The 338 Federal hiccups just 24.2 foot pounds. I typically wouldnt recommend match bullets for shooting moose, but this is one exception. You want a bullet that will expand rapidly but retain weight. One 180-grain Barnes TSX to the high shoulder did the trick. I am concerned that it might blow up and not penetrate too well on elk or moose so I think my hunting load will be a nosler partition in 210 gr and a BC of .400still a good long range bullet. The single 185-grain Barnes Triple Shock X dropped the bull in its tracks.Efficiency experts, new shooters, folks with shoulder, back or neck injuries and anyone who dislikes recoil should welcome this softer-recoiling new round. Wish you didnt have to carry a 10-pound rifle with a barrel longer than your leg? Maybe a .22LR, .223 Rem., or a .30-06. It drives a 210 grain Nosler Partition bullet at a MV of 2630 f.p.s. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. That pretty much sums it up: a great moose round with a very defined following. Mag. In the 11 years since it's been introduced, the .338 Federal has earned a reputation for great accuracy and stopping power. The ballistics are even better than that of its grandfather, and in shorter action: it will fit the action of a .30-06. For ammo, check out Federals 150g Power Shok cartridge. The thing that most will not agree on is my pet load is a 200 gr. This is how we came up with ours. The bullet wont drop 4 inches below point-of-aim until about 290 yards. Its that easy. But not everyone wants or needs magnum performance. 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. Rifle and ammunition manufacturers have been creating and christening centerfire rifle cartridges since 1860. If you find that underwhelming, sorry. After killing over 30 moose, its remained my uncles favorite moose medicine in his Winchester M70. Upper Canyon Outfitters, Snowy Range, Montana. with a similarly-weighted bullet. Mag.-like performance from a more compact, efficient cartridge. It looks like a .30-caliber projectile stuffed into a .223 Rem. 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. Its based on the .280 Rem., which is itself an American adaption of the 764 Brenneke. .45-70The .45-70 is my moose and bear defense round when Im at gold camp, or out picking berries. Coverage is the name of the game. Prairies, 28 districts 21 . Its on the lower end of the moose spectrum, but it will tip them over nonetheless. In same-weight rifles of about 7 pounds, a 338 Win. Its muzzle energy exceeds the .30-06, equals that of the 7mm Rem. It is incredibly easy to make for 308 family cases so there is never an ammo problem for handloaders. The .338? When it comes to suitable cartridge selection, most folks operate under the assumption that the larger an animal is, the more horsepower they need in a cartridge. Ammo Choice: Winchester Expedition Long Range 190-grain ABLR. Bullet choice is especially important in small calibers like the .243. Shocked by the price of a box of new Super Magnum ammo? Introduced in 1965 with the .444 Marlin cartridge, the Model 444 was the most powerful lever action of its day. A prototype Sako III chambered 338 Federal dropped this Montana raghorn bull from about 240 yards. Copyright Ron Spomer Outdoors document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) 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. Performance Differences (Are they enough to Matter? This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. 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. Many will argue about the need to penetrate feet of muscle and bone to kill a moose at any conceivable shot angle. I'm planning to use a 338-06 Ackley that I had built last year but to date I have not killed anything with it but paper. Based on a shortened .375 H&H case and capable of fitting into standard-length actions, the .338 Win. In compact, mild recoiling rifles, it produces performance equal to some of the most proven, popular big game cartridges in America. For that one moose, the round delivered the goods and the moose accepted the invitation to come home for dinner. Just $1 per month , Bigger isnt always better when it comes to picking a cartridge for moose hunting, By of just .342, youll have to watch the wind deflection. Once the round hits the reloading bench the numbers suffer pretty dramatically. Ive got one and find it a pleasure to shoot in Remington 700 Stainless Steel Synthetic that I switched the factory stock out for a recoil-dampening, H-S Precision Sporter, effectively taking it from shooting 1-MOA to half-MOA with the new stock, and a switch out of the trigger for a Timney Trigger at 2.75 pounds pull. | Hit a bull in the shoulder blade or bone of the hind quarter with a .300 RUM or even a .300 Win. But still, my initial interest in this gun was threefold. 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. 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. Subscriber Services. 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. J. Scott Rupp takes a first look at the Springfield M1A Loaded rifle chambered in the popular 6.5 Creedmoor. So am looking for help in the bullet selection area. Shoot them through both lungs and theyll usually take a few steps and fall over dead. Nosler ballistic tip over imr 4350 powder in my pre 64 mod 70 it shoots sub moa and kills without much loss of meat. of muzzle energy while the .338 RCM is creating 3,850 ft.-lbs. Check out this story from contributor Mike Roux, for an excellent and educational anecdote highlighting the importance of a full quiver of calls. Mag. My 338 Federal is a delight to shoot. also packs a lot more punch. 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 .300 Blackout (also known as .300 BLK and .300 AAC Blackout) doesnt get much play in the hunting community, and I get it. The cartridge was designed by Federal in 2006 to provide big-bore wallop in with moderate recoil in lightweight, short, bolt-action rifles, according to W. Todd Woodards excellent book, Cartridges of the World. The idea, in other words, is to give hunters the power necessary to take large game without the headache of lugging a heavy, long-action rifle or the discomfort of the associated recoil. Kimber's Hunter Pro Desolve Blak takes the firm's more affordable mountain rifle to new heights. With a 200 gr AB or 210 gr PT, should work well from deer to moose out to 300 yds. Range Finding - Are You Calculating Or Estimating It? I think the 200gr Interlocks were designed with the 35Rem in mind. Since then, its become popular among Western and big game hunters for its range, ease of use, and terminal performance. 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. The .338 Federal does not. I would think that a 180-grain Partition should stretch the distance some, and work on moose well. That would be boring, and the truth is that many potential moose hunters out there might already have what would be best for them. It may not display this or other websites correctly. The RCM's ballistics are impressive, but they come at a price. Brass is affordable and widely available. Moose do present shot angles that are deep and tough to penetrate, but if you practice any bit of ethical restraint, youll often have the option of either a direct frontal shot into the soft stuff at close range, or a broadside shot at a mooses exceptionally large lungs and easy-to-penetrate ribs. There are several great cartridges offered in 7mm, and new ones like the 7 PRC are incrementally moving the ball forward, but the seven mag can still hold its own. The American .30 calibers, from the .30-30 and .308 through the .30-06 and various .300 magnums with all the great bullet choices available, seem to be less affected by those problems than most other calibers. Since it is based on the .308 Win. My reloads produce 2600 fps with 200 grain Hornady SP and 2450+ with 225 Hornady SP from a 22 inch barrel. Thanks for all the help and when I called to grab one I was TOO LATE they used it for a leader and they didnt have them anymore!! The 7mm is another American staple cartridge. Ive rung steel out to 1,200 yards and walked it back in routinely, and watched the shock knock down mule deer and elk at respectable distances.. Theres only one question: What are you waiting for? According to Federal ballistics data, the 338 Federal pushes a 180-grain Nosler AccuBond from the muzzle at 2,840 fps to produce 3,223 foot pounds energy. This powerful little shorty just gets it done. This efficient short-action cartridge flattens game like the hammer of Thor without kicking you in the shoulder like a stubborn mule. Although i've shot a large number of various factory rifles, i say unequivically that the ruger hawkeye is the finest factory rifle for the best price in the world. The little known Federal 338 cartridge is surprising for many surprising reasons, not the least of which are efficiency and efficacy. Rifle offerings in .33 caliber have been around for more than a century, dating back to the .33 WCF from the early 1900s, but it wasn't until Winchester launched the .338 Win. offers a decided advantage. MPBR was calculated for an 8-inch target. The 100-grain Nosler Partition is old reliable for the .243, and youll typically find it under the skin on the off-side of a broadside bull. But you should have. So why is it so uncommon? Beth Shimanski of Savage introduces their all new straight-pull rifle. I think the 338 federal is a fantastic cartridge, also highly underated. Tactical Survivalist : Combat Gear : Survival Gear : Combat Equipment. I would wager that for folks living in the more populated areas of Alaska, this might even beat the .30/06 and .243 in actual field use. Federal polls. In the midst of our current ammo shortage, the .308 is one of the few cartridges with a decent selection still on the shelf. However, equally important is which Sign in to access your profile, save content and more. Two shots at close range, neither 160 gr Barnes TTSX were recovered as they went through the chest broadside. On that T&E, I learned a lot about stock design and distribution of rifle weight from muzzle to shoulderchoose wisely. Then there are the ballistics. For more on his articles and books, visit his official site here. to accept .338 bullets. Handloader. If the .30/30 has piled up even half the venison its credited with, its one heck of a deer round. Thats fine. Before we dive more deeply into why this cartridge gets no respect, lets outline what it does. You must log in or register to reply here. 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. I think the only thing I have loaded for it yet is a 200 gr SST with a BC of .455 it should be a great long range bullet. Are there any Alaskans using the 338 Federal for Bears or Moose ???? Mag. In fact, it is still the go-to rifle for many rural Alaska hunters. Between a few family members, we have killed about a dozen bulls with the 285-grain ELDM bullet from 175 yards to over 600 yards. Ammo is certainly hitting shelves in a slowly increasing variety, but much of it is snapped up instantly. However, its another of those quiet cartridges, and a favorite of many Alaska natives, that has put moose down for decades. Unless you're shooting at least a .338-inch bullet or a low-velocity round (under 2,700 fps MV), shy away from traditional cup-and-core projectiles with soft lead cores. at 300 yards when both fire the same 210-grain bullet. Before you decide on a 338 Federal you should really consider the 35 Whelen. up close, and its often goodbye to a deer-sized portion of meat. 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