Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game .338 185 gr Fed Fusion

I bought 4 or 500 and figured that the 308 AR lower would eventually become an 18” barreled suppressed 338 Federal. I’ve got 308 and under taken care of in spades but a high capacity, semi-auto AR in 338 Federal might be a formidable weapon.

If I’m going with ultra-lightweight bullets at scalding speeds I’ll stick with the TSX/TTSX since they’ll handle the impact velocities of lightweight 338 bullets (ie <200gr). At 3250-3300fps with a 160 TSX in a 338wm it should flatten the curve and still thump the target. In reality I don’t see myself getting much general use from the lightweight bullets in the 338’s since I think the medium bores shine with the heavier bullets and with the great selection of monos there’s not much reason for going heavier than a 225 TTSX…..but I still have 50 275gr 338 Swift A-Frames to load up anyway. My general purpose round is the 210gr TTSX @3000fps or the 200gr Ballistic Tip @~3050fps. If I HAD to choose 1 bullet it’d be the 210TTSX in the 338.

I have 50rds of 280gr Swift A-Frame for my 35 Whelen that I need to load up too. In the Whelen my 1 bullet of choice is the 225gr TTSX. The heavy A-Frames in 338 (275gr) and 358 (280gr) are theoretically for going into the brush after something that can bite where distance is measured in feet and down range velocity with high BC’s are not important…… but I’d feel just as comfortable with the TTSX’s.

I’m trying to decide if I’m going to send a rifle to JES for rebore and whether I want to go with a 458wm or 358 Norma? I think the practical side of me says “go with the 458 since you currently have nothing over 358 cal” but the cool-dude side of me says get a 358 Norma since nobody has one and it’ll do everything I’d need it to do….so far the 458 is in the lead and the Norma might just have to wait…..tomorrow the Norma will be in the lead.