Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Real world experiences with the 338 Federal

I just sent my Rem.722 action to IT&D for a re-barrel to 338 Federal. Would like to get some real world experience w/this cartridge. I would like to know about game taken, bullet, powder charge, OAL of cartridge and velocity. Any info will be greatly appreciated. powdr

My Kimber Montana shoots the Federal 210 NPs very well. It isn't my primary hunting rifle but more of a convenience rifle that is always in my truck. With Ti bolt handle and aluminum trigger guard it weighs 5.25 pounds with Leupold 2.5x ultralight.

I did take one moose with it.

It's currently behind my door as we have a sow and two yearling terrorizing the neighborhood.

Expect it to do what a 308 Win can. I believe Bob took one to Namibia a few years ago so you might do a search for that.

Ive found it to be the 308 Win but with a 200gr bullet. It is very close to 358 Win also.

My on-game experience is very limited. I've taken one shot at an animal with my T3 in .338 Fed. That one shot dropped a button buck at 185 yards, using a 200 grain Federal Fusion factory load.
Shot placement was tight behind the shoulder on a broadside shot. The deer dropped instantly and the only movement was the tail sticking straight up for a few seconds.
The Tikka shoots MOA or better with both the Fusions and handloads with 200 grain Hornady SPs.
The exit wound could have been covered with a silver dollar.
I see no downside. I'm sure you will be happy with your choice.

I've taken some deer with it, and seen some others taken, using Fusion and Hornady Interlock 200-grain bullets at around 2650 fps. It kills about like a .30-06 with 200's, which makes sense since the muzzle velocity is similar, but neither the Fusion or Hornady penetrates like the 200-grain Partition I normally use in the .30-06.

Also killed one ruffed grouse with the 200 Fusion, legal here in Montana. Aimed for the head at about 20-25 yards while the grouse was sitting on an aspen branch. The bullet caught a tiny twig just in front of the grouse and apparently tumbled, blowing the grouse to inedible pieces, the first time I've had that happen. (The next grouse encountered I shot with a .257 Weatherby Magnum, which didn't hit anything except the grouse's neck, leaving plenty of fine meat for a fine meal.)

For woods hunting here in the Northeast the Savage 99F that was chambered for the .358 Winchester is the Valhalla of hunting rifles as compared to the clumsy and heavy P17 Enfield I had back in the 50's.

I still feel that way about that magnificent rifle.

If the .338 Fed. had been out at the time I might have chosen it.

I load my .338-06 to .338 Fed velocities for deer and couldn't be happier with how it works on whitetails. Generally have used the 200 grain Speer at about 2650 fps the most. Hope to use the 180 Accubond this fall.

For many years, I hunted the forested country of of the Middle Fork of the John Day River in Eastern Oregon. Given the area the longest possible shot I would ever have was maybe 250 yards. So I hunted deer with my .338-'06 loaded with 200-grain Winchester Power Points at a muzzle velocity of 2,500 feet per second.

The load worked superbly and I killed maybe 30 deer with it, and perhaps ten of them were downright excellent 4-5 year old mule deer bucks.

I also killed two bear with the load; incidental kills during deer season. One of those was a monster, a 26 year old black bear that squared an honest seven feet.

I hunted elk in the same area, but always stepped up the velocity to 2,700 fps with the same bullet. I probably killed 20 elk with that load over the years, some bulls some cows. Never had to shoot an elk twice and never missed one.

Yeah, your .338 Federal is simply a common-sense round. I pray that you enjoy many years of wonderful hunting with it.

kd

Thanks for the practical experience guys. I think John's article on the .338-.358 did as much to promote interest in the cartridge as anything. I'm really excited about getting my barreled action back and put in my Brown precision stock w/3.5-10 VX3. powdr

I've taken 6 deer with my Tikka T3,all within 75 yards. All were thru and thru, never recovered any bullets. All of the deer went down within sight. Barnes 185 TSX and 46.5g XBR8208 powder. This is a max load, so use with caution.. Bought the Tikka for a rough use rifle, and it's light weight. So far no disappointments. In the Tikka this loading is MOA. I would agree with Mule Deer, power wise its like a 30-06 with the option of heavier bullets.

Zebra heart shot at about 100 yards with a 210 grain TSX from 338 Federal





Loaded as such I'd say it will get the job done.

Just got back from S. Africa and it performed superbly. Kudu, Gemsbok, Waterbuck, Impala and Blesbok all taken with a 160 TTSX and all died quickly. Given the thick brush and resulting short ranges I'd go with a 210 Partition next time. Not because the TTSX did anything wrong, I just have seen the Partition do great damage and penetrate very well. The 160 does not penetrate as well as the 185 TTSX, but it opens wider and perhaps does a bit more internal damage. My PH prefers heavy bullets at moderate velocities and thought a 225 A-Frame at ~2500 would be absolutely perfect for the lowveldt brush.

Taken with a 200gr Fusion. This is just one of the camels I shot on that trip, IMO it's a very capable cartridge.

Did you shoot low?

Won't let me edit post above. The 160 TTSX provided pass through on Kudu, Impala and Blesbok but not the Waterbuck and Gemsbok. WB was a broadside shot and bullet was under off-side hide. Hit ribs on both sides and opened very wide (.73") making a complete mess of meat and vitals. Gemsbok was quartering towards and it hit point of left shoulder. Never found bullet. Probably in the grass in the stomach.

160 TTSX, BR2, Federal Brass, 52gn AA2230, 2.82", ~3020 fps.

I have a Rem 600 rebarrled to 338Fed. It has about 15 GA Whitetails and a small cow elk under its belt. Not one of the WTs moved, they just dropped. The elk was down within sight-30yds or so. All shots were pass throughs at ranges from 5 to 175 yds. I could not be happier. I use 200gr hornady SPs at 2550fps. I use CCI LR primers and IMR4895.

RH

I really need to try those 200 Hornady's. Don't believe I've ever read a negative review. They just seem to work. Could probably get them up to the mid-2600s with TAC. Be curious if anyone has used both the 200 Hornady and 200 BT (Silvertip). Any meaningful difference?

rr how long is your barrel. Looks like 2500fps up is good for about every critter w/every bullet so far. PRM I think if I were to het

I've never hunted with a 338 Federal, but have used the .358 Winchester extensively. While I really like the .358, I'd probably opt for the .338 Federal now. It's a tossup, both are very effective, but the .338 is a slightly superior in the ballistics area. Not enough to switch calibers, but if all else is equal, I'd go for the .338.

I have shot a couple of hogs and the round just blew them down. Load was Barnes 160 with 45 grs of Aliant 7 shot from a custom barrel for an Encore from MGM

I remember the "Good 338 Federal loads" thread where we compared a lot of notes on loads. You've certainly put your Federale to good use. Congrats on some great trophies.

It was your playing with the 160 TTSX and AA2230 that first got me to thinking about the potential. Realizing it was the most accurate load in my rifle, and zipping along along at ~3030 FPS, I decided I needed to try it. With my handful of data points, here is what I have surmised: The 160 does not penetrate quite as well as the 185 TTSX or other premium heavy bullets such as the 210 Partition or 200 gn Trophy Bonded Tip. It does penetrate as well as the heavier cup & cores that I've tried including 200 SST, 200 BT, 180 BT. However, the 160 does more internal damage than the 185 TTSX (only thing I can compare to). My PH was quite leery of this bullet at the start of the hunt, but in the end he changed his tune. In fact, his only complaint, and that of the skinners, was that the 160 did far too much meat damage. As for the penetration, the only time I expected a pass through and did not get it was on a short, broadside shot on the Waterbuck. However, it did center punch ribs coming and going, took about a 6" radius hole out of the side of the heart, absolutely turned both shoulders to mush and then the bullet was under the hide on the far side. It had opened to .73"! Seeing how thick the hide on the Waterbuck was, it did not disappoint me that it did not exit. The only other shots I did not get exits were a chest shot on an Elk and quartering shot on a Gemsbok where I hit the point of the shoulder. I would not expect exits on those. No problem passing through the Kudu, Impala and Blesbok. All had massive internal damage. So, in summary, while I think I lose a bit of penetration, which would rarely matter, I think the 160 actually kills better than the 185 TTSX. Speed and getting that thing to open wide really works.

i bought one of the ruger frontier scout rifles in 338 fed when they first came out. 16.5" barrel and scout scope setup. i got a deal on federal fusion 200's and haven't handloaded for it yet. i may not, since i have about 25 boxes. it is devastating on whitetails and in my ruger it is deadly accurate. my son used it until he got the marlin lever bug. the deer he shot with it ever took a step.

The cartridge is on life support. Death is "imminent". The cartridge is not "eminent".

I don't see .308 brass or .338 cal bullets going away. I'm not worried.

Well put. I salute your to-the-point post, and your grammatical eminence.

It may be going the way of the Dodo bird but every site I visit they are talking about the cartridge. powdr

I suspect that's because the .338 Federal is sort of like the .260 Remington: It may not be all that popular, but the people who believe are True Believers!

One thing I've noticed about most of the .260 loonies is they constantly brag about how it's such a fantastic all-around cartridge, capable of duplicating .243 and .25-06 muzzle velocities, and even down-range .270 ballistics with the right load. But despite that they have several .260's! Dunno if .338 Federal people are like that.

Despite my comments, I was just at the range with my .338 Federal on Monday, trying some new loads....

Hi, my name is PRM, I am a True Believer. Yea, I admit it.

MD, I'd like to hear about your 338 Fed loads if they prove interesting.

Yeah tell us what's going on in the laboratory. powdr

It'll appear in a couple months in GUNS magazine. Still not quite done with all the shooting.

HOT DIGGITY DANG. Come on Guns Magazine. powdr

Look forward to it, I'll keep an eye out. On my loading bench I still have a copy of the Handloader where you had an article on the 338 Fed and 358 Win.

Damn and blast, why isn't it Handloader, I've got an electronic subscription to that.

John has to spread his money out. powdr

John, has this article been published yet?

It's now September and I still haven't sent my gun off to be re-barreled. I said I had in an earlier post but on the day I was suppose to ship it a family emergency came up. Well I'm hoping to get it off this month barring any emergencies. I'm really excited about getting it and ringing it out. powdr

Follow up. I read the article in the Dec Guns Magazine. It's a good read. Actually has substance, vice so many articles I see by others these days that appear to be reprints of marketing material. I assume the 210 Partition load for the 338 Fed is supposed to read 2593 vice 2693? That would match what I've seen. I may have to re-try 8208 with the Hot Cor. That looks interesting.

I've used one for several years. I shoot mainly 210gr. Nosler Partitions. It's like a can of RAID, kills stuff dead.

The cheap AE 185gn SP loads are a good source for brass.

Not too shabby at the range or on deer either...

Entrance:

Exit:

I love my 338 Federal. Killed my first couple of deer with it this year. My buck was at about 30 yards and I killed a doe at a lasered 303 yards. Perfect performance on both.

I used the 160TTSX ahead of 8208. My load only pushes the bullet at about 2850fps, but is extremely accurate from my Ruger. I can find more speed, but I stuck with accuracy.

I'll be using the rifle again this weekend to bust another doe or two. I really like the cartridge...

Picture of the buck...



160TTSX entrance...



Exit...

Yea, but I wouldn't shoot at a critter 300 yards away with it..

I'll give you lessons:)

Those 160s work real well! Nice buck!

It wasn't too many years ago that you could get a basic blued Tikka in .338 Federal for a song. I will always regret not getting one. I was just too enamored with the .338 WM and RCM to think straight.

My experience with .338 Fed was limited to shooting a few hogs, which were dispatched with admirable efficiency. The cartridge certainly has a reputation for punching above its weight class, particularly among true believers pushing Partitions down the barrel. I believe it MIGHT have been the late Greg Rodriguez who told me he used a .338 Fed extensively in cropping a chitload of Kudu, and he found it well-suited to that purpose. I believe he was shooting factory ammo, but unfortunately, I don't recall what it was...

It is most likely going away, not too many chambered in new rifles now. I bought my Tikka T3 cheap $400, it does what Tikka's do, accurate no issues. It is my rough use hunting rifle that just plain flat works. No particular attachment, like a good tool, a good hammer. It will stick around, as it is a go to, proven to get the job done. So far only deer and a hog. Have used the 185TSX but may now try some others.

Greg Rodriguez told me at the time that he used the 200 Fusion load.

That sounds about right. I just couldn't remember for certain. That certainly speaks well of the Fusion load.

Does anyone remember what mag MD's article about .338 Fed VS .358 Win was in? I'd like to get a copy.
Thanks!

Here Teeder-Handloader August 2008 #254

Awesome! Thanks!

Barnes X bullets, called this one in to 50 yards.

I've taken 3 whitetail bucks with my E.R.Shaw MK VII in 338 federal. Three bucks and three different loads. On the first buck I used the factory fusion ammo. The deer was a nice seven point buck standing at about 90 yards. The bullet entered the base of the neck and exited the off side ribs. The deer actually ran after the shot but didn't make it far. The second deer was also a seven point. This time I uses a 200 gr hornady interlock, 47 gr of 8208, CCI #200. The bullet was set .01 from the lands and went 2665 fps. The deer stood broadside at 13 steps! The bullet entered mid chest and exited low and just behind the offside front leg. It turned out to be a heart shot. The deer ran about 30 yards and fell over dead. The blood trail was unreal. The third buck I took just a few days ago. The load was 185 gr TTSX, 48 gr 8208, CCI #200. The bullet was ser .03 from the lands and went 2770 fps. The six point buck stood facing my at about 30 yards. The bullet entered the base of the neck and traveled almost the entire length of the deer. He dropped like a rock where he stood. I recovered the bullet in the bottom round while butchering him up. Here's a few photos of the bullet. It looks like it worked as advertised.

Obie what was the final price of that rifle? powdr

I don't remember exectly what the rifle cost and i can't find my receipt at the moment. The price was about $1000. I placed my order in December 2010 and I got the rifle ten months later. I was looking for a rife in 338 fed. i saw a few nice rifles chambered in 338 fed. but nothing I liked was offered left handed. I saw a few favorable articles in magazines on the mk. VII so I thought I would take a look at their web page. There's a nice gun builder feature on their page and after seeing some of the options I was sold. It's a great rifle and for what you get I thought the price was pretty reasonable.

Nice looking rifle! What's the barrel length?

22" 2.5 contour with helical fluting. Here's the gun builder link.
http://www.ershawbarrels.com/build-your-e-r-shaw-mk-VII-rifle.htm

Any new experiences from this hunting season. Load, game taken and where. powdr

I had the same real world experience with my Rem Model 7 in 338 Fed that I had last year and the year before. I carried it and didn't see a dang thing to shoot with it. It does carry really well though and it shoots great at the range.

Dang Mathrs, you can't find a deer in all of Georgia to snuff out w/that beautiful rifle? It really needs to be blooded. powdr

Getting skunked while working hard and carrying a light package like that leaves out the "injury" and just keeps the "insult".

Nice rig!

powdr I haven't seen a single deer while carrying the 338 Fed. I have another Remington Model 7 that I had built in 260 Remington as a matching rifle to the 338 and every time I carry it, I'm covered up in deer. Guess which rifle I tend to pick up most often now.

Probably some "expurts" around here that'll say it is due to the higher ballistic coefficient of the 260 bullet or the fact that all bullets fired out of a 260 Remington rise rather than drop. I know that none of that nonsense could cause me to fail to see a deer... I personally think it is entirely due to the peanut butter, that I smeared on the 260's fluted barrel, being a natural deer attractant. The 338 doesn't have a fluted barrel and the peanut butter tends to rub off.

I think I'll take the 338 Fed out and shoot an armadillo or two just to see if I can break the spell. The little buggers are armor plated and have been known to charge when wounded...

You know how one fixes that? You just hunt w/the .338 till you kill something. No other gun goes into the field until the Federal gets blooded...period. You got to be firm about these things. powdr

NAHHHH!

The 338 Fed is cursed!

Sell it to me for $200.00, shipped. I'll bury it in a remote desert location, and lift the curse for him.

I'll have to give it one more year, but if I get skunked again, we might need to talk�