.338 Federal???
- Thread starter hunter-4-life
- Start date
Over 7mm what? .338 Federal is a .308 Cartridge necked up to .338"... Is it worth it? That depends on your use... I love my Fed... It is one of my "go to" short to medium range deer/bear guns... It is a very efficient caliber... Do you reload? Reoading gives you a lot of options in the Fed... You can't compare the Fed to the .300 WM... Total different cartridge, it would be apples to oranges... The WM will beat the Fed everwhere except recoil, pleasantness to shoot, and under 200 yards effectiveness is a wash... They will both kill them dead.
It's not a magnum round like the 300 Win/Wby or 7mm Rem. The advantages are it fits in a short action, and fires a heavy bullet for moderate range use. If you want more power, look into a 338 Winchester Magnum, some of Weatherby's offerings or the 338 Lapua.
For my money, I'd push a .338-06 (which is dang near a 8mm Mauser)
This chart outlines performance comparison and as you can see, the .338 Fed outperforms both the 7mm Mag and the .300 WM with less recoil. Esp., if you compare the MV of the 180gn bullet in a .338 and the .300WM. 130fps is not worth measuring. And it does so with less recoil. My next build (I have a Yugo M-48 still in cosmoline) is going to get a .338-06 config. I am sure that I can match all kinds of 7mm or .300 magnums with that.
.338 Federal Performance Comparison
This chart outlines performance comparison and as you can see, the .338 Fed outperforms both the 7mm Mag and the .300 WM with less recoil. Esp., if you compare the MV of the 180gn bullet in a .338 and the .300WM. 130fps is not worth measuring. And it does so with less recoil. My next build (I have a Yugo M-48 still in cosmoline) is going to get a .338-06 config. I am sure that I can match all kinds of 7mm or .300 magnums with that.
| Cartridge | Bullet Weight | Muzzle velocity | Muzzle energy | Load[SUP][a][/SUP] | Recoil in 8 lb (3.6 kg) rifle | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gr | g | ft/s | m/s | ft·lbf | J | gr | g | ft·lbf | J | |
| .338 Federal | 210 | 14 | 2,630 | 800 | 3,226 | 4,374 | 47 | 3.0 | 21.71 | 29.43 |
| .338 Federal | 180 | 12 | 2,830 | 860 | 3,202 | 4,341 | 47 | 3.0 | 19.27 | 26.13 |
| 7mm Rem Mag | 175 | 11.3 | 2,860 | 870 | 3,178 | 4,309 | 63 | 4.1 | 22.44 | 30.42 |
| .300 Win Mag | 180 | 12 | 2,960 | 900 | 3,502 | 4,748 | 73 | 4.7 | 27.12 | 36.77 |
| .30-06 | 180 | 12 | 2,750 | 840 | 3,022 | 4,097 | 56 | 3.6 | 20.48 | 27.77 |
| .308 Win | 180 | 12 | 2,600 | 790 | 2,703 | 3,665 | 45 | 2.9 | 16.02 | 21.72 |
| .358 Win | 200 | 13 | 2,490 | 760 | 2,753 | 3,733 | 49 | 3.2 | 19.08 | 25.87 |
.338 Federal Performance Comparison
i have had two 338 feds and had trouble trying to reach the veocity listed. i prefer the 338 06 as i can get 2800+ with a 200 grn and 2725+ with 225's. trajectory is much like a 180 in a 30 06. easy to hit 300 yrds. i think the 338 fed is a 200 yrd cartridge.
One has to take it with a grain of salt, LOL. Reported factory ammo velocities from the companies' I grabbed awhile ago when I was trying to find a new cartridge for a build. NOT handloads. I am sure that handloads could surpass all listed numbers.
Sorry guys 7MM Rem Mag and 300 WM. I know its hard to compare as it isn't a magnum, but it looks like it is producing magnum numbers as far as energy goes. Velocity is a bit down and i don't know about trajectory, my longest shots are under 400 yards. Most being 100-300 yards. Would be using it for a deer/elk/moose gun. I dont reload..yet. I will be within the next 4 years. I dont need the power of a .338 win mag or even a .300 WM but I really really like the fact of a .338 in a short action with moderate recoil and still hits hard.
Sounds like it might be your round then! I only know of one person who has one, but they are happy with it for deer hunting, hammer of Thor comments and whatnot. It's definitely an interesting cartridge anyway, I had the opportunity to buy a laminate Tikka in 338 Fed a couple years back, but passed. Been curious ever since.
My biggest thing is ammo availability. I live in the boonies, but theres a store in town that can bring anything in for me. But if i ever go on a trip and forget/lose ammo then i'm hooped.However i wont be going on a trip anytime soon, if i do itll be through a major city (Regina, Saskatoon, Prince Albert) and should be able to find a box or 2 there.
Well the first thing to keep in mind is that the T3 comes in one action length, so any perceived advantage with respect to a short action is moot in that rifle. Also, as previously noted, real life doesn't neccessarily equate to the numbers on the chart. It will certainly take game, but imo offers nothing spectacular or different. I sure as heck won't be rushing out to replace my 7mm RM with one.
Absolutely and considering the OP doesn't reload and has limited access to factory ammo.......it kind of makes sense
Again, comparing the Fed to a 7 RM or 300 WM is not really fair... They fill different niche's... The Fed is a hugely capable cartridge... I reload for it and it is tolerant of many loads with excellent performance... For me it is a 200 yard deal... I won't argue numbers and ballistics... So don't direct me to a chart... Yes, you can push it further, it still has energy to spare beyond 200, but if I am expecting 300 yards, then I take my Whelen with the 225 AB... My Fed won't get sold anytime soon... It was the last of the .308 family for me to fill, and it gets a lot of play time.
bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
I'm not seeing that. Perhaps you posted the wrong chart?
It's always interesting to see numbers posted which are the lowest one can find for a cartridge being "bashed", and the hottest one can find for the other. "My 338 WinMag with 250 grain PowerPoints out of a 18" barrel is slower than a 338 RCM with 210 Hornady Superformance out of a 24" bbl. Evidently the RCM outperforms the Winmag."
The 338 Federal is a necked up 308. There's no magic in it.
I'm not seeing that. Perhaps you posted the wrong chart?
It's always interesting to see numbers posted which are the lowest one can find for a cartridge being "bashed", and the hottest one can find for the other. "My 338 WinMag with 250 grain PowerPoints out of a 18" barrel is slower than a 338 RCM with 210 Hornady Superformance out of a 24" bbl. Evidently the RCM outperforms the Winmag."
The 338 Federal is a necked up 308. There's no magic in it.
That chart is skewed and numbers are "@ the muzzle"... look at the numbers at 200/300/400 yards and the separation will be evident... having said that, the Fed is very capable... it just isn't magic.
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
You're not going to gain anything by going to the 338 Federal. It's designed to lob over-wide, under weight bullets at modest velocity. Does it give up much to a 300? Yes, lots. Does it give up much to the 30-06. Yes. The 30-06 fires bullets of similar weight with better sectional density at similar velocity. Equals better penetration. As far as I can see, the 338 Federal doesn't give any real benefit other than being in a short action which doesn't mean bupkis to me. Try it out if you like, but it's the solution to a problem that doesn't exist and the answer to a question that no one asked.
