Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Thoughts on the .338 Federal (reviews)

Cohiba--

You have inadvertently wandered into a subject that's been beaten to death before around here.

One thing we must always keep in mind is that any increase in powder capacity only increases potential velocity at about 1/4 that rate. In other words, a 4% increase in powder capacity increases potential muzzle velocity 1%.

The difference in powder capacity between the .308 case and the 8x57 case is about 2-3 grains, WITH BULLETS OF THE SAME WEIGHT AND DIAMETER SEATED out to the normal limits of the magazine (2.8" in .308, 3.3" in the 8x57). This translates to a 4-6% increase in powder capacity, and a 1% to 1.5% increase in muzzle velocity. This amounts to about a 25-40 fps increase, depending on the load.

The difference in fps of velocity will be less with heavier bullets, not more. This is because heavier bullets start out at lower velocities, so while the percentage of velocity "loss" (if we can call 25 fps a loss) is the same with heavier bullets, the absolute loss in fps is less.

The 8x57 case doesn't have as much advantage as many people imagine over the .308 for two reasons:
1) The neck is longer. Powder space is gained from longer bodies, one advantage of short necks.
2) The body is more tapered than that of the .308.

If you really want to shoot heavier bullets from a .338, the .338-06 is a far more practical choice than the 8x57 case. The cartridge will also fit in the same magazine as a .33x57, but powder capacity is about 14% more, meaning about a 3.5% increase in potential velocity, or about 100 fps in most loads. (Or about 125 fps over the .338 Federal.)

Mostly you believe too many things you read or heard in years past about powder capacity and heavy bullets--and yes, some gun writers have been guilty of spreading stuff that was basically wrong, or at the very least irrelevant.

JB

Seems to me the .338X57 O'Conner is a long way to go to reinvent the 8X57 Mauser. The differance couldn't be much and the 8mm would likely shoot a bit flatter.

In a few weeks I'll be out sneakin through the tulies with a .338 Fed. barreled m98,camo synth stock, 4X leupold,lookin for deer or feral hogs. I worked up a super accurate load-46.5 grs. IMR-4064, 215 gr. Sierra @ 2550 fps. No...it's not a 338-06, or 338 Winny,and doesn't need to be. Yes,a 308 or 7-08 or 8x57 would do just as well. It's just my latest toy that I've tweaked, tested, cussed, and thrown $ at. It's partly about that process,partly the chance to leave work behind and match wits up close and personal with wily critters,and a whole lot about the meat. I'm not always sittin' on a ridgeline with my 6.5-06 AI waiting for a buck to come out in the open, sometimes I go in after 'em. I'll assume any tee hees I hear are about my faded vietnam era bdu's and not about the "338-06 lite" that I'm carrying.

The 338 Federal may or may not be a commercial success but it is still kind of a neat cartridge and a lot more practical than the collection of short fats Winchester came up with.
Cartridges based on the 308 have always turned out to be good performers and useful cartridges.
The 308 is itself an often underappreciated cartridge. All the others are essentially a repackaging of older cartridge performance in a more modern, compact form. So, the 260 is a modern 6.5x55. The 7mm-08 is the 7x57. The 358 is a modern 348. The 338 Federal is a modern, juiced up, 33 Winchester.
I ordered reamers for the 7mm-08 and the 260 as soon as they were announced. Just because I thought they were pretty neat cartridges. The 338 Federal is another one. GD

I hope to have one in a ss/syn all weather Ruger 77 By next year!!!!!! Perfect for this jungleized hell hole country I live in. Big blacktails and Big bears and Big boddied Bulls.

CD

I have a nice little .358 MRC 1999 that shoots itty-bitty groups, and can be loaded up to the same pressure levels as the .338 Federal. A 225 gr Partition works just fine for about everything I need it for.

If I didn't already have the .358, I might be interested in looking at the .338 Federal.

Am I mistaken or is Ruger going to offer the little short rifle with the forward mounted scope in .338 federal?

I like the idea of the 338Fed.
A handy little bolt action shooting .338 210 grain partitions would be nice for some of the deep timber elk hunting we have in Idaho.

I've had a Win. Model 88 in 338-08 for about 6 years now, great companion to my 358 Savage 99 and another MCR 358 .
The 338 Federal works great in it, but I'm not happy about paying $42 for a box of 185gr. Nosler Acubonds. I guess I'll use the brass for my reloads using 200gr Nosler spitzer's. At least the head stamp will say 338.