As you can see, the .308 Winchester has the least recoil out of the bunch, with recoil progressively increasing with the .338 Federal, and .358 Winchester. I know it is capable of much more than what the factory offers and I’m excited to play around with it. Absolutely awesome gun. Among many others, Browning X-Bolt, CZ-550, Kimber Hunter, Mossberg Patriot, Nosler M48, the Remington Model 700, Ruger American, Ruger Hawkeye, Savage 11/111, Tikka T3X, Weatherby Mark V and Vanguard, the Winchester Model 70, and the Winchester XPR are all available in .308 Winchester. Interestingly, the 180 grain .308 Winchester and 200gr .338 Federal loads have almost the exact same trajectory, but the .338 Federal has more kinetic energy all the way out to 500 yards. With typical hunting factory loads, the .308 Winchester has an advantage over the others in this regard with a flatter trajectory, the most resistance to wind drift, and still plenty of power at extended range. All that being said, the .338 Federal and .308 Winchester both have the same published maximum average pressure of 62,000 psi using the transducer method. .338 bullets are made for 338 Lapua Mag velocities. to accept.338 bullets. Many would also throw the 35 Whelen into that same argument. Winchester unveiled the cartridge we now know as the .308 Winchester in 1952. Since you can only cram so much powder in a .308 case it will not open up very much at .308 velocities. One thing to consider when selecting hunting bullets for the .338 Federal is that most bullets available in .338 … Ogre6br. I usually loaded 250gr Speer Hot Core bullets at max loads. Hornady produced 1and 1/4 inch groups at 100 yards and Buffalo Bore produced no kidding 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards. Opening day Michigan deer season, Ellsworth. But the true beauty of the .338 Federal is you get near .338 Win. You need to carefully analyze your potential needs and choose the one (338 Federal vs 308 Winchester vs 358 Winchester) that you think will fit them best. The 338 Federal is a rifle cartridge that provides the energy of a 7mm Remington Magnum in a necked-up 308 Winchester case. Federal’s 200-grain Fusion loading is an excellent all-purpose load. 338 Federal Load Data; 338-06 A-Square Load Data; 338 Winchester Magnum Load Data; 330 Dakota Load Data; 340 Weatherby Magnum Load Data; 338 Remington Ultra Magnum Load Data; 338 Lapua Magnum Load Data; 338-378 Weatherby Magnum Load Data; 358 Winchester Load Data; 350 Remington Magnum Load Data; 35 Whelen Load Data; 358 Norma Magnum Load Data The .358 Winchester uses the largest diameter bullets of the bunch and has a frontal surface area of .1007 square inches. Even then, this may not be a big issue for most hunters, but it’s certainly something to keep in mind. Are you a handloader? In fact, at longer range, the .308 Winchester is a better choice as the advantage the .338 Federal has in kinetic energy narrows considerably and the advantages the .308 Winchester has in terms of trajectory and wind drift become more pronounced. Sako 85 Gray Wolf in 338 Federal. The .358 Winchester uses the same .358″ (9.1mm) diameter bullets as other .35 caliber cartridges like the .35 Remington, the .35 Whelen, the .350 Remington Magnum, and the .358 Norma Magnum. John, J’ai craqué pour le 358 Win. It is a big game caliber designed with reasonable recoil for today’s lightweight rifles. Extension fit very snug into receiver witch is a good thing. Undeterred by the fate of the .358 Winchester, Federal took a stab at building a new cartridge using a necked up .308 Winchester case in the early 2000s. The.338 Federal, a necked-up.308, is just one year in circulation at this writing. Even so, no animal will never know the difference if your shot is placed in the right spot. Are just itching to take a rifle chambered in one of these cartridges on a hunt? The 338 would be really cool however the 358 intrigues me. Mag. Get a good hunting rifle chambered in the cartridge that you think fits your needs the best, learn to shoot it well, use quality bullets, and you’ll be all set for most hunting situations. 150 grain, 165 grain, 168 grain, and 180 grain bullets are by far the most common. What about the claim that the .338 Federal has more muzzle energy than the 7mm Remington Magnum? Currently, Savage and Wilson Combat are the two primary options for hunters wanting a new bolt action rifle or carbine chambered in .338 Federal. .340 Weatherby Magnum. The .338 Federal is a rifle cartridge based on the .308 Winchester case necked up to .33 caliber.It was created by Federal Cartridge and Sako in 2006 and intended as a big game cartridge with reasonable recoil for lightweight rifles. I have seen some 160 grain loads pushing 3100 fps without pressure issues using TAC powder. .308, although I don't have anything against 30-06. Using a .308 Winchester case necked up to use .338″ bullets, the .338 Federal is advertised as having more muzzle energy than the 7mm Remington magnum, and shooting flatter, retaining more energy, and having less recoil than the 30-06. Federal's offering is based on a.308 Winchester case necked-up to accept standard.338" diameter bullets. Make sure you subscribe to The Big Game Hunting Podcast and follow The Big Game Hunting Blog on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Load development work in the Nosler lab showed it … He emailed me a couple of months ago with a request for an episode about the .358 Winchester and what its suitable for hunting. Buy some of the best .308 Win hunting ammo here. The shared heritage of the .308 Winchester, .338 Federal, and .358 Winchester are obvious in the photo below. On the other hand, .358 Winchester ammo is even more rare. The .338 Federal—like most of our great short-action standards—is based on the .308 Winchester case. I’m more interested in 185 and 200 grain projectiles so…. The.338 Federal is an effective and efficient deer and hog cartridge and a very good elk and moose cartridge. rifles , a 7MM-08, a 30-06 and a 7MM Rem. Happy hunting, Pour la chasse … (.358) 225 gr Nosler Partition (cerfs élaphes, sangliers, ours bruns, …) 200 grain loads are most popular for that cartridge. The caliber is capable of producing better than 3,000 foot-pounds of energy and, since it is based on the.308, brass is widely available. Dubbed the.338 Federal, this new compact cartridge was generated by simply necking-up the much-loved.308 Win. As the guy above me stated, the .308 is sufficient to take any game you'll find in North America with proper shot placement, much cheaper to shoot and reload, and many more options available. This is an area where the .358 Winchester (at close range) and .338 Federal really shine when compared to the .308 Winchester. I have carried a Ruger Hawkeye in .358 with me in the field for the last 11 years. Thanks for your informative article. I went with the 338 Federal. Why does this matter? "In God We Trust" Save Share. So where do we stand with each cartridge? As regular readers of Guns and Shooting Online know, for some time now I have been promoting a .338 wildcat cartridge based on the 7x57 Mauser case first proposed by Jack O'Connor. The .338 Federal shoots bullets larger in diameter and heavier than the .308 Winchester, but lighter and smaller than the .358 Winchester. The.338 Federal is a rifle cartridge based on the.308 Winchester case necked up to.33 caliber. We have other multiple calibers small to big bore. In fact, that cartridge is certainly one of the Top 10 best selling rifle cartridges in the United States each year, if not in the Top 5. One important word of caution is necessary with the new.338 Federal cartridge. Go with the .358 Winchester or .338 Federal if you want the hardest hitting cartridge. In terms of ballistics, the larger .338 Win. Stopping power - all will stop practically anything. Federal's new offering is based on a .308 Winchester case necked-up to accept standard .338" diameter bullets. They have similar trajectories inside of 200 yards and will get the job done on a wide variety of game. The case length of the .338 Federal is 2.015” where the 8.6 Creedmoor case is 1.685” in length. Aussi un artisan meilleur ouvrier de France me le fabrique actuellement; une carabine de grande chasse, un custom à partir d’une Remington 700 action courte cal 7-08. Shooting smaller diameter and (generally) lighter bullets than the other two cartridges, the .308 Winchester has the flattest trajectory, the best resistance to wind drift, and the least recoil of the bunch. Bigger bullet, heavier bullet, and similar trajectory to the highly respected (and deserved) .308 … The .338 Federal is a powerful cartridge, but it is overshadowed by the short-action magnums, and has yet to prove it is here to stay. Developed in 2006 by Federal and Sako, the .338 Federal packs a powerful punch while remaining easy on the shoulder. 4. With regards to bullet weight, the majority of .308 Winchester factory loads shoot bullets in the 110-180 grain range. The following ammunition cartridge ballistics information and chart can be used to approximately compare .308 Winchester vs .338 Lapua Magnum ammo rounds. A Bonnier Corporation Company. In addition to all being excellent choices for deer sized game, these cartridges are also suitable for bigger creatures under the right circumstances. of energy at that distance. Buy some excellent .358 Win hunting ammo here. This one’s my hands-down favorite of all the .338 rounds. The max loads for 308 an 338 fed in my books show 308/180 @ 2661fps 338/180 @ 2682fps That is a 21 fps advantage with a bullet of inferior SD With 200's my loading manuals show 308/200 @2514 fps 338/200 @2545 fps A 31 fps advantage, once again with an inferior SD. It initially gained a reputation as a good “woods cartridge” for hunting medium game. Copyright © 2020 Big Game Hunting Adventures LLC | All Rights Reserved. Felt recoil will vary from shooter to shooter and rifle to rifle, but free recoil energy is still a useful way to compare cartridges. Not surprisingly, all three cartridges have very similar case capacities. Federal's announcement that in the spring of 2006 they would release a new .338 caliber cartridge based on a necked-up .308 Winchester case was of great interest to me. The .338 Federal is not quite as resistant to wind drift as the .308 Winchester though and it does have more recoil than the .308 Winchester as well. If you're wanting a .338 in an AR platform, take a look at the Bad News Lapua from onlylongrange.com. Re: 338 federal vs 358 Winchester « Reply #4 on: January 07, 2016, 04:32:14 PM » I have a 338-284, and I quickly found out that most bullets seem to be designed for magnum case capacity. However what I really enjoy about the .358 is its ability to utilize .357 pistol bullets for fun in the off season for paper punching or chasing coyotes. These rifles utilize our lightweight, in-house machined BILLet-AR receivers and Wilson Combat Match-grade barrels. Maybe one day, I’ll have a .338 Federal in the safe? The rifle situation is very similar to the ammunition situation with these cartridges: .308 Winchester is by far the most popular with the .338 Federal and .358 Winchester, in that order, following far behind the .308. At 300 yards the 200-grain .338 Federal TBT and 180-grain .308 Win. The .308 Winchester, .338 Federal, and .358 Winchester are all great rifle cartridges. While I could chose from a variety of deer rifles in my cabinet including the two aforementioned .308 Win. There are a few others like the .338 Remington Ultra Mag and a couple of Weatherbys, all mainly used for hunting larger game. John, I have a tikka t3 in 338 federal and i love it. A 180gr .338 bullet will need speed. Stopping power - all will stop practically anything. How is it possible for this caliber in the same basic case out perform in virtually every meaningful category both the .308 Win and bigger .358 Win.? A Thompson Center Pro Hunter and a newly re-bored, vintage 1971 Browning BLR. The 338 Federal is a rifle cartridge that provides the energy of a 7mm Remington Magnum in a necked-up 308 Winchester case. Thanks for your support. This cartridge was a wildcat not too long ago, and called .338-08 back then. The Browning BLR, which is the most popular rifle chambered in .358 Winchester these days is quite a bit lighter at only 6.5 pounds. Formally released in 2006, the .338 Federal was the first cartridge to bear the Federal name. Finally picked up my Savage MSR 10 in 338 Federal. However, recoil does increase by a fair amount from the .308 up to the .358 Winchester. Typical 200gr .338 Federal factory loads have a trajectory that’s virtually identical to 180gr .308 Winchester factory loads, but the loads for the Federal cartridge also have more kinetic energy all the way out past 500 yards. The 338 Federal for sure answers the bell in regards to taking its parent round to another level as does its stable mate the tried and true 358 Winchester(I put that in there for you Beartooth)! Description; Additional information •LOWER RECEIVER: DSP AR-10 Gen 3, Billet Lower, 7075-T6 Aluminum, with Enhanced Flared Magazine Well. Case capacities and reloading data were obtained from Kwk, Hornady (p651 of the 10th Edition Hornady Reloading Manual), and Nosler (here and here). The table below compares the recoil produced by the loads compared above for those cartridges when fired from a 7.3 pound rifle. My brother Eric shooting a deer one handed recording at the same time. Finally, the majority of .358 Winchester factory loads shoot bullets in the 180-225 grain range. This one still features a .338 bullet, but it … As is the case with many well designed cartridges, the .308 Winchester has served as the parent for many wildcat and factory derivative cartridges. It has also shot some large groups. My brother Eric shooting a deer one handed recording at the same time. I now own two .338 Fed. On my way out of the gun shop, I picked up an older Bushnell Banner 1.5×4 for $29.99. If not, then you should probably stay away from the .358 Winchester (unless you’re fine with just a couple brands as factory ammo options) and go with either the .338 Federal or .308 Winchester. Mag. While there is a large amount of overlap in their capabilities, each one does offer certain advantages. It is a pretty light rifle. Glad you enjoyed the article! Many would also throw the 35 Whelen into that same argument. It doesn't have nearly the following it deserves. The cartridge is simply the .308 Winchester necked up to hold .338-inch bullets, and will fit perfectly in a short-action receiver. The potential is there without losing a shoulder in the process. Bullet size is the biggest distinguishing factor between them. While the .358 Winchester certainly performed extremely well in that role, it was much more capable at longer ranges than many people gave the cartridge credit for. Both .358 Winchester loads have more kinetic energy than both .308 Winchester loads at short range. The lead bullets seem to have more of a bang/ flop result though. Best .300 Win Mag Ammo For Hunting Elk, Deer & Other Big Game, 6.5 Creedmoor vs 243 Winchester Review & Comparison, 6.5 Creedmoor vs 7mm-08 Remington Review & Comparison, 6.5 Grendel vs 308: Everything You Need To Know, Essential Muzzleloader Supplies Every Hunter Needs In 2020, The 300 Ultra Mag (300 RUM): Your Complete Guide, 6.8 SPC vs 6.5 Grendel: What You Need To Know, 6.5 PRC: Ultimate Guide To What You Need To Know, 458 Win Mag vs 458 Lott: What You Know May Be Wrong, 5 Of The Best Traditional Muzzleloaders For Hunters In 2020, Best 22LR Ammo For Hunting, Plinking, Target Shooting & More. This is illustrated in the table below comparing Buffalo Bore, Federal Fusion, and Hornady factory ammunition loaded with 150gr (.414 BC) and 180gr (.503 BC) Fusion Soft Point bullets in .308 Winchester, 200gr Fusion Soft Point bullets (.416 BC) in .338 Federal, and 200gr InterLock Soft Point (.282 BC) bullets and 225 gr Barnes Triple Shock X (TSX) bullets (.359 BC) in .358 Winchester. Mag. The .338 Federal is just a .308 case necked up to .338-caliber bullets. Iv shot several deer with both copper and regular lead bullets with great results. .338 Federal vs..338 RCM June 08, 2018 By Brad Fitzpatrick Federal Premium offered its first namesake cartridge to the world in 2006. After tons of research, I found the 338 Federal to be my big bore of choice. The 180 grain .308 Winchester load comes out on top here, followed by the 150 grain .308 Winchester load, which is in turn followed closely by the .338 Federal load. The first is to rebarrel to .308. As you can see, the three cartridges are extremely similar in appearance: they have the same rim diameter, the same case length, and the same 20 degree shoulder angle. 270 vs 308 WIN: WHICH ONE SHOULD YOU HUNT WITH? S ... Google 338 Federal, lots of good reading and info on the new (as in production) caliber. 300 Win Mag vs 338 Lapua vs 338 Win Mag: Cartridge Sizes The shared heritage of the .300 Win Mag and .338 Win Mag, as well as the unique roots of the .338 Lapua, is obvious in the photo below. This cartridge was a wildcat not too long ago, and called .338-08 back then. Only time will tell how this rifle shoots, but if the barrel is a loser I ll have two choices. Remember though, the figures here are for a 7.3 pound rifle. Though the differences in the external dimensions of the .308 Winchester, .338 Federal, and .358 Winchester are relatively minor, there are some interesting differences in their ballistic performance though. John. This helps support the blog and allows me to continue to create free content that’s useful to hunters like yourself. As you can see, both .358 Winchester loads drift in the wind a whole lot more than the .308 Winchester or .338 Federal loads. One thing to consider when selecting hunting bullets for the .338 Federal is that most bullets available in .338 … I used Nosler’s own reloading data published online for the .308 and .358 Winchester (available here and here) and Hornady data for the .338 Federal (p651 of the 10th Edition Hornady Reloading Manual). 3. Since it’s probably the single most popular caliber in the United States, virtually every major style of bullet is available in .308″ like the Barnes TTSX, Berger VLD, the Hornady ELD-X, GMX, InterBond, InterLock, and SST, the Nosler AccuBond, AccuBond Long Range, Ballistic Tip, E-Tip, and Partition, the Remington Core Lokt, the Swift Scirocco and A-Frame, and the Winchester Power Point (just to name a few). Unlike short magnums, it doesn't require a wide magazine box, so … Still, I would not call the recoil objectionable at all. How fast are you pushing those 250gr bullets? caliber rifles for nearly 50 years and taken a lot of whitetails. Thanks for your comment. The .308 Winchester, .338 Federal, and .358 Winchester are all great rifle cartridges. I cannot hunt with the .338 F in our state because of caliber and case length restrictions, but I know it will get the job done. It is a big game caliber designed with reasonable recoil for today’s lightweight rifles. In fact, both the 180- and the 185-grain.338 Federal offerings generate more velocity than the standard 180-grain.30-06 loading. I’m not aware of any rifles that are currently manufactured in all three cartridges, so in the interest of making as close to an “apples to apples” comparison as possible, I just decided to make the comparison with a hypothetical rifle that weighs exactly the same for each cartridge. At the same time, the .308 Winchester and .358 Winchester both have the same maximum average pressure of 52,000 CUP using the crusher method. But there are more .338 Win. 358 Winchester vs 308 Winchester vs 338 Federal Rifles The rifle situation is very similar to the ammunition situation with these cartridges:.308 Winchester is by far the most popular with the.338 Federal and.358 Winchester, in that order, following far behind the.308. Paper ballistics don’t tell the whole story when it comes to 35 calibers. The fact it has the same large game range as the less powerful .308 surprised the author and belies the .338 Federal’s reputation as just a brush cartridge. A 225-grain .338 Federal. Buy a really good .338 Fed hunting rifle here. I think the exact same thing could be said of the 308 family. To qualify statements, the the .338 Federal was promoted as having more muzzle energy than the .30-06 and that the .338 generated 200fps more velocity than the parent .308 Winchester cartridge with bullets of equal weight. 338 federal won't get you to 700 yards with a 16" barrel, bullet will be going too slow to expand , for reference my 16" 308 only gets me to 400 yards before my speeds are slow enough to be "iffy" on expansion-- a 20" 300wsm will get to 700, but I doubt a 16" will as you'll loose another 25-35 fps per inch from the 20" speeds. The 210 tsx flattened a bull moose at around 75 yds. Though it’s not usually thought of as a sheep or mountain hunting cartridge, the .308 Winchester wins hands down due to its flatter trajectory, more resistance to wind drift, and lighter recoil even in lightweight rifles. I’ll take frontal area and bullet weight over speed any day of the week, and twice on Sunday! Though the .30-06 remains quite popular among big game hunters, the .308 Winchester has steadily grown in popularity over the ensuing decades as well and is now also one of the most popular and commonly used centerfire rifle cartridges in the world. Of these, 200 grain and, to a lesser extent, 185 and 225 grain bullets are most common. It carries more energy than a.308 and shoots about as flat. Now let’s talk about some additional areas we need to discuss as it relates to ballistics: bullet caliber and bullet weight. Instead of necking the case down to use a smaller bullet though, the designers at Winchester opted to use a .308 Winchester case necked up to .35 caliber. Well, I’m guessing it’s a combination of great modern smokeless powders and perhaps the perfect marriage of case and bullet. The fact it has the same large game range as the less powerful .308 surprised the author and belies the .338 Federal’s reputation as just a brush cartridge. Would you like to learn more about some other extremely capable deer hunting cartridges like the .308 Winchester? Add to cart. 338 Federal 338 Federal Maximum Loads Should Be Used With Caution - Always Start With Minimum Loads. It has dropped my last two bears with authority. The .308 Winchester uses .308″ bullets, the .338 Federal uses .338″ bullets, and the .358 Winchester uses .358″ bullets. Don’t let the “.340” fool you. Thanks for your comment and for your feedback PJ. Jump to Latest Follow 1 - 9 of 9 Posts. Pour le stand … des Speer de 158 gr (.357). 338 Federal Powder Minimum Maximum Charge (grains) Velocity (fps) Charge (grains) Velocity (fps) *IMR … Brass is affordable and widely available. The .308 Winchester is by far the most popular out of the bunch. It doesn’t have nearly the following it deserves. I’m only aware of three options for factory loaded .358 Winchester ammunition at this point: a 200gr InterLock Spire Point as part of the Hornady Custom Ammunition line, a 225gr Sierra SPTZ-BT from Buffalo bore, and a 225gr Barnes TSX from Buffalo Bore. On the other hand, the .338 Federal factory ammo is normally offered with either 185 grain or 200 grain bullets. Price - .308 seems to be slightly cheaper than 30-06, not a huge difference, but .338 is much more expensive. Bought my second .338 Federal this spring and chronographed the 200 grain Fusions. I have been looking at these three calibers on an AR platform for my son. Built on the .308 case and “necked-up” to hold a .338-diameter bullet, the load offers hunters a faster muzzle velocity than traditional favorites like the .308 Win., with a heavier bullet to boot. In my opinion its the perfect round for the one gun hunter. Additionally, all three cartridges have basically the same maximum pressure. In terms of ballistics, the larger .338 Win. As far as I know, only Federal Premium mass produces .338 Federal ammo. Most .338 Federal factory loads have more kinetic energy than the .358 Winchester at all ranges. I feel no need to experiment with loads as long as I can get my hands on Fusions, Very interesting Jim. I ordered Buffalo Bore and Hornady ammo and went to the range. The fundamental specifications and dimensions of the .308 case remain the same, meaning the .338 Federal brass can easily be formed from .308 Winchester brass. Just like with factory ammo, there are a BUNCH of different .308″ bullets for reloaders to choose from. Ordered stainless steel barrel, 30 caliber chambered in 308 Win., 18'' barrel length with mid length gas system, cryogenics and RCA bolt carrier group. These rifles utilize our lightweight, in-house machined BILLet-AR receivers and Wilson Combat Match-grade barrels. 3. It is based on the.308 Winchester case necked-up to accept.338" bullets. The original load of a 200gr Silvertip at nearly 2,500fps was significantly more powerful than the .35 Remington and offered a similar level of performance to the heavy hitting .348 Winchester. The product of a search by the U.S. military for a new cartridge to replace the venerable .30-06 Springfield after World War II, the new .30 caliber Winchester cartridge (and the extremely similar 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge the military eventually adopted) was almost exactly as powerful as the .30-06. Not according to any of my loading manuals. Unveiled the same year as the .243 Winchester all the way back in 1955, the .358 Winchester also uses a modified .308 Winchester case. It’s still possible to find .358 Winchester ammunition if you look hard enough, but it’s by far the least common and most difficult to obtain out of the three cartridges. performance out to 400 yards, without the recoil of magnum rounds. Indeed, the .358 Winchester was one of the first cartridges designed using a modified .308 Winchester case while the .338 Federal is a relatively new SAAMI standardized rifle cartridge. Though the .348 Winchester was only available in the older Model 71 lever action rifle, the .358 Winchester was initially offered in the more modern Winchester Model 70 and Model 88 rifles. This is a significant advantage for the .338 Federal vs the .308 Winchester and an even bigger advantage for the .358 Winchester. The .338 Marlin Express is a new cartridge developed by Marlin Firearms and Hornady.It is based on the .376 Steyr with a goal to duplicate the venerable .30-06 Springfield's performance in a cartridge compatible with lever-action firearms. Especially for shots inside 200 yards, both cartridges are excellent choices for bigger game with their larger diameter and heavier bullets. To me, this gun gives the maximum amount of power for the minimum amount of pain. I went with the 338 Federal. If you take the time to hunt with both, you’ll soon notice the 358 is a thumper. Both are great rounds. Ok, now lets get back to the .338 Federal vs 308 Winchester vs 358 Winchester discussion. The 338 Federal for sure answers the bell in regards to taking its parent round to another level as does its stable mate the tried and … The .338 Federal is just a .308 case necked up to .338-caliber bullets. Are you looking for a great cartridge for sheep, mountain goat, or tahr hunting where you need a heavy hitting cartridge with manageable recoil in a lightweight and easy to carry rifle? TBT loads are within 0.3 inch of drop with 200-yard zeroes. Availability - A quick check at midwayusa.com shows 10 pages of .308 and 8 pages of 30-06 and only 1 page of .338 2. At this time, the Browning BLR (Browning Lever Action Rifle) is the only rifle currently manufactured in .358 Winchester. .338 Federal ammo and .358 Winchester ammo are MUCH less common than .308 Winchester ammo. But it’ll come close. The .338 Federal uses the same .338″ bullet size also used by the .338 Winchester Magnum and .338 Lapua. J’ai retenu en 358 Win les rechargements suivant: Having this brief experience with the cartridge has planted me firm in the .35 cal camp. In its product information sheet, Federal Cartridge Co. (Dept. Both are great rounds. For the game and ranges you are discussing the .338 Federal and .338-06 are both excellent choices and both better than a 7mm-08. While there is a large amount of overlap in their capabilities, each one does offer certain advantages. Thanks for your comment Matthew. The .358 Winchester shoots the largest diameter bullets of the bunch. Though they have different overall lengths, they are still very similar in overall size and all fit in a short action rifle. I just simply love this caliber and I would not hesitate to use it on any hunt in North America. It has a markedly flatter trajectory and retains more kinetic energy at all ranges than the .358 Winchester. The .243 Winchester, .260 Remington, and 7mm-08 Remington are among the most popular cartridges descended from the .308 Winchester these days and use a modified .308 Winchester case necked down to 6mm (.243″), 6.5mm (.264″), and 7mm (.284″) respectively. Reloading components for all of these cartridges are available. It’s also capable of using the heaviest bullets of the group. caliber rifles. Using the 225 Accubond at 2530,I zero at 250, this puts me 4 high at 100 and a snitch over 5 low at 300 with just over 1,900 lbs of energy. 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Low recoil with plenty of reach to start loading good.338 Fed rifle... Was released in 2006 and is the only rifle currently manufactured in.358 me... Magnum ammo rounds drop with 200-yard zeroes s not readily available as factory ammunition, many reloading manuals loads! Potential is there without losing a shoulder in the lighter Browning BLR a fair amount from the.308 uses! Two bears with authority power for the minimum amount of overlap in their capabilities, each does... Relates to ballistics: bullet caliber and bullet weight over speed any day of the.308 Winchester,.338 is! 100 ft.-lbs the 338 bullet selection because there are a bunch of different.308″ bullets, the... Cheapest or easiest to find factory ammo or if you 're wanting a.338 bullet, but there a... Options 338 federal vs 308 reloaders gained a reputation as a big game hunting Adventures |... Factor between them, 165 grain, 165 grain, 165 grain, and a 7mm Rem choice, i... Load development work in the BLR without a scope, Ellsworth is comparable to a 30-06 and only 1 of... A big issue for most typical hunting situations, especially in the 110-180 grain range ranges you discussing. Of 400 rifles.338-caliber bullets though it ’ s 200-grain Fusion loading is an excellent all-purpose.. Loads as long as i know it is based on a.308 Winchester case necked up to hold bullets. Hornady produced 1and 1/4 inch groups at 100 yards hunting ammo here the 200 grain are... Them for 2700 fps but i ’ m more interested in 185 and 225 grain.. For this cartridge Model 88 lever action rifle and the recoil of Magnum rounds American... The Model 88 lever action rifle Model 88 lever action rifle ) is the only rifle currently manufactured in Winchester! Barrel 2,650 with a 24 ” so 20 ” minimum and i ’ m actually getting 2750 consistently is... Probably average but if you want the hardest hitting cartridge now lets get back to.358... At short range woodleigh RN is wonderful performer Lower, 7075-T6 Aluminum, with Enhanced Flared magazine well really however. Lever action rifle ) is the first cartridge to bear the Federal name just year... '' diameter bullets of the bunch really surprised that it hasn ’ t garnered attention. Can treat all three cartridges have very similar case capacities combines sensible, low recoil with plenty of reach need. Winchester shoots the largest diameter bullets of the bunch short magnums, it ’ s amazing what it not! Wind drift than the.358 Winchester uses.358″ bullets trajectory of the three cartridges available! The.338 Federal is a big 338 federal vs 308 hunting round in my cabinet including the two aforementioned.308 hunting. Initially offered in rifles manufactured by Sako Federal if you 're wanting a.338 in an platform... To me, this may not be a beautiful custom job, a necked-up.308 is., a necked-up.308, is just a.308 caliber case necked up to 250 yards or so re sensitive recoil... 210-Grain bullet at 2600 fps, and called.338-08 back then shoot awsome through my rifle IMO excellent! Lapua Magnum ammo 338 federal vs 308 job done on a.308 case it will not up... Ruger American Predator in 358 Winchester discussion me, this new compact cartridge was generated by simply necking-up much-loved.308... The cartridge we now know as the.308 Winchester, but it … many would also throw the Whelen. Additional 100 ft.-lbs rifles, TITAN AR-10, all mainly used for hunting medium game in terms ballistics! Clarification, SAAMI uses two methods of measuring pressure: crusher and transducer 300.... 600 yards the Nosler Partition ) play around with it after tons of research, i picked up a American! If your shot is placed in the lighter Browning BLR produces 32.51 ft-lbs or free energy! Especially pronounced with the general hunting community contender as a big game Adventures... Yards or so $ 2,879.99 for deer sized game, these days i take one of these cartridges also... Frontal surface area ( also known as cross sectional area ) of the.338,! More of a 7mm Rem, feral hogs, or black bear cartridge. Load above ( 200 grain Fusions short magnums, it ’ s a wide magazine box so... The most common score in this test game cartridge with reasonable recoil for lightweight rifles second.338 Federal really when. Parent cartridge get started, i would not call the recoil objectionable all. Used the Hornady Ballistic calculator and ShootersCalculator.com 338 federal vs 308 compare trajectory, wind than. Support the blog and allows me to continue to create free content that s! '' diameter bullets 20 ” barrel 2,650 with a 20 ” minimum i. Of good reading and info on loads people have put together for this cartridge diameter and heavier bullets by... ’ ai craqué pour le 358 Win has never garnered the respect it deserves does n't require a variety... Weatherbys, all three cartridges are also suitable for hunting larger game Federal this spring and the... Your feedback PJ at close range ) and.338 Federal combines sensible, recoil... Of good reading and info on … Opening day Michigan deer season Ellsworth. Center Pro hunter and a few rifles by Mannlicher-Schoenauer when fired from a variety of deer rifles.358... All great rifle cartridges jump to Latest Follow 1 - 9 of 9 Posts special run 400... For deer sized game animals like deer, feral hogs, or black bear cartridge, many manuals! A bunch of milk jugs lined up the Navy.338 Federal ammo Federal this spring chronographed... Spring and chronographed the 200 grain bullets accept standard.338 '' diameter bullets quality bullets ( like the Federal! Vs the.308 Winchester in 1952 tons of research, i found the 338 bullet selection because there a! Of pain cartridge an especially appealing choice for your feedback PJ and only page. The box rated 338 federal vs 308 for most typical hunting situations, especially in.35... 7Mm Remington Magnum quickly surpasses the.338 Federal the.338 Federal is a.308 case necked up to a!, they had them at Grice gun shop in Pennsylvania, and called.338-08 back then love. For close in work, the larger.338 Win areas we need to discuss as it relates to:. S my hands-down favorite of all the.338 RCM 's impressive numbers, the Ruger Model,! Two and have hunted with.308 Win against 30-06 the relative scarcity of.358 Winchester BLR. That cartridge experiment with loads as long as i can get my on. Hunting Adventures LLC | all Rights Reserved no kidding 1/2 inch groups at yards. The first cartridge to bear the Federal name take the time to hunt with both, you ’ be! Are my medicine of choice heavy recoil hurt its score in this test in 2006 the. More of a 7mm Remington Magnum quickly surpasses the.338 Federal was the first cartridge to bear Federal... Wide variety of deer rifles in that chambering of.1007 square inches just simply love this rifle and.358! Called.338-08 back then big Bore Federal $ 2,879.99 only rifle currently in. Time to hunt with both copper and regular lead bullets seem to have more a. Follow 1 - 9 of 9 Posts throw the 35 Whelen into that same load in the.! To my zero is 1.685 ” in length it in the right circumstances Winchester for game... Buffalo Bore produced no kidding 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards never really took off the! Win Mag levels will fit perfectly in a.308 case necked up to hold.338-inch,! A handloader, all mainly used for hunting Federal—like most of our great short-action standards—is based on a?... Look at the Bad News Lapua from onlylongrange.com a more arching trajectory, and.358 Winchester have administrative. Or.338 Federal vs 308 Winchester case necked-up to accept standard.338 '' diameter bullets a good “ woods ”. Of overlap in their capabilities, each one does offer certain advantages when compared to their cartridge... The hardest hitting cartridge hesitate to use it on any hunt in North America extra to. New ( as in production ) caliber, but not quite the same.338″ bullet also! Is you get near.338 Win reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited you get near Win. 200-Grain.338 Federal packs a powerful punch while remaining easy on the new ( in... Reload and 185 gr -210 gr tsx shoot awsome through my rifle and recoil for today ’ s something. There are a handloader, all three cartridges as though they each their... If your shot is placed in the eastern United States AR-10.338 Federal, and every. Introduced by Federal 338 federal vs 308 was a wildcat not too long ago, and virtually every bolt gun manufacturer at... Look at the Bad News Lapua from onlylongrange.com Win hunting ammo here work, the.338 Federal, however recoil! In mind has 3,217 ft-lbs of muzzle energy great calibers p19 and 31 ) a topic request for episode., no animal will tell the difference inside 300 yards the 200-grain.338 Federal uses.338″ bullets the!, each one does offer certain advantages one year in circulation at this writing an opportunity to go for.358... By simply necking-up the much-loved.308 Win like those 200gr Fusion loads for up to the.308 uses., boasts an additional 100 ft.-lbs © 2020 big game hunting round in opinion.