You hit the nail on the head referencing how Hornady seems to be the only (minus Barnes) one keeping shelves and big-box stores (ie. Midway) stocked with ALL OF THE BULLETS in ALL OF THE CALIBERS. They deserve some recognition for this. I don"t have a lot of success with some of their bullets on some game but I try to find ways to use their bullet lines as to give them the business they deserve.

My 338 win mag with the 200 gr. Hot Core at 2900 is an absolute hammer. Pokes a neat clean hole through em, and I can eat right up to the bullet holes. Been using the same load for over 25 years, and that old Ruger is a dadgum tack driving machine. Still have loads I assembled over 20 years ago, and they're still good as new.

Great video. I would like to second your stance on these bullet companies and their inability to supply the market with bullets. FACT: Weatherby will NO LONGER be using Nosler bullets because of Nosler's inability to supply Weatherby with a consistent supply of bullets. Props to Adam Weatherby and his crew for telling Nosler to "Pound Sand" !!

Thanks for sharing all your years of experience with this caliber. I just got a 338 Win Mag (Muaser action) and am getting ready to start reloading for it. Shooting into water jugs and wet newspapers is no replacement for results from the numerous game that have been shot by you Old Timers... Most people get so wrapped around having to have a Super High BC bullet flying Super Fast that they just have blinders on in regards to TERMINAL (real world) bullet performance. Everyone , these days , wants there KZfaq video killing a deer/elk at 1000 yds. Hogwash... they are too lazy to actually hunt their game and will never post the videos of them wounding animals and loosing them or finding the animals after they have spoiled. The bullet you shoot at a small deer or sheep should be a totally different bullet than you would shoot at a big muley, elk or moose. Again, thanks Randy for these timeless story/info sessions.

Totally agree with your opinion on Hornady. Speer does a fair job but we have been betrayed by all the other manufacturers. Glad that I cast and own rifles that were meant to shoot them well.

Amen brother - hopefully these bullet companies will buck up and take notes

I spent the day calling all the bullet makers, they are pumping them out as fast as they can and Nosler is laying ground on two more buildings, having trouble finding help/workers, and bullet costs have mainly gone up due to the closure of the Lead mine in the "show me state"... copper has shot thru the roof as well. Please give a happy thank you to your E.P.A. Barnes can not make soilds for pelt hunting any longer, except in .366 cal. and above. , due to the A.T.F. So the government in many ways is trying to price you out of owning guns and ammo of any kind. Great Show.

Good info there. I'll have to consider that with other cartridges. I promise I'll quit calling while you're recording. 🤣🤣🤣

Spot on about the bullet manufacturers. Used nosler for 30 years, now I have had to transition to Barnes or hammers.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. Have a great and blessed day

Expansion Industries said they were going to produce primers for reloaders only. As soon as they went live this year they gave reloaders the finger and sold out to the highest bidder. Glad I am well stocked. Where needed I have purchased Turkish and Italian primers.

My 338 Win Mag has a slightly over-sized groove diameter so does best, usually, with open-base bullets like Partitions and A-Frames. They will obturate easier to fill the grooves than most other slugs, especially monolithic ones. While still no tackdriver, it will bring home the bacon as long as I point it right. That was probably Nosler calling. Going to say, "but...but...Randy. Covid..." 😂 Thanks for the vid!

Thank you for your wisdom . I’ve been a 338 win mag fan for 35 years with 225 gr Nosler Partions , they’ve never let me down .

Randy its good to see ur smiling face on videos I enjoy them very much Im also a reloader

Great video i have used the 338 wm with 225 gr handloads for 15 yrs. On moose and white tail here in canada, works great

New sub here. Just wanted to express my appreciation for such an awesome channel. Thank you for sharing your stories & life experiences. The channel is like a video treasure trove of knowledge & wisdom.

I have been using the 338RCM in a Hawkeye for a while now. with the 225 grain Hornady factory loading. I carry it more and more, mainly for cow elk hunting, instead of my 300 Weatherby. A great caliber, with a lot of great cartridge choices.

some more 338s. 338 sherman, 338 rpm. both real close to 338 wm, but with less powder and with .473 bolt.

My ol 700 in 338Winmag has killed lots of game. Antelope to elk. It just flat out works!

Great video! I love my 338s. I have 3 now. I agree wholeheartedly on the bullet availability! I don't know what's up with Speer, Sierra, and Nosler. As long as Hornady and Barnes continue to support us reloaders, I will continue to buy them. They actually make very good bullets.

I bought my Model 70 in 300 WinMag back in ‘93. After a year of reloading, I settled on R22 with a Fed 215, and bullet weights from 175-220 gr. bullets, Nosler partitions, etc. I never achieve one moa, but got close enough! Never missed a deer, never used a second shot. All but one simply dropped, but had one run about30 yards.

I've had really good luck with my .338 R.U.M with Retumbo and a CCI 250 mag primer. 250 grain bullets is what it seems to like best. I couldn't agree more with your comments on these bullet companies. I'm so disappointed with Nosler and Sierra. All those shooting contests to promote their products. Now they can't even post anything on social media without their customers (or former customers) giving them heck over no product. Everyone feels like their shelves. "Sold out"

its the bean counters, and your right about prices, they are crazy

Love my Sako 338 Win Mag

I believe the 340 Weatherby gets the most out of the 338 bore size. Any larger case capacity is to much. Seems like 250 grain cup and core bullets should work fine unless the lead core is to hard and jacket to thick. I would choose a 338 magnum if the 280 Remington and 7mm mag is not enough gun. If a good 35 caliber magnun was developed along with suitable bullets were developed we would probably not have 338 magnums . Historically the most popular American bore sizes were .224 , .308 . And 358. But what do i know . Randy has real world experience. That beats text books and advertising bs by a long shot. With Randy's discussion on bullets makes me wand to go back to the black powder days. Back then black powder could not give the high velocity of smokeless powder. Folks had to rely on large bore sizes and bullet weight for power. Had to get closer to game because of high arching trajectories. Casting lead bullets for the likes of the 45-70 may be an option but brass, powder, and primers are not cheap either and can be hard to find. Lead for Casting may be expensive and hard to get. I reload ammo more than I shoot for friends and family.

I used to buy Sierra bullets all the time cheap, but I lived in Sedalia MO, after they moved out of Norco CA. Now as you said they can't be found. Same for Nosler, their .308 cal Partions, 50 ct a box were $70. Accubonds were almost $60/box, 50 ct. It just crazy

Barnes bullets have found a niche in non lead hunting areas. I swear by the Hornady SST in 139gr 7mm. I’ve shot a .35 whelen, don’t care for the recoil but I figure it’s close enough to any .338 in its parent case

I buy my Swift bullets directly from Swift. Bill told me that it is getting very difficult to get the raw materials, copper & lead, in any timely fashion.

I got to give an amen on the Hornady that's about all I can find anymore

338 win mag was a favorite of Elmer Keith.

Excellent video Randy. I agree completely. I too wish there was more options to purchase. Hopefully they return like I am seeing powder return. I love my .340 Weatherby Magnum. I did have one question. Why did you elect to leave out the .338 Lapua?

Hornady HPBT are notably missing in my area. All of their pricier tipped bullets are available.

My son in law has a .338 Lapua, and he doesn't shoot it due to the cost of the ammunition for it. Last time I saw a box of ammo for this, it was $124.99 for 20 rounds. Most places I go, I see mostly Hornady bullets, and very few of other manufacturers. The problem I have is finding the correct primers. But the price is ridiculous. And powder is hit or miss.

Was thinking about getting a 338 rpm by weatherby.

I have been using Nosler bullets 60+ years and one of my dads best friends was a friend of John Nosler so my dad reloaded then back in the early because he had so much non bonded bullets problems! Just a thought but maybe Nosler is having a hard time getting the materials they need since there is such a big demand with the ears going on! That being said I only buy my reloading supplies when I get a killer deal on them but being retired I am able to wait for the killer deals to come up🤔😳

Graf and Sons seems to have a decent supply of .338 bullets, if you haven't checked lately.. lots of Hornady in stock.

It would be interesting as to the effect of the 250 grain bullets on moose versus the lighter 338's. For example did the 250's not expand in the vitals? I would also like to hear Randy's thoughts about the 35 Whelen and perhaps a comparison with the 338-06.

Agree!

Great video. Randy can you enlighten us on more on using large rifle primer verses magnum large rifle primers in lighter magnum rifle calibers up to 300 caliber? There are some large rifle primers out there but no magnum large rifle primers available. Like the bullets you talked about here. Thank you

I’ve seen moose stand like that with everything from a 270 To a 338-378 weatherby . They stand there for a few seconds , take one or two steps then fall over

I agree. Even up here the shelves are full of Hornady products. The others a few of this and that ? It is sad , I remember having a wish list years ago of what I wanted to try. Now it seems like it’s what I can get.

In my experience the 338 rum with a barns 225 ttsx using either h 1000 or retumbo I can get 3100 fps. I also have 2 338-378's and both of them will drive the 225 barns ttsx between 3370 and 3412 fps. Yes the 338 378 takes 14.5 grns more retumbo. So I'll have to respectfuly disagree that the 338 rum will equal the 338 378 Weatherby with "20 grains less powder".

Randy, Lots of Nosler 225 gr E-Tips were available at SPS last year. Do you have an opinion or recommendation on that bullet as an elk round? Thanks for your great videos.

Mr. Randy, I may have asked this before but I was just curious how/if/where you’re finding magnum primers. It’s been impossible to find any heat in NC there’s a couple websites that seem pretty sketchy and the price is ridiculously cheap. I’m sure you probably had a good supply on hand but thought I’d ask. Keep making these good videos, thanks

Up here in Canada primmers have been gone from shelves for a couple years now. People are selling their stashes for $400 per 1000 large rifle and sounds like this is going to go even higher. 😢

I just found you on Yutube and love everyone I have watched,Hoping you can answer a question for me I recently decided to buy a brown bear specific rifle and decided to go with a 338WHBY ti 2.o back country love the weight and gun period so what would you recommend for a factory specific load?.Thanks for your time and keep the vids rolling.

I have a 35 Whelen AI & can only seem to get 2445fps from a 250gn Nosler Partition out of a 22” barrel. Would you recommend the same for my 35 (going down to a 225gn) as you did in this video for the 338 for use on elk size game?

I’m really interested in the 338-06. Not sure though how much real world difference there is between it and the good old 30-06 though?

Randy, can you talk about the .338 Federal and the .338 RCM in respect of the .338-06?

I forgot to mention that the last box of Hornaday It would not allow the bolt to close on four of my 30-06 rifles that are all factory no mods! Half the box so what’s that all about?

Hornady American white tail 165 grain , only bullet I’ve used . Most things drop in there tracks , none ram further then 20 yards

All of the 338 ammo and most of loading products are being diverted from our gun store shelves and is being shipped to Ukrainian and now Israel. The 338 bullet is also the Snipers favorite.

One thing about Hornady is they have a bullet for everything these days..

How is the primer supply out your way?

Somewhere Bob Hagel is smiling.😉

What do you think and know about the .338 Fed.

What about the 338-378weatherby loaned with a 280gr barens lrx

I'm disappointed. You did not include the three thirty eight federal

what about .338 Lapua and Lapua magnum?

I don't know if its all the company or government regulations that is making it impossible to be profitable. You don't have to do anything with the second amendment. You just price everyone out of being able to buy ammo or components to hand load. Which they seem to be doing quite well. I have a new press but haven't been able to buy primers. Powder, brass,press, bullets, equal nothing without primers.

These bullet companies are trying to keep the price up .... Their thinking is make half as many bullets and make just as much money.....😮

3100 out of a 338 Ackley improved what did you have A 40” barrel shooting at 10,000 feet I call BS !!!

This man is full of misleading information. 210gr Partition is a fine elk bullet but no way it is a good dangerous game bullet. This man offered essentially zero first hand information, and all he did is making up other people's stories.