338 Federal Handloads

This is a reduced recoil load designed for use against whitetail deer. I will use the lightest bullet available, the 160 grain Barnes Tipped Triple Shock X Bullet, and I will keep the muzzle velocity at about 2550 fps. This should produce moderate recoil and be effective out to 200 yards.

According to Barnes, "The .338 cal 160gr X Bullet requires a minimum impact velocity of 1800fps for expansion." So expansion will be fine. To get 1500 foot-pounds of energy with this bullet, I need at least 2055 fps of impact velocity. So my downrange (200 yard) velocity must be at least 2055 fps for the cartridge to perform against deer. I need to verify that this load gives me that, and I need to decide if I'm happy with that trajectory.

Using the trajectory calculator, the only way to ensure 2055 fps at 200 yards is to have a muzzle velocity of 2556 fps. If I start out at 2432 fps, then we are at 1949 fps (1349 foot-pounds) by the time we reach 200 yards. We're still good past 150 yards. If I forget about energy, then the bullet will expand at 200 yards if it starts out at 2258 fps.

I guess I should give it the Tim test. I should load up some 2432 fps and some 2556 fps cartridges and then let Tim tell me whether they bother him. If they bother him, then they'll probably bother my dad. Mathematically, the 2432 fps cartridge is about 1/3 of the way between Tim's 243 and my 7mm, and the 2556 fps is about halfway between.

Since I am loading down, my powder choice doesn't need to be influenced by attainable velocity. The two Hodgdon Extreme powders for this load are H322 and Benchmark. If I extrapolate from Hodgdon's data, my target charges are as shown below. However, since Hodgdon doesn't always have the most realistic velocity figures, I will have to measure the velocity before I settle on a specific charge.

Hmm. Barnes has apparently decided to discontinue the X-Bullet. Instead, they now have a Tipped TSX in 160 grain. This is fine by me, because it is definitely an improvement. I will need to re-compute my muzzle velocities, since it undoubtedly has a different BC, but they haven't published that yet.

I also want to develop a full-power cartridge with a heavier bullet that can be used for the larger game in the Upper Penninsula. This means elk and black bear, and might some day include moose. The 210 grain Nosler Partition has plenty of energy in this cartridge and should penetrate sufficiently for any of these animals. Note that there is (or was supposed to be) a factory loading of this bullet in this caliber. I should test it for accuracy before I spend the effort developing a tuned load.