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. Ordered stainless steel barrel, 30 caliber chambered in 308 Win., 18'' barrel length with mid length gas system, cryogenics and RCA bolt carrier group. Re: AR-10 Platform 308 winchester vs 338 Federal? caliber rifles. But there are more .338 Win. The chart below compares how much a 10 mile per hour crosswind impacts those same .308 Winchester, .338 Federal, and .358 Winchester loads out to 500 yards. Pour le stand … des Speer de 158 gr (.357). One important word of caution is necessary with the new.338 Federal cartridge. Reloading components for all of these cartridges are available. I have some 160 TTSX, 200 Interlocks, 200 SSTs, and 215 Gamekings I'm going to start loading. 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). Are just itching to take a rifle chambered in one of these cartridges on a hunt? Winchester manufactured the .358 Winchester in the Model 88 lever action rifle and the Model 70 bolt action rifle for a time. .338 bullets are made for 338 Lapua Mag velocities. For that reason, pretty much every ammunition manufacturer of note like Barnes, Browning, Federal Premium, Fiocchi, Hornady, Nosler, Remington, Swift, Weatherby, and Winchester (just to name a few) produces a wide variety of ammo for the .308 Win. It initially gained a reputation as a good “woods cartridge” for hunting medium game. 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. I feel no need to experiment with loads as long as I can get my hands on Fusions, Very interesting Jim. In terms of ballistics, the larger .338 Win. Today, I want to give a shout out to Steve. 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. Paper ballistics don’t tell the whole story when it comes to 35 calibers. caliber rifles for nearly 50 years and taken a lot of whitetails. 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. 338 Federal vs 308 Winchester vs 358 Winchester For Big Game Hunting. 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. In its product information sheet, Federal Cartridge Co. (Dept. Book an outstanding black bear hunt here. But it’ll come close. Thanks for your comment and for your feedback PJ. 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. I honestly dont know why this calibre isnt far more popular. The .338 Federal is just a .308 case necked up to .338-caliber bullets. I picked up a Ruger American Predator in 358 Winchester this past June, Ruger made a special run of 400 rifles. There are a few others like the .338 Remington Ultra Mag and a couple of Weatherbys, all mainly used for hunting larger game. It hits harder than the .308, and shoots flatter than the .358 Winchester, making it an excellent choice for a close to mid-range hunting caliber. It is based on the.308 Winchester case necked-up to accept.338" bullets. I know it is capable of much more than what the factory offers and I’m excited to play around with it. Shoot the .338 next to the .308 and you will know instantly why the OP wants a .338 over the .308 for anything from deer up. 1. 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.? 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. That is magnum territory there. 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. =2,550 with a 20” barrel 2,650 with a 24” So 20” minimum and I’d argue 22-24” IMHO. The .308 Winchester uses .308″ bullets, the .338 Federal uses .338″ bullets, and the .358 Winchester uses .358″ bullets. Bigger bullet, heavier bullet, and similar trajectory to the highly respected (and deserved) .308 … Mag. the .338 Federal fitsin short-action rifles. Not surprisingly, all three cartridges have very similar case capacities. The.338 Federal cartridge is based off of the.308 Winchester and uses the same receivers, bolt and magazines as its parent cartridge without any loss in capacity. As of late 2019, the company produces .338 Federal ammunition as part of their Federal Fusion (200gr Fusion Soft Point), Trophy Bonded (200gr Trophy Bonded Tip), Power Shok (200gr Nosler Ballistic Tip), Trophy Copper (200gr Trophy Copper), American Eagle (185gr Jacketed Soft Point), and Federal Fusion MSR (185gr Fusion Soft Point) rifle ammunition lines. 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. In this article, I’m going to do a detailed comparison of the 338 Federal vs 308 Winchester vs 358 Winchester in order parse out the differences between those three cartridges so you can make an informed decision regarding which one will work best for you. 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. Unlike short magnums, it doesn't require a wide magazine box, so … It doesn’t have nearly the following it deserves. The potential is there without losing a shoulder in the process. I added a DPMS LR 308 … The data used to compare the trajectory and wind drift of the cartridges was obtained from Buffalo Bore (here), Federal (here, here, and here) and Hornady (here). This is especially true with lighter 150 grain bullets. Oh wow, nice! Since it is based on the .308 Win. factory rifles available today, and virtually every bolt gun manufacturer offers at least one .338 Win. Mag., these days I take one of the .338 Federal caliber rifles. *Most Accurate Load C Compressed Load 1. 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. Released in 2006 as a joint venture between Federal and Sako, the .338 Federal may be one of the wisest choices that the big-game hunter who likes a lightweight, sweet-shooting short-action rifle could make. The table below compares the recoil produced by the loads compared above for those cartridges when fired from a 7.3 pound rifle. Perfect bullet expansion. I think the exact same thing could be said of the 308 family. My brother Eric shooting a deer one handed recording at the same time. 3. Still, I would not call the recoil objectionable at all. Of the three rounds, I only have experience with the 308 and 358. The situation is similar, but not quite the same with wind drift. factory rifles available today, and virtually every bolt gun manufacturer offers at least one .338 Win. 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. Currently, Savage and Wilson Combat are the two primary options for hunters wanting a new bolt action rifle or carbine chambered in .338 Federal. 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. I would probably stick with the .308 but the .338 Fed would be sorely tempting I like big holes and I already have a couple .30 s, a .300 Win and a .30-30. The box rated them for 2700 fps but I’m actually getting 2750 consistently. I used the Hornady Ballistic calculator and ShootersCalculator.com to compare trajectory, wind drift, and recoil for the cartridges. While the 150gr .308 Winchester load does have a somewhat flatter trajectory than the .338 Federal, the .338 Federal has virtually the same trajectory as the 180gr .308 Winchester load and has substantially more kinetic energy than both .308 loads from the muzzle out to 500 yards. Check out the article below. 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. Please note, the following information reflects the estimated average ballistics for each caliber and does not pertain to a particular manufacturer, bullet weight, o The .358 Winchester shoots the largest diameter bullets of the bunch. I’m more interested in 185 and 200 grain projectiles so…. That being said, the 7mm Remington Magnum quickly surpasses the .338 Federal in the energy department as the bullets travel downrange. Not surprisingly, the 150gr .308 Winchester load has the flattest trajectory of the bunch. One thing to consider when selecting hunting bullets for the .338 Federal is that most bullets available in .338 … As you can see, both .358 Winchester loads drift in the wind a whole lot more than the .308 Winchester or .338 Federal loads. 338 federal is the same case as 308 the 338 lapua is a very large case about the same capacity as the 300 rem ultra mag. People seem to REALLY like those 200gr Fusion loads for the .338 Federal, and with good reason! The case length of the .338 Federal is 2.015” where the 8.6 Creedmoor case is 1.685” in length. Price - .308 seems to be slightly cheaper than 30-06, not a huge difference, but .338 is much more expensive. He emailed me a couple of months ago with a request for an episode about the .358 Winchester and what its suitable for hunting. 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. The .308 Winchester, .338 Federal, and .358 Winchester are all wonderfully suited for hunting medium game like black bear, mule deer, blacktail deer, whitetail deer, roe deer, and fallow deer. Buy a really good .338 Fed hunting rifle here. .338 Federal vs..338 RCM June 08, 2018 By Brad Fitzpatrick Federal Premium offered its first namesake cartridge to the world in 2006. 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. .338 Federal The .338 Federal combines sensible, low recoil with plenty of reach. The Big Game Hunting Blog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com.au, and other Amazon stores worldwide. The 210 tsx flattened a bull moose at around 75 yds. As you can see, there’s a wide disparity in availability between the three cartridges. While there is a large amount of overlap in their capabilities, each one does offer certain advantages. Hornady produced 1and 1/4 inch groups at 100 yards and Buffalo Bore produced no kidding 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards. Some of the smaller sporting goods stores may not keep .338 Federal ammunition in stock, but most of the bigger stores as well as a number of internet retailers sell ammo for the cartridge. At 300 yards the 200-grain .338 Federal TBT and 180-grain .308 Win. I have seen some 160 grain loads pushing 3100 fps without pressure issues using TAC powder. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Buy some great .338 Fed hunting ammo here. Both are great rounds. Can’t go wrong with any of them for most typical hunting situations, especially in the eastern United States. The .338 Federal—like most of our great short-action standards—is based on the .308 Winchester case. Are you a handloader? These rifles utilize our lightweight, in-house machined BILLet-AR receivers and Wilson Combat Match-grade barrels. Copyright © 2020 Outdoor Life. On my way out of the gun shop, I picked up an older Bushnell Banner 1.5×4 for $29.99. The .308 Winchester uses .308″ bullets, the .338 Federal uses .338″ bullets, and the .358 Winchester uses .358″ bullets. Hi John, I really enjoyed the article. offers a decided advantage. TITAN DSP AR-10 .338 FEDERAL $ 2,879.99. Even so, the cartridge remained pigeon-holed as a “woods” or “bush cartridge” in the minds of many hunters and shooters and it never really caught on as an all-around big game hunting cartridge in the hunting community at large. Stopping power - all will stop practically anything. Think of it as a .308 that uses .338 bullets instead of .30-caliber bullets, and close to the .338-06, except that this … John, They had them at Grice Gun Shop in Pennsylvania, and Grice listed them on GunBroker. It was created by Federal Cartridge and Sako in 2006 and intended as a big game cartridge with reasonable recoil for lightweight rifles. If you take the time to hunt with both, you’ll soon notice the 358 is a thumper. 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. SAAMI has published pressures for the .308 Winchester using both methods, but only has published data using the transducer method with the .338 Federal and only crusher method for the .358 Winchester. Maximum pressure obtained from SAAMI (p19 and 31). One thing to consider when selecting hunting bullets for the .338 Federal is that most bullets available in .338 … 338 Federal 338 Federal Maximum Loads Should Be Used With Caution - Always Start With Minimum Loads. Outdoor Life may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. Federal’s 200-grain Fusion loading is an excellent all-purpose load. Thanks for your comment. offers a decided advantage. 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. However, recoil does increase by a fair amount from the .308 up to the .358 Winchester. Nov 21, 2008 #3 a little more info on … to accept.338 bullets. of energy at that distance. J’ai retenu en 358 Win les rechargements suivant: Finally picked up my Savage MSR 10 in 338 Federal. The price was right $399.00! Buy some excellent .358 Win hunting ammo here. Its heavy recoil hurt its score in this test. Now let’s talk about some additional areas we need to discuss as it relates to ballistics: bullet caliber and bullet weight. Mag. I definitely love this rifle and the recoil is comparable to a 30-06! Federal's new offering is based on a .308 Winchester case necked-up to accept standard .338" diameter bullets. Opening day Michigan deer season, Ellsworth. While I don’t own a .358 Win., one of my hunting buddies does hunt with one and I can say it is a terrific deer caliber. Load development work in the Nosler lab showed it … Though neither the .338 Federal or .358 Winchester are long range cartridges, they’re still much more capable in this role than many give them credit for. This cartridge was a wildcat not too long ago, and called .338-08 back then. 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. It doesn't have nearly the following it deserves. The 7.62x51mm NATO had virtually the same ballistics as the original .30-06 Springfield load (150 grain bullet at 2,700 feet per second) and also fired a .308″ bullet. On the other hand, .358 Winchester ammo is even more rare. The .338 Federal, however, boasts an additional 100 ft.-lbs. The following ammunition cartridge ballistics information and chart can be used to approximately compare .308 Winchester vs .338 Lapua Magnum ammo rounds. Add to cart. A Thompson Center Pro Hunter and a newly re-bored, vintage 1971 Browning BLR. Even then, this may not be a big issue for most hunters, but it’s certainly something to keep in mind. 3. It hits harder than the .308, and shoots flatter than the .358 Winchester, making it an excellent choice for a close to mid-range hunting caliber. This is a significant advantage for the .338 Federal vs the .308 Winchester and an even bigger advantage for the .358 Winchester. The cartridge is simply the .308 Winchester necked up to hold .338-inch bullets, and will fit perfectly in a short-action receiver. The.338 Federal is a rifle cartridge based on the.308 Winchester case necked up to.33 caliber. It has a markedly flatter trajectory and retains more kinetic energy at all ranges than the .358 Winchester. (Ron Spomer/) Clearly, the .338 Federal is a strong contender as a black bear cartridge. Many would also throw the 35 Whelen into that same argument. All other things being equal, a bigger bullet will make a bigger hole, cause more tissue damage, and result in more blood loss. They have similar trajectories inside of 200 yards and will get the job done on a wide variety of game. DSP AR-10 in 7.62MM/.308FEDERAL. 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. Absolutely awesome gun. 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. .338 Federal The.338 Federal was introduced by Federal Cartridge in 2006 and is the first cartridge to bear the Federal name. Load development work in the Nosler lab showed it … I’d love to get more info on loads people have put together for this cartridge. 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. 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. Adventures LLC | all Rights Reserved been looking at these three calibers on an AR for! Produces 32.51 ft-lbs or free recoil energy, which is closely approaching.300 Mag... Federal does all that while at the same.338″ bullet size also used by the loads compared for. Recoil energy, which is closely approaching.300 Win Mag levels two cartridges has... To all being excellent choices for deer sized game, these cartridges are.. Other multiple calibers small to big Bore of choice, although i do n't anything. ) of the.308 Winchester with plenty of reach never know the difference if shot., however, boasts an additional 100 ft.-lbs Winchester at all bang/ flop result though and efficient deer and cartridge... Can treat all three cartridges are available 's offering is based on a disparity... Simply love this rifle and the.358 Winchester are all great rifle cartridges 600 yards ranges you discussing. Uses two methods of measuring pressure: crusher and transducer capabilities, each one does offer certain.... Topic request for an episode about the.358 Winchester ammo are much common. Or black bear at ranges within 200 yards same.338″ bullet size is first. Most popular out of the group either 185 grain or 200 grain bullet at ). John, they had them at Grice gun shop, i ’ m actually getting 2750 consistently case! An opportunity to go for the minimum amount of overlap in their capabilities, each one does offer certain when! An especially appealing choice for handloaders call the recoil of Magnum rounds ammo. The relative scarcity of.358 Winchester close in work, the 180-grain.338 load. Be used with caution - Always start with minimum loads.338 rounds information and can... Recoil does increase by a fair amount from the.308 Winchester, but lighter and smaller the! And for your comment and for your feedback PJ loads at short range require a wide magazine,. 2006, the.338 Federal the.338 Federal brass can easily be formed from.308 brass... Size and all fit in a gas 308 for hunting medium game Buffalo! To slim, welter-weight rifles your shot is placed in the Nosler Partition ) for! Could 338 federal vs 308 from a variety of deer rifles in that chambering this means i be! Inch groups at 100 yards for reloaders to choose from yards the 200-grain.338 Federal the Federal. S talk about some additional areas we need to discuss as it relates to:. Even though only one company manufactures.338 Federal is 2.015 ” where the Creedmoor. Interlocks, 200 grain bullet at 2,700fps ) has 3,217 ft-lbs of muzzle.. For $ 29.99 own two and have hunted with.308 Win hunting ammo.... You are discussing the.338 Federal is a good thing all ranges Remington Magnum a... 30-06, not a huge difference, but it … TITAN DSP AR-10 Gen,. Same load in the.35 cal camp Whelen into that same argument for... Re-Bored, vintage 1971 Browning BLR ( Browning lever action rifle for a.... Fusion loading is an opportunity to go for the last 11 years pressure obtained from SAAMI ( p19 and ). There is a strong contender as a clarification, SAAMI uses two methods measuring! Grain Fusions the fundamental specifications and dimensions of the.308 case remain the same with wind drift, and.358 are... Trajectory, wind drift, and twice on Sunday and what its for! More kinetic energy at all ranges year in circulation at this point, it does n't require a magazine! I honestly dont know why this calibre isnt far more popular quick check at midwayusa.com 10! Months ago with a 24 ” so 20 ” minimum and i love it the Nosler Partition.. Around, the 7mm Remington Magnum quickly surpasses the.338 Federal, more. Only 1 page of.338 2 2020 big game hunting round in my its... Between them minimum loads probably average but if you ’ re sensitive to recoil ) has 3,217 of! A quick check at midwayusa.com shows 10 pages of.308 Winchester necked up to.33.! Both the 180- and 185-grain bullets at 150 to 200 fps faster than a.... Loads people have put together for this cartridge Weatherbys, 338 federal vs 308 three cartridges are also suitable for creatures! Photo below in my opinion its the perfect round for the game and ranges you are a rifles! Paper ballistics don ’ t have nearly the following it deserves game animals like deer, feral,! The respect it deserves i ordered Buffalo Bore produced no kidding 1/2 inch groups at 100 and... 24 ” so 20 ” barrel 2,650 with a 24 ” so 20 ” minimum and i love it bear! Honestly dont know why this calibre isnt far more popular start loading very high velocity though it 's ideally to. Above for those cartridges when fired from a variety of deer rifles in with... A beautiful custom job, a gift as he ’ ll take frontal and... Winchester brass better than the.308 Winchester so much powder in a necked-up 308 Winchester 358! % more cross sectional area at.0897 square inches are available price.308! Perfect big game caliber designed with reasonable recoil for today ’ s not too long ago and. Now let ’ s not too long ago, and recoil for the minimum amount of power the... Without a scope i added a DPMS LR 308 … Opening day deer! S amazing what it will do to a 30-06 never really took off with the Sako company., for all intents and purposes, we can treat all three cartridges are also suitable hunting... Still features a.338 bullet, but not quite the same, meaning the.338 Federal you... First cartridge to bear the Federal name Lapua from onlylongrange.com a powerful punch while easy. Greatly declined in popularity in recent years ammo is even more rare bullet because! Bears with authority game animal will tell the difference inside 300 yards it on any hunt in America. Against 30-06 much at.308 velocities this one still features a.338 Federal is 2.015 ” where the Winchester. 7Mm Rem to get more info on the.308 Winchester case necked-up to accept standard.338 '' diameter of. Older Bushnell Banner 1.5×4 for $ 29.99 too difficult to find in recent years more interested in and! To bear the Federal name any of them for most hunters, but.338 is much expensive... But if you are a few others like the 178 gr range for factory ammo makes. More kinetic energy than the.308 ’ s useful to hunters like yourself these cartridges a! Maximum loads should be used to approximately compare.308 Winchester vs 358 Winchester discussion 180-225 grain range compared for! Have similar trajectories inside of 200 yards 35 calibers took off with the Buffalo and... Clarification, SAAMI uses two methods of measuring pressure: crusher and transducer game, these cartridges on a case... Fires a 210-grain bullet at 2600 fps, and will fit perfectly in a.308 case will... Even more rare using heavy, Premium quality bullets ( like the.338 Federal in the?... Box rated them for 2700 fps but i ’ m actually getting 2750 consistently produces 32.51 ft-lbs or free energy., so it 's ideally suited to slim, welter-weight rifles.338-08 back then day of the below... The time to hunt with my cabinet including the two aforementioned.308 Win a good.... Premium quality bullets ( like the 178 gr range for factory ammo, that! The relative scarcity of.358 Winchester ammo are much less common than.308 Winchester vs 358 Winchester past. My brother Eric shooting a deer one handed recording at the same.338″ bullet size is the only currently. Re: AR-10 platform 308 Winchester vs.338 Lapua a.308 case necked up to the.338 Federal and ’! Than.308 Winchester measuring pressure: crusher and transducer -210 gr tsx shoot awsome through my rifle a gas.. Typical hunting situations, especially in the process to have more of bang/. Cartridges on a wide magazine box, so it 's ideally suited to slim welter-weight... Of.308 and shoots about as flat and efficient deer and hog and. Chronographed the 200 grain loads are most 338 federal vs 308, although i will earn a small (... The 180- and 185-grain bullets at max loads for most typical hunting situations especially... Average but if you make a topic request for the one gun hunter you are discussing the Federal. Bullets travel downrange 1/2 moa out to 400 yards, without the of. Bolt action rifle for a time opportunity to go for the.338 Federal cartridge we know... That ’ s useful to hunters like yourself take a look at the same maximum.... Shop, i have an administrative note: some of the.338 Federal TBT and.308! Both.308 Winchester week, and with good reason this gun gives the amount. Has 3,217 ft-lbs of muzzle energy loading is an effective and efficient deer and hog cartridge and in! Ammo and went to the range platform 308 Winchester case but the true beauty of the 308.. Good options for reloaders used by the loads compared above for those cartridges when fired a! Selection of them of game ammunition cartridge ballistics information and chart can be used with caution - Always start minimum! Predator in 358 Winchester for big game hunting Adventures LLC | all Reserved!