[beartracker]

Will have a custom 340 Weatherby Magnum on the way some time this coming March of 2010.

 

[zb338]

The .338 caliber guns are great game killers. I don't care what
anyone says about all sorts of different calibers. I shoot a .338 Win.
and my son has a .340 Weatherby with a muzzle brake. He has shot
lots of big game with his rifle. I have only shot elk and mule deer
with the .338 and I have a friend who shoots a .338 in Wyoming.
He has had very good success as well. Good luck with your new
rifle. I don't think you are going to need it though. It will come through
for you.
Zeke

 

[BarkBuster20]

i shot a spike elk a month or so back, using 225 gr partitions, on a follow up shot it was directly facing away from me, i shot it right at the base of the tail, and had the bullet exit out the neck, only blood shot was on the neck. Was using 338 WM at about 20 yards.

 

[Tang]

My Sendero will definetly change over to a .338 as soon as funds allow again. Im going to do a Shilen 26" Sendero Contour, .338 Edge, and have my action blue printed.

 

[nimrod375]

That should be a nice rifle in one of the "good" weatherby chamberings. (Sorry not a weatherby fan, but I like the .340). Just wondering, did the lead core come out of that partition bullet? It looks like an empty cup in the top there, or did it hold together at the partition? And did you weigh it afterwards? I'm thinking of running partitions in my .270, choice is between them and Woodleighs which I know are good performers.

 

[Tang]

Nimrod, definetly dont overlook Berger. I hate to sound like a rep for them here lately, but they are performing great for everyone I have asked. More and more people are using them because of their BC's, and great accuracy. My 210gr Hunting VLD's have a BC of .631.

 

[MikeG]

That should be a nice rifle in one of the "good" weatherby chamberings. (Sorry not a weatherby fan, but I like the .340). Just wondering, did the lead core come out of that partition bullet? It looks like an empty cup in the top there, or did it hold together at the partition? And did you weigh it afterwards? I'm thinking of running partitions in my .270, choice is between them and Woodleighs which I know are good performers.

The front core is gone, that is normal for a Partition.

 

[nimrod375]

That's impressive performance alright. I didn't realize it was normal for Partitions to shed the front half of the core. Always thought bergers were a match grade target bullet, do they make a controlled expansion hunting projectile as well?

 

[Tang]

That's impressive performance alright. I didn't realize it was normal for Partitions to shed the front half of the core. Always thought bergers were a match grade target bullet, do they make a controlled expansion hunting projectile as well?

The front part of a Berger will fragment, then the rest expands. They make a Target only bullet, and a Hunting VLD.

www.bergerbullets.com

Hunting Bullets

The Hunting bullet line is proving to be the most lethal big game hunting bullets available. All of our Hunting bullets are made in the VLD design. The VLD design incorporates a sharp nose that allows the bullet to penetrate 2” to 3” before it starts to expand. After the bullet starts to expand it will shed 40% to 85% of its weight as shrapnel into the surrounding tissue (internal organ). The combination between the shrapnel and the hydrostatic shock produces a massive wound cavity within the vital area (internal organs) that will be 13” to 15” long. This massive wound cavity results in the animal dropping fast since most go into shock after such a tremendous blow. Those animals that don’t go down immediately will soon succumb to blood pressure loss and/or organ failure producing a quick ethical kill. Our bullets don't poke through like an arrow (high weight retention, deep penetration bullets) but instead dump their energy where it is most effective, inside the animal. Using the Berger VLD will result in an animal that goes down fast so you can enjoy the results of your hunt without having to track the wounded animal after the shot. You owe it to yourself to see how accurate and deadly the Berger Hunting VLD will be on your next hunt. To order a free 30 minute video that provides more detail on the bullets, cartridge and velocity used to take several animals at a variety of ranges call 714-447-5456.

Tons of good info and reviews on the Bergers at longrangehunting.com . Those guys are the reason I chose to give them a try. They are known for their accuracy and BC's, so thats a huge bonus for me. Having a 210gr bullet with a .631 BC is nice. I think that puts my .300 Ultra Mag in the Brown Bear class for sure.

 

[nimrod375]

That's interesting Tang, but I think after reading that, those Bergers might be best off when used in a large- calibre-for-the-game-being-hunted type rig. The fact that they shed up to 85% of their weight worries me, if you're not starting out with a lot to begin with, say a 130gn .277.

I like a bullet that expands on the nose and drives right through. That way, I can drill them from quartering angles if I have to, and if I get a close shot in the scrub I still get good penetration.

By the sounds of it for shooting deer sized game at long range with something like a .338 Lap mag or the aforementioned 340 weatherby, when you have a lot of bullet weight for the game to begin with, they'd be great. But I think any sort of VLD design would be wasted on the ranges I hunt. The partition seems to work well but I think for my next batch of .270 fodder, I'll get Woodleighs. They're made here locally and generally the PP exhibits about 90% weight retention or better.

 

[Tang]

I will look around, Im curious about the smaller calibers myself.

 

[Saskshooter]

Tons of good info and reviews on the Bergers at longrangehunting.com . Those guys are the reason I chose to give them a try. They are known for their accuracy and BC's, so thats a huge bonus for me. Having a 210gr bullet with a .631 BC is nice. I think that puts my .300 Ultra Mag in the Brown Bear class for sure.

I don't understand why a high B.C. makes it a "Brown Bear class" bullet. Why do you regard it so?

I have always valued Sectional Density over B.C. when it comes to terminal ballistic performance, and would not consider anything less than 250 grains in the .338's for the biggest bears. B.C. to me is about retaining velocity at long range and flattening trajectories as a result, but a high B.C. is not important at big bear ranges. Sectional Density is essential for penetration.

 

[Tang]

I don't understand why a high B.C. makes it a "Brown Bear class" bullet. Why do you regard it so?

I have always valued Sectional Density over B.C. when it comes to terminal ballistic performance, and would not consider anything less than 250 grains in the .338's for the biggest bears. B.C. to me is about retaining velocity at long range and flattening trajectories as a result, but a high B.C. is not important at big bear ranges. Sectional Density is essential for penetration.

I just meant it makes shots easier to make, with less compensation. Dont read so much into it...lol

 

[Tang]

Tang, with all due respect for your passions and your shooting ability and my respect for you as a gun lover, I would never use a Berger of any size on a brown bear especially a full grown male. It is not the bullet to use. Have you ever been in the presents of a big brown and taken him. It will change your mind in a heart beat about using a Berger on a Brown. Now If someone told you they did or that it was ok to use and recommended the use of one on a Big Brown, I say up front and with no apology "THEY ARE FULL OF IT"!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, I doubt I will ever have a chance to go myself. When it came down to it, if I were to use my .300 RUM, I'd load it with a 220gr Partition Semi-Spitzer. On paper (I know what thats worth, yes), it gives great ballistics wayyy down range.

But in all reality, if I were getting ready for a Brownie hunt, I'd probably snatch me up a M77 MKII in .458 Lott. That should do it

 

[Saskshooter]

I just meant it makes shots easier to make, with less compensation. Dont read so much into it...lol

And just how far away do you intend to shoot at brown bears?

Inside 250 yards, which I would consider too far to shoot at a big bear with anything, ballistic coefficient is completely irrelevant, while the improved sectional density of heavy for caliber bullets would become very important in a .338 class of cartridge. I'm not reading "so much into it". When thinking about using any bullet on any game, such questions are the whole point.

The sectional density of a 250 grain .338 bullet is an excellent .313 while a 210 grain has a S.D. of only .263. If you think that difference is not worth thinking about when shooting large dangerous game such as brown bears, you need to read about what sectional density means, and how important it is to terminal performance on game.

I asked the question because your concern about B.C. as a measure of effectiveness on game is not really important, and, at the same time, you are ignoring a very important aspect of bullet choice that contributes to the usefulness of your .338 rounds on large game.

Many times I have said that magnums need heavy for caliber bullets to reach their full potential. Sectional density is a large part of the reason.

 

[Tang]

The sectional density of a 250 grain .338 bullet is an excellent .313 while a 210 grain has a S.D. of only .263. If you think that difference is not worth thinking about when shooting large dangerous game such as brown bears, you need to read about what sectional density means, and how important it is to terminal performance on game..

A .308, 210gr has a SD of 0.31624 per Point Blank Software

Sectional density of 0.316 with a bullet weight of 210 and diameter of .308". Per Beartooth Bullets calculator.

 

[Saskshooter]

A .308, 210gr has a SD of 0.31624 per Point Blank Software

Sectional density of 0.316 with a bullet weight of 210 and diameter of .308". Per Beartooth Bullets calculator.

Sorry. My mistake. Didn't see the .30 cal. note and thought we were talking about .338 cal bullets.

The sectional densities of any .30 cal over 200 grains are very good. That is why the 220 grain loads in the old .30-06 are so effective on big game at close range. They have a S.D. of over .330 that would put them into big bear load range, although they have very poor Ballistic Coefficients.

 

[Tang]

Sorry. My mistake. Didn't see the .30 cal. note and thought we were talking about .338 cal bullets.

The sectional densities of any .30 cal over 200 grains are very good. That is why the 220 grain loads in the old .30-06 are so effective on big game at close range. They have a S.D. of over .330 that would put them into big bear load range, although they have very poor Ballistic Coefficients.

Sask, as I told Mike, I would probably use a 220gr Partition, or atleast a 200gr Accubond if I were to go after Brownies with my .300 RUM. But I would rather have the .458 Lott I mentioned above.


As far as Berger's go, they are working on a 250gr .338 Bullet now.

 

[BarkBuster20]

Final Component Adjustment

I have decided to use the following components when my custom 340Wby arrives.

Powders - IMR4350, IMR7828, H4350, H4831, RL-22, RL-25

Bullets - Sierra 215gr GK, Sierra 250gr GK, Hornady 200gr SST, Nosler 200gr Acc, Nosler 210gr Partition, Nosler 250gr Partition, Nosler 250gr Accubond.

Brass - Weatherby

Primers - Fed 215, CCI250, Rem 9 1/2M

I like the 250 grain nos partitions in my .338 WM, but i have not had a chance to test on elk or bears yet, not really any reason to after the performance i got out of the 225 gr partitions, maybe spring bear will be the excuse i need.

 

[Tang]

I plan to try some 200gr Partitions in my .300 RUM too. A 250gr Partition in a .338 RUM would be one bad *** piece of hardware.