.338 Federal

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Waterengineer

New member
This thread is a "play" off the 338-06 thread, recently started.

Is anyone using the .338 Federal? Reports?

Who is making off-the-shelf guns in this caliber other than: Sako (and Tikka), and Kimber?
 
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Dikran Yacoubian

New member
I'm shooting the 338 federal quite a bit -- not sure of everyone making them, but I'm shooting Encores, Ruger Frontiers and a DPMS AR10. The .338 and .358 Frontiers are particularly handy.

So far I've taken deer and hogs with the cartridge, and its been very effective.

Forming the brass is easy, but I still wish you could buy properly head stamped brass.

Dikran Yacoubian
Columbia, SC
 
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PTS1

New member
Just got a Sako 85 in 338 fed about two months ago. Found a load that shoots .5 inch but it took awhile. Will be using it this season on whitetail and auodad.
 
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Waterengineer

New member
Horseman:

That is interesting since Sako is the company that worked with Federal Ammo to develop the cartridge. Hmmmm.............
 
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Horseman

New member
There's a thread in the rifle section of 24hrcampfire about it I believe. Guys are stealing M85's right now. Sako's also transitioning to the 85 "Classic".
 
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Waterengineer

New member
What about opinions on if this cartridge has the legs to make it for the long haul. Has the marketing been enough and customer acceptance been enough to have this become a classic cartridge? Or, stated another way, will ammo be around in say 20 years?

I know there are no crystal balls and cartridges come and go all the time. I guess I'm soliciting educated opinions.
 
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Horseman

New member
Dead cartridge IMO. That doesn't mean it doesn't perform well. I think it has more to do with marketing than performance with ANY cartridge. THere's just been too many new cart. in the last 10 years for most of them to last.
 
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taylorce1

New member
Good cartridge but not as good as the .338-06 IMO. Factory ammunition looks impressive on paper but from what I understand the .338 Federal isn't able to get back there with handloads. I think it is a great round to consider if you are working with a short action rifle and really don't mind being limited to bullets around 210 grains and less. Magazine length is going to be your biggest problem to getting heavy bullets to shoot out of the .338 Fed.

It is kind of like having a .358 Win and .35 Whelen if you got one you don't really need the other. The Whelen beats the .358 all around for performance, just that little extra poweder capacity is the kicker. However I still own both because I bought my .358 Win in a Savage 99 lever action, a platform that this cartridge works better in than the Whelen.
 
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