Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Ok, 308 beats the 7mm-08 - What about 338 Fed vs. the .308

Sorry to start another thread but I didn't think about the .338 Fed until after I asked the question about the .308 vs. the 7mm-08. Seems the 338 Fed shoots a 185 grain TSX at about the same speed as the .308 with 165's. On the other hand it doesn't have the BC of the 165s. If you were looking at two on the rack specifically for elk which would you choose?

7mm-08

.308 Win, but only because I own one and love it. I also have a .260 Rem that I would be fine going after elk with a 140 gr. Partition in it, but that's just my choice. My .308 weighs 11 lbs scoped up, so I doubt I'll be running after elk with it, my FWT M70 in .30-06 will get that call. I can't see needing the .338" bullet.

Elk only?

Uhm... thinkin' I'd run a 338 Fed or a .308, depending on terrain. And/or shooter limitations.

300 yards on in? 338 Fed with a 210 NP. If I had aspirations to shoot further, .308.

I have both and think the Fed is better, to a point. For very long range the higher BC of the 30 cal bullets will do a bit better. For anything inside say 500 yds, the Fed does better. But the "better" could probably not be measured by any difference on game. I just like the idea of a bigger bullet. The 338 Fed shooting a 185 TTSX at ~2750 ought to be a pretty nice option. Even the 210s (TTSX or Scirocco II) would be a real nice option. At elk hunting elevations, any of those will be just under 2000 FPS at 500yds. That ought to be plenty.

Agree. I've never heard one good reason why bigger isn't better for elk.

prm,

That's a good point I had never thought of....the minimal velocity loss of bullets at elevation.

wait just a dog-gone minute! who says the 308 beats the 7/08? That's just BS!

Ruh-roh

I love it

Luckily someone's already posted a 338 federal vs. 358 win thread so we're good on that already.

Needless to say (or at least it should be) the more bullet weight you have with a large critter the better off you are.

The only question then becomes how far away would you shoot a critter. If it's past 250 then heavy becomes a factor with drop.

Spot

Just my perspective, but what you shoot the elk with, barring something extremely small, seems to be less important than a few other things. Do a search of this forum and those that consistently post pictures of big bulls don't seem to get to hung up on what they're shooting them with.

That said, I enjoy discussions involving hunting minutia. I don't think even over a couple of lifetimes of hunting you'd be able to tell much of a difference between either the .308 or .338 Federal. That said, if I was picking up one just for elk, I'd probably opt for the larger bore.

I do not have a 338 Fed, nor do I have any plans of getting one in the future...but as much as I like the 308, I would have to give the nod the the 338 Fed. My opinion is that both cartridges perform best at ranges under 400 yards, maybe a tick more in a pinch.

The .243 trumps them all

See sig lines below...

And the beat goes on........

Yes the beat does go on... However, those of us unable to take to the woods this fall need something to yap about.

Regarding the elevation, it does make quite a difference. My 210 loads (Scirocco or TTSX) will each be at ~1950 and the 185 TTSX at 1990+ at 500yds when fired at 9k' (the lowest point where I elk hunt). As for trajectory, it certainly isn't as flat as many others, but it conveniently matches a Leupold B&P reticle quite nicely. So as long as I can get, or reasonably guess, the range it doesn't really matter too much. I wouldn't archery hunt with a one pin sight out West, why do it with a rifle? I really have no intention of shooting elk at 500yds, but I'm certain the 338 Fed cartridge is not a limitation to me.

...........Slidellkid,,,,,,,,,,,,As a suggestion, here`s what I would do to help you settle your debate as to which elk round to get.

On the Hornady site, there is an "external ballistics" table. For each round you`re considering, grab a sheet of paper for notes, type in the various bullet weights that you`ll be using, their BCs, your approx MVs, outside temps, your rifle`s yardage zeros, etc. You`ll want to compare the "downrange" #s for velocities retained, retained energys and bullet trajectories, that will best fit into your hunting style, type, distances and so on.

It`s fun to play with. Doing that will give you very good and accurate performance comparisons and help you to speed up the decision process. Write all the downrange #s down and compare them.

You`re going to get multiple and differing opinions from everyone which is all well and good. But going to an external ballistics table, will imo, better seal the deal as to your final cartridge decision.

! Smartass, nice work.

The 260, 7MM-08, 308, 338, and 358 will all work fine on elk, I'd pick which ever one you like and worry more about bullet selection than which one to shoot elk with.