Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Goods and bads on this new build.

I missed out when Tikka came out in 338 Federal, but had one in a Ruger Hawkeye All-Weather. It shot 1/2" with 180TSX Barnes box loads.

I've been looking at building one for just hunting the Eastern mountains.

338 Federal
Tikka Compact bored out to 338 Federal. 20" bbl
160 Barnes or 180 Accubonds.

Shots from 25-150.

I know a lot of other guns will work in this niche, but I think this will be fantastic.

While I see no need to complicate the matter with a rebore, nor for the larger bore size and its associated extra costs etc, the rifle sounds just fine. May I suggest a Trijicon Credo HX 1-6 on top?

Get busy.

Since you mentioned factory ammo, I took a quick look at Midway, and of the three .338 Fed choices, none were in stock. In .308, of the 174 choices, 48 per page. i made it well down the second page before I hit any that weren’t available. If you’re gonna use factory, make sure you grab what you need where and when you can.

Sounds like a great project. I’d think that rifle should work great for the country you’re running around in!

Yo can get a Kimber hunter for the same price if you are going stainless.

I would prefer the Kimber in general, but would expect the Tikka to outshoot it, also in general. A rebore might change that, for good or evil, in either case.

Given the OP’s stated use, no biggie regardless.

Do you foresee potentially using a suppressor at some point?

At the risk of sounding like my father here – a Tikka in .308, slinging 165s seems like a much shorter way to get to point B.
But if you must.....

You beat me to it.

Amazing how much we say 💩 that our fathers have always said…and we rolled our eyes😂

Very logical way to look at it^^^^ A lot easier on the pocket book too. The op can do what he wants, but throwing 2x the money into a rifle to get to the same fork in the road makes no sense. Especially when it comes time to sell said rifle.

Logic be damned fellas! Get what you want and will have fun with. It’s 225 bucks to get it rebored and brass is everywhere.

If we were all logical and grounded we’d all just use a 270/30-06

This is true. While I'm far from pragmatic on most things, this one sure seems to be a zero sum unless there are style points amongst the OP's hunting circle.
But the fact that maybe a fella just wants to do it is not lost on me either.

I reload and have plenty of brass. I'm a looney and have lots of side money. I've had 3 Kimbers and I won't own another. They just don't shoot or atleast the ones I had. I figure the project to run about $1100. JES will do my rebore and I haven't seen anything bad about accuracy after he gets finished. I have plenty to shoot, but I get bored easy..lol

Jess does good work. Haven’t had a problem with his stuff.

It’s a great cartridge for the woods and I enjoy the blood it’ll lay down.

Hmmm.... I have 225 bucks and a 243 handi-rifle barrel that is too heavy. A bigger hole should lighten it a bit. Maybe have it chopped down to 19”. Get a file and make it half octagon! Load it like factory 8x57.

Nah. I got a 30-30 for my 25-150 yard walking gun. Never know when you might need a 2nd or third shot if you walk into a sounder. And already got a ton of ammo and once fired brass.

35 Whelen…

Whelen on the way, built on a Tikka Roughtech 270.

I never worried about how fast I could get the Federal to push a 200gr bullet, but I see so many loads that seem anemic. I loved my 338-06, but I wonder how it would do from a 22" bbl? Anyone here to enlighten me on any velocities or bbl length on the 338-06?.

I bought a SS M7 260 I was going to make it into a 6.5x47L, it shot great so I decided to leave it alone.

Same story ^ but SS M7 308win., I was going to build a 358w. , loaded some 208amax bullets to kind of see what a 358 would be like. Decided both ideas were pretty much a waste of "my" time.

338fed is cool, it's a free country and your money so of course do whatever you want.

I've often thought about making a .338 Fed, but I keep thinking I'd be better off with a .308 with a good 165 or 180 for what I'd be doing with it. (or my current 7mm-08 with 160's for that matter )