Bullet suggestions for 338LM for hunting at 500m+

[Desperatezulu]

Hi everyone,

I am looking for some bullet suggestions for a 338 Lapua Mag used to hunt plains game at 500m+.
Scenar 300gr have been used and proven to be far too fragile to penetrate and kill animals effectively.

The thinking is to try lighter monos in the 250-270gr range (the rifle is a TRG with 1 in 10" twist, so bullet length is a consideration)

List so far is Peregrine VLR4 in 248gr and 270gr, Sustac 257gr and 272gr and Balistix 250gr. Hopefully the HP designs will facilitate the bullet expanding at 1800-2000f/s impact velocity.

Any other suggestions on bullet choice? Bergers?

What bullets are 338 long range hunters using successfully?

[tripodmvr]

338 Lapua Magnum 300gr Elite Hunter Rifle Ammunition

Berger’s 338 Lapua Magnum 300 Grain Elite Hunter rifle ammunition was designed with long range and large game hunting in mind. The 338 Lapua Magnum cartridge was designed to have an effective range that exceeds a mile in military scenarios and picked up popularity for it’s reliable capabilities. With large Rifle Bullets being shot at high velocities, this cartridge quickly became a favorite for long range and big game hunting, even being used for dangerous game hunting.

The 338 Caliber 300 Grain Elite Hunter utilizes Berger’s industry-leading hybrid ogive, which blends tangent and secant designs to optimize efficiency, reduce wind-drift, and minimize sensitivity to seating depth. The 300 Grain weight allows for a higher BC at the cost of velocity over our 250 grain offering. Both hunting offerings are built using our J4 Precision Hunting Jackets, which are a thinner Rifle Bullet jacket that is designed to penetrate into the animal 2-3″ before rapidly expanding, dumping the majority of its energy inside the animal in a way no other Rifle Bullets do.

We load this round with premium 338 Lapua Magnum brass, a temperature stable powder, and a match grade primer to ensure that the round will perform exactly as expected in varied temperatures and altitudes. Whether you are hunting large game or at extended distances, this round is an excellent choice.
Distance (yds) Velocity (fps) Energy (ft-lb) Drop (inches)
Muzzle 2725 4947 -
100 2615 4556 1.79
200 2507 4189 0
300 2402 3845 -7.31
400 2300 3524 -20.64

[Lapua]

I 2nd the Elite hunters but they are hard to find. I have had good results with 285gr Hornady HPBT bullets. Always have good sized exit wounds. About the size of a R5 coin.

[Capt. Yoda]

Elite Hunter is n harde koel maar n 300gr is darem al klaar n groot stuk lood wat die bok tref. Kyk na Hornady se Elds

[Desperatezulu]

Thanks for the suggestions - so no love for any monos then?

Elite Hunter is n harde koel maar n 300gr is darem al klaar n groot stuk lood wat die bok tref. Kyk na Hornady se Elds

A 300gr Scenar is also a big chunk of lead. But failing to penetrate a springbok's shoulder at 500m suggests a tougher bullet is needed. No idea why they failed.

dumping the majority of its energy inside the animal in a way no other Rifle Bullets do

Unfortunately marketing crap like this does little to generate credibility. Hunting dangerous game with a <375 calibre using a bullet that falls apart after 2-3 inches of penetration can't convince anyone

If the Elite Hunter is the recommended option then we'll give it a try.

Thanks for the input!

[henk.spioenkop]

Wow. Not penetrating a springbok's shoulder at 500m?


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[Arnold]

But failing to penetrate a springbok's shoulder at 500m suggests a tougher bullet is needed. No idea why they failed.

Baie interessant! Ek het onlangs 'n Elandjie met 'n 250gr Scenar op so 150m van voor deur die nek geskiet (bok was effe gedraai en ek het oor 'n man se skouer geskiet so skootplasing was nie 100% nie). Daai koeëls skiet ek teen 'n rustige 3030fps so impaksnelheid moes hier by 2800 fps gewees het.

Ek het nie hewig onderskoek ingestel na die skoot plasing nie want die bok het op die plek geval. Wat ek wel kan noem is dat die uitgangswond definitief groter as koeël diameter was en die koeël het nog 'n streep (vel gesny) op die bok se lyf getrek soos hy verby vlieg.

[Hercules Louw]

I started with 250gr Berger Elite Hunter in my 338 Win Mag, but at impact velocities below 2200ft/s they failed to open on springbuck. This resulted in pin-hole wounds and even with a proper lung shot the springbuck still shows you the farm. At closer distances the bullets self-destruct with a lot of meat damage, all-or-nothing type of result. Because of the above experience I changed to 285gr Hornady ELD-M and they worked 100% better. They never failed to open, even if they slipped between two ribs of a springbuck at impact velocities below 1800ft/s. I have shot springbuck, blesbuck, kudu and gemsbuck with these bullets and the only time I managed to retrieve a bullet was after 'n frontal head shot on a blesbuck ram where the bullet penetrated through about 300mm of head and neck vertebra to be found under the skin far down the neck.

If I must start over today, I will probably choose the 265gr Nosler Accubond Long Range bullet. They are tough, have a reasonably high bc of .732 and open reliably at low impact velocities. The lower bullet weight will result in higher muzzle velocities and therefore a flatter trajectory which is helpful if ranging is 'n but uncertain if the buck is in tall grass. The Nosler 265gr ABLR offers a good balance between weight, velocity, BC, trajectory, integrity, and reliable low velocity expansion.

You can also look at the 270gr Hornady ELD-X.
I will not choose a mono metal bullet since their bc's are generally lower and they do not open reliably at low impact velocities.

[Wouter Roets]

Desperaat

Daar is n besending Barnes 280gr LRX wat inkom.

Groetnis
Wouter

[Desperatezulu]

Thanks guys - great input!

Wow. Not penetrating a springbok's shoulder at 500m?

Yes sir! 5 animals shot at 500-600m with the Scenars (gemsbok, hartebees, springbok) and all 5 hit squarely in the engine room/shoulder and all 5 needed a second killing shot. Post mortem showed thin copper shrapnel and no lead chunks were identified (skinners may not have known what to look for) Nothing resembling a bullet or part thereof was found. In two cases the shrapnel did penetrate the chest cavity but the other three just had gaping shoulder wounds.

If I must start over today, I will probably choose the 265gr Nosler Accubond Long Range bullet. They are tough, have a reasonably high bc of .732 and open reliably at low impact velocities. The lower bullet weight will result in higher muzzle velocities and therefore a flatter trajectory which is helpful if ranging is 'n but uncertain if the buck is in tall grass. The Nosler 265gr ABLR offers a good balance between weight, velocity, BC, trajectory, integrity, and reliable low velocity expansion.

You can also look at the 270gr Hornady ELD-X.
I will not choose a mono metal bullet since their bc's are generally lower and they do not open reliably at low impact velocities.

Thanks, Hercules - I didn't think of the ABLR. Not sure how easy they will be to find in stock but will consider them if they can be found!

Daar is n besending Barnes 280gr LRX wat inkom.

Sounds good - any idea of roughly when and who will stock them?

Really appreciate all the suggestions and guidance from everyone! Thank you!

[Hercules Louw]

https://brothersarms.co.za/product/338- ... 5gr-x-100/

https://zimbi.co.za/product/barnes-bull ... lrx-bt-50/

[henk.spioenkop]

It is not that the "Wow" was a not believing wow, just a wow as in amazed at this.


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[Desperatezulu]

I'm with you, Henk!
A 300gr lead ball impacting at 2000f/s should penetrate and kill most animals. So that Scenar must be falling apart badly.
Or these Karoo springbok are having their spoonful of cement in the morning! Ha ha!

[Hercules Louw]

Maybe that springbuck was so far that the Scenar only hit it after the second or third hop...

Did you see the link above, I located 265gr Noslers for you, and 265gr Barnes, but their bc is too low.

[Desperatezulu]

Maybe that springbuck was so far that the Scenar only hit it after the second or third hop...

Did you see the link above, I located 265gr Noslers for you, and 265gr Barnes, but their bc is too low.

Ha ha! I did see the 265s - many thanks! WIll start searching for 300gr ABLRs and the 280gr LRXs

[Wouter Roets]

Desperaat

Kontak vir Geno hier op die forum, hy sal jou kan help met die Barnes as hulle inkom.

Groetnis
Wouter

[Drenalinjunkie]

I hunt with my 338LMAI A LOT!

Last weekend I shot two zebra, a bushbuck and a blesbuck with my 338. I've also shot numerous eland (some massive bulls), lots of zebra, large kudu bulls, waterbuck bulls, blue wildebeest bulls and a fair amount of smaller game. Most of them have been shot with Hornady 285gr ELD-M's and to date I have not had a single failure or a wounded animal. The bullet does break up to a degree but it is a large piece of lead smacking the snot out of the game.

I've also shot some Zebra with Hornady 300gr A-tips which have performed even better than the 285gr ELD-M's for me. Shots have varied from 70m out to 980m. The bullets have always performed as expected.

[Drenalinjunkie]

Some of the game taken with my 338's.