Rebarrel 338 federal or 358 win ?

I have half a dozen .35 cal rifles... don't shoot pistol bullets out of any of them... if I just want to plink, I have another half dozen .22 cal centerfire rifles that do that better and cheaper. I have a couple .358's set-up with 200 SP's and one with the 220's, my .350 RM and .35 Whelen both have loads with 250 Partitions, and my .358-375 Ruger load is with the 225 Accubond. I would not personally make the decision on the basis of available pistol bullets... unless maybe, you are a one or two rifle owner.
 
hoytcanon said:
I have half a dozen .35 cal rifles... don't shoot pistol bullets out of any of them... if I just want to plink, I have another half dozen .22 cal centerfire rifles that do that better and cheaper. I have a couple .358's set-up with 200 SP's and one with the 220's, my .350 RM and .35 Whelen both have loads with 250 Partitions, and my .358-375 Ruger load is with the 225 Accubond. I would not personally make the decision on the basis of available pistol bullets... unless maybe, you are a one or two rifle owner.
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But we're talking about 358 Winchester here - Do any of those .35 rifle bullets you mention stand a chance of expanding at the impact velocities you can get with the smaller case?
 
alpining said:
But we're talking about 358 Winchester here - Do any of those .35 rifle bullets you mention stand a chance of expanding at the impact velocities you can get with the smaller case?
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My post talks about three .358 Winchester rifles... two carbines with 200 SP's, and an M77 Mark II 22" with 220 SP's... they all expand and have killed truck loads of game. They are rapidly lethal... love hunting with my .358's... they are also not "short range" rifles, not long range by any stretch either, but I have taken deer at 300 yards. Having said that, if I "excpect" 300 yard shots, I do not choose a .358, but if the shot presents while carrying one, I am very confident in taking it.
 
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hoytcanon said:
My post talks about three .358 Winchester rifles... two carbines with 200 SP's, and an M77 Mark II 22" with 220 SP's... they all expand and have killed truck loads of game. ...
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Now I'm reading your previous post correctly, thanks for the clarification. That's good to know.
 
I'd always thought it was hard to find 338 bullets that would expand well at 338 Federal velocities - I'd love to be wrong though, I like everything else about the cartridge.
 
i use 200 grn sp Hornady's in my fed and 200 grn noz bt in my 338 06 work just fine. i have been thinking of a 180 ttsx for the fed if i can work up a good load.
 
remington jim said:
With the MUCH SUPERIOR BALLISTICS of a 338 Fed it’s a much more versatile CARTRIDGE ! RJ
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Much superior ballistics? Its not like you're going to be using high BC 250-300gr bullets in the 338fed, the velocity you would be able to get with such a large bullet would be so low as to greatly limit your effective range. Yes, the 338fed is a better cartridge at longer ranges, but a simple 308win will beat both options the OP is looking at past 300 yards. That is to say, neither are long range cartridges, and thus "superior ballistics" wouldn't be a deciding factor for me personally.

alpining said:
I'd always thought it was hard to find 338 bullets that would expand well at 338 Federal velocities - I'd love to be wrong though, I like everything else about the cartridge.
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I don't think its HARD to find bullets that would expand well at 338fed velocities, there are at least a few bullets (the 180 accubond and 200gr Federal Fusion for example) that are designed with the 338fed in mind. That said, there are certainly bullets on the market that are more geared towards 338 win mag or even 340 weatherby velocities so its certainly something to keep in mind when picking a bullet for a 338 Fed load.
 
The .338 Fed is cute and all, but it's hard to find pink camo... you best choose a cartridge that wears big britches... like a .358 of some sort.
 
Not sure why BC matters in these two cartridges. You have one because you want a close up to medium range thumper. I like two holes in animals I shoot and plane old Hornady Interlock 200gr in the 358 work perfectly from 10 yards to over 200 on Black Bears, Whitetail and my first Manitoba Muley:)
 
alpining said:
I'd always thought it was hard to find 338 bullets that would expand well at 338 Federal velocities - I'd love to be wrong though, I like everything else about the cartridge.
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160 grain Barnes .338 TTSX gets some speed, expands, and performs very well. And I'm no Barnes fan...
If you want light and fast...not sure if that is pink cammo territory or not, but it does kill critters pdq.

R.
 
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With the 8.6 blackout out on the market, the lower velocity bullet selection for 338 should improve.
Been reading up on the 375 Raptor lately, pretty intriguing cartridge for a 308 bolt face short action.
 
Peecos said:
Not sure why BC matters in these two cartridges....
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A compressed load of +/- 40 grains of varget or rl-15 behind a 225 grain accubond will give you around 2400 fps in the 338 fed.

The real high BC 265-300 gr bullets might not stabilize in a 1:10 barrel either.

Kinda like putting a race exhaust and a spoiler on a dodge k-car.
 
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