Finding Reloading Data for old Bullets

[Jim Bradbury]

One of the Senior members at our gun club knows that I shoot a 338 Win Mag. He had been cleaning out/remodeling his reloading room/man cave and came across some bullets that he had purchased at one time for his 338. Since he had sold his 338 years ago he gave me the bullets. Part of which are two full boxes of Hornady 250 grain Flat Point bullets. Understand these are not the bullets that I would use for hunting or even serious target practice. That said I would like to reload these bullets and simply shoot them getting more trigger time in with my rifle. I cannot find any reloading data for these bullets. There are some other bullets that he gave me that I have not found data for yet either. Does anyone out there have any data for these bullets for my 338 Win Mag?

 

[Ben Lamb]

Round nose or flat point, like for a lever action? Pics of the bullets?

 

[Jim Bradbury]

Flat Point bullets, I would post a picture however, the bullets are at home and I am at work right now.

 

[Don Fischer]

My opinion is that a 250gr bullet is a 250gr bullet is a 250gr bullet! What's the problem? It may be that the jacket material is different and might raise the pressure a bit so use any 250gr data and just start low! The shape of the bullet wouldn't make any difference at all. I don't know of any rifle cartridge that has a bullet where the nose of the bullet touch's the bore. That might create more pressure due to drag but I don't think it exist's.

 

[memtb]

One of the Senior members at our gun club knows that I shoot a 338 Win Mag. He had been cleaning out/remodeling his reloading room/man cave and came across some bullets that he had purchased at one time for his 338. Since he had sold his 338 years ago he gave me the bullets. Part of which are two full boxes of Hornady 250 grain Flat Point bullets. Understand these are not the bullets that I would use for hunting or even serious target practice. That said I would like to reload these bullets and simply shoot them getting more trigger time in with my rifle. I cannot find any reloading data for these bullets. There are some other bullets that he gave me that I have not found data for yet either. Does anyone out there have any data for these bullets for my 338 Win Mag?

Jim, I’ve got a Lyman Manual (they used various bullets and powders) from the early ‘70’s, if I can find it! It may have some data on that bullet. If you don’t get any satisfactory info, contact me, and I’ll try and “dig-out” that old manual! memtb

 

[Jim Bradbury]

That is what I was thinking but since I do not have much experience reloading for my rifle I wanted to ask people with more experience than I have.

Thanks,

Jim

 

[Ben Lamb]

The 250 grain flat point is for the 33 WCF. Not the 338 WM. It has a much lighter jacket & isn't suited for the WM velocities. If these are really old bullets, let me know and I'd be happy to trade you some newer spitzers/boattails for the flat points.

 

[Jim Bradbury]

Ben,
My e-mail address is [email protected] Send me an e-mail please.

Thanks,

Jim B.

 

[BuckRut]

Look for a book called "The Complete Reloading Manual for the .338 Win Mag". These little books exist for almost every caliber and they are like little pamphlets with the pages from all kinds of bullet manufactures books scanned and put in them.

 

[BWALKER77]

The 250 grain flat point is for the 33 WCF. Not the 338 WM. It has a much lighter jacket & isn't suited for the WM velocities. If these are really old bullets, let me know and I'd be happy to trade you some newer spitzers/boattails for the flat points.

Those bullets would work well for making reduced loads using Trailboss powder.

 

[Seamaster]

I believe that Hornady only produced the flat nose bullet in 200 grains for the 33 Winchester. The flat nose 250 grain bullet is not listed in any of my Hornady manuals.

 

[Don Fischer]

Use data you will find in any reload manual for 250gr bullet's. Start low and work up. Ya never know, you might just like them. I would not say that about monolithic bullet's, never fool with them. But in cup and core bullet's 250gr is pretty much 250gr. When you shoot them, try to be sure the ground is clean behind your target frame. Then after you shoot them check the ground behind the frame and if they are blowing up going through the frame they will be jacket material laying all over the ground! Min loads in my Hornady manual start ou