Kimber 338 Federal

[SJB358]

I picked up a Kimber 338 Federal back in the winter, but I got some dies and a bunch of Sig brass, used the expander mandrels and necked up 50 pieces. Decided to try it out with a few bullets I had on hand. JD sent me some 200 BT's which I was hoping were going to be the stars of the show.

I put an older Zeiss 2-8 on the rifle and it seems to fit the rifle rifle.



Anyhow, I loaded up some test rounds with the 185 TTSX, 200 Ballistic Tips and 200 Speer SP's.. I used 8208XBR across the board.

So, I pulled the bolt to bore sight it, got it what I felt was close and used the 200 grain Speers for getting it on paper.



I was in wow actually, the bore sight hit the paper, and the first 3 shot group with 46 grains of 8208 should have been the end of my shooting session, but I hate pulling bullets..

200 BT's





Something wasn't clicking with them.

185 TTSX





I had one more charge increment of 8208 for the Speers..



So overall, I think I am going to go back and monkey around a bit with seating depth and see if I can't get all 5 to play well.

Also, I thought I could sneak a range trip in with the trigger the way it was, around 3 3/4lbs. Well, light rifles and heavier triggers aren't real hot for me. I have to concentrate too much and it's just not much fun. I'll pull the stock and get that trigger lightened some and I think I'll have something.

Should be ready for deer season shortly though. It is a handy rifle though. Never used that 200 grain Speer, so if you all have any experience, let me know. I am thinking they will be good though.

 

[DrMike]

I think you're onto something by playing with seating depth.

I do like the 338 Federal. Mine is a Winchester Featherweight. It has done real well with 200 grain Trophy Copper acquired from some years back. It has harvested at least one moose.

 

[Blkram]

I have a bunch of the Speer 200 gr bullets...looks like I need to find some 8208 to try that load in my Sako.
What kind of velocity did you get?

 

[RL338]

Those 200gr Speers show a promising start.

 

[D21ALASKA]

That first 200gr Speer load looks ready to rock to me. Should be a hammer on deer for you.

 

[JD338]

Scotty,
Nice looking rig right there. It would make for one heck of a woods rifle for deer and elk in the black timber. That 200 gr Speer with 46.0 grs 8208 is ready to hunt.
Nice work.

JD338

 

[NYDAN]

Scotty, you are making my itch to buy a 338 Federal worse. Looks like a great rig.

 

[Teknys]

I have 3 different bullets for my 338F. One of them is the 200gn Speer, 200gn BT and 210gn PT. In my last 338F the Speer grouped the best. I now have Sav 16. Need to start over again. I'm hoping the PT will group.
The Kimber by far is a better looking firearm. I have that 16 in a Hogue stock. Functional - yes...but that's all.
The 338F of mine has taken a handful of whitetail and a couple of elk.

 

[Thebear_78]

I picked up a Kimber 338 Federal back in the winter, but I got some dies and a bunch of Sig brass, used the expander mandrels and necked up 50 pieces. Decided to try it out with a few bullets I had on hand. JD sent me some 200 BT's which I was hoping were going to be the stars of the show.

I put an older Zeiss 2-8 on the rifle and it seems to fit the rifle rifle.



Anyhow, I loaded up some test rounds with the 185 TTSX, 200 Ballistic Tips and 200 Speer SP's.. I used 8208XBR across the board.

So, I pulled the bolt to bore sight it, got it what I felt was close and used the 200 grain Speers for getting it on paper.



I was in wow actually, the bore sight hit the paper, and the first 3 shot group with 46 grains of 8208 should have been the end of my shooting session, but I hate pulling bullets..

200 BT's





Something wasn't clicking with them.

185 TTSX





I had one more charge increment of 8208 for the Speers..



So overall, I think I am going to go back and monkey around a bit with seating depth and see if I can't get all 5 to play well.

Also, I thought I could sneak a range trip in with the trigger the way it was, around 3 3/4lbs. Well, light rifles and heavier triggers aren't real hot for me. I have to concentrate too much and it's just not much fun. I'll pull the stock and get that trigger lightened some and I think I'll have something.

Should be ready for deer season shortly though. It is a handy rifle though. Never used that 200 grain Speer, so if you all have any experience, let me know. I am thinking they will be good though.

Midways has those 200gr hot core on sale $15 a box. If I were you I’d stock up that will make an outstanding bullet in your 338 fed

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

The .338 Federal is one cartridge I would love to buy and try but always end up talking myself out of it. “What realistically can it do for you that the much easier to find components for .308 (or .30-06 etc.) won’t do just as well” I ask myself.

That said, if I can find a good deal on a nice used rifle thusly chambered, I probably will give it a whirl.

I always thought it made a lot of sense in rifles like the Savage 99 or Win 70 carbine.

 

[truck driver]

Looking good Scotty and I like the wood on it.
While you have the action out of the wood, I would check the bedding if you hadn't already done it.

 

[Blkram]

The .338 Federal is one cartridge I would love to buy and try but always end up talking myself out of it. “What realistically can it do for you that the much easier to find components for .308 (or .30-06 etc.) won’t do just as well” I ask myself.

That said, if I can find a good deal on a nice used rifle thusly chambered, I probably will give it a whirl.

I always thought it made a lot of sense in rifles like the Savage 99 or Win 70 carbine.

There are definitely advantages that the 30 cal has over the 33 cal...mostly with available ammo and components. But there are others.
And while the 308 is a very versatile cartridge known for its accuracy and on-game performance across a wide variety of big game animals. If a person is typically hunting larger big game animals, there are advantages that the 338 Federal will provide the hunter that the 308 doesn't deliver in the same measure (pun intended ).

This comes from the additional frontal area of the larger diameter bullet imparting more smack on the animal upon contact than a smaller diameter bullet can deliver. (Those hunters that have been shooting the 358 Win have noticed even more of this effect on game when compared to the 308.)

While I am a 358 Win fan (now having 2 rifles chambered to this great cartridge (a pre-81 BLR and a LH Rem 700) and having successfully used it for 20 years, I admit to being a bigger fan of the 338 caliber. I now have 2, 338 Federal rifles (a rebarreled Win Model 88 and a LH Sako 85) and a 338-06 rifle (LH Rem 700). I have also owned a couple fo 338 Win Mags over the years. Over the years I have taken 4 animals with the 358 Win, but have carried the BLR a lot for guiding, backing up other hunters, trailing wounded game in the thick brush, on horseback and atv, as back up for archery hunting, and as a handy camp rifle.
I have also taken 4 animals with the 338 Federal.

Then there is the advantage that the larger bore size provides with the 308 based case; additional velocity gained when using similar weighted bullets. When comparing the velocities of various calibers of the 308 and 338 with 180 gr bullets, the 308 will push the 180 to 2614 fps with 44 gr of W748, whereas the 338 Federal will push the 180 to 2676 fps with 49 gr of W748 (for an apples to apples comparison; although the 308 is more efficient if this is more important to you -we all have our own priorities). Max velocity for the 308 in Nosler's 9 Reloading Manual show 2620 fps w/ W760, whereas max for the 338 Federal is 2734 w/ TAC.

If you compare the 30-06 case, you will also see the same increase in velocity with the 338-06. Max velocity with a 180 gr bullet in the 30-06 is 2819 fps, whereas the 338-06 will push the 180 gr bullet to 2974 fps.

And then there is the energy that this caliber delivers on game. It is reported that the 338 Federal delivers more energy than the 7mm Rem Mag will on game at the typical distances that the 338 will be used. With less powder burned and less recoil (approx 23 ft lbs in both my rifles). Obviously once we get beyond 300 yards, the higher BCs of the smaller diameter bullets will retain better energy, and with the higher SDs get better penetration. But since most animals are typically taken at less than 200 yards, for most hunters, this will not be an issue.

The 338 Federal delivers over 2000 ft lbs of energy @ 200 yards with all bullets weights (180-210 gr) chronied from both of my rifles which have a 22" and 20" barrels. This means that here in BC, one could legally use the 338 Federal on bison out past 200 yards. With 215 or 225 gr bullets one can easily extend that to 300 yards. And the game taken with both of my rifles have produced complete penetration and quick clean kills on caribou, moose and stone's sheep at distances ranging from 80 (young bull moose w/ 200 gr Uni-Cor) to 158 yards (caribou w/ 210 gr Partition), with the largest animal weighing approx 550 pounds on the hoof. No animal went more than a few yards from where hit before expiring. Only the moose did not expire on the spot, as it tipped over and fell down the bank to where a large willow stopped its descent down the mountain side less than 20' from where it was hit.
As an aging hunter, this is a desired trait in the performance of a cartridge for hunting bigger game!

Try one! I think you'll like it!

 

[SJB358]

Midways has those 200gr hot core on sale $15 a box. If I were you I’d stock up that will make an outstanding bullet in your 338 fed

I may need to grab some of them. Thank you!

 

[Greg Nolan]

I may need to grab some of them. Thank you!

I had a kimber 338 fed about 5 years ago and the speer 200 gn hot core was the only thing it would group well with. I shot nice mule deer buck and was happy with the results at about 75 yards.

 

[SJB358]

The Speer worked well. In at the neck, out mid ribs. Couldn’t ask for better.

 

[JD338]

Beautiful buck and rifle Scotty. Those Speer hot cores are a great bullet at normal speeds. Text book performance.
Congratulations on a dandy.

JD338

 

[D21ALASKA]

Very excellent. I really love the hot cors personally. I've taken to working a load with them in most of my rifles. An inexpensive and accurate bullet that I can practice with all off season and not worry about if I don't get re-zeroed with the "premiums" for a hunt on a whim. Just grab and go shoot stuff.
The 338 Federal has also been on my list for a couple years at this point. Pretty sure I'm going to have my smith put one together on a donor 700 action I have from a late 2000s .243 that I could never get to shoot worth sh$%. I'm thinking a 20" barrel with a can would be a a fun and effective 200 and in rifle.

 

[gerry]

The Speer worked well. In at the neck, out mid ribs. Couldn’t ask for better.

Congratulations, looks like a nice fat buck! Great way to break in the 338 Federal.

 

[gerry]

Very excellent. I really love the hot cors personally. I've taken to working a load with them in most of my rifles. An inexpensive and accurate bullet that I can practice with all off season and not worry about if I don't get re-zeroed with the "premiums" for a hunt on a whim. Just grab and go shoot stuff.
The 338 Federal has also been on my list for a couple years at this point. Pretty sure I'm going to have my smith put one together on a donor 700 action I have from a late 2000s .243 that I could never get to shoot worth sh$%. I'm thinking a 20" barrel with a can would be a a fun and effective 200 and in rifle.

Tikka made them at one point so maybe you could find one. I'm sure some of those made it up to Alaska. Might be a good way like you said to take care of that 243 that never shot well. I wonder if a rebore might work for that one?

 

[DrMike]

You did the 338 Federal justice with that buck, Scotty. I was toting my 338 Federal last evening when a good whitetail buck came in. Unfortunately, I lost him in the gathering darkness, so he walked. Later, I hope to see him again.