338 Federal 350yd elk load?

[preacher]

Where I hunt elk, my "average shot distance" has been 195yds. 30-06/180 LM, 375 H&H/300SBT, 338/185XLC. I would use any of those loads to shoot elk out to 350yds or so. Now, I have a little 22"bbl 338 Federal. It shoots well with 160TTSX, 185TSX, 180NAB and the 200 Fusion. Using a +2" @ 100 zero, a little work with duplex reticle/power change can put me on a 8" paper plate at 350, probably further. So...which bullet/load combo would you feel is effective for a broadside shot at 350yds? I'm curious because I read where some say to keep "all" my shots under 200 on elk to "500yds is no sweat". Well, for me, 350-"maybe" 375 is my limit, on any game animal, with 50-60 yds being my "all time preference", ha. But...I do like to see where my load ( any rifle) hits out to 500 in case I'm trying to anchor a cripple. What do you elk killers say?

 

[Guy Miner]

No experience with the 338 Federal. Took my elk last year a mere 12 yards short of your 350 yard figure, with my 30-06 and a 165 Nosler Ballistic Tip. It worked very well!

I'd look hard at the 180 gr Nosler AccuBond for your purposes. I like the way the AccuBond and the Ballistic Tip open readily, even at lowered velocity from longer ranges. I've seen excellent expansion from the .375" 260 grain AccuBond at over 300 yards on black bear, with a muzzle velocity of only 2620 fps.

Guy

 

[salmonchaser]

Well I know a number of native guys who shoot moose and caribou with AR15s. That being said I think a 338 federal would be adequate given your parameters.
I'm a big fan of the 250 grain AccuBond out of my .338 Jarrett. It has performed well on elk from about 30 yards to a touch over 400.
I don't know much about the 338 federal but would think the 180/200 grain bullets would offer a good combination of mass and velocity.
I wouldn't hesitate to use that cartridge.


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[69gto]

I would use the 180acc, from my experience I would not trust the copper bullets to open up and that can be a long tracking job on a wounded elk.

 

[preacher]

I have a bunch of Speer 200HC but not sure they would open well out around 300 from the Federal. I have used the Nosler 180AB at 250yds on a huge Aoudad, but it was started at 3500 from a 338 RUM. It acted like a Partition. My SIL did use this 338 Fed with a handloaded 180AB on a little forked horn muley at 25yds and it too acted like a Partition. Deer only ran 30yds or so, and there was zero meat spoilage. I have read where one fellow had a 160TTSX actually come apart, make a shallow wound on an elks shoulder at decent range. This was from the 338 Federal so it could be a fluke ( like it hit a twig beforehand or just a bad Lot#.) I have an excellent load with it going around 3010 with TAC. I'm sure it is Muley poison, but not sure it would thump an elk ( or really big hog) up close with good penetration and open at all around 350...at times like this is when I wished I owned an Exotics Ranch in the Texas Hill country, great Testing Grounds...ha. Any opinions on that 338 Fed specific 200 Woodleigh?

 

[BretN]

I would think the 200gr Speers would do quite well at 338 Fed speeds too. Load them both up and test them out on some water jugs or hogs maybe and see how they hold up. Probably I'd go with the AB assuming you can get them to shoot well. But I wouldn't hesitate to use those heavy cup and core Speers if they prove to be more accurate.

 

[Guy Miner]

Out of curiosity, what's the trajectory look like for those different bullets from the .338 Federal? 350 yards is a fairly long poke at elk.

Guy

 

[hoghunter1951]

Out of curiosity, what's the trajectory look like for those different bullets from the .338 Federal? 350 yards is a fairly long poke at elk.

Guy

Although I lack the experience hunting big critters in the west as most on this forum, I am a huge fan of the 338 Federal. Mine is a Ruger Hawkeye that loves the Federal 185 TSX. It is devestating on 300# hogs down here in South Texas. It kills all out of proportion to what you would think. I shot this guy at 275 yards quartering to me. It entered between the junction of his neck and shoulder with no reaction to the shot. He turned broadside so the 2nd shot was through both lungs and not recovered. I recovered the first bullet, a textbook mushroom, from just under the skin to the right of his tail. Full length penetration on a bull elk at 275 yards pretty much convinced me of its capacity to kill.
Today is the 1st day of retirement and to celebrate a friend and I are headed to the Norias Division of the King Ranch in February to hunt free range Nilgai. They are not as large as a big bull but are notoriously tough to bring down so I will be carrying the 338 Federal Hawkeye. Don't hesitate to take it on your elk hunt. Guy is correct, you must know the trajectory and hold overs as it's not as flat shooting as most. The 185 TSX doesn't lend itself to what is now considered "long range" but I would not hesitate to take a shot at 350 if there was no way for me to get closer and he was broadside. Good luck!

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[DrMike]

Beautiful bull. Any elk is a trophy, and that is a fine specimen. You did well. So far, my 338 Fed has only accounted for one moose, and that was at less than fifty yards. It did work well, however.

 

[SJB358]

I'd use the 180 or 200 AB, the 200 CBT or the 210 PT. I know premiums aren't needed but if I'm hunting elk I'll run them. All of them will open up well and penetrate plenty far. I'd say at your max range you aren't going to have issues with those bullets working.

 

[preacher]

Thanks guys. I like to shoot a group at a known distance. I then place an orange 3" target sticky in the center of that group. I go back to my firing point, get a sight picture and see how far down between the crosshair and the tip of the bottom duplex post I can see the dot. I write down what I see. Then I turn the power ring until the tip of the bottom post subtends the dot. I write that down. I then will shoot at rocks at that distance ( I use a rangefinder past 250yds or so, I get fooled easily out here!) using my sight methods. I usually will shoot a 3 shot group with the tip/duplex at an 8" target. Then, I have the confidence to actually shoot at that range. If I wasn't pretty certain I could really hammer an elk, I'd just pass on the shot, especially with a milder round. Admittedly, when I think of elk, I tend to think 35 Whelen AI and "up", ha. In the woods, out to 200 even, I'm thinking any decent bullet from the little Federal will do just fine. I've shot a whole lot of Barnes bullets, but always from fast movers. Hogs are definitely tough enough to open them, and I have some 185 TSX to try too. Does anyone know if the GMX and the E-tip bullets open "faster" than the TTSX of equal weights? Thanks

 

[SJB358]

I was the same way before to Jim but today's great bullets and powders really let the smaller cartridges shine on elk as well but it does make the bigger cartridges better too. I still use bigger ones but the 7mm Mashburn has been excellent with the great bullets out there. After seeing how well the BBCs worked it made realize it is more about the bullets than the actual headstamp.

 

[Silent Sam]

What is your velocity at 350yds for each of your loads? Penetration out there won't be a problem but expansion may be. I agree with Guy, that's a fairly long poke.

 

[preacher]

I don't know how fast any of them would be going out at 350. Its around 9000ft where I like to go, but on late season cow hunts, it could be much lower. Longer ranges in more open terrain then too. I'm not sure I wouldn't take my 7x57 or .270 then either. But hogs are definitely on the list for the Federal, in which case the Speer 200 and 185 TSX are up. If I take it as a foul weather spare deer/antelope rifle, then the 160TTSX/180 NAB will be up. If I get a bonafide chance to hunt bull elk, I'll be taking my SILs 300 RUM for some "hammertime", ha.

 

[Gunner46]

Here's a simple question to ask yourself. Would you take the same 350 yd shot with a 30/06 (or a .308) ? If so, then you have no need to fret carrying a 338 Fed.

 

[preacher]

That's what I figured too Gunner, although that is still a long way out there. In fact, the only game I have shot out at 350-375yds has been with the .257 BEE/Nosler 115PT, my old 35 Whelen AI/200X, and the 300 Winmag/180XBT. I've shot a handful right at 300, but the vast majority have been way under 200yds! I only mentioned my SILs 300 RUM as it was a gift from me to him upon his last return from the Sand Box. It is a 26" Shilen SS on a Model 700 SS action, pillar bedded into a Bord's JR Classic that I had my smith really trim up and checkered. I worked up a load with Retumbo/200 NAB and he ended up putting a Husqemaw (sp) long range scope on it. Its light enough to pack around yet shoots very well and is a proven killer, so far, right at quarter mile. I had a similar 300 RUM made up, but sold it as I never really hunt the way that benefits from that kind of horsepower anymore! I figure if I kill him way over there, then I have to go get him! I'd rather shoot hayfield cows, pickup accessible, ha.

 

[SJB358]

I agree with Gunner. If you can put the rounds on target I wouldn't worry about the Bullets working Jim.

 

[wildgene]

...wouldn't hesitate to use those Speers, your ballistics would be very similar to a 180gr. .308, you'ld still have plenty enough velocity & energy to ensure bullet performance @ 400yds., I'd be inclined to go w/ a 200yd. 'zero' [+2.5/100 (High point), -4"/250, -10"/300, -18"/350, -28"/400 or 1MOElk], past 400yds., well, energy/ trajectory go 'downhill' fast...

 

[Teknys]

All good info. I have taken a few Whitetail and one cow elk with my 338 Federal at 130 yds - double lung full pass thru. All were with the 200 gn Fusion. I had a small gong (8" x 10") setup at 350yds and with the Leupold B&C reticle I could hit it 90% of the time resting across the wheeler. Watch the cross wind at those longer distances with this cartridge.

 

[preacher]

Thanks guys. As I mentioned, I have had a lot of experience on elk/elk sized Plains Game/Exotics with light mono bullets in the 338 Win Mag, 340W and 338 RUM. I picked up this little Ruger way back in 2007 when I had a wrist bone replacement. At the time I had my smith put a brake on it and it is a kitten ( 243 levels) I later healed up and went back to my old 35 WAI, and haven't owned a magnum for years. Being a predominantly woods hunter, long range for me has been a handful of game shot at 350/375 and I was not super comfortable with them, but time/money/distance sure was a factor in taking them! I much prefer toodling around up in the timber and Edges, so have gotten spoiled to using rounds that shoot all the way through elk/elk sized game. Unfortunately, I never got to try the 358 Norma mag I had built and the super nice Whelen I got from TD...ObamaCare Tax on Minister's Benefits really put the clamp on my "nether regions"! I sold everything I could and even got a PT job at Home Depot! But at least I'm digging my way out. ha. I mentioned that as I "normally" have a new rifle in the works by now, and really do ( the 700 7x57 that was in the works as a Trade when the storm hit me!) My SIL had this Federal in his safe and I have it, the BAR 270 and the 7x57...that's enough to keep me sane...for while.... :twisted: