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

Midway has 185 gr .338 overruns, thought to be Fed Fusion, designed for the .338 Fed.

They’re 24 cents each, I just ordered 400 with free shipping. Lotta bullets for a hundred bucks.

They may be for the .338 Fed, but I’ll be cranking them out of my .338-06, slightly faster.

DF

Here's the link.

Anyone with a .338 caliber rifle, this is cheap shooting and IME, Fed Fusion's are generally pretty accurate and good on game.

Designed for the .338 Fed, I guess they could get a bit expansive at .338 WM speeds. I think they'll be OK out of my .338-06.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1023840599?pid=207758

DF

Thanks DF for the heads up!

Yeah, ordered 400. Plan to load them in my 338 WM, reduced with either H4895 or Blue Dot around 2600-2700....or re-barrel a Savage SA in 338 Fed. Would love some data with the Win Mag if you have it.

Yeah, don’t know how much excessive speed they’d tolerate.

Fed Fusions are generally accurate, although I’ve not shot these yet.

DF

Looking forward to the reloading challenge. Thanks for the heads up.

Thanks for the heads up DF. Ordered a bunch for fun plinking.

What .338’s are you guys shooting?

DF

DF
I am a big 338-06 fan.

But have been looking for a Federal. Just have not found the right one yet.

My 338 Fed sure likes these bullets

I have a nice 98 Mauser 338-06 and a nice Pre-64 FWT .358 Win.

I think the .338 Fed is a nice round, just don't have much hankering for one with the two above in my safe.

What you looking the .338 Fed to do that you can't do with the .338-06.

Now, I'm not saying you don't "need" it, would have to relinquished my Loony card if I even implied as much....

Just curious.

DF

They're here. Quick.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/16708408/re-338-federal#Post16708408

DF

Did I ever thank you for buying that mauser? You saved me, from myself on that one.

I keep trying tp relinquish my looney card, but am seriously failing. I have three 338-06's, and still want a 338 Federal. I have tried some subsonic loads with my 338-06's and with all my tinkering can not get a load to shoot better than 2.5 MOA. Thinking a Federal case might work better. So I found a Kimber Montana with a bunch of reloading supplies for a lightweight woods rifle, and a Savage Hog Hunter with a threaded barrel to scratch the itch.

I have about 1/2 dozen rifles that are going to go on the chopping block, so maybe I am making headway?

Hmm...

I'd say prognosis is guarded...

But I do feel yo pain...

Ha!

DF

Thanks for the heads up. Got some coming.

I've been hunting the 338-06 since 1995 on multiple elk, a mule deer, a black bear and a grizzly. It was a 210 gr Partition, a 225 gr AB or a 185 gr TSX. They all worked. I don't know what I would do with four or five hundred .338 bullets?

I ordered 400 and hope they last. I find it very satisfying when a 338 bullet whacks steel.

Thinking the federal case will save some powder and provide some resounding whacks. Along with making a better subsonic load.

I've got 2 340 weatherbys, these would make good practice rounds. I see they're at $19 a hundred now. Thats cheap.

I bought up a bunch of Speer hot cor 338 bullets last year at under $20. I wondernif they're different than these Federal bullets or similar if not the same? I have a 338RCM and 338win mag. Love the 338 and middle bores in general and wish I could find a 338 Federal in a rifle I liked.

Thanks for the heads up.. I'm going to shoot them in my 338-06.

DF, thanks for the heads up. I ordered 400 as well this morning. I will be using them in my 338-6 and my wildcat 338 WSM loaded to 338-06 velocity.

What's your pet load for that combo?

DF

24” barrel. 210 nosler PT @ 2500 FPS avg MOA with 62.0 of RL19
180 nosler BT @ 2780 FPS avg 1.50 MOA with 63.0 of RL 17
225 Hornsby SP @ 2700 FPS avg MOA with 63.0 of RL17
210 TTSX Barnes @ 2600 FPS avg MOA with 58.0 big game
All above 338-06.

Thanks,

DF

Thanks Dirtfarmer!

Purchased 600. Will be loading them in a 338 RCM for practice, and varmint calling. The rifle is too nice to sit around waiting for the next elk hunt.

Man, ole Larry is dumping these, they're now 20 cents. I thought they were a good deal for a quarter.

He must have a boat load. Load up. Shelf life is impressive....

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1023840599?pid=207758

DF

Ordered another 600!

Don’t miss out.

May be a while before we see these prices on good bullets.

DF

That’s cheap shooting. I’m tempted to try some. I have a Sako 338 win mag and a 338 federal

Too bad he doesn’t have any for better calibers…. Lol

There are those who consider the .338 to be a “better” caliber.

Ha!

Seriously, in this season of supply and availability difficulty, you grab what you can when you can. Even if you don’t currently need them, you may down the road. And they cheap enough to stock pile.

DF

Yes, I searched for .257, .284, .308 and .358. None offered. 😩

I couldn't resist and bought 1000. Have two 338-06's.

I guess I am lost on the need for 100's (1000?) of .338 bullets? I have hunted with my 338-06 since 1995, have developed a couple of loads using the 210 gr Partition and the 185 gr TSX and am pretty well set with the two boxes of fifty loaded (short of the dead animals) in my cabinet. I just looked and I have a box of the Partitions and a box of TSX's that I will likely never load. Non-loony I guess...

Careful there, Ed.

Your Loony card may be in jeopardy.

Ha!

Seriously, lots of us Loony types like to plink and practice with our hunting rifles. But from a practical point of view, I fully understand.

I have rifles with optimal load(s) worked out and use them only when I hunt.

Good thing about hoarding bullets, shelf life is really good.

DF

I have a NFLD moose hunt scheduled next year. I have a good 210TTSX load for my 338 RCM, but I bought a bunch of those fusions and my plan is fling 200 or so around next summer as a tune up. I generally do something similar every year with rifle I will taking on a out of state hunt, Most years I shoot the load that I will use for hunting but I am not sitting waist deep in TTSX's. I also shoot a bit with my other rifles, but I think practicing with what you hunt with has some value.

My 2nd order with 600 showed up, can not wait to start burning powder and banging steel with them. Cheap way to get a bunch of trigger time.

Have a 338-06 that will be done shortly that is getting set up with the same open sights as my 416 Remington. This will be an easy way to get a bunch of practice with open sights. Without burning expensive 416 bullets and all the powder. I can see easily going through 4,5 or 600 bullets in that practice alone.

They should also work very good out of my 338 Federal rifles. Can't imagine them bouncing off whatever I am hunting.

CRS should get a gold star on his Loony card for that kinda forward thinking and foresight

DF

I got some for a 338WM. IMO pushing the envelope on light (I am one of those die hard "medium-medium" guys for whom 250 grainers are perfect in a .338WM)

Will try them out as an experiment at first. At $.20 a bullet, a real deal.

I bought 800 to shoot in my 338-06 and my 338 federal.

Blu and Tanker laying in supplies.

Good deal. And they won’t go bad sitting on a shelf. Don’t even need climate control.

DF

Now they're 18 cents per. Not sure I'll shoot my 1000 I already have, why do I want to order another 1K???

Slm9s. 338 fed is the new 22lr at those prices. Lol

Bought 200 for back-up.

I've been loading the Hornady 185 GMX in my 338 Federal AR.



Since I mainly kill pigs, a bonded soft point ought to do just fine!

ya!

GWB

Good hit DF, down to 18 bucks a box of 100 now.

Anyone shot any of these yet? I have not but will try to this weekend if weather cooperates. Man what a deal…. Tempted to buy more but feel I should shoot some of what I bought first and see how they group!!

Btt

Those bullets are up next in my 338 Federal.

Just finished load workup for my 416 Remington so on to the next project.

I thought they were a deal at 20 cents.

DF

Yes shot some fusions. Put together a load that hits same POI at 100 yds as my 225 Accubond elk load in a 338 RCM.

Velocity is not maxed out @ 2784 fps. Used 54.5 gr of IMR 8208 as I have a ton of it and it is temp insensitive. I always felt it was a shame to have that rifle sitting till the next cow elk hunt, which in Az is every 4 or so years.

How do you guys think these would do on an elk at close range out of a big magnum ~ 340wby velocity?

FWIW, Midway now has these at 65 cents a bullet. Up from 20-ish cents, depending on which day you clicked the buy button.

Moral to the story: Strike while the iron is hot!

Thanks to fellow fire members for pointing this deal out at the time!

I must have been to slow again….dang it!

I bought 1k of these and then a rifle to go with them. lol. A savage MSR10. Here's my load and it's cheaper than anyting else I shoot.

Fed 210 Primer
FLS from 308 FC brass
47.8 grains of TAC
This runs around 2670 from an 18" barrel. Shoots around 1.2 MOA

CCI 200 and 46.7 grains of 8208 clocks about the same but shoots just a little tighter.

I've more TAC powder than 8208 and since TAC throws so well for me, thats what I've loaded in bunches.
Fun to shoot at steel, havnt shot it against game yet.

We’re these bullets coated from midway when you bought them. I bought a thousand and they were not coated but I’ve heard of others that were. And also are t fusions supposed to be coated in boron nitride?

Anyone shoot an animal with these yet? And can report performance. I shot one 130 lb hog at base of the neck. DRT. And shot one nice buck. I tracked it for a mile with a dog but it was still on it's feet. It was a brisket shot so it's my own fault for not recovering.

I put 3 of these into deer last year from my 338Fed. All dropped on impact and never got up. The shots were all under 75 yards. Complete pass throughs with a nickel exit hole. I am happy with them.

If anyone wants to get rid of theirs, I am your huckleberry.

Some were coated and some were not. Mine were about 75% uncoated.

Thanks for the report. I'm going to coat all mine (got about 1k left).

I wold use them. Can't see any reason to get a 338 mag or 340 mag and use bullet's in them I could get in a 30-06. They are gonny have a lot more velocity and if they are cup and core bullet's may have a tendicity to come apart from the velocity. Internal damage will probably be more than I'd care for. For me the worst thing might be internal damaage that could result.

Not bad at all in today’s world! 👍

A little off topic but, I wish that more manufacturers were chambering rifle in the .338 Federal…..I think that it would be a sweet cartridge for largish big game at short to moderate distances! memtb

It is that. It thumps and shoots flat enough.

I'd love to try the 338 Federal. It's got an nice suite of game hunting bullets and I prefer 338 cal over 30cal in everything but cost. Trouble is I'm invested in an 30-06 and can use 200 and 220gr bullets at similar velocities so it's close in performance.

I bought a bunch of the 185gr (Fusions) when Midway had them on sale. I load them in my 338-06 and 338 Federal, I haven't shot any game with them, but they group well.

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.

I loaded some for my 338 win mag and down loaded them to 338 federal speed. I shot a young bull elk in the shoulder at about 150 yards last fall with that load, he never took another step just spun around and fell over.

Has anyone else noticed that these are large diameter for caliber? I'm measuring them at .3385 at their thickest. It takes quite a bit of effort to seat these things.

I just loaded some to test for groups and seating the bullet was a little harder than usual. I will measurer some tomorrow.

.338 225 grain bullets are excellent for the price. $18 a box of 50. They penetrated 1/4" less than 30 cal 220 grain partitions ($100 a box of 50) when shot into spruce boards. They retained more weight as well.

The wide expansion would be great for anchoring goats/sheep in proximity of steep terrain. Another excellent use, would be shooting caribou in herds, where you don't want to cripple a caribou on the offside, the bullet stays against the offside hide.

Never understood the inferior argument of there being only .03 difference between unexpanded diameter of 338 and 30 cal bullets. Such a narrow point of view. The picture is an expanded 225 fusion next to an expanded 30 cal 220 partition.

These 225 grain fusions will seat flush in the neck, an not impede powder capacity of any .338 federal, or 338 rcm. And no, the jacket isnt thin. Good job Federal on both the 338 fed and the .338 fusions!

Interesting picture, Mainer. How fast were those bullets going? I’ve never entertained the idea of a 225 grain bullet in my 338F, but your post has me thinking.

It's the whole point of a .338: 225 an up. Would be perfect in the 338 federal with lever revolution powder. Velocity was 2550 fps. 338 fed should vet close to that. The 230 oryx is another outstanding bullet for the 338 fed. Will not impede powder capacity.

I just checked mine. They are also .3385. Everything else I have, Nosler and Hornady is .3375.

I went ahead and took the nuclear option and and ordered a redding bushing fls die. I've got over 1k of these bullets so I gotta make em work.

I doubt there’s much harm in shooting them at .3385”.

I’ll have to keep an eye out for those 225 Fusions!

The factory 338 Fusion ammo shot great out of my Kimber. I hope to get similar results out of my reloads.

I worked them up carefully and found ejector marks at the top end of the books loads. I backed off. I simulated the loads in software with .3385 vs .3375 and it only raised the pressure prediction marginally... not even 1,000 psi. I do plan on coating them in BNH as I believe this is how they were indented to be from the factory. They just didn't get to it before deciding to dump them.

I just got around to trying out the big batch of 185 Fusion seconds I bought back when the rest of you did in my 24" 338-06. They are driving nails with 64.5 gr /SB6.5 seated .005" off the lands, at 2875 FPS (CCI 200 and necked up Norma case). I did a seating test and up close was the clear winner, I had tried them before in my 19" 338-06 carbine and they were not spectacular, but now I'm going to go back and try this load again.
My concern is if this load, a 185 grain in the 338-06, is going to be "useful." Meaning that, If I'm going to shoot a 180-ish (or even 200) grain bullet in this basic case, it'd be more effective as a 30-06.
So I reckon I'm really looking for some folks to tell me more of their experiences on game with this stubby little 185 grain .338 bullet. It's easy to get addicted to throwing down 3/4 MOA groups with a .338 but if it ain't killing it ain't worth the primers and powder.
Please share more of your hunting experience with these, regardless of what chambering.

Rex

P.S. anybody know the BC of these?

@trexf16 I have .378 written down for the 185 gr seconds. I am not sure where I got it, most likely somewhere on the web.

Don’t have first hand experience with this bullet on game yet, but I think if it is shot at reasonable velocity, not too fast, it should perform well.

Guessing BC is somewhere around .310-.330.

I have used them on 11 deer and only one did not drop at the shot. It made one leap and dropped. All have been pass throughs even when hitting a shoulder going in or out. Longest shot was 80ish yards. I have not used them on anything larger than deer. I love my 338Fed.

Thanks, that's great data. While I would use my 338-06 on anything in North America, I never envisioned this 185 Fusion as other than a deer bullet. Sounds like it'll be a great choice for deer. For bigger stuff, I have, well, bigger stuff.

Cheers all,
Rex

Every time I think I have enough rifles in the .338-.358 caliber range I read another guy touting his .338Fed …. I KNOW that I need an AR in that chambering to fully be considered a man. 😀

I bought into that great Midway deal and have 4 or 5 hundred and several 308s so it’s a logical leap that I now need a rifle to go with it, right? I think a suppressed 18” AR in that chambering would be a pretty wicked <350yds thumper. I can see keeping that onboard my 33’ trawler for all around SE AK use….I’m never without backup and being the practical sort I’d probably need a Howa Mini or whatever their lightest .308 (unless they do a LW 338fed) as a backup rifle.

I literally bought a Savage ar10 in 338 federal after buying 1k of these fusions for 18 cents a piece. Its now the cheapest thing I shoot believe it or not. It's tons of fun to shoot.

Enabler…..😀👍🏼

Yep, I am already missing my Federale. May have to put another one together.