Modern 338 Federal?

[wyosam]

Hawk bullets are out there for the taking in a variety of calibers - you can choose you weight, profile/shape, and jacket thickness... pretty sweet options to have, honestly.

I keep thinking about a medium bore... don't "need" it necessarily, but I do want one. Partly it's because they're good in their own right. Partly it's because shooting one well demands more of the shooter.

I do wish that the 33 Nos and 338 RPM were spec'd for full length magnum actions - 3.34" COAL really strangles both of those. Maybe one day I'll wake up to a .35 RPM or a standardized .35 Sambar with factory ammo using "modern" bullets... but probably not anytime soon.

Heck, most of us don’t NEED most of the cartridges represented in our safes. With modern bullets, about anything on the planet can be killed effectively with some very vanilla cartridges. We should all probably have a medium bore though, just to be well rounded riflemen (or at least have a well rounded collection).


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[z987k]

Hawk bullets are out there for the taking in a variety of calibers - you can choose you weight, profile/shape, and jacket thickness... pretty sweet options to have, honestly.

I keep thinking about a medium bore... don't "need" it necessarily, but I do want one. Partly it's because they're good in their own right. Partly it's because shooting one well demands more of the shooter.

I do wish that the 33 Nos and 338 RPM were spec'd for full length magnum actions - 3.34" COAL really strangles both of those. Maybe one day I'll wake up to a .35 RPM or a standardized .35 Sambar with factory ammo using "modern" bullets... but probably not anytime soon.

35RPM would be very easy. I bet someone already has a reamer.

 

[Luke S]

I tried Cutting Edge 165 gr bullets in my 358. They seem to work pretty well and they are accurate. I might keep the .358 just for that reason. I'm sure a 308 with an ELDX would kill a moose just fine. But I hate blowing up the heart and worrying about lead fragments. My theory is even if a copper bullet is less effective its still .358 starting out.

 

[Shraggs]

I’ll chime in. Back in the 70s when my grandfather had many paying hunters on his farm, I was always impressed with the 35 rem and 32 ws. Well hit game never went far. Cup and exposed lead tip in those days.

Years ago I wanted a mid bore in a a blr as I enjoy the fast handling of a lever. The 338 federal seemed the smarter choice with more bullet options. Then I stumbled on John barsness’s articles on 35. And and had some long conversations with him. I concluded it would be hard to push either one to extreme distances and the bullets made for 35 were designed for those speeds where the “potential” for some 338 may have 338 mag design ie higher speed. That’s what I knew then. But I went with 358 to drive speed.

Hand loading was going with the smart choice in 225 NP and TAC. I ruled Barnes out as I haven’t liked them in other calibers. I don’t shoot bone. I wanted a 400 yard 358 and it was going to be short of that goal. Then i discovered hammers. My final load with the 200 grain hh is 2670 fps, while 1800 fps is about 420 yards at my home 750’ elevation.

I favor wounding ballistics as the most important. Exposed tip cups are viscous in a 35 but limited range. I believe partions wound better than a hammer to about 200 yards in this caliber speeds but the hammers were similar to any other premium type bullets ived used. I have not killed at or near 1800 fps yet and that will be the final arbiter to sticking with this bullet. They are not as damaging as my smaller bores with tmk/eldm type bullets.

Ha if they made a 35 cal tmk I’d be on it. I’ve thought about seeing if the federal fusion would be a good choice in 35 as that may a pretty good fit.

Just my rambling thoughts.

 

[35WhelenAI]

Long live the medium bores, they came about for a reason.



.358 Barnes X, back when the originals supposedly had expansion issues... One is a 200X, the other a 250X. .736 inches across the widest point on both. Copper expands...

 

[z987k]

Long live the medium bores, they came about for a reason.



.358 Barnes X, back when the originals supposedly had expansion issues... One is a 200X, the other a 250X. .736 inches across the widest point on both. Copper expands...

If you like expanding copper, take a look at maker bullets. 3x diameter.

 

[35WhelenAI]

Hadn't heard of Maker bullets, they have a lot of offerings. I have been pleased for 30 years with balance of expansion and the penetration with Barnes. Even more so with the TTSX from experience, seeing how quickly it opens "right now" on lung shots on whitetails and muleys. Same thing on elk, and keeps on going through and through.

 

[prm]

When looking for a mountain hunting rifle, I considered the 358 Win and 338 Fed. (Already had an 11+lb 308 that lugging around got old in a hurry). The 338 offered performance at enough range so I don’t feel limited by the cartridge. I am not a long range guy, but I want to know the cartridge is capable for 400-500 yard shots. The 180 Accubond or BT at 2750 with a temp insensitive powder (Benchmark), when hunting elk or Mulies at 10k-12k elevation does not limit me. Not that I have ever tested the range capability in any way. There are a number of other bullet options I could choose from. I have hunted recently with a 6.5 CM taking a bull and two mule deer bucks. Based on that very small sample size I absolutely believe .338 bullets kill better. Note, the animals hit with a 6.5 die as well, just not with the quite the same authority. Very subjective of course. As for ‘modern’, I did have a custom reamer made for my 338 Fed that incorporates a throat design similar to the 6.5 CM, PRCs, etc. thus I have a modern 338 Fed! Thanks to GBFlyer for that idea. Hard to say if it shoots better. I need to use it on a new barrel for my 84M as well.

 

[35WhelenAI]

Thanks prm. Cracks me up... when a fella say he doesn't wanna do "long range, only out to 400-500 yds". Yep, good cartridges are the medium bores for short range.