Here is a nice article on the .338 Federal
https://www.outdoorlife.com/story/hunting/338-federal-best-deer-cartridge-youve-never-tried/
https://www.outdoorlife.com/story/hunting/338-federal-best-deer-cartridge-youve-never-tried/
.338 Federal
- Thread starter Curtis264
- Start date
When this cartridge came out several years ago I thought it was going to be a winner. Sako/Tikka were one of the first companies to chamber this round and we stocked up with guns and ammo. Well it was one of the few buying mistakes we made early in our business and we sold a few at first but sat on the initial inventory for quite some time. I even won a Sako in this caliber at a dealer show but I sold it at a deep discount after it sat on the shelf for quite some time. We still carry a little ammo but we would be unlikely to order in a new gun for inventory only. Phil.
Interesting take on it.
I always thought it was a neat round, but I probably wouldn't get one. The 180gr accubond @ 2700fps would be a great load for deer, but the sectional density kinda blows - only .225, which is basically the same as a 150gr 30cal pill. If I want a bigger-than-30 cal gun, I'd want to step it up in case capacity too, but I have no reason to be constrained to the 308-sized case (unlike people building bcl102s and such).
the .338 federal is a niche round..... and for those who just don't follow the usual paths everyone else takes.
I chose the .338 fed for specific hunting situations but I would hesitate to use it as a main all around caliber.
I chose it partly because I will be reloading .338 bullets for 2 rifles , a 338 magnum and a 338 fed. Same reason I chose a 7mm-08 for the wife as it suits her and her deer hunting and I also load for a 7mm rem mag. On the reloading bench it just made sense. I have enough .308 and 7.62 so don't really need to reload for those but for the others I do. So the calibers made sense.
As for .338 federal in general.... for me I chose it as a calling rifle and a bush rifle. I can't go trekking off to far these days so sit and call it my game for moose or elk and they will have to come to me LOL Other critters can come to the call so I sit there with a bit more confidence that the .338 fed , nosler 210 partition , is a fantastic companion.
Will other rifles do the same? Sure.... but my magnum rifles are getting heavy for my broken frame so the short action .338 fed , to me.... is a godsend in a lighter package.
I chose the .338 fed for specific hunting situations but I would hesitate to use it as a main all around caliber.
I chose it partly because I will be reloading .338 bullets for 2 rifles , a 338 magnum and a 338 fed. Same reason I chose a 7mm-08 for the wife as it suits her and her deer hunting and I also load for a 7mm rem mag. On the reloading bench it just made sense. I have enough .308 and 7.62 so don't really need to reload for those but for the others I do. So the calibers made sense.
As for .338 federal in general.... for me I chose it as a calling rifle and a bush rifle. I can't go trekking off to far these days so sit and call it my game for moose or elk and they will have to come to me LOL Other critters can come to the call so I sit there with a bit more confidence that the .338 fed , nosler 210 partition , is a fantastic companion.
Will other rifles do the same? Sure.... but my magnum rifles are getting heavy for my broken frame so the short action .338 fed , to me.... is a godsend in a lighter package.
Black Watch 357
New member
- Location
- Hazard county AB
I have Remington 760 pump carbine in .338 fed. Love it. Great round for knocking things over in the thick brush.
I have a Tikka T3 SS LITE in 338 Fed - i have the long bolt stop and use long mags to seat the bullets a bit further out - Great acuracy and speed from the Little Cartridge - its one of my Favourites i have ! RJ
Best to be a HANDLOADER with this cartridge !
Best to be a HANDLOADER with this cartridge !
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well..... the rifle i was going to use got banned so.....
my friend has a factory tikka he has lent me to use in the meantime.
Waiting for the bigger size version of the MRA Renegade so I can swap the parts over until this OIC garbage is reversed.
Right now I am looking at getting a receiver/bolt combo and building up a bolt gun but it won't be ready for this year.... I have $$$ to save to make that a reality
I finally found a 338 federal kimber and I’m sure enjoying it. I shooting 160ttsx just under 3000fps which makes the gun a 4-500 yard rifle. Those little ttsx are shooting in the .3s for me.
Working on 200gr loads right now and hoping to get 2650-2700fps with those.
I think This caliber should have had better marketing kinda like the creedmoor.
Very nice do all cartridge for BC. I would not feel undergunned at all unless long range shots were needed but I have other guns for that.
Working on 200gr loads right now and hoping to get 2650-2700fps with those.
I think This caliber should have had better marketing kinda like the creedmoor.
Very nice do all cartridge for BC. I would not feel undergunned at all unless long range shots were needed but I have other guns for that.
I am really liking the 338 Federal!
Shoots well, provides good performance with manageable recoil and will handle all the big game in my neck of the woods...at all reasonable ranges that I hunt...what's not to like!
(And I also own and use my 338-06 and 338 Win Mag rifles; just a big fan of the 338 cal!)
I built my first on a Winchester Model 88 specifically for hunting in the thick brush. It is fun to carry, shoot and hunt with. Harvested a nice caribou with it two years ago.
Have had two bolt actions chambered to it over the past two years as well. Sold the Ruger back to the fellow I bought it from, and am setting up my step father with the left handed Tikka.
I am currently rebarrelling a LH Sako 85 with a carbon fiber barrel in 338 Federal for an all around hunting rifle.
I have successfully used my BLR in 358 Win for many years, and like the 338 Fed as much as I like my 358!
Shoots well, provides good performance with manageable recoil and will handle all the big game in my neck of the woods...at all reasonable ranges that I hunt...what's not to like!
(And I also own and use my 338-06 and 338 Win Mag rifles; just a big fan of the 338 cal!)
I built my first on a Winchester Model 88 specifically for hunting in the thick brush. It is fun to carry, shoot and hunt with. Harvested a nice caribou with it two years ago.
Have had two bolt actions chambered to it over the past two years as well. Sold the Ruger back to the fellow I bought it from, and am setting up my step father with the left handed Tikka.
I am currently rebarrelling a LH Sako 85 with a carbon fiber barrel in 338 Federal for an all around hunting rifle.
I have successfully used my BLR in 358 Win for many years, and like the 338 Fed as much as I like my 358!
same boat, would be ideal for stalking sambar deer with the heavier 210 or 225 , 250 gr even be reasonable, the .358 win used to have a following but mostly because it was in a BLR, as ya say most just go straight onto that 338 win mag for any 'power improvement' over the 30- oh s .
ive always wanted one but havin a Whelen and to be honest, a 303 british, i dont have any reason to justify that one
I built my first 338-08 a couple of decades+ back. It's on a Mauser 98 action, in a Bell and Carlson stock, with double set triggers.
My build was nothing new and someone convinced Federal to create their own version and go through the process of legitimizing it. I'm not sure which commercial rifle manufacturer first chambered it? Maybe Sako?
I really like that rifle. It's almost the kissing cousin to the 338-06 and the only real noticeable difference between them is when bullets 225grn and over are used.
With my rifle and 200 grn bullets there isn't enough real difference in performance on game to be noticeable. The 338-06 does have an edge with 225+ grain weigh bullets over 200 yds.
IMHO, it's a great cartridge for anything in North America, out to 300 yards. Trajectory gets in the way past that.
I built it because I had the stuff in the bins to put it together. At the time, I had both a 35 Whelan and a 338-06 in the safe.
I wouldn't have built it, other than I was curious about it. If I had to justify it, the build wouldn't have happened.
This rifle has come in very handy for carrying around small cut blocks in my region, where it's possible to come across Elk, Moose, Mule Deer, White Tail or Bears and even a few Wolves. Game is down because of the expanding Wolf population in our area, but this rifle is perfect for these situations when they occur.
WhelanLad, your 35 Whelan will take any animal you might come across where you hunt, IMHO. I certainly wouldn't feel the least bit undergunned with it.
My build was nothing new and someone convinced Federal to create their own version and go through the process of legitimizing it. I'm not sure which commercial rifle manufacturer first chambered it? Maybe Sako?
I really like that rifle. It's almost the kissing cousin to the 338-06 and the only real noticeable difference between them is when bullets 225grn and over are used.
With my rifle and 200 grn bullets there isn't enough real difference in performance on game to be noticeable. The 338-06 does have an edge with 225+ grain weigh bullets over 200 yds.
IMHO, it's a great cartridge for anything in North America, out to 300 yards. Trajectory gets in the way past that.
I built it because I had the stuff in the bins to put it together. At the time, I had both a 35 Whelan and a 338-06 in the safe.
I wouldn't have built it, other than I was curious about it. If I had to justify it, the build wouldn't have happened.
This rifle has come in very handy for carrying around small cut blocks in my region, where it's possible to come across Elk, Moose, Mule Deer, White Tail or Bears and even a few Wolves. Game is down because of the expanding Wolf population in our area, but this rifle is perfect for these situations when they occur.
WhelanLad, your 35 Whelan will take any animal you might come across where you hunt, IMHO. I certainly wouldn't feel the least bit undergunned with it.
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certainly has handled the biggest in Aus, i took a few Buffalo Bulls with it in the Northern Country! its done a feral horse or two and wouldnt mind a Camerl
