Looking for insight on .338 WM and .32 Win Spl

Zastava223rem

Zastava223rem

Member
recently picked up a Sako 75V Classic in .338WM and am starting to load for it. Not my first rodeo with a belted magnum, but my first with this caliber. I have loaded 7RM and .300WM before. Plan on loading 225 gr Interbonds and 250 gr Partitions.

As far as .32 Win Spl, I have a 40's 1894 carbine and am starting to load for it. I have a lot of mixed .32 cal bullets that measure .320 all the way up to .322. I load the .323's in my 8x57. I have loaded .30-30 for many years and I plan on forming .32 Brass from some .30-30 brass since I have so much. I obviously will mark it well and keep it separate.


I am mainly looking for anyone with experience with either. What are some favorite powders? I have just about everything Hodgdon and IMR makes as well as others so I will be able to find something.
Anything to be aware of? Any favorite loads with any members here?
Has anyone formed .32 brass from .30-30? Has anyone had issues with different sized bullets in .32 bore? Sorry for all the questions, just like to be well informed.


EDIT: Had a chance to shoot those .32 Win Spl handloads with 35 gr H380, CCI200 primer and random, mixed 170 gr SoftPoints. I was hitting low at 100 yards for the first couple shots. Adjusted the rear sight and put 3 rds within about a 2 inch group on the bullseye. So the answer to that question is yes, you can form them very easily, just be sure to lube the inside of the necks too. Trim length was within spec to with all the brass I used.
 
Last edited:
I've made 375 Win from 30-30, if using once fired anneal before expanding. It headspaces on the rim so you dont have to worry about the shoulder too much just so it fits without getting stuck.

Any of the bullets designed for the 32 Spl should work just fine, a .001 off one way or the other shouldn't make much difference.
 
The 338 WM is my go to rifle for Gemsbok all the way down to an occasional Whitetail (I know, a bit of overkill on whitetails, but nothing but stellar performance w/210 NP's across that range! If an eland cow hunt materializes I will rely on the heavier bullets available in that caliber.

The 210 NP produces excellent accuracy in my Savage and POI of the less expensive 200 gr. (for smaller critters)is less than 1/2" from the 210 gr NP. Excellent terminal performance on the following:...210gr Nos Part VVV........ 200 gr. Win Silver Tip VVV
34900899534_f7318bf584_n.jpg
50472956886_6c91b2ddfe_n.jpg
35317773180_558b2147cd_n.jpg

^^^^^^
210 grain Nosler Partition,75.5 gr. RL19, Fed. 210 LRP, WW Case produces 2970 fps in my rifle.
Fired shot #1, corrected scope Rt 1/2" down 1"
Fired shot #2

Same load but w/200 gr Win. Silver Tip(Same bullet as 200 gr Nos. Ballistic tip
Fired shot #3
Note: Close to listed max. load, start low & work up)

Regards,
hm
 
Thank you for the responses guys. Didnt have time tonight for .338 WM however I did reform, prep and load around 90 rds of .32 WS to play with and I must say, it is super easy to work with. I chose 35 gr of H380 (min charge) behind the 170 gr FP/RN bullets i had. The brass sized very easily without issue and I chose to skip the annealing since Im only moving from .30 to .32 cal instead of .30 to .375. I will anneal and trim after this first firing to see how the brass works. If i get a lot of split necks, im not out much since I literally have around 3000 pieces of .30-30 lying around and its $0.10 per dozen.

Seems 4831 is a popular powder in .338 WM and since I have 8 lbs of it just sitting there, Ill play with it first.
 
I think 4831 would be great to try in the 338, seems like plenty of gun.

I have loaded the 32 Win round with H-4895. I like the leeway with charge weights with that powder. My son does some casual shooting with the older Win 94. I kept most loads modest for 45 yard casual shooting.
 
Both my 30-30s love Lever powder, it should work in 32 also. Great accuracy and faster than anything else I tried.
 
Some barrels like the 150gr Sierra's, some like the 170's better. I am going to start tinkering with the Hornady FTX bullets soon. (In 30-30)

IMR 3031 IMO is the 1st place to start with those bullets, after you figure out which one your barrel likes best.

I have no experience with the 32, except my dad had one. They just can't be much different than 30-30.

I also use the Nosler 210 Partition in my 338WM. My rifle likes 74.5 grains of R19 with my current component combo.

Load development is tedious with large rifles. I am much quicker to change bullet box colors than many types of powder.
 
I shot several animals in South Africa with 225 grain Interbonds in my .338. A great cartridge and perfectly suitable bullet, though I have since standardized on 225 grain Barnes. Under both, I use Reloader 19, which creates accurate loads in this and several other rifles.
 
Back
Top