436  57.800 PSI       
225 GR. SFT SP  IMR  IMR 4895  .338"  2.750"  40.0  2151  45,300 PSI  44.5C  2383  58,200 PSI       
225 GR. SFT SP  Hodgdon  H335  .338"  2.750"  38.0  2166  46,100 PSI  42.0  2378  59,200 PSI       
225 GR. SFT SP  Hodgdon  H4895  .338"  2.750"  40.0  2167  42,900 PSI  45.3C  2445  60,000 PSI       
225 GR. SFT SP  IMR  IMR 8208 XBR  .338"  2.750"  40.5  2283  52,400 PSI  43.1  2394  60,500 PSI       
225 GR. SFT SP  IMR  IMR 3031  .338"  2.750"  37.0  2149  45,800  41.0C  2361  59,500 PSI       
225 GR. SFT SP  Hodgdon  Benchmark  .338"  2.750"  38.0  2150  46,600 PSI  42.8  2365  59,500 PSI       
225 GR. SFT SP  Hodgdon  H322  .338"  2.750"  37.0  2204  52,700 PSI  41.0  2357  60,000 PSI       

 
NEVER EXCEED MAXIMUM LOADS

[trkyman1]

47gr of varget or 748 under a 200gr speer or hornady work for me.

[Tikker]

I didn't even think to look at that site for loads....used it once before but it's been some time since.

I believe I'll give IMR 8208 XBR a try, the velocities its showing for minimum charge weights are impressive.

Thanks for the help guys!

[yooper77]

I didn't even think to look at that site for loads....used it once before but it's been some time since.

I believe I'll give IMR 8208 XBR a try, the velocities its showing for minimum charge weights are impressive.

Thanks for the help guys!

I use http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp for load development.

Their site is the most useful of all reloading data found on the web.  What better then to use the data from the actual powder manufacture, plus it free.  Good Luck.

yooper77

[dpe.ahoy]

Ramshot TAC would be another good one to try.  DP

[jro45]

I have the 338 RUM. and I get all my loads from a load book the name of the book is Nosler
and there is another load page on the web Steves Loads I always start low with those loads

[Lawful Larry]

I just got through doing some test loads with my Kimber 84m .338 Fed. and my numbers are diffeent then Hodgdon's:

160 GR. BAR TTSX  Hodgdon  H322  .338"  2.840"  44.6  2761  52,400 PSI  48.5C  2937  61,800 PSI       

My test loads ran from 45 grs. to 47grs. and my most accurate load was 45.5 grs of H322 with an average velocity of 3012 fps.  So I  don't understand the big difference.  They show only 2937 with 48.5 grs. and it is a compressed load???  Oh well!

[Happy]

I use 47 gr.s  ( max)of Varget in my t3 tikka for the 200 speer and the accubond with Federal Match primers ,308 Winchester case. Find the accubond with the polymer tip does not mar as with the lead Speer tip , coming from the mag into the chamber as much , but they seem to print the same on paper .
There might be other powders that put out more FPS and have more presure , but the varget gets the groups, and goes less to the shoulder than some of the other powders i have tried . Next try the winchester 748 powder for groups .Try going down and a bit more to see what your rifle likes
Tac and extermator are powders not tried since we can not find then in our district .
It is said the 338 likes the 200 gr. bullet for hunting ,while my rifle seems to prefer the 200-215 .
You may gain some speed with the 185, but the 200/215 may then retain some of the thump at longer range .

One shooter uses the Federal mag primer with this load to get the best groups with his Sako.

Note !!you might get different results , but the data is a start since very chamber is indeed different .

[jumpsteady]

I have really only started load development and like 43.5 grains of IMR 4895 and the 180 Accu-Bond. Groups great. this comng spring I am going to start turning up the heat and see what I get.