Anyone here played around with the cartridge any?
http://hunting.about.com/od/deerbiggame ... ederal.htm
http://hunting.about.com/od/deerbiggame ... ederal.htm
Federal .338 Cartridge?
- Thread starter Sharpsman
- Start date
- Nov 4, 2004
- 25,196
- 8,476
It should be a good medium range thumper.
There are a lot of bullets to choose from.
JD338
There are a lot of bullets to choose from.
JD338
Big Squeeze
Handloader
- May 29, 2007
- 828
- 0
I happen to reload this cartridge for a friend of mine. If you are looking for an excellent short to medium range stopper, this is one of the best!........My friend`s rifle, a compact Ruger Frontier chambered in the 338 Federal, has been used successfully from wild pigs and deer sized game up to and including a black bear and even a moose!.....You will also see on the Outdoor Channel, the 338 Federal used in Africa successfully on all sizes of plains game by actor Tim Abell or Ebell. I have watched several of those shows!...........As a compact 300 WSM owner myself, if you do choose the 338 Fed. cartridge to add to your arsenal, my advice is to get a more compact rifle. They are absolutely ideal in the field!
I like 338 calibers. And I bet this would be a nice package with a 210 Partition bullet. But I do wished they would have done this round on a slightly improved version of the 308 Win case. Such as a shaper shoulder angle such as 28 - 30 degrees instead of the stock 20 degree 308 Win shoulder. I would sure like to see what a good accurate load with a 210 Partition would chronograph at out of the 22" barrel of the new Ruger 77 Hawkeye myself.
Big Squeeze
Handloader
- May 29, 2007
- 828
- 0
JungleJim.................I may just have a very close answer for you!! The 210 gr. Partitions, which I have reloaded for my friend, chronographs at an average of 2482 fps. from his 16.5" barreled stainless Ruger Frontier! Add about 4% in velocity for a 22" barrel. The estimated increased velocity from a 22" barrel would then be about another 100 fps., or a total estimated velocity of about 2582 fps.....That load is 45 gr. IMR4350 w/210 gr. Nosler Partition which also happened to be his moose load.......
onlybrowning
Beginner
- Sep 16, 2007
- 167
- 0
I reload this cartridge for a friend as well. The load he uses for deer hunting here in the Adirondacks is: A 200 grain CT Ballistic Silvertip, factory Remington .308 brass resized, 47.0 grains (over max slightly) of H-4895, and a Federal 210M primer. He killed two smaller (130, 140) bucks with it this year. All shots were good placement, and performance was nothing short of excellent. He was very pleased, and had been very skeptical and reluctant to replace his .30-06 that he used with 165 grain Ballistic Tips. The load is used in a new Ruger M77 Hawkeye, stainless and synthetic.
onlybrowning: Your charge of 47.0 grains is not over max. Hodgdon lists 47.0 for a max and I have loaded that behind a 200 grain AB. Based on expansion just ahead of the web, the pressure is the same as the factory 210 PT load.
For those interested in the performance in a 22" barrel, here is what I get out of my 22.5 inch Sako:
Factory 180 AB 2692 FPS, 22 SD
Factory 210 PT 2518 FPS, 15 SD
47.0 gr H4895 200 AB 2630 FPS, 5 SD (Federal case, 210M primer, 2.90 OAL)
The factory velocities are quite a bit lower than advertised, but right in line with what others are reporting, and right on for what Hodgdon and Ken Waters show in their reloading data for the respective bullet weights.
Ed
For those interested in the performance in a 22" barrel, here is what I get out of my 22.5 inch Sako:
Factory 180 AB 2692 FPS, 22 SD
Factory 210 PT 2518 FPS, 15 SD
47.0 gr H4895 200 AB 2630 FPS, 5 SD (Federal case, 210M primer, 2.90 OAL)
The factory velocities are quite a bit lower than advertised, but right in line with what others are reporting, and right on for what Hodgdon and Ken Waters show in their reloading data for the respective bullet weights.
Ed
nomosendero
Handloader
- Apr 13, 2006
- 536
- 1
It would be interesting in the short action BLR with a 20" tube. I hope Browning isn't doing this!
- Thread starter
- #9
onlybrowning
Beginner
- Sep 16, 2007
- 167
- 0
The only reason I bought my Browning A Bolt in a .325 WSM, was because I couldn't get it in a .338 Federal from the factory. I still hope they make it, cause I will be forced to buy one.
