I started hunting as a late teenager and hunted archery for a few years before ever buying a deer rifle. In my mid 20s I bought a Remington 700 BDL in 30-06 and put a Leupold scope on it. I figured I was set. It seemed like a lot of money at the time. I subscribed to the theory that you only need one big game rifle. I used that 30-06 for years and shot quite a few deer with it. I had a shotgun and a 22 LR too so all of my bases were covered. I stayed that way for about 15 years.

A few years ago I started getting curious about other calibers/cartridges. In the past 5 years I have added a bunch of other rifles: 22 WMR, a couple 223s, 25-06, 6.5 Creedmoor, a couple 308s. I decided to hunt with my Creedmoor this year and shot a buck a few days ago but didn’t recover it. It was standing in sone brush that my bullet may have clipped. I followed the blood trail bug it petered out over a few hundred yards. I was on the mountain the next day obsessing over the shot. When I realized that I had cell service, I went on gunbroker and ordered a 338 Federal. It is supposed to be delivered tomorrow. After my long and boring post, does anyone have experience with one? What can I expect.

As an aside. A couple days later I took a doe with the Creedmoor that dropped 10 feet after the hit. I was thinking I needed a brush buster. I know a 308 or 30-06 would do anything I needed to but I think buying guns is a sickness.

It doesn't sound like it was the cartridges fault. If you hit brush, don't expect the .338 Fed to perform much better.

Buying guns is a sickness haha. I've started downsizing and sold several off. I want to buy a gun so bad I near can't stand it. I have a feeling I'm going to even tho I have no need for any.

If I still had a shooting shoulder, I'd own a 338 Federal. What kind of rifle?

I shot my biggest Bull elk with a 338Fed. First elk I ever seen that was impressed by a bullet.

Not that I have a lot of experience with other cartridges, but I did shoot a bull with a 6.5 Creedmoor (140 Berger VLD) this year, a Mule Deer last year (139 Scenar), and I do think the 338 Fed makes a bigger impression when they are hit. The end result is the same for a good shot, but you know when a 338 bullet hits. Of the ten, or so, big game animals I’ve shot with a 338 Fed, I’ve never had to do any sort of tracking. It works.

Edit: I just sold an extra 338 Fed I had. Tikka T3X I had JES rebore to 338 Fed. The T3X with the M+ mag makes a really nice 338 Fed! I already have an 84M I’ve had for years and needed the coin so had to send it down the road. I will likely build another someday using a T3X Superlite.

What rifle did you order? I have always been intrigued by the 338 federal. I'd say you made a good choice! Haha

I know that is what is suggested by the experiments people have done. However, I have had different experiences. I know it is not all about the size of the bullet (toughness matters too) but some do better than others. Hunting thickets of brush and saplings is almost inevitable in The northeast. A few years ago I killed a nice buck after my bullet punched through a forearm-sized sapling with a 308 and a 165 grain Accubond. (It was unintentional and the shot was rushed due to a dud/misfire right before). I have had other experiences as well. It’s possible a tougher 6.5 bullet would have punched through better.

I am talking about vegetation the deer is passing through, not vegetation close to me. If a deer is right in the brush, it would take a major change in trajectory to miss. I think the bigger issue is enough of the bullet remaining intact to hit with sufficient mass. In the incident with the 308 the buck was killed cleanly.

Fwiw, I don’t intentionally shoot through vegetation. Sometimes I am unable to thread the needle or Get tunnel vision.

Haha, I agree. I know most of mine are unnecessary but it is fun to try different things.

I ordered a stainless Ruger M77. I have never owned a Ruger so I am interested to test it out. All of my other centerfires are Brownings and Remingtons (except an AR).

I whacked three pigs down in Texas the March before last. First through the front axle, second tight behind the onside shoulder and out through the center of the offside shoulder, and third through the neck. All shots taken from 90 to 100 yards. No pig took a step after being hit. I like the cartridge quite a bit for busting bacon, quite a bit. Oh, I was shooting factory blue box Federal 200 grain Hot Cor.

My 338 FED is a stainless Ruger 77 Hawkeye that I've bedded in a McM Hunter stock. It is one of a three rifle set, 223/6.5CM/338FED, that are set up with the same style of McM stocks. It is a good, accurate, rifle, but a little on the heavy side.

Nice. I’d like to try a McMillian stock some day. All of mine a factory stocks except a Bell & Carlson that I put on one Remington 700.

Very few of the rifles that I actually shoot are left in their factory specs for very long. I prefer to adjust the rifle to fit me, rather than adjust myself to fit the rifle.

[quote=Theeck] I went on gunbroker and ordered a 338 Federal. It is supposed to be delivered tomorrow. After my long and boring post, does anyone have experience with one? What can I expect. /quote]


May get flamed, but I prefer the 338 Federal to the 358 Winchester. You will get moderate velocities from say 2,200 fps to 2,600 fps depending on the density of powder and weight of bullets. With mild loads and mono-metal or bonded bullets you should get leaky holes going in and coming out, yet be able to eat right up to the bullet hole.

My first 338 Federal was in a Sako 75 Stainless Synthetic. It was a disaster as Sako had a bad run of barrels on this particular chambering.

My second is a cherry!



I ordered an 18" Wilson Combat barrel and built an upper to mount on an Armalite AR-10 lower.



I tried several different bullets and powders and this barrel likes the 185 gr. Hornady GMX over 45.2 Gr. TAC, 215M primers and a 2.810" OAL




It will layeth the smack-down on hoglets



I like it!

Good luck with yours!

ya!

GWB

I prefer the 338 FED to the 358 WIN too. About the only thing that a 338 FED can't do that the 358 WIN can is shoot 0.357" handgun bullets, but that is only an advantage if you think that shooting handgun bullet from a rifle is useful.

Nice pics.

I bought 5 boxes of 200 grain Federal Fusions to test it out. I know that there aren’t many factory loads available but I have been thinking about taking up reloading anyway.

Kimber 84M here. Very light and handy. Not terribly fun to shoot from the bench but a joy to carry in the field. My two main loads are a 200 grain interlock going nearly 2700 FPS and the 160 TTSX going about 2900. I’ve killed several deer with it and hope to put it on elk eventually. My experience has been that it’s a thumper. Like always though, bullet placement matters.

Theek -

A .30-06 is all most people need. Alway figured that was a good reason as any not to get one.

Now I have 3, down from 5. Basically traded them for something else, new and more fun.

The .338 Fed is a great little cartridge. While lots of people pooh-poohed it when it came out, it is a nice thumper. While no cartridge is a brush-buster, a heavier bullet should deflect less, other variable kept constant, but don't count on it to save your shot.

I've got 3- 4 boxes ammo left from mine, would sell or trade them for sumthin real cheap if you want to see what it likes.

I’ve had a few 358s > BEFORE the 338 F was produced.
The 358s did well with 180 gr Speer bullets but POOR bc.
I killed quite a few deer with it within its limitations.

Today I’d NOT think twice about getting a 358 ! 338 Fed w/o a doubt.

Good luck w/yours and I hope it shoots well for you.

Jerry

Thanks

I had one in a Ruger years ago that I really regret selling. It had the Hogue overmoulded stock on it, which I hated. The rifle shot great, though.

My Ruger 338 fed was accurate as well. I got it cheap bc the previous owner couldn't get ammo at Walmart. Unfortunately I used it for a donor action. PM me if you want that ammo, it's somewhere in a box.

I finally got to shoot the rifle. It was pretty good on accuracy. Probably 2” groups at 100 yards but a few touching. If I was a better shot it would be tighter.

What ammo?

You can kill every animal on the mountain with a 2" grouping rifle, ha. It will settle down, and so will you. I had the same rifle for years, but had it pillar bedded/floated and a trigger job. Though I shot it a bunch, it was my marine SIL who hunted with it. He shot a mule deer with the 180AB. His friend uses a Tikka and has killed deer and elk for several years. I sold it to do something or other. I found that a case full of TAC and the 160TTSX gave me 1/2" groups of three and averaged 3007fps! Wicked. Good luck to you Pard!

Had one in a Kimber Montana, it was a little too much of a good thing, and now a Montana Rifle Company .338Fed. It dumps Deer, but so do the others.

I wouldn't expect it to be any better than the others for consistently making it thru brush.

If I was going to buy into the "brush busting" theory, I'd go bigger than the 338.

Only an "Arab Busting" rifle will do ...

Those guys are idiots.