Modern 338 Federal?

[lerman]

Is anyone currently making a round like the 338 Federal?

Let me start with some caveats: I am not a reloader, and I am not a long range hunter. For my use case (elk and black bear under 300yds) 338 Federal seemed like a great cartridge. However 338F seems to have gone the way of the dinosaurs and factory ammo is hard to source/prohibitively expensive (let alone rifles). Is there an analogous round someone is making I should look into? If not I'll just end up with a 308 like everyone else.

 

[LoggerDan]

338’06. You’d probably like the 35 whelen. I know I do.

 

[Spoonbill]

You can have a 308 rebored to 338 federal, which opens up your rifle choices. 308 will have a better selection of ammo at a cheaper price than 338 fed, 338-06 or a 35 whelen.
You could look at the 8x57, its old so most of the ammo may be downloaded for older rifles, but its cheap and fairly available.

 

[35WhelenAI]

If I hadn't had a 35 Whelen AI built 22 years and 14 elk, 3 mule deer and 3 whitetails ago, I would have considered the .338 Federal when it came out 17 years ago.

With that, 338-06 as has been mentioned or standard 35 Whelen are superb rounds. Factory loads that are in stock for the Whelen at any given time are harder to find, but not to the extent of the .338 Federal. 338-06 ammo is harder to find and dang expensive when you do.

.308 Win is a good round, you could do elk and bear at the ranges you shared for the rest of your life.

 

[OneSkinnyHunter]

You might want to look at the Weatherby 338RPM

338 RPM - Weatherby, Inc.

LARGE BOREPRECISION Rebated Precision MagnumAn ideal backcountry large game chambering, field testing of the 338 RPM has shown it to be a sledgehammer on North America’s biggest game, including elk, bear and moose.Rebated Precision MagnumAn ideal backcountry large game chambering, field testing...

weatherby.com

 

[robtattoo]

.358 Win.

The King of short action thumpers. Buy yourself a 308/243/7-08 you really like, send it to JES with $250 & he'll send you back a beautiful little .358 that'll kill anything with a face inside 400yds.

 

[jjwise97]

There’s that new 8.6Blackout. Not really my cup of tea personally but somewhat similar ballistics and seems to be a good hunting round within a few hundred yards.

 

[35WhelenAI]

I like the .358 Win as well, if ammo is available since he's not a reloader, it would be worth at least a look.

 

[ElPollo]

.308 Win is a good round, you could do elk and bear at the ranges you shared for the rest of your life.

^!!!

 

[robtattoo]

.308 Win is a good round, you could do elk and bear at the ranges you shared for the rest of your life.

Yeah, but it's the 'lights-off-missionary-position' of cartridges though.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Yeah, but it's the 'lights-off-missionary-position' of cartridges though.

If you aren’t will to reload or pay $$ for it, lights off missionary might be as good as it gets…

 

[35WhelenAI]

You might want to look at the Weatherby 338RPM

338 RPM - Weatherby, Inc.

LARGE BOREPRECISION Rebated Precision MagnumAn ideal backcountry large game chambering, field testing of the 338 RPM has shown it to be a sledgehammer on North America’s biggest game, including elk, bear and moose.Rebated Precision MagnumAn ideal backcountry large game chambering, field testing...

weatherby.com

Doesn't fit his original parameters, but it does have the bore size in common...

 

[robtattoo]

If you aren’t will to reload or pay $$ for it, lights off missionary might be as good as it gets…

Hahaha!!!

Story of my life.

Missionary, or do it myself!

 

[jjwise97]

I like the .358 Win as well, if ammo is available since he's not a reloader, it would be worth at least a look.

I think 358 is even harder to find than 338 (wish it wasn’t though, I’d love to have one for ENC black bears). MidwayUSA lists 12 options for 338 Federal but only 3 options for 358Win. That being said, they did have 1 option of 358 in stock (all of the 338 was out of stock) but that box of basic Winchester Power Points was $80.

Other consideration is available rifles. 338Fed rifles aren’t common but they’re around, I’ve never even seen a 358 rifle in real life and I don’t believe anyone still chambers it except maybe for the BLR. Rebarreling could be an option though…

 

[ElPollo]

If you aren’t will to reload or pay $$ for it, lights off missionary might be as good as it gets…

Love this response, but you gotta ask what 338 F and 358 W does that 308 doesn’t. 308 wins on trajectory, wind drift, bullet selection, and ammo availability. And given the right bullets, I’d wager you’d get more wound channel volume and penetration (often opposite sides of the same coin). I don’t own a 308 anymore, but when I did I seriously considered sending to Jess for a rebore. When I did the math, the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze for me. Other people’s math may vary.

 

[robtattoo]

I'm telling you, it's worth getting into reloading for, or at least making friends with someone who does! . Make your own brass from .308, 200gr Hornady SP or 225gr Gamekings are all the bullet you'll ever need. I would say the 220 Speer is the ultimate bullet for it, but they're discontinued & I don't need the competition
Any short action barrel can be bored out for $250.

I built mine off a $249, end of season sale model 700 in .243. Hands down my favorite rifle.

Also, pistol bullets. A 145gr .358 XTP over a light load of Varget at +/- 1800fps has the recoil of a .223 & is an absolute HAMMER inside of 100yds!

 

[robtattoo]

Love this response, but you gotta ask what 338 F and 358 W does that 308 doesn’t. 308 wins on trajectory, wind drift, bullet selection, and ammo availability. And given the right bullets, I’d wager you’d get more wound channel volume and penetration (often opposite sides of the same coin). I don’t own a 308 anymore, but when I did I seriously considered sending to Jess for a rebore. When I did the math, the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze for me. Other people’s math may vary.

For me, it was the versatility & gain in velocity over a .308 that sold it. I reload, so factory ammo didn't enter into my equation, although I do understand its a concern.

Forget about any kind of long range shooting for a minute, so we can basically ignore BCs & wind drift becomes less of a factor. Look at a 180gr bullet from a .308. Realistically you're going to get 2400fps. The .358 can do that with a 250gr. My 220 load is hitting 2540, the 200gr at 2650. I can get almost 2900fps from 180s........a 500fps pickup with the same weight bullet over a .308 is significant. As is the damage it does. It's the one cartridge I've owned that so far, hasn't had any walkers. Everything has been a bang-flop. Not to say that's guaranteed, but I'm 7 for 7 on deer with it from 15 to 197yds.

 

[ElPollo]

For me, it was the versatility & gain in velocity over a .308 that sold it. I reload, so factory ammo didn't enter into my equation, although I do understand its a concern.

Forget about any kind of long range shooting for a minute, so we can basically ignore BCs & wind drift becomes less of a factor. Look at a 180gr bullet from a .308. Realistically you're going to get 2400fps. The .358 can do that with a 250gr. My 220 load is hitting 2540, the 200gr at 2650. I can get almost 2900fps from 180s........a 500fps pickup with the same weight bullet over a .308 is significant. As is the damage it does. It's the one cartridge I've owned that so far, hasn't had any walkers. Everything has been a bang-flop. Not to say that's guaranteed, but I'm 7 for 7 on deer with it from 15 to 197yds.

I always thought both these rounds were cool, and you’ve got a pretty sweet 700, there. That said, I am not one to pick a fatter, less aerodynamic bullet because I hunt the open plains and mountains where I do not see a benefit to do so. I also think killing power of a 308 with a 150 TMK would indistinguishable from your 358 at the ranges you are shooting and would be better beyond 200 yards. While I’ve never owned either, I have always thought both the 338 F and 358 W would be best under 200 yards.

 

[robtattoo]

I always thought both these rounds were cool, and you’ve got a pretty sweet 700, there. That said, I am not one to pick a fatter, less aerodynamic bullet because I hunt the open plains and mountains where I do not see a benefit to do so. I also think killing power of a 308 with a 150 TMK would indistinguishable from your 358 at the ranges you are shooting and would be better beyond 200 yards. While I’ve never owned either, I have always thought both the 338 F and 358 W would be best under 200 yards.

In that situation, undoubtedly the .308 wins.
While the .358 isn't the short range cartridge is purported to be, in an open country situation where wind IS factor, I can't deny that the .308 makes a lot more sense. Drop can be accounted for easily with any caliber, but wind drift is much easier to deal with with longer, slimmer bullets.

 

[ElPollo]

In that situation, undoubtedly the .308 wins.
While the .358 isn't the short range cartridge is purported to be, in an open country situation where wind IS factor, I can't deny that the .308 makes a lot more sense. Drop can be accounted for easily with any caliber, but wind drift is much easier to deal with with longer, slimmer bullets.

I actually still own a set of 358 dies for a Savage 99 that I planned to have Jess rebore from 308 to 358. It was a cool gun either way, but I never had it rebooted and don’t own it anymore. As much as I liked it, it never met my accuracy standards for hunting in the West. If I was back east in the north woods or up in the forests of AK, I probably still have it and be shooting the bigger bullets.