338 Federal

[yukonal]

I put one together last year, and finally got all the bugs worked out, and some pretty good time behind it. I have it shooting sub moa at 300, consistently.

After thinking about this caliber for years, I'm glad I put one together. Components are one of my custom Tikka actions (pillar bedded), factory Tikka Varmint stock, Kreiger barrel with a Vais brake. 185 TTSX, H322, Fed 210, and Lapua .308 brass necked up. I had a reamer built to my specs.

This rifle is a pussycat to shoot...I stay on target thru the shots with a firm hold. It's too bad this caliber never took off, as it is the only caliber (to my knowledge) that Federal ever put their name on. Easy to load, economical, components available...and has plenty of snort to kill anything in North America.

Anyone else shooting a 338 Fed bolt gun? Care to share your experiences?

 

[Kalitrazescapee]

.327 fed

 

[Edd]

Are you sharing your reamer specs?

 

[Loudenboomer]

Always thought the 210 Nosler Partition would be a great hunting bullet for the .338 federal. Have you tried it?

 

[yukonal]

.327 fed

I stand corrected.

 

[yukonal]

Always thought the 210 Nosler Partition would be a great hunting bullet for the .338 federal. Have you tried it?

After 200 of them, I came to the conclusion...I can't get them to shoot. I have a couple hundred left if you need some.

 

[yukonal]

Are you sharing your reamer specs?

To a serious, potential buyer, of course.

 

[Edd]

To a serious, potential buyer, of course.

I need a 338 Federal reamer. I doubt I would buy yours because the chance of it being exactly what I'm wanting is slim, but you never know.

If yours is for sale, put in in the "for sale" section with a price, a print, and some close up pictures of the flutes.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Interesting timing. 338 federal is probably the next rifle I will build for myself. Seems like the perfect woods gun to me. Probably base it around 180s

 

[Edd]

Interesting timing. 338 federal is probably the next rifle I will build for myself. Seems like the perfect woods gun to me. Probably base it around 180s

Do you already have your reamer?

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I have not ordered it yet. Still in thinking mode lol.

 

[Edd]

I have not ordered it yet. Still in thinking mode lol.

Is a tapered throat like the SAAMI 338 Federal has less accurate that a throat with a parallel free bore?

 

[Riesel]

I have not ordered it yet. Still in thinking mode lol.

Just for grins, if you're having the reamer made, I think an Ackley Improved would be awesome (cat's meow)

 

[Zero333]

185 TTSX - MAX LOADS

48.5 gr H-335
46.0 gr Benchmark
47 gr RL-12
43.3 RL-10
49 gr A-2520
49 gr A-2460
43.5 gr A-2200
45.5 gr H-322
43 gr Norma-200
49 gr X-terminator
51gr Norma TAC
51 gr Norma WildBoar
40.5 gr Vihtavuiro N-120
43.5 gr Viht. N-130
47 gr Viht N-530
50 gr Win-748
=============================

The 185 TTSX just plain works on deer and moose and elk.

 

[Zero333]

Took me a while to look through my notes and I found 42.5 gr H-322 with 185 TTSX was a great load.
Standard 2.820" COAL 24" bbl. My notes show 2,714 fps in the summer and 2,688 in the winter and no point of impact change at 100 meters regardless of outside temp.
I necked up 308win Winchester brass, and didn't even turn the necks. It just worked.
It's one of the few rifles I've owned I wish I never traded. (I think it's the only rifle I've ever traded/sold in my life).
Now I'm considering a .358win (9.1x51mm) as scarce as they are.

 

[Kevin Taylor]

Took me a while …..
Now I'm considering a .358win (9.1x51mm) as scarce as they are.

I have always been surprised that 358 Win is not more popular. It is a short action 35 Whelan, it should be a hit!

 

[dk17hmr]

I have one in a 16" gas gun. I very much like the round and wouldn't mind having one in a suppressed bolt action. My gas gun seems slow but shoots well with 185gr soft points at just under 2500fps.

Midway had 185gr bonded soft points a couple years ago for like $17/100. I picked up 1000 at the time. With wolf primer, wc844, and necked up military 308 brass it's one of my cheaper center fire rifles to shoot.

 

[effendude]

Al,
You need to suppress that rifle and enjoy it more!

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Is a tapered throat like the SAAMI 338 Federal has less accurate that a throat with a parallel free bore?

A tapered throat in most cases is just a zero freebore with a larger diameter. I dont see the starting diameter as a problem. The angle is usually a little different too. Without testing, you cant say. The original 284 win angle works really well but so often we dont test things. In this case I would not have an opinion. Myself, I would most likely pick a bullet and make dummy. Send it to JGS and have it measured with a 1.5 degree lead angle and a .339 diameter. Since this is not a competition cartridge, thats where it would end for me.

 

[yukonal]

Myself, I would most likely pick a bullet and make dummy. Send it to JGS and have it measured with a 1.5 degree lead angle and a .339 diameter. Since this is not a competition cartridge, thats where it would end for me.

And that is exactly what I did. JGS was wonderful to work with. We tweeked their prints twice, and came up with exactly what I wanted.