180gr 338 Accubond for Deer
 

I'm thinking about trying the 180gr Nosler Accubond as a new deer load for my 338-06. I'll try working up a load and pushing it around 2800fps Plus/minus.

I've used 200gr Nosler BT's in the past on deer with good results but I'm out of bullets and thinking of trying something new.

What do you guys think.

I won't use big game bullets anymore on deer. I shot a deer a few years ago with 160gr accubond out of a STW kicking at 3200fps and it penciled thru. I since changed to a more "deer" bullet like 140gr bullistic tip. Something that would expand faster.

Charlie (mossyoak33) also shot a doe with RUM 180gr accubond and penciled thru without a huge amount of damage. I was kinda surprised.

You'll be ok if you like shoulder shots, but it may be marginal on a pure lung shot in terms of expansion. I've shot 2 deer with the 200AB out of a 300WM, it absolutely destroyed both deer to the point that I've becomed convinced that it's way too much gun for deer but neither shot was a pure lung shot and both shots were out after the bullet had a chance to slow down and work better (200 and 430 yds).

I was afraid that the AB would be a little too much bullet.
I actually tried the deer hunting one season with original Barnes X-bullet. It killed deer but was WAY more bullet than was needed and it didn't have the tissue damage than I like.
I would like to hear a few more opinions before I decide but I'm leaning back toward buying more of the 200gr BT's.

It's not too much bullet, it's too much gun. A 338 is WAY overkill for deer.

You think a 338-06 is overkill? I know guys who use a 35 whelen. Its not packing that much of a whollop.

Bare in mind my sample rating is small when it comes to deer and AB. That said last fall I used my .338wm loaded with 225gr AB's to harvest 2 mulie does. Both where classic behind the shoulder shots, lungs were torn in pieces and neither deer went anywhere but straight down. Exit holes were smaller then BT's for sure but they weren't pencils by any means either. I have also shot 160 Ab out of my 7mm rem mag into a couple whitetails and received good results. My bullet of choices remains the BT, love the accuracy and they have always worked well for me in the past on deer sized game. As I said my sample rating isn't huge with Ab and deer, so take it for what its worth.

In regards to the BT in .338 nosler discounted it for now, however the 200gr is still available under the CT umbrella I believe. Hornady does offer the 200gr SST as well. Seirra gamekings another option??

Good Luck

Claimed MV (2800 fps) is 300-500fps faster than a 35 Whelen. No it's not an absolute screamer, but on closer shots, that's overkill with a 338. In fact it's closer to 388WM velocities than 35 Whelen.

Yes my velocity is generally a little fast than a Whelen but 300-500fps fast, no way. That would mean that the Whelen is only doing 2500 - 2300fps. It might be a little heavy for deer but with the right bullets you get impressive results.

I guess that's why I haven't see any BT's for a while. I think I'll give the Hornady SST a try. The 1st bullet I loaded for this gun was the Hornady Spire Point. Liked it ,but got away from it over the years because the BT's did such a good job.

Thanks for all the input.

An apples to apples comparison, wieght wise, shows a 35Whelen getting 2800fps with a 180gr bullet. I believe you could get 2900fps with a 338-06 and 180gr bullet but most likely I would imagine 2800fps would be the norm.

Where are you getting a 300-500fps delta? That makes no sense.

Even if you compare 200gr loads for each, they would be withing 100fps of each other. And with a 338win mag, which I do have experience with, I can get 3100fps with a 180gr bullet. Totally different animal than a 338-06. You can achieve 18gr more water wieght I believe with a 338winmag.

He must be comparing a 200gr to a 250gr. Fired out of either a 338-06 or 35 Whelen I would expect something in the 2400-2500fps range with a 250 but I have never tried anything that heavy.

That wouldn't be fair to compare the two.

I use a 45-70 for most of my MD hunting these days. I shoot 350gr bullets kicking at 1950fps. Some consider it overkill. But would it be fair to compare the 45-70 loaded with a 350gr bullet to 338-06? I doubt it.

Big bullets, medium velocity is a great hunting combination.

I've had a 45-70 Guide Gun on my Xmas wish list for proably 10 years now but I don't expect to see it under the tree this year either.

That's exactly what I looked up for it. I don't recall the bullet weight as it's been awhile, maybe that is the difference.

Either way, you may use a Whelen for deer but it's still overkill. Like the 338, the Whelen is a great elk round but overkill for an animal on which a 243 does an excellent job without wasting huge amounts of meat. I've shot deer with 200gr ABs in that velocity range and it was just way too much gun than is necessary.

You would be duplicating the same stats as the 30.06 in 180g, so I don't see a whole lot of difference...actually the 06 would be better.

I'm sure both are over kill for deer. I've dropped from 180 to 150g for my .06 deer hunting. And as Spaniel mentioned already, the 243 with a 100g bullet at 2800-3000 is excellent...and easy on the shoulder to boot :)

But dead is dead, so nothing to stop ya with the 180g 338.06, give it a try and let us know how it works out:wink:

Why would you do that? That wouldn't make any sense at all. Any reloader knows that.

I've killed several deer with a 338 WM and 200 gr. factory ammo. The shots were inside 100 yds. The only difference I could see between the 338 WM and an 18-wheeler was the fact that there were no tread marks on the deer. The only reason I used that rifle at all was because I had some issues with my normal deer gun at the time, and I'd just used the 338 for bear hunting the previous week.

If you engage more than 2 brain cells, it's pretty clear. As I said, it's been a long time (years) since I looked up that load and while I remembered the velocity range I do not recall the bullet weight I was looking at.

"Any reloader" does not memorize cartridges they do not shoot verbatim. I swear, if we reduced your post count to the number that actually included any productive information you'd lose 90% of them. All you seem to be informed about is picking fights.

They memorize it if they plan on quoting information. If they have any intelligence at all.

I mean, if you look closely, I have never picked a fight with you, but for some reason you have with me. And don't shoot the messenger, I am not the one giving out wrong information and come back and say "I didn't know the wieght and its been a long time" covering your tracks . Maybe you can go back and show me where my information is wrong.

If I don't know the answer, you won't see me commenting on it. For instance, you won't see me commenting on shotshell loading, or the 17 Javalena. Or bullet Casting. I keep my mouth shut if I don't know.

Spaniel,

Enlighten me.... why is a 338-06 overkill.

No, you don't. You said a bullet has never blown up at the muzzle being over-spun. And you're wrong, and I proved it and linked information. And you slunk away rather than admitting you made an absolute claim that was proven false.

Bottom line is
a) The velocity difference between the two is going to vary based on bullet weight and even powder type used, but
b) My point was a 338 pushed at 2800 fps is overkill, as others have attested to, and a 35 Whelen is as well unless you like eating jello, and
c) You pick fight by being so absurd as to asser that someone is going to memorize every piece of information they might be asked to recall later. Quickly, tell me the last sentence of the next to last page of the tenth book you ever read. It's assinine. If you want to know exact numbers, go look it up yourself. I'm not going to waste time doing a search to make you happy.

A hit from a 338-06 at closer range is absolutely no different from the same bullet launched from a bit further away out of a 338WM or even 338 Lapua for that matter. All that matters is the impact velocity at the range you are shooting. The hunters I am familiar with use 338s at longer ranges but the kills I have seen on anything smaller than elk show the caliber to waste far, far too much meat on deer.

I don't know about you but I like to eat what I shoot. I have no issues dropping animals with much more conservative rounds. Why gut a deer with a big 338 bullet when a 243 or 270 will kill just as cleanly without the wastage?

It's better to be over-gunned than under-gunned but given a choice I would not use any 338 on an animal smaller than an elk and even then only if I planned on shooting over 600 yards.

Oh, that was you. I was thinking "where in the world did this fart tard come from". Now I see why you are all miffed taking shots anywhere you can get them.

Tell you what make you post asking experienced reloadings if a bullet can explode as you said at the muzzle. Do it at accurate reloading. I want to see the responses. It will be funny.

Show me where in your "proof" that a bullet will blow up? I looked thru it. There was no proof, just guessing by bloggers?

The original purpose of my thread was to get input on whether a 180gr Accubond was too much bullet for deer hunting and everyone seems to agree on that point.

It was not to debate your opinion on about the 338-06, which it is obvious from your posts that you know absolutley nothing about. You would be hard pressed to tell the difference between a deer killed with my 338-06 and one killed with a 30-06, 280, 270 and any similar round. A 338-06 or even a 338 Win Mag is not a 600 yard round, even with a 200yd zero both would be a several FEET if not YARDS low. Your statements are ridiculous, maybe you should stick to talking about something you know. When you get some experiance shooting animals with something bigger than a 243 maybe you'll gain some insight into what the rest of us are talking about.

This load for your 338-06 looks like it would be cool...

160g Barnes bullet traveling about 3100fps:s1:;)

http://reloadersnest.com/unverified_detail.asp?CaliberID=70&ID=4813

Is the .338 overkill for shooting messengers? :D

I know it's not what you are asking but a 338 fed shooting 200 speers does an excellent job on deer, I've loaded some 180's but they didn't want to shoot as well. My load is probably going 2500 but the results were good. A double lung on a doe went about 20 yards and the head down looking straight at me shot between the shoulders never even twitched. It's an outstanding weapon even though I mostly carry a 7 x 57 or 308.

You consider a 338-06 and 270 to be in the same class of damage and a 338WM not a 600yd capable gun, and your estimation of their ballistics is as refined as to refer to only by FEET and YARDS of drop, yet you claim to know something here??

So if you admit a 180 is too much for deer you're going to use an even shorter bullet out of a 338? Which one is that? Kind of defeating the purpose of a 338 isn't it? Use it if you want, better than being under-gunned, but show a little less insecurity and accept that not everyone is going to agree it's a great deer round.

"MY 6.5 twist .223 meant for 90 grain bullets, will blow up 75 grain A-Max in midair, if pushed fast enough to make it to 1000 yards supersonic. Fine 600 yard load, though."

"I tried using 55 gr softpoints in my 1-9 twist AR and had a problem of bullets flying apart and not reaching the target at 200 yrds. About one in ten shots wouldn't reach."

Forty seconds searching one forum is all it takes. Apparently you spend too much time pretending to know anything to read what people who actually get out and do the shooting at the range had to say about it? Not to mention those of us who actually push the keyboard back and go shoot, and have seen this type of thing first-hand.

This is the point someone with any integrity would admit their error, but I've seen too many of your posts to believe you are up to ever admitting you were wrong about anything, it takes character to do that and you've shown a lack of that. Go pick fights with someone else, you're good at that at least, putting you on ignore will increase the quality of what I read here.

I stated my personal experience was limited to the 338 and deer, but it certainly didn't resemble anything mentioned by a few here. In fact the damage was no more then the likes of .270, 3006, etc. I wish i would have taken pictures to add to this debate but never thought of it at the time I guess. I will say I lost no more meat (I don't eat deer ribs - so I didn't lose any meat from these hits) and still had to gut my deer with a knife just like all the others. Reminder this was a 338wm with 225gr pills, shots were behind the front shoulders one at 100 and the other 250ish on ave. sized does. I wouldn't hesitate to use it again. Wait....maybe going out sunday? Think I'll tote the 338wm and 7mm rem mag in case I get a chance on mulie does(have 2 tags)?? Get 1 with each for a side by side...hum! I'm sure some will think I'm overgunned with either though! Oh well my choices are based on well my opinions/experience and frankly thats all that matters! I also don't like vanilla icecream...I know crazy hey..lol

Believe it or not, bullet type does effect the results you get.
If I wanted minimum meat damage I would try to find a nice FMJ.
Ballistics... geeze, I've never said the energy levels of a 270, 338-06 and 338WM are the same or even close for that matter. However the trajectory of all 3 are similar. Unless you fine tune a load and rifle, you have almost no chance of hitting anything at 600yds with a 270, 338-06 or even a 338WM.

Who said I was going to use a shorter, which I assume that you mean lighter, bullet than a 180. That's why I speciffically asked about the 180gr Accubond and not a general question. I haven't used them before in any caliber. LaneNebraska offered the info on the 160gr, not me. No harm in him or anyone adding useful and alternative information to a thread.

Have you actually shot anything with a 338-06 or anything similar and a 270 on which to base your opinions.

Those 338's sure make the whole field dressing job easier :)