.338 Federal Should Be Here Shortly

[Oldtrader3]

DrMike, it is, I think, a OCD disease bordering on social misfittedness with me. I just can not seem to leave well enough alone when it comes to settling some (not all) scopes on a specific rifle and Backing Off! The outlier scopes from my usual power range seem to be the most moved scopes. Have you found this to be true?

I seldom gain more than a fleeting sense of calm about having made the right decision by switching scopes to other rifles. Just as often I do not like the second scope and rifle match-up choice which was a force move from the original rifle as much on its surrogate rifle and sometimes move them back were they started.

I seem to use this fall back position as a crutch during which, in a weakened moment these scopes often go back to the rifle that they were mounted on originally and for which I bought the scope in the first place! A rational combining of optics and rifle and basing it on thinking through the utility of same. The only beneficiary is Nosler for all the bullets that I shoot during sighting and resighting. Odd behavior it seems for me anyway?

 

[DrMike]

I seldom gain more than a fleeting sense of calm about having made the right decision by switching scopes to other rifles.

I hear ya'. That is precisely the deficit that afflicts my inner calm. :mrgreen:

 

[SJB358]

As I've mentioned before, such generosity simply overwhelms me. I get positively giddy, I get the vapors, I get ... oh, that's the flu. Scotty, it's not a Conquest that is free, it is a Diavari. In any case, I'll likely do some switching around. I have a VX-L on my 7WSM, and I may pull it off and put it up for sale and place the Leica on the 7WSM. Ah, yes, decisions. I think the 8X68S will be built; it is only a question of when. I hope to post some pictures this week of the 338 Federal.

All kidding aside, my offer still stands! AH,, just kidding!

Yeah, that Zeiss has to be a sweet piece of glass Mike. I am really wanting to hear more about the Leica though. They seem like they would have to be nearly on par with Swaro and Zeiss and they have excellent power ranges and nice controls, from what I have seen.

Can we look forward to a field report?

Very cool about the 8X68 Mike... Do you build it on a LA? What do you do with the bolt face? Man, I am without an 8mm... Need to fix it... Gene is pretty insistent the 325 should be the one though..

 

[FOTIS]

The 200 grain AB will not be too bad from this shorty either.

 

[SJB358]

The 200 grain AB will not be too bad from this shorty either.

They are very accurate in my 338WM, that is for certain. I almost wanna try them. They shoot excellent. Plus, they clock right at 2975 outta my rifle without too much fuss at all. Should be a heckuva great bullet in the 338F.

 

[DrMike]

Good point, Fotis. I believe I have some squirreled away that I need to dig out. I just dug around and found three boxes of 200 grain AccuBonds, a box of 180 grain AccuBonds and two boxes of 200 grain E-Tips. I should be able to make one of those work just fine.

 

[IdahoCTD]

Very cool about the 8X68 Mike... Do you build it on a LA? What do you do with the bolt face? Man, I am without an 8mm... Need to fix it... Gene is pretty insistent the 325 should be the one though..

Scotty,

The 8x68 is about the length of a .300wm but bigger diameter with a rebated rim like a .284. The bolt face size is .511 I believe so you'd have to either sleeve down a magnum action or open the bolt face of a standard action. I've really thought about doing one but necked down to .30 and blowing it out so I can use 210VLD's in a standard magazine. Basically it would be a shorter fatter 30-8mm like I have now but with better brass. If your going to go through the bolt face changes there are others that can be done too with about the same performance though. .300 Dakota comes to mind. Another option is a .30-375 Ruger.

Oh too many guns to build and not enough time or $$$. :lol:

 

[nvbroncrider]

It is almost as much fun planning a build as actually using it.

Sometimes more so.

Definately the truth!!

 

[SJB358]

Very cool about the 8X68 Mike... Do you build it on a LA? What do you do with the bolt face? Man, I am without an 8mm... Need to fix it... Gene is pretty insistent the 325 should be the one though..

Scotty,

The 8x68 is about the length of a .300wm but bigger diameter with a rebated rim like a .284. The bolt face size is .511 I believe so you'd have to either sleeve down a magnum action or open the bolt face of a standard action. I've really thought about doing one but necked down to .30 and blowing it out so I can use 210VLD's in a standard magazine. Basically it would be a shorter fatter 30-8mm like I have now but with better brass. If your going to go through the bolt face changes there are others that can be done too with about the same performance though. .300 Dakota comes to mind. Another option is a .30-375 Ruger.

Oh too many guns to build and not enough time or $$$. :lol:

Makes sense, thank you for the heads up on it.. Still on the fence on what I wanna do right now anyhow. Thinking the 375 Ruger needs SOMETHING done to it though! It seems like a very good case design to me, plus, it'll fit fine in a M70 LA.. :twisted:

 

[DrMike]

Scotty,

I've loaded for the 375 Ruger. It seems to be an easy cartridge for working up loads. It certainly has enough jam to tackle anything in North America, as well as the remainder of the world.

 

[Oldtrader3]

Just me, I guess, but I really liked owning the Ouch & Ouch. It was like history in my hands to use it and shoot it. Easy to load for, accurate and relieable. The Ruger has received many fine endorsements from people who actually use one and, I'm sure is a fine cartridge.

If I was more mobile and younger, I would have kept my .375 H&H despite not really needing it, just for the provenance of it. To me, that is an important piece of the puzzle. I know that the longer action cost more to buy initially but you only do it once and I wish that I had kept my Model 70 Ouch & Ouch magnums, both H&H calibers which I had. Just my $.02.

 

[DrMike]

Charlie,

The H&H does feed smoothly. That is enough to make it a favourite of many people.

 

[Oldtrader3]

DrMike, It just struck me as "developed and thought through" by someone who knew hunting, guns and shooting, especially in a CRF, Uh-Oh situation! In other words, a up close and personal rifle, get it done rifle! Absolutely while hunting a big and potentially harmful to your health sort of animal in a charging and stomp you into a pulp sort of way.

 

[DrMike]

I believe you are correct. I enjoy working with many cartridges, pulling the trigger on those that I've not encountered previously. However, the rounds that most of us consider classics have more than merely ballistics going for them; they are efficient, feed well and accomplish what they were intended to accomplish. Certainly, the Hurt and Holler (regardless of calibre) was one such round.