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Joined: Oct 2013
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Oct 2013
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It's just a halfway point, layover, for going from 308 to 358. Nobody really wants to live there.
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 57
Campfire Greenhorn
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OP
Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 57 |
Thanks for all the feedback, guys.
Maybe I'm more of an oddball than I thought, but I always felt the .338 Federal was a smart little round that does a whole lot from a small package.
I don't get the recoil gripe that some maybe have. It's like a 22 - 23 pound kicker. That's a far cry from .338 Win Mag territory. But, I can see where most people don't need anything bigger than a mild 30 cal, or thereabouts.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,486
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,486 |
It's just a halfway point, layover, for going from 308 to 358. Nobody really wants to live there. Ha! Well said!
Faith and love of others knows no mileage nor bounds. That's simply the way it is. dogzapper
After the game is over, the king and the pawn go into the same box. Italian Proverb
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 7,967 Likes: 5
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 7,967 Likes: 5 |
Thanks for all the feedback, guys.
Maybe I'm more of an oddball than I thought, but I always felt the .338 Federal was a smart little round that does a whole lot from a small package.
I don't get the recoil gripe that some maybe have. It's like a 22 - 23 pound kicker. That's a far cry from .338 Win Mag territory. But, I can see where most people don't need anything bigger than a mild 30 cal, or thereabouts. The problem with 338 Fed is that the 30-06 shoots all the same bullet weights faster with about the same recoil, flatter trajectory and much more energy downrange. A 308 will shoot 200 gr bullets within 50 fps of a 338 with 200's and shoot 180's faster than the 338 will shoot 200's. At the muzzle the 338 shows a slight edge, but the 308 is faster, flatter shooting and with more energy with equal bullet weights past about 100-150 yards. The .003" greater bullet diameter is of no advantage on game and actually hurts the ballistics. The 338 works, but I don't see it offering any advantage over 308, and it's a step down from 30-06. It is just a cool round for guys who want to be different from the crowd.
Most people don't really want the truth.
They just want constant reassurance that what they believe is the truth.
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 496
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 496 |
I personally really like the 338 federal. I have one in a Tikka that is very handy. Plenty of power from a small light gun. I load and shoot 210 nosler partitions in mine but looking at factory ammo ballistics I disagree a little with some info that has been posted. A 308 shooting 180's in factory form will be somewhere near 2570-2600 fps and a 338 federal with a 180 grain accubond is 2830 fps and the 185 grain tsx is 2750 fps. That is a pretty significant performance improvement as far as I am concerned. I don't see any factory load info for a 200 grain .308 but the 338 fed will do 2630-2700 fps depending on the load. That means it will shoot a 20 grain heavier bullet approximately 100 fps faster than the .308 with 180s. It is certainly no magnum and does have a bit of recoil but for whitetails, pigs and bears out to 400 yards it is a great round.
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Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 29,007 Likes: 28
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 29,007 Likes: 28 |
It is a good round, no doubt. The question is, does it have what it takes to make it in the marketplace. The answer would appear to be no. That doesn't stop folks that like it from enjoying it; just takes a little more effort.
History indicates that for a new cartidge to succeed, it has to offer capabilities not available in existing rounds. I don't think the .338 Fed does that.
What fresh Hell is this?
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 2,601
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 2,601 |
Thanks for all the feedback, guys.
Maybe I'm more of an oddball than I thought, but I always felt the .338 Federal was a smart little round that does a whole lot from a small package.
I don't get the recoil gripe that some maybe have. It's like a 22 - 23 pound kicker. That's a far cry from .338 Win Mag territory. But, I can see where most people don't need anything bigger than a mild 30 cal, or thereabouts. The problem with 338 Fed is that the 30-06 shoots all the same bullet weights faster with about the same recoil, flatter trajectory and much more energy downrange. A 308 will shoot 200 gr bullets within 50 fps of a 338 with 200's and shoot 180's faster than the 338 will shoot 200's. At the muzzle the 338 shows a slight edge, but the 308 is faster, flatter shooting and with more energy with equal bullet weights past about 100-150 yards. The .003" greater bullet diameter is of no advantage on game and actually hurts the ballistics. The 338 works, but I don't see it offering any advantage over 308, and it's a step down from 30-06. It is just a cool round for guys who want to be different from the crowd. I agree. I have a 30-06 and several 308Win rifles. I also have a 338 Win mag. Just do not see the need. But it is a cool round, like the 358Win.
Nut
Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.
Thomas Jefferson
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 9,611
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 9,611 |
I bought a Tikka in 338F from smithrjd and I like it very much. The complaints about the stock and original rings are both unfounded in my opinion. I've owned two 358s and a 338-06 but sold all three. I love this little gun, not too light and not too heavy. Good for a walk about rifle but heavy enough to hold steady for off hand shooting. It is very capable, when loaded right, of killing anything in n. America w/the 210gr Partition. For Texas hogs and deer I will load the 200gr Speer, Fusion and ballitic tips. I also have some 180gr ballistic tips but feel like the Federal shines w/the 200gr bullets out to 400yd. Please don't roll your eyes guys as I've already run the ballistics. I am going to send the original stock to Darren for one of his camo sponge jobs and have the barreled action cerakoted. I have put a VX3 3.5-10X40 w/post and duplex on top and am very pleased w/the set up. The recoil is a little less than the 358 w/200's to me. I bought this one to keep and really don't care if others like it or not. You couldn't give me a 223AI or a 260 but many of the guys here like them...and I respect their right to be a loony. I'm just a loony that has fallen in love w/the 338Federal. powdr
Last edited by powdr; 02/25/15.
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,696
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,696 |
There's a Kimber Montana w/ a Leupold in Talley's on GB right now if any of you have the bug! I'm hoping that by posting about here it will drive up the price to the point that I quit checking in on it.
Repeat 3x I don't need this gun...
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,748
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,748 |
If anyone can ever see the difference between a 30-06 and a 338 Fed within ranges of 400ish or less, they are better than me. I would venture it is safe to say there is 0% difference in the outcome. Which says very good things about the 338 in my opinion.
The Savage offerings are interesting. I'd like to have a Model 11 lightweight hunter with the 23" stainless fluted barrel from the 16 Bear Hunter.
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,611 Likes: 1
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,611 Likes: 1 |
I had one and I miss it . Never should have sold that rifle! I'm 180 out. Wish I never bought it and was glad to get rid of it. Gun was expensive, ammo was expensive (when you could find it), and accuracy was nothing to brag about especially for a Sako. Honestly it didn't do anything that a bunch of other calibers could do as well or better. IMO the cartridge was a solution to a problem that never existed.
Last edited by Ghostman; 02/25/15.
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 3,682 Likes: 2
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 3,682 Likes: 2 |
Yep....I still say the .338 Fed was nothing but another 'almost'. Almost a .308. Almost a .358. Almost a 30-06....if with training wheels. If it had never been un-wildcatted, it could still be cool. 😄
Last edited by hh4whiskey; 02/25/15.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 22,884
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 22,884 |
No, the 338Fed is not on the comeback trail.
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Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 1,243
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 1,243 |
I agree it isn't coming back. I think the same parent company owns federal and savage. Makes sense they chamber rifles for it and try to create interest.
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 6,314
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 6,314 |
I'm a fan of the 338 Federal. It's pretty sexy and it works. I've only killed a couple deer with it so far, but I've enjoyed shooting it a bunch. I hope prm fills this thread up with pictures. I can only add a couple...
I enjoy handguns and I really like shotguns,...but I love rifles!
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,748
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,748 |
That's a great buck! I know the 338 Fed kills things just as dead as any other cartridge.
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,180 Likes: 2
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,180 Likes: 2 |
I like my 338 Fed. It doesn't do one thing that a half dozen other rifles in the safe can't do just as well, but its a keeper. It might not be on a comeback tour like some of y'all have suggested, but I never thought it was gone. I have all I need to keep shooting it for as long as I need or want to shoot it, so I really don't care if Federal keeps making it or not. It seems like several rifles I like don't seem to be making it right now. I can't find ammo for a couple of 284 Winchesters and the latest that seems to have been dropped is the 35 Remington.
Harry
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 18,352 Likes: 1
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 18,352 Likes: 1 |
seems it would be a good close range hog caliber.
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Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 516
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 516 |
It's kind of a has-been that never-was, which is really sad. A 338 Federal should have been a real winner. A lot of cartridges do what others do as good or a bit better than maybe not quite as good but they get the job done when asked to deliver. Sometimes that "cool factor" really warms up the hot stove and as such it's well worth the price of admission. I think a person should buy whatever they want as long it's their money. I love all the new stuff but I usually wait a while so the bugs get worked out; you know, a few years anyways, like 40 or 50, better yet 80-100. :-)
Last edited by Old_Doe_Shooter; 03/01/15.
Why does a man who is 50 pounds overweight complain about a 10 pound rifle being too heavy? SCI Life Member 4**
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