Advice for new guy? .338 win and reloads

[eburkett]

I'm looking to buy a Savage Hog Hunter in .338 win. Looking for any info from someone who owns either this model or any .338 win. I would be using this gun as a coyote exterminator/ deer gun. I understand .338 may be considered overkill for these but it is what I've got in mind. Also, I'm looking to start reloading since modern ammo is a lot more expensive than the old mil surplus for my mosin. Need a good starting point on a kit or a cheap way to assemble an effective kit for .338. Thanks for any help!

[PlateauNDN]

Wow,  .338 for yote hunting?!  You must really hate them to use that type of weapon on them!LOL. On a serious note, I'm not much help on this type of rifle but best of luck and I'm sure you're going to get some good info.

[Huntbear]

Reloader 19 and 225 Accubond or 210 gr. Partitions work very very well together...

As for the other things...like the press, dies and stuff, you can either buy it piece meal as you find them, and it might take a bit, or go buy an RCBS starter kit and the .338 WM dies, a couple of good manuals, and go for it.

[hillbilli]

for a coyote/deer load you dont really need an accubond or partition, sst's or plain old rem cor-lokt would be a lot cheaper bullet, and plenty for smaller critters..

[SquirrelHunter]

I've got a. 338 winmag Mossberg 4x4 that I take for yotes.  Been reloading the rounds for it for about 2 years now, I save so much money doing that. I shoot a 200 grain winchester ballistic silvertip, 66.3 grains of powder, its a tack driver.

[CAMPMEAT]

I've got nearly $1000 in reloading equipment just to start. Dies, powders, primers etc.

[Jim the Plumber]

Try the Nosler 180 Grain BT or AB. They can from time to time be found on their seconds web site for a great price. The 180's will be flat shooting, less recoil and hard hitting enough for what you want to do.

[beagledog]

.338 win for coyotes , not sure but I think you might be slightly under gunned.
I'm really going to have to rethink using the 204 ruger this year on them

[bobcat]

   yeah that 204 won't blow them in half like the 338 will.

[mebco09]

Dude, you better reload.  Every time I pull the trigger I am sending 3 bucks down range.  The cost sucks, but that round puts 'em down.

[eburkett]

Would the LEE 50th anniv. Kit be a good start? $119 at local Cabelas. I'm looking at picking it up and practicing before I even get my rifle. Good brands of powder to start with?

[Curly]

I just have to ask............why not go with the .308 if you are set on the Savage Hog Hunter?  Not that there's anything wrong with the .338, I'm just curious about your thinking on the cartridge selection (since you don't mention elk, but mention coyote and deer). 

[doublenasty]

Well if to need help reloading I can show you!


Sent by my diesel power awesomeness!!!!

[yorketransport]

I think that the 338 is a great choice. It's one of the most versatile rounds out there. And it will be much less destructive on a deer or coyote than any of the 300 mags.

If you want to just run one bullet for both deer and yotes I'd look at the 200 gr CT ballistic silver tip. They don't make the Nosler BT any  more, but this is the same bullet. It's a great bullet and it's reasonably priced. The 200gr Speer HotCor is a great bullet as well and would work perfectly for deer and coyotes. 

If you want to run the premium bullets, I like the 225  TTSX, partitions, and accubonds. I hit a deer a few years ago with the 225 partition out of a 338-06. Worked perfectly. Small entrance with little meat damage, massive internal damage, and a small exit. The deer just rolled over and never even twitched.

Reloading is absolutely the way to go. It will only cost a couple cents more to reload the 338 than it would a 30-06 with comparable components. Your setup doesn't need to be expensive or fancy. I'm still running the same Lee Anniversary kit which I bought 13 years and more than 14,000 rounds ago. The only parts of the kit which I've replaced are the scale (went to a Lyman after the Lee scale broke during a move) and I bought an RCBS case trimmer. You can be ready to load your first 100 rounds for less than $300.

Andrew

[eburkett]

I want .338 because I plan to visit my dad in GA and actually hunt feral hog. Gotta have a bigger gun than his 30-06 lol