.338 Federal...

[Imaexpat2]

Man its great to be a consumer these days as choices abound like never before. Almost too many to choose from. One that I have found interesting is the .338 Federal.

Announced Decemeber 05 2006, this cartridge amounts to a .308 Winchester case necked up to accept .338 bullets from 180 - 225 grs in wieght pushing them in the neighborhood of 2800 fps with 3000 fpe. Thats about a 150-200 fps faster than the .308 with 180 gr bullets can muster. This is the sixth commercial round built on this case.

Being a non-magnum I doubt this cartridge will make much of a splash. Seems these days if a cartridge doesnt have a cavernous case, require a muzzle break and get a lot of hype and ink in the various gun forums, probably wont be around for long or it will stuggle as the 260 Remington has. I hope it sticks around as I have been reseaching this cartidge and I think it has a lot to offer.

I like the bigger caliber concept these days more than in the past. The ability to push a fairly large caliber bullet at moderate velocities without punishing recoil stikes me as being very useful. I really like the .358 Winchester but its a bit too slow and a bit lacking trajectory wise and has been onn its way out the door for a long time, just hasnt left yet. Its an excellent hog and black bear cartidge though, although not a lot of the latter found here. It makes a stupendous woods deer cartidge though! The best part about the .338 Federal is that it pushes comparable weight bullets a bit faster and the bullets have a better BC and trajectory. Im thinking this could be a great combo.

One of the biggest advantages I see is the fact that I can use standard bullets since they arent being pushed to magnum velocities and not have to resort to premium bullets like I do on my .224 TTH! Paying 2.00-4.00 per a bullet really sucks, big time! Almost every manufacture makes a good range of bullet weights and styles out there.

Another great advantage I see with this cartridge is the fact that the .308 Winchester case is widely and easily available at cheap prices for the reloader (Im too much of a tightwad to pay for commercial ammo hence the reason I reload so much). With such an availability of brass, one would never be short of ammunition for years to come as long as you reload.

If a manufacture makes a gun in .308 Winchester, then a gun in .338 is always a possibility and often in a short action making it handy and lighter. So lack of possible guns to shoot this round from aint lacking. A Remington model 7 with a medium weight barrel 20 inches long would be quiet the ticket, I think.

Being based on the .308 Winchester case makes it a rather effcient round too. Easy on powder, easier on recoil, minimal muzzle blast but plenty of power on tap to get the job done on just about anything in North America short of Costal Grizzleys and Moose with a decent trajectory to boot. Consider the following...

- 7mm Rem Mag.. 175-grain, TKO 20.3, 3180 ft-lbs, 2860 fps
- 338 Win Mag.......200-grain, TKO 28.5, 3866 ft-lbs, 2950 fps
- 30-06 Spg...........180-grain, TKO 21.4, 2915 ft-lbs, 2700 fps
- 30-06 Spg...........200-grain, TKO 23.1, 3060 ft-lbs, 2625 fps
- 308 Win..............180-grain, TKO 21.7, 2743 ft-lbs, 2620 fps
- 308 Win...............200-grain, TKO 21.7, 2690 ft-lbs, 2461 fps
- 338 Federal.........180-grain, TKO 24.6, 3200 ft-lbs, 2830 fps
- 338 Federal.........210-grain, TKO 26.7, 3224 ft-lbs, 2630 fps
(TKO and energy at muzzle)

To my way of thinking, this rounds got all of the makings of a winner, although not a flashy magnum as is so in demand thease days. Whether it will catch on though remains to be seen....

Whats your take on this new round?

[Bidah]

If it was announced on December of 2006, then we ain't there yet.. :)

To me it sounds good, and would be easy to reload for. I am pretty much anti magnum as it is. In fact, I have found that I don't need anything larger than my .30-06 or my .308. With the vast array of very good bullets that are available today, I don't see a need for the .338. I can hunt from Moose on down with what I have now, and that is very common.

Now I have that Mauser action that I have not built a rifle on yet.. hmm..

-Bidah

[padeep]

I like concept of the new .338 although it does seem strange they didnt come out w/ some super-short belted mag thingy...

Hopefully Savage or Remington will pick it up soon.

Would really like one of the New Remington Mauser (799) w/ .338 Fed :p :p
http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire_rifles/model_799.asp

As for recoil? I bet she's gonna kick-how could it not??



Pdp

[Imaexpat2]

Oooops! I fat figered it again. Thanks for the catch I will go back and edit it later. These kinds of things happen when its 5 in the morning and you aint had that first cup of java...usually takes a half a pot before I start to fire on all cylinders, LOL.

I too am kinda getting to be anti magnum, not that I dont have a couple that I reload to the ragged edge of sanity form time to time. It just aint quiet as much fun to shoot more that 20 rounds or so from a bench and my hearing has taken quiet a beating too. Its funny how when I was younger I just couldnt get enough of the magnums. So Im starting to slowly gravitate from the fast and the furious small calibers at warp 9 and starting to appreciate the more modest chamberings.

While I dont need a 33, Im kinda digging the bigger bore non-magnums. Its not that my .308 doesnt hit with enough authority at distances further than anyone has any buisness shooting at and its been rare that a deer staggered more than a few yards before folding up into a heap. Im just becoming quiet the fan of the larger frontal area calibers, in a effcient package, that doesnt pound me into submission after a day at the range. Practice does breed perfection! Ill admit its ironic that the last mauser action project resulted in a 224 TTH that spits a 80 gr 22 cal bullet out the muzzle at 3600 fps, but that bad boy puts a whoopin on well schooled coyotes at ranges where they think they are safe!

Im really suprised too that they didnt introduce this in package based on the RSUM case. I think it would have been a winner, recoiling a bit less than the Win Mag. I guess since Winchester introduced the 325 WSM Remington and Co felt there wasnt enough room for both in the market beings that they are so simular. I think it would have had a better chance though...

Recoil wise I am betting that the .338 Federal wont be hardly more punishing than an equivelent bullet weight loaded 30-06. I am just guessing though. If Remington doesnt come out with a Model 7 or 700 soon I have another Mauser action that just might end up in this caliber!

Thanks for the feed back fellas, this side of the forum seemed a little too slow and I thought this might fuel some curiosity...

[gunsmoke]

I agree with you're assumption that this cartridge is not going to find too much of a commercial market. Proof that you need much more than a great idea.

I had heard of the cartridge but never really looked at it's ballistics. I'm in the middle of a .358 WIN FAL build right now so I'm going to be playing with that for a while.

The fact that the cartridge is based on the .308 case will give it life, albeit as a specialty cartridge rather than a mainstream one, the same is true of the .358 WIN and .260REM.


Never count a good cartridge out. I don't know how old you are, but I'm only 49, and can remember how many years I heard the .45-70 referred to as "obsolete."

And then Marlin went and reintroduced the 1895, and people started making trapdoors again, and, well you know the rest of that story........................