338WM ready for Africa

[TheRealHorskin]

Spent time today loading for my plains game safari next month in Eastern Cape RSA.

Sako L61R 338WM
New Winchester brass
Winchester LRM primers
210 gr Barnes TTSX
68.5 gr IMR 4350
2810fps


100yd sight in

 

[shootist~]

That should work!
Is it a new load or something you have used before?

 

[Bert the Turtle]

Spent time today loading for my plains game safari next month in Eastern Cape RSA.

Sako L61R 338WM
New Winchester brass
Winchester LRM primers
210 gr Barnes TTSX
68.5 gr IMR 4350
2810fps


100yd sight in
View attachment 603836

View attachment 603837

That will do! Are you planning to bring it up a couple inches at 100 or do you have a dial turret or hold-over reticle?

 

[TheRealHorskin]

That should work!
Is it a new load or something you have used before?

Just developed this one for the gun. Oddly enough it was the first load I tried and it worked. I did test in .5gr increments to 70.0gr. My other two previous 338’s liked 69-69.5 of the IMR4350 so I felt I would be close. I got the gun back from the smith this winter from rebluing, new recoil pad, bedding, and having the bolt jeweled.

 

[TheRealHorskin]

That will do! Are you planning to bring it up a couple inches at 100 or do you have a dial turret or hold-over reticle?

Leupold VX-3HD with CDS turret. Just got it back from them Wednesday and it is on the scope ready to go. I will do a final check a few days before I depart. Spending as much time as I can practicing on sticks with my 22 and 223

 

[JimP]

Looks like that you are ready.

If you haven't already you should cycle all the ammo that you plan on taking just to make sure that the bolt closes on all of them.

 

[TheRealHorskin]

Great advice as I will not be able to correct a problem once there. However they all passed the gage which was set off a fired case from this rifle. But I am going to heed the advice and appreciate it fully.

 

[JimP]

Yep, 8,000 miles from home with a trophy animal 100 yards away is not the time to find that one of your loads won't chamber easily.

I do this with all of my loads that I plan on using on a hunt here in the US.

 

[shootist~]

Interesting timing. I was mulling over working up a load with the 210 gr TTSX for my Sako LR61 338 WM earlier today. I set it up for the 185 TTSX in prep for my 2021 plains game hunt, but ended up taking a 30-06 instead. (Worked fine for everything incl Zebra, except a Blue WB needed additional convincing.)

The 210s seem like a better fit than the 185s for tough game.
FWIW my hunting buddy used the TTSX 185s in his 338 WM in 2021 with zero complaints.

The problem is brass. I'm down to ~100 once fired Norma.

 

[TheRealHorskin]

I had some old stock new brass in house however a couple months ago Kittery Trading Post in Maine had some and I picked up another 100 pcs. Might want to check them out as they do ship. I have a bunch of once fired saved up as well and glad I do with how hard it was to find the new brass.