Description
Hornady's Precision Hunter line cuts through the complexity of finding ammunition that works equally well at close range and extended distances. These 338 Winchester Magnum rounds load the 230-grain ELD-X bullet with uniform propellant charges and premium components to deliver the kind of shot-to-shot consistency that hunters need when a single opportunity is all you get.
What Makes the 338 Win Mag ELD-X Different
The ELD-X bullet represents a meaningful shift in how hunting ammunition approaches the velocity problem. Conventional polymer-tipped bullets soften and deform under aerodynamic heating, especially beyond 400 yards, which throws off your ballistic calculations. Hornady's Heat Shield tip, verified by Doppler radar, resists this degradation and maintains the bullet's shape throughout its flight. That means the ballistic coefficient you dial into your calculator is what you actually get at distance. At impact, the Heat Shield tip drives backward to initiate expansion, while the InterLock ring keeps the core and jacket together through the penetration path. You're looking at controlled expansion with roughly 85 to 90 percent weight retention, producing deep wound channels that reach vitals from any practical shooting angle.
Clean Burning and Temperature Stable
One of the little details that separates good factory ammunition from truly consistent ammunition is how propellants perform across temperature swings. Hornady uses clean-burning powders loaded to uniform capacity, which means whether you're hunting in September heat or November cold, your velocity stays predictable. That consistency matters when you've dialed in your scope for a specific load. The 2810 feet per second muzzle velocity and 4032 foot-pounds of muzzle energy put the 338 Winchester Magnum in serious big game territory, making these rounds suitable for everything from elk and moose to brown bear and larger North American dangerous game.
Real-World Range Performance
Field reports from hunters using this exact load consistently highlight reliable accuracy and quick, clean kills across typical hunting distances. The 230-grain bullet with its 0.616 G1 ballistic coefficient keeps energy above the expansion threshold well into longer-range territory, maintaining effectiveness out to ranges where most hunters would consider the shot marginal anyway.
Key Specifications
- Caliber: 338 Winchester Magnum
- Bullet Weight: 230 Grains
- Bullet Type: ELD-X Polymer-Tipped
- Muzzle Velocity: 2810 fps
- Muzzle Energy: 4032 ft-lbs
- Ballistic Coefficient (G1): 0.616
- Ballistic Coefficient (G7): 0.310
- Case Type: Brass
- Primer Type: Boxer
- Rounds per Box: 20
- Reloadable: Yes
- Manufacturer: Hornady
- Model: Precision Hunter
- Manufacturer Part Number: 82222
- UPC: 090255822229
What’s Included
- 20 rounds of factory-loaded ammunition
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes the Heat Shield tip on the Precision Hunter different from standard polymer-tipped bullets?
The Heat Shield tip is specifically formulated to resist the effects of aerodynamic heating that occur during flight, especially at longer ranges. Conventional polymer tips soften and deform at high velocities, which changes the ballistic coefficient and point of impact. Hornady verified this through Doppler radar testing and designed the Heat Shield tip to maintain its shape throughout the entire trajectory, ensuring the bullet performs exactly as its published ballistic coefficient indicates.
At what range does the ELD-X begin to expand differently?
The ELD-X is engineered to work across all practical hunting ranges. At ranges from 0 to 400 yards where impact velocities are high, the bullet expands progressively as it penetrates. Beyond 400 yards where velocity is lower, the Heat Shield tip drives backward into the bullet to initiate expansion. The InterLock ring keeps the core and jacket bonded throughout, providing controlled expansion with 85 to 90 percent weight retention at any distance.
Is this 230-grain load suitable for elk and other large game?
Yes. The 230-grain ELD-X at 2810 fps delivers 4032 foot-pounds of muzzle energy, making it well-suited for elk, moose, and other large game. The controlled expansion and weight retention of the ELD-X ensure that the bullet reaches vitals reliably whether you're shooting at typical hunting distances or stretching out to longer ranges where the 338 Win Mag still carries substantial energy.
How consistent is the Precision Hunter ammunition from shot to shot?
Hornady loads these rounds with clean-burning propellants at uniform capacity, meaning each cartridge has the same powder charge regardless of small variations that might occur with other manufacturers. This consistency extends to temperature stability, so velocity remains predictable whether you're hunting in warm conditions or cold weather. This level of uniformity is why Precision Hunter carries the match-accurate label.








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