Energy stays just above 1,500 ft/lbs at 355 yards, too. .338 FederalJJ Reich at Federal Premium introduced me to this round a couple years ago, in the Savage Arms Bear Hunter, when I was just starting to work on my rifle book about the .338-06 and was keen to try another cartridge that is also a wildcat based on a military round. Mag. The old .30/06, the .308 Winchester, or any of our many .300 magnums will handle any game stateside and most anything anywhere else on the globe. There is a small amount of powder that will burn up inside the barrel and not creating a big muzzle flash and will not loose much fps in a short barrel. Mag. The .338 Federal was designed specifically for hunting North American big game from deer and black bear through moose, although it undoubtedly works just as well on game of similar size worldwide. On another hunt, my brother-in-law took a nice buck with a little break-action rifle from about 85 yards using a 125g projectile. of muzzle energy while the .338 RCM is creating 3,850 ft.-lbs. Ask most Alaskans about their favorite and the .338 Win Mag is the answer you get, next to .30-06 and .300 Win. If you want a deer-caliber cartridge that will work on elk and moose at moderate ranges the .338 Federal will do the trick. This is definitely true when it comes to todays world of ultra-realistic turkey decoys. This caliber was developed in the early 2010s for military applications. Nikko Stirling Laser Range Finder 603 Review, Nikon Monarch 7i VR Laser Rangefinder Review, Survival Flashlights :: No Battery Flashlights, Surefire R1 Lawman Rechargeable Variable Output LED Flashlight, AO Sight Systems :: Open Sights :: Gun Sights :: Ghost Ring Aperture, Aimpoint Red Dot Scope Review :: Evaluating Red Dot Sights, Remove, Install and Adjust Your Sights with the MGW Sight-Pro Universal Sight Tool, Double Diamonds: Australian Commandos in the Pacific War 1941-45, One Hundred Victories: Special Ops and the Future of American Warfare. J. Scott Rupp takes a first look at the Springfield M1A Loaded rifle chambered in the popular 6.5 Creedmoor. Federals under-sung little .338 certainly deserves more attention than its gotten thus far. They're heavily muscled and thick-boned, and can weigh up to 1,500 pounds, making them the largest member of the world's deer family. I still haven't experimented with different powders to find the optimum performance (I've got some RL19 to try), but it does well enough with my Winchester 760 powder for now. Its flat shooting and with a 180-grain or 200-grain bullet it packs a punch. I dont always abide by the what worked for grandpa theory, but in this case, I do. The .338 Federal is 9.2 inches low at 300 yards and 26.3 inches low at 400 when zeroed at the same distance with the same 200-grain bullet. That pretty much sums it up: a great moose round with a very defined following. If youve visited a sporting goods store lately, you know its a good idea to have guns not chambered in any of the common self-defense calibers. Why it took so long to legitimize the .338 version remains a mystery, but Federal has finally done it. Theres nothing earth-shaking about this new cartridge. The ballistics and accuracy are impressive. The .338 Federal is the youngest of the .308 family, and is nothing more, and nothing less, than the .308 Winchester necked up to hold .338-inch-diameter bullets. I tested 11 different rifles and a variety of ammo in .308 in 2022 and Ive been thoroughly impressed with the Remington 150-grain Core Lokt Tipped. Savage Arms 110 Bear Hunter Rifle | 57070 338 Federal, 23" Stainless BBL, Bolt Action, AccuFit MOBUC Camo Stock, Matte Stainless Finish, Adj Muzzle Brake, 2+1 Rds. The 06 is old and boring, but I cant find any way to justify it not being included in this list. :think: I have a chance to buy one in a Ruger Hawkeye cheap and am thinging about it but cant really find jack on how people have accepted it on larger game like Moose Bears or Elk so thought I would post this as all I can find from gunwriters reviews is the standard junk of them shooting a pig or tame deer in Texas that weigh about 125lbs . The CZ 600 Trail proved to be a handy rifle that can down game in hard-to-find places, all without alerting everything with fur that you have moved into the woods. For whatever reason, the Ackley landed in a sweet spot for me. Yes, you are reading this correctly. I wouldnt be afraid to use it on caribou either. of energy while the Federal drops to 1,581, and that can make a difference on large, tough game. The .338 Win. It is incredibly easy to make for 308 family cases so there is never an ammo problem for handloaders. Any more bullet weight than that, you loose velocity big time, and you'd be better served to gravitate towards a 358 winchester if you intend to shoot 250 grain bullets or larger. MPBR was calculated for an 8-inch target. In a market saturated with highly successful standard cartridges like the 270 Win. Each of the following cartridges has one of my favorite corresponding ammunition choices listed, but there are other good choices for each cartridge, and many of these loads are available in multiple cartridges. As I said in my cartridge intro for the 8th Edition of the Nosler Reload Guide, If I have to choose a single rifle, my shoot everything rifle, even if Ill be running into one of my angry neighbors that others call a coastal brown bear, itll be the .338-06 A-Square.. Both the .338 Federal and .338 RCM work well in short-barreled, compact, lightweight hunting rifles, but despite their similar profiles and bullet diameters, these are two very different cartridges in terms of performance. In the real world, the .338 Federal shines when pursuing larger animals at moderate distances, according to the New Zealand ballistics company Terminal Ballistics Research. You pick up a bit more energy over the 180-grain bullets without substantially more recoil. But you should have. grry10. That's a 75 percent increase and a lot more powder to buy. This group represents perhaps the optimum all-round weight class for the .338 Federal. The .300 WM has firmly established itself as a fine cartridge for moose (and anything else on the North American continent). Mag.'s 2.5-inch case and 86-grain capacity. Hes presently the team leader on Discovery Channels Treasure Quest. Mag. If you're a handloader, the RCM is better suited for heavy bullets like 250-grain Hornady InterLocks, a great choice for really big, heavy game like elk, bear, moose and bison. 178. The .308 has a wide range of bullet weights and excellent options available. Considered by some ballistic experts to be the ideal cartridge for North American big game, the .338 Federal is also known for superb accuracy and stopping power in a controllable package. Mag. Bullet energy doesnt fall below 1,500 ft/lbs until 330 yards, and at 500 yards its still packing 1,000 ft/lbs of energy. It will handle not only whitetails, but black bears, elk, and moose as far away as anybody is likely to hit them. .35 Whelen This round has a definite following in Alaska, and is one of friend and colleague Bryce Towsley's favorites. For the .338 Federal, you'll max out with 225-grain bullets and a muzzle velocity of about 2,400 fps. Until now. I use a 200 gr plain jane bullet with tac powder ( a load i got from handloader magazine) it is a superb round and perfect for any game in alaska as long as good bullet placement is practiced. The number of people who purchased all those boxes could be counted on one hand. On the other hand, I realize that cartridges like the .30-30, .32 Win. All Rights Reserved. The .280 Ackley Improved is a bit of an oddball, Ryan Callaghan said. the .338 Federal fitsin short-action rifles. As ranges increase from there, so does the trajectory gap. Recovery was uneventful. Mag. The .300 Blackout (also known as .300 BLK and .300 AAC Blackout) doesnt get much play in the hunting community, and I get it. With bullet choices generally running between 125 and 200 grains, the .308 remains one of our most popular cartridges. will knock the hell out of them. and a 175g round about 2,700 fps (just 100 fps shy of the 7mm Weatherby Mag.). The 40-degree shoulder (10 degrees sharper than the .280 Rem.) By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies. For that one moose, the round delivered the goods and the moose accepted the invitation to come home for dinner. http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=264408214, Returning to Alaska: Sitka vs Petersburg vs Wrangell vs Gustavus, Gambell dog walks 166 miles to another town, possibly survives off seals. Now, a MV of just 2,428 might strike you as SLOW, but keep in mind this is about 200 fps faster than the famous deer-slaying .30/30 Winchester can push a 170-grain bullet. and ME of 3225 ft. lbs. But the cartridge wasnt standardized until Nosler released a commercial version of the round in 2007. Well thanks for all the info a distributor had a fantastic deal on the 338 Federal in a SS Hawkeye and I didnt know jack about the round so thought that throwing it out on here would bring in some interesting details and it DID! This strikes me as a good option for whitetails, mule deer, sheep, and pronghorns. But there are more .338 Win. I don't think it fares as well with heavier bullets, but that's up to you. will kick up 36.1 foot pounds of shoulder smacking recoil. Later, I borrowed a delightfully short, light, balanced Kilimanjaro bolt-action in .338 to drop a big Missouri feral hog and a small deer. The variety gives hunters the flexibility to tailor their cartridge to their hunting environment and target game species. And despite the .338 RCM's impressive numbers, the .338 Federal is no slouch. Load 210-grain bullets in a .338 Winchester Magnum and a .338 Federal. Whether setting sights on a distant trophy or ringing steel out to 4000 yards, the Vortex Razor HD 4000 GB ballistic laser rangefinder delivers all the range, ballistic, and environmental data needed for confident accuracy. There are very few other calibers where you can easily buy factory ammo with bullet weights that vary by a factor of two, from 110 to 220 grains. In normal times, you can find ammo virtually anywhere, and it flat-out gets the job done. And it does it with a compact, super-efficient package. I figure if the magnum will kill like that at over 400 yards the federal should be great in less open country. Several manufacturers make bolt-action rifles chambered in .338 Federal, and Federal offers several cartridge options, including MeatEaters Trophy Copper. Are you leery of painful magnum recoil? But memorize your trajectory curve, nail the range with a laser, and you should be good to 400 yards even though the bullet is dropping almost 2 feet. The 6.5 Creedmoor is excellent at a few things and does a lot of other things well. Ill confess, I havent worn out any .338s in the field, but had the honor of dropping an elk with a Sako M85 chambered for the then-new 338 Federal. By contrast, the .338 RCM drives a 200-grain Hornady SST bullet down the barrel at 2,950 fps. And then there's the cost factor. Yes, its pretty much just the .308 necked up to take .338-inch bullets. The RCM's ballistics are impressive, but they come at a price. Mag. at the muzzle. Mag. If you do your job, theyll do theirs. A full-house load might drive it about 2,750 fps from a 24-inch barrel, somewhere in the 2,650 to 2,700 fps range from a more convenient 22-inch barrel. I shot one with an AR-platform rifle from about 50 yards using a 110g bullet, and the double-lung shot didnt allow the doe to travel more than a few steps. Ammo Choice: Remington 150-grain Core-Lokt Tipped. For moose, however, it does a great job, and it does that job year after year. moose and bison. Combine those into a controllable package offering less recoil than other calibers with similar capabilities, and you have an all-star big game caliber. Subscriber Services. Ron Spomer But still, my initial interest in this gun was threefold. When selecting ammunition for moose hunting, just make sure that youre using a bullet that will hold together at the velocity your cartridge is shooting. As an Alaskan, Ive seen a number of moose taken with a variety of cartridges. Its lighter chamberings make it easy for recoil-shy shooters to field and makes it ideal for target work, too. 270 Winchester: Better Hunting Cartridge Than 6.5 Creedmoor and 30-06? Mag. Theres only one question: What are you waiting for? Are there any Alaskans using the 338 Federal for Bears or Moose ???? of energy to cleanly kill an elk, the .338 Federal is capable of doing so out to nearly 300 yards. RifleShooter Magazine editor Scott Rupp breaks down all the features of the Mossberg Patriot Predator rifle chambered in 6.5 PRC. The .338 Federal, however, boasts an additional 100 ft.-lbs. Published Aug 27, 2020 3:28 PM EDT. If you find that underwhelming, sorry. Two years later it was Ruger's turn. So why, then, does the .338 Federal languish in obscurity? Ammo Choice: Hornady Match 285-grain ELDM. Since it is based on the .308 Win. Lets compare ballistic data from four different bullets to pad the .338s resume. To prove all this to myself, I shot a Montana bull elk from 275 yards with a 338 Federal. The .338 Federal's 200-grain TBT drops 9.2 inches at 300 yards when zeroed at 200 yards whereas Hornady's 200-grain SST load in the .338 RCM drops just 6.9 inches at that same range with the same zero. As with others on this list, there are lots of great options for moose ammo in the 7mm Rem. If they say otherwise, theyre probably lying. Copyright Ron Spomer Outdoors document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) Its that easy. The last moose I shot with a .300 Win. To be effective, a moose cartridge needs to have reasonable penetration and fire a bullet that will generally hold together at the velocity it leaves the muzzle. typically arent brush-busting, swamp-wading rifles, but if your style of hunting suits it, it will put moose down with authority, and is the go-to choice for several moose hunters I know here in Alaska. On that T&E, I learned a lot about stock design and distribution of rifle weight from muzzle to shoulderchoose wisely. vs .338 Federal, Hunting Basics :: Equipment For A Backpacking Hunt, Survival Cooking For Preppers And Camping, Always Prepared - Managing Your Clothing Effectively, Is the Caveman Diet Realistic For Your SHTF Plans, Where To Buy Bullet Proof Vests And Soft Body Armor, Put A Lid On It :: Combat Helmets Of The Cold War Era. The cartridge uses the same case as the venerable old .308 Win., but necks it up to accept a .338-caliber projectile. with a 160-grain bullet. There's a clear . | Shooting moose at long distances can be an ill-advised venture, but some hunt in areas that are well-suited for it. It is a powerful cartridge that is suitable for hunting a wide range of game animals, including deer, elk, and moose. Many moose hunters find it odd to shoot farther than 100 or 200 yards, but for some, its the opposite. In fact, it is still the go-to rifle for many rural Alaska hunters. This is a good bullet weight for delivering reasonably flat trajectory. When a raghorn bull walked out of the snowy pines bordering Montanas Upper Canyon Ranch, I pulled the trigger. Ruger built the rifles, and Hornady supplied the ammunition. However, its another of those quiet cartridges, and a favorite of many Alaska natives, that has put moose down for decades. At 300 yards a 10 mph right angle wind will bump it 9 inches. This round became known as the .338 Ruger Compact Magnum, or .338 RCM, and it promised .338 Win. Kimber's Hunter Pro Desolve Blak takes the firm's more affordable mountain rifle to new heights. L-R are 30-06 Sprnfld., 308 Win., 243 Win., 260 Rem., 7mm-08 Rem. factory rifles available today, and virtually every bolt gun manufacturer offers at least one .338 Win. Dubbed the .338 Federal, this new compact cartridge was generated by simply necking-up the much-loved .308 Win. range, recoil figures for the .338 RCM are north of 30 ft.-lbs. Ive enjoyed carrying both iron-sights lever-actions, and trust my life to 405-grain Remington Core-Lokt, and 430-grain Buffalo Bore cartridges. Its on the lower end of the moose spectrum, but it will tip them over nonetheless. Its often not a good idea to shoot moose at long distances because of the hellholes they might die in. But you should have. Many dont even take it into consideration for deer. Scott Rupp gets a chance to talk to Aaron Oelger about a few new products from Hodgdon and why reloading store shelves are empty. One, it throws heavy .338 bullets. generates close to 4,000 ft.-lbs. Tyler Freel In terms of ballistics, the larger .338 Win. Mag. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. It either anchors game quickly or inspires a blood trail a blind house cat could follow. Hornady 338 Win Mnag 200 Grain SST $65.00. MeatEater version in their Trophy Copper line. It was a successful wildcat back in the 1970s. Retail prices for the .338 RCM ammunition are slightly higher, though not excessively so: between $1.30 and $1.80 per shot for the .338 Federal and about $2 per shot for the .338 RCM if you're buying factory ammo. 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Prairies 44% 6% CPC 27% 5% NDP 21% 4% LPC 3% 2% PPC 338Canada Federal popular vote projection | April 9, 2023. Hornady currently lists four .338 RCM Superformance loads, with bullets ranging from 185 to 225 grains. If anything, theyre a reminder that any good bullet, in a solid caliber, sent on its way with enough speed into the animals vitals can do an excellent job. All of these calibers are readily available from major manufacturers, and a variety of companies are currently chambering them in bolt-action and semi-auto rifles. Theyre more fun to carry and shoot. Ammo Choice:Hornady Precision Hunter 143-grain Hornady ELDX. Theres more to it than muzzle energy, and although id make no claim that these are the best moose cartridges in every way, its a solid representation of proven choices from which any hunter can find a suitable option for them. 338 Blog About Methodology The record so far Ratings of Canadian pollsters . It too met a quick fate and, like my doe, it had minimal meat damage. I havent had a chance to work up any loads for it yet but you can bet I will try the ballistic tip. Given the weight retention and penetration potential of the Barnes TTSX, this relative lightweight should more than suffice for whitetails, mule deer, sheep, and mountain goats. But not everyone wants or needs magnum performance. in 1958 that this family of cartridges really gained a footing among American hunters. Mag. It is incredibly easy to make for 308 family cases so there is never an ammo problem for handloaders. Here is a potent cartridge that fits the popular, light, handy short-action rifles. buy from BV Outdoor Essentials. Thats about 300 foot pounds more than the .30-06 shooting a 180-grain slug and 116 foot pounds more than a 7mm Rem. 's impressive ballistics come at a price. . I use a 200 gr plain jane bullet with tac powder ( a load i got from handloader magazine) it is a superb round and perfect for any game in alaska as long as good bullet placement is practiced. My 338 Federal is a delight to shoot. So why go bigger? 47005 Moose Jaw-Lake Centre-Lanigan: CPC safe hold: 47006 Prince Albert: CPC safe hold: 47007 Regina-Lewvan . Mag. Before we dive more deeply into why this cartridge gets no respect, lets outline what it does. The .338 Federal does not. 200 grain interlock would be the last bullet i'd choose for hunting in Alaska. Many will argue about the need to penetrate feet of muscle and bone to kill a moose at any conceivable shot angle. Changing neck size is standard procedure for iconoclasts who refuse to settle for what the big manufacturers offer. For 80 years this Minnesota company has been loading everyone elses cartridges, but never its own. True, I've only taken one moose with the cartridge, but that was because there were so many other options that it hasn't seen the use it should have seen. With an Accu-Fit stock and left hand adjustable bolt, this rifle is a perfect choice for anyone! The ABLR expands reliably, shoots great, and is more rigidly constructed than the ELDX. That's about 300 foot pounds more than the .30-06 shooting a 180-grain slug and 116 foot pounds more than a 7mm Rem. rifles are typically about a pound heavier than .338 Federal rifles, and recoil from the magnum is, on average, 50 percent greater. Among the black bears, pronghorns, mountain goats and mule deer were eight typical and eight non-typical whitetails taken in nine different states. Can use the full spectrum of .338 bullets, Not as effective on larger game at long range. Performance Differences (Are they enough to Matter? Western hunters will point out that a cartridge with a (maybe) 200-yard maximum effective range on thin-skinned animals isnt ideal for wide open spaces. The author with a bull moose taken at 25 yards with a .338 Win. The other rifle, even though much heavier, clocked me so much I couldnt get it shipped back to the manufacturer quickly enough. You must log in or register to reply here. TBT loads are within 0.3 inch of drop with 200-yard zeroes. Much like the .30-06, the .270 Winchester is an all-around workhorse. Since its inception a decade ago, Savage, Kimber, Sako, Montana Rifle Company and other manufacturers have been producing .338 Federal bolt guns, and it can be had in the AR platform as well. case can push its more aerodynamically efficient 180-grain bullet. Special and .35 Remington have killed a lot of moose in the hands of good hunters (particularly subsistence hunters) who wait for the right angle at short range (within 100 yards). The .338 Federal is the best deer and elk cartridge youve probably never fired or maybe never heard of. Mag. Get a closer look at the Davidson's Weatherby Vanguard Cipher, the latest addition to our #SundayGunday series. This powerful little shorty just gets it done. Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association, Cork Graham has been covering guns and hunting since 1983, when he asked for an LOA from his NROTC squadron at UC Berkeley, and headed to SEA to cover wars as an 18-year-old photojournalist. It was probably created more than 40 years ago by a wildcatter (basement handloader) who stretched the neck of the 308 Winchester case to fit a .338 bullet, then barreled a short-action rifle to match. N/A. is the Hornady 212-grain ELDX, but its not offered in a factory loading that Ive been able to find. If you're planning on hunting big game at long range, big bears at any range or the full breadth of African plains game, the .338 Win. Not surprising when you stop to consider this proprietary powerhouse has a case length of 2.905 inches and a 125-grain (water) capacity when compared with the .338 Win. 338 fed/338-06/35W would all be good choices. Believe it or not, a 180-grain bullet from the smaller 338 Federal cartridge will drop a half-inch less than a 180-grain from the 30-06 at 400 yards. Just $1 per month , Bigger isnt always better when it comes to picking a cartridge for moose hunting, By CARTRIDGE CLASH :: .338 Win. MFG #: 57070. Im sure this still wouldnt pass muster in Sweden, but the Creed is not-debatably the most popular chambering of any recent hunting cartridge in the U.S., and it kills moose just as well as the Swede. Tactical Survivalist : Combat Gear : Survival Gear : Combat Equipment. When given the option, Ill admit, realistic decoys are worth every penny. .375 H&HHunters do like to bring much bigger rounds to Alaska and Canada in their search for that wall-hanger Bullwinkle. Assembling a list of the best cartridges for moose a subjective task, and bigger doesnt mean best in every context.

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