338 Federal Vs 358 Winchester

Why not? said:
As far as the 338 Fed shooting flatter than the 358 Win, that is true only when comparing factory ammo
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A 225 gr Nosler Partition @ 2550 fps out of a 358 Win shoots the same as a 210 gr Partition @ 2625 fps out of a 338F. :) Within an inch out to 400 yards (and a 225 gr Nosler Partition @ 2500 fps out of a 338F shoots 1" lower than the 358 does...although 300 yards is a sensible max range for either cartridge when loaded with 200+ gr bullets IMO
 
todbartell said:
even though it pissed off all those guys who own 300 Holland & Holland Magnum pre-64 m70s with steel tube 4x Weaver scopes. :)
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Yes, and the driver of a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO is pissed off that the new Mustang GT has similar acceleration to 100km/h.
 
todbartell said:
...although 300 yards is a sensible max range for either cartridge when loaded with 200+ gr bullets IMO
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Couldn't agree more.

The biggest problem with ranges much beyond that, aside from the fact that it is beyond the skill of most hunters, is lack of expansion. Bert whacked a big bull here two years ago with a 250 gr Speer at close to 400 yds. Double lung shot, no bone struck, dead moose.....and you could have reloaded the bullet. :D

Ted
 
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I'd buy a 338-08 far before buying another 30-06. Why? Well, the 30-06 is a fine cartridge, but it just doesn't appeal to me. I've had several 30-06's and they ahve all been sold, and it will be a very long time before another darkens my doorway...

I think of all the game I've shot at, and I think ZERO of them woudl have known the difference between 30-06/338-08/300WM/300WSM/7RM/338WM/270 etc...

The .375's seem to deliver a bigger impression, but I coudl have used a 30-06 and got the job done...

Bottom line is that I choose cartridges that interest me. They may be over a hundred years old (.45 Colt, 30-30) or they may be a few decades old (.223, 7RM) or they may be brand new (300WSM, 375 Ruger)

But they all work within thier parameters, and some work a bit beter than others, especially if we compare factory ammo, which the majority of hunters use.

In factory ammo, the .338 Fed has a big leg up on the .358, and there is no disputing that...
 
Bottom line is that I choose cartridges that interest me. They may be over a hundred years old (.45 Colt, 30-30) or they may be a few decades old (.223, 7RM) or they may be brand new (300WSM, 375 Ruger)

But they all work within thier parameters, and some work a bit beter than others
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Yup (well put by the way)
 
Why not? said:
Couldn't agree more.

The biggest problem with ranges much beyond that, aside from the fact that it is beyond the skill of most hunters, is lack of expansion. Bert whacked a big bull here two years ago with a 250 gr Speer at close to 400 yds. Double lung shot, no bone struck, dead moose.....and you could have reloaded the bullet. :D

Ted
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Then there is the old argument, 'at what point in the death of the animal did the bullet fail' :D

Good discussion guys.

For me, with my limited ranges in North Central Ontario, I could use either cartridge with no problem whatever, in fact, chances are good that I would never get to fire either at over 100 yards at game.
Given the choice however, I'd take the 358, and I can't really explain why, it just appeals to me.
 
todbartell said:
can ya blame them?


how much $ has Browning & Winchester made since they introduced the WSM? I'm sure it was a good business decision, even though it pissed off all those guys who own 300 Holland & Holland Magnum pre-64 m70s with steel tube 4x Weaver scopes. :)
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Can't blame them at all, they are in business to make money and in truth, I love all these new cartridges as it keeps the industry vibrant and it keeps people interested in hunting and shooting which is good for all of us. I usually buy one of these new creations every year or two. In the beginning, like you, I likely got caught up in the media hype and spin and actually believed all the reasons the gun writers and manufacturers are offering for buying these cartridges but now I take them for what they are.....new and shiny and I like shiny. I'm confidant enough to justify my purchase that way....seems a lot of others aren't. New cartridges are fun and ###y and yes shiny and I'll keep buying them but sadly, we hit our cartridge performance saturation point in about 1962. After that, there hasn't been a cartridge that has offered anything other than it was new.......but nothing wrong with new!
 
my guess he is either busy writing articles for Fawn Hunter Magazine, or on the development team of the latest hi-tech corn feeder


:D
 
I really like the idea of the 338Fed It is one of the most empting cartridges to me that have come out in a while. Since all my game has been shot with 400gr .458cal bullets I have a hard time trusting those little .30cal and .277cal bullets :) :). I like the idea of the heavier bullets at moderate velocities not tearing my deer steaks into jelly, while at the same time being able to load up lighter x-bullets for the open country.
 
Variety is the spice of life. There are so many cartridges that are almost all the same. They all fall into a little place beside each other. The fun thing is that you do have do many choices. It would be boring if we only had one or two cartridge choices in each bullet diameter, but we have many in each size and that is exciting just by itself. Each one will shoot and kill game, no doubt there. Which one is better, well that is mostly just peoples opinion and you know that opinions are like a$$holes, everyone has one.
 
todbartell said:
I'm quite fond of the 338 Federal. It's a very versatile cartridge. It looks like you'd be able to push a 160 grain Barnes TTSX @ 2950 fps, which makes it a solid 350 yard cartridge, and you can load up to a 250 grain bullet for 2300 fps for a close cover thumper load.

Sure, the 358 does almost as well, but IMO it has nothing on the 338F.
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does almost as well yet has nothing on the .338...hmmm contradiction in terms there
 
Well I can tell you my Tikka which weighs sweet sh!t all, recoils harder than my favorite Model 70 .300 Win Mag I had. I think in a heavier rifle, recoil might compare between it and say a 7mm Remington. It's not untolerable by any means, and my heavier 215 grain handloads recoil less than the 200 grain factory stuff. With a good pad, the same is true on any rifle, it would feel much better.
 
The neat thing is about the 358 when loading ligh bullets such as 180s and 200s you can match 30-06 velocity in a 308 case!!!!!!!!!!!!

I thing the 358 has always been a gem in the rough

I know little about the 338 fed, looks like a great round and in a lever gun offeres up good velocity.
 
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