Anyone here been using this rifle/cartridge yet? Among those who have actually shot one, whadda ya think? Where are you getting your ammo or components?

Have one. Going to take it Elk hunting later this month. Bought 10 boxes ammo when I got the gun and found about 200 once fired cases also. Have shot cast, leverevolution bullets and the old 33 win Hornady bullets thru it.
The 33win bullets group just a bit tighter than the leverevolution bullts. Always seems to be 1 flyer that ruins a very good group, so can only call it a 1.5"@100yds gun

Think the cartridge would have made a better 7mm gun. I will chamber a barrel to that one of these days.

Albert:

Do yourself a favor and go for a .338 RCM with a 20 inch barrel. Light and handy like the lever but more power. Very efficient and easy to load for. They are very sweet. If you want a lever, get a BLM in 325 WSM.

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bush:
Albert:

Do yourself a favor and go for a .338 RCM with a 20 inch barrel. Light and handy like the lever but more power. Very efficient and easy to load for. They are very sweet. If you want a lever, get a BLM in 325 WSM.

What is a "BLM" ...is that a typo intended to mean a BLR?


I bought what I was looking for, a Marlin in .338 Marlin XLR, thnks to one of the other members here (Silver Buzzard) who spotted one at a Gander Mountain store in Indiana in like new condition for under $450. I also got 20 rounds of Hornady Leverevolution 200 grain ammo for it, a set of dies, and 150 rounds of new unfired Hornady brass. The rifle and ammo arrived here yesterday, and the rifle appears to have never, ever, been fired (though it has been previously owned.) There are no marks, rubs, or scratches on it anywhere that I can find and the bore and action are flat mint.

I wanted a Marlin with the same muzzle ballistics as the .348 Winchester....basically, a 200 gr. bullet at approx 2,500 fps. That's what a .348 produces with factory ammo, and so does the Marlin.

I didn't want a magnum in my lever gun assortment. I just think it is too bad Marlin doesn't also chamber for the .338 Federal. If they did, I'd buy one of those too.

My current lever guns, if can remember them all off the top of my head, include a 25-35, .30-30, .303 Savage, .32-40, .32 Special, .338 Marlin, 35. Remington, .356 Win, .358 Win., .375 Win, .38-55 Win, .444 Marlin, and .45-70. I know I have left some out because they have slipped my mind.

Anyway for what I want to use them for, the ones I have right now suit me pretty darned well.

A great big THANK YOU to Silver Buzzard. I owe you, Sir!!

The cutting edge bullet ESP Raptor will work in the lever guns and be accurate and the deadliest. They will be sold through their website next month. They come in 2 weights. http://site.cuttingedgebullets.com/pages/news

AC,

I'm taking my 338 Fed opening day. I've loaded mine to a rather mild 2500 FPS with 200 Hot Cor. It's highly likely I'll see a big hog opening morning. I might not be able to resist hammering it. Congrats on the 338 Marlin Express.

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bush:
Albert:

Do yourself a favor and go for a .338 RCM with a 20 inch barrel. Light and handy like the lever but more power. Very efficient and easy to load for. They are very sweet. If you want a lever, get a BLM in 325 WSM.

Dave,

Ruger 338 RCM is nice. There is a used one at Cabelas that I fondle every time I go. Nice handy rifle. If I didn't already have the 338 Fed, I would have bought it. I have a CZ 550 Full Stock in 9.3x62 so I figure if the 338 Fed is borderline for something, I'll just use it.

quote:

Originally posted by scottfromdallas:
AC,

I'm taking my 338 Fed opening day. I've loaded mine to a rather mild 2500 FPS with 200 Hot Cor. It's highly likely I'll see a big hog opening morning. I might not be able to resist hammering it. Congrats on the 338 Marlin Express.

Thanks, Scott. I really appreciate your good wishes. I don't know anything about hunting in Texas. Is "opening day" there for deer too, or just for hogs? I would think your .338 Federal would be just the ticket for either or both.

For a nice, handy, plenty of poop but not tear-em-up hell-for-leather, it sems to me the modern moderate .338s would make a pretty darned good replacement for the .30-30 as an all-around brush gun. Anyway, that's what I intend to try the .338 Marlin out for...

Lots of fun and success on your upcoming season opener!

AC,

You can kill hogs year round. Opening day for deer is the 1st weekend in November. I'm just staying off the property until opening day.

quote:

Originally posted by scottfromdallas:
AC,

You can kill hogs year round. Opening day for deer is the 1st weekend in November. I'm just staying off the property until opening day.

Year around pigs sounds pretty handy. Suspect if I lived there I'd have to buy stock in a beer company to keep the luau friends satisfied.

Anyway, sounds nice to me. Good luck with the pigs AND deer. I know my toes would be itchin' in anticipation already.

quote:

Originally posted by Rockrat:
Have one. Going to take it Elk hunting later this month. Bought 10 boxes ammo when I got the gun and found about 200 once fired cases also. Have shot cast, leverevolution bullets and the old 33 win Hornady bullets thru it.
The 33win bullets group just a bit tighter than the leverevolution bullts. Always seems to be 1 flyer that ruins a very good group, so can only call it a 1.5"@100yds gun

Think the cartridge would have made a better 7mm gun. I will chamber a barrel to that one of these days.

Thanks for the insight on the old FP Hornandy bullets. I believe I still have two or three boxes of those laying around here somewhere. Might be able to come up with them when I am putting stuff away in the new shop cabinets over the next week or so.

Do you get the flyers just with the Hornady LeveRevolution ammo, or with both it and the older Hornadys? Do you have a preferred powder choice yet?

Groups with the FP bullets were maybe 1/4" larger, but the flyers were with the Leverrevolution bullets, even loading one at a time.

I use a powder (DP74)that is supposedly 1-2% slower than AA2520. It is an Accurate powder, so maybe a lot that was a bit slower, enought to not be packaged as AA2520

Thanks again. I use a lot of AA powders, so will have to try some of my 2520 first. Am glad to hear it was the LeverRevolution that had the flyers...I have found my last three boxes if 200 gr. FP .338 Hornadys, so will try them with the AA 2520 and my favourite primers...for lever guns that would be WLRs.

Thanks again, RockRat