Well howdy folks! Yes this is another which one do I pick because I really don't know which one I really want (need???) post
This will be used for antelope up to moose. So shooting distances will vary from 50 to perhaps 500 yards (250 or less for moose).
The .338 Winchester Magnum is an outstanding cartridge/caliber but I am not much interested in it or at least not yet.
So help a guy out. .338 Federal or the .338-06.
Thanks folks!

338-06 by far. You can shot heavier bullets and it has a little more to it.

.338 Federal in an AR platform
338.06 in a bolt gun.

For want you want to do out to 500 I wouldn't use either of them. I would go with something that gives me more vel. A 300 mag with heavey for cal bullets a 338 mag ect.

I think either would be a stretch trying to dope out the drop out to 500yds.

Niether is going to a good "long range" cartridge, especially the 338 Federal. Perhaps 300yds, but 500?

That 338 Federal is not even the equal to CIP loaded 8x57IS, & if the 8X57 where loaded to the (I suspect) elevated pressure levels of the (modern)338 Federal cartridge, I think it would leave the later in the dust.

338-06 is your answer.Make sure your barrel is 24" and you shouldn't have any problems. 500 yds is a stretch with most rifles but with 185 TTSX at 3000 or 160 TTSX at 3200 you could do it for deer and pronghorn.

The most you will get out of the Federal is about 2650 using 200 grain bullets. That pretty much handle things inside 300 yards. If your shooting out to 500, you need a magnum IMO.

quote:

Originally posted by Rob1SG:
338-06 is your answer.Make sure your barrel is 24" and you shouldn't have any problems. 500 yds is a stretch with most rifles but with 185 TTSX at 3000 or 160 TTSX at 3200 you could do it for deer and pronghorn.

+1

Some of it depends on what style of rifle you want. I have seen the .338 Fed take a springbuck at 505 yrds. Not a shot I would recommend, but it worked. It was a 185 gr. federal power shock load. The rifle was a Kimber mountain rifle, 22 inch barrel. If a heavier hunting rifle is what you want, then the .338-06 is the answer, with at least a 24" barrel. Both will do what you want but neather cartridge is a long range gun. I would look more toward a .300 WM or a 7mm Rem mag to fill your needs, Both will drop a Moose at 200 yards and have no problem with an Antelope at 600 yards. Of course, this all depends on the one pulling the trgger. You do your part and they will do theirs......Tom

Folks I really appreciate your thoughts and replies. They all have been helpful!
For what it's worth I have had fine magnum rifles (Savage 112 BVSS in .300 Winchester Magnum and a beautifully sporterized Remington manufactured U.S. M1917 in 7mm Remington Magnum) and have used some others so I do know and understand a little about the capabilities of some of the magnum calibers.
But I suppose I am just looking for something that I have not owned or hunted with yet that fills the requirements to make a good kill within its and my limits in the .338 caliber minus the .338 Winchester Magnum. I am not against the .338 Winchester Magnum, I mean what is there to that round to not love. I just don't want one now (yet???). And I reckon the .338-06 will be it.
It will be a bolt gun and a heavy gun at that. I like heavy rifles.
Thanks again all.

Forget about the 338 federal. Go with the 338-06 or 338 mag, and don't look back.

GWB

I own a .338-06.

If you reload, I'd say the 06. If you don't you might be able to find .338 Federal ammo easier.

But all things being equal, the .338-06 gives you more options. You can load up to 250g bullets if you desire (can't do that with the .338 Federal). It's a great caliber that can floor the biggest bears.

But if you are looking for a lighter, short action rifle, the .338 Federal is the way to go. And a .338 Federal will do fine on the biggest moose.

Quite frankly you can't go wrong with either.

One more thing: Not sure if you have seen the rifle you want to purchase, but all you need to do is take an unwwanted bolt action .30-06 and change the barrel to a .338-06. No other work is needed. ER Shaw took care of mine 4 years ago.

The same can be done with an old .308 Win bolt action or 7mm-08. Change the barrel for a .338 Federal.

I would choose the 338-06. I don't know if you reload but if you do, to me it's a no brainer. The differences in energy are quite substantial between the two. The 338-06 generally having about 30% more. If you don't reload the 338 Federal is probably the better route for you to take. I have a 338-06 AI and quite like it. And it's something not everybody has. Cheers.

No brainer, 338-06.

for 300 to 500yds, i wouldnt use either one. you would be better to drop down to a 300 win mag or weatherby. the 300 win or weatherby shoot harder and flatter. if you want 1 to go to 500 and use a .338 diameter bullett, use the 338 win mag or the 340 weatherby mag. both are by far supierior calibers to the 2 you are looking at.
they both shoot faster, flatter and have more energy at 500 yds than both the calibers you are looking at. in fact, the 338 will outpreform the 375 h&h at 200+ yds.
where do i get this info, i happen to shoot both a 375 h&h and 338. i also have taken 15 elk in the high 400 yds with a 1 shot kill from a 338 win mag and a 210 nosler handload

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:
For want you want to do out to 500 I wouldn't use either of them. I would go with something that gives me more vel. A 300 mag with heavey for cal bullets a 338 mag ect.

I agree, neither is "flat" shooting. I view them both as 300yd rounds, the edge going to the 338-06 for heavier bullets & pushing the same 210grNP 200fps faster. If you handload, I would go 338-06, if you don't go 338Fed, but it's still a 300yd round. Bullet performance much past that is going to be iffy. I have always liked the idea of the 338Fed, but don't see the need since I hunt w/ a 338-06.

Short action = 338 Federal
Long action = 338-06

Use what ever you makes your feel all warm inside.

quote:

Originally posted by Nebraska Bob:
...I am not against the .338 Winchester Magnum, I mean what is there to that round to not love. I just don't want one now (yet???). And I reckon the .338-06 will be it. ...

I'll guess you plan to Reload the 338-06 and it is a fine cartridge. (Almost as good as a 35Whe. )

However, if you flip through a couple of Load Manuals, you will notice a few of the SAFE MAX 338-06 Loads produce Velocities equilavent to the Starting Loads for the 338WinMag. Basically, you can use Starting Loads in the 338WinMag and have the equivalent of the 338-06, but you can not Load the 338-06 to 338WinMag levels.

But, between the two you were interested in, I'd say you made the correct choice.

Best of luck to you.

quote:

Originally posted by SDhunter:
No brainer, 338-06.

x2

No experience with the 338/06 but I just shot my new Sako 338 Federal today and was very impressed. I used factory 210 Nosler Partitions by Federal and I was amazed how mild the recoil was. There was much less recoil than the 30/06 Sako I shot at the same session. Accuracy was right a 1 inch for 5 shots. I bought this for black bear in Ontario and northern whitetails and I think it will be perfect for my needs. I would think it would be a great hog gun as well. There are some real bargains on Sakos out there right now thar I really recommend. I know Euro Optics was selling new ones for around $850.

My 338 is the rum and it can shoot to 500yd easyly with a small adjustment to my scope

If you get a 338 win mag you can load it up or down as you will.

quote:

Originally posted by winbag338:
If you get a 338 win mag you can load it up or down as you will.

But in a much heavier rifle W/ more recoil. I've never quite understood the reason to buy a magnum & then download it. JMO, buy/make the rifle you like, decide if you qant to handload or shoot factory. If it's factory ammo, the 338wm is a full power option. It's alos the only option in the 338-06.

Had both. I still have ther .338-06. . . . .

quote:

antelope up to moose. So shooting distances will vary from 50 to perhaps 500 yards

I've never heard of a big game hunter who said, "I wish my cartridge was a little less powerful." ??

Wow, I'm glad I didn't ask about magnum rifles .
Friends I am not a sniper (using the U.S. Army and not the news medias definition). But I know enough not to squeeze the trigger if I cannot make the shot. I also know that practice and knowning your equipment, and that includes the ammunition/ballistics, is the key towards making a successful shot. Remove as many variables as possible and learn to shoot in different positions and weather conditions.
Based on friends that shoot .338's from the MX up to the .338 Winchester and .340 Weatherby Magnum. I know that the .338 Federal and .338-06 are capable of what I am after. Though I do not know anyone with a .338 Lapua Magnum.
I was after your thoughts on which of the two I should get because I truly could not make up my mind.
And as I have replied earlier the .338-06 is the winner.
I do appreciate all of your replies.
Thanks for the help.

Just got back from hunting with my 338 Federal. Absolutely hammered a 200+ pound buck. I used Nosler 210 grain Partitions and the lungs looked like soup. Shot was taken at 80 yards. I was really pleased with the gun and the performance. Hard to beat if you are shooting 250 yards or less!

quote:

Originally posted by LJS:
Just got back from hunting with my 338 Federal. Absolutely hammered a 200+ pound buck. I used Nosler 210 grain Partitions and the lungs looked like soup. Shot was taken at 80 yards. I was really pleased with the gun and the performance. Hard to beat if you are shooting 250 yards or less!

So is it O.K. to highjack my own thread?
Hey LJS I used to live up north in Elk County years ago. I sure enjoyed deer hunting when I was there. Turkey hunting and trout fishing weren't to bad either.

If shooting at 500 yards is on the ticket, then I would definitely go for the .338-06. However, if I had a 7mm Rem Mag and a 300 Win Mag, neither 338 would be my choice for a 500 yard shot.

I think maybe you need to measure off 500 yds, set up a life size target, pick a light bullet then go shooting...THEN do some ballistic calculations...THEN decide what is the effective range for the 338-06 with a light bullet.

I had one built 35 some odd years ago for elk. The most accurate bullets from MY rifle are the 225 Hornady SP and SST and I get ~2700fs with a 26" bbl with 4320 powder, chronographed many times over the years from two chronos.

The max ranges I will shoot ANYTHING anymore is 250-300 yds as anything beyond 300 yds and the drop increases dramatically.

I've also shot a 338 RUM with 300 gr Sierra MK's at ~3000fs out past 1000 yds...mostly on targets or small varmints.

I guarantee I wouldn't hesitate to plug a deer size animal with the RUM at 500 yds because the much higher BC AND velocity of the 300 gr at 3000 means roughly half the drop and twice the energy at that 500 yd range...roughly 47" - ~1400 ftlb for the 225 gr at 2700fs and 29" - ~3800 ftlb for the 300gr at 3000fs with a 250 yd zero.

No flame or diss intended but as soon as I read some question like this one I know SOMEONE HASN'T done their homework or the question wouldn't be asked.

I use the 300 gr Sierra in my 338-06 sometimes at ~2400 fs zeroed at 200 yds which still means a ~10 inch drop at 300 and ~2800 ftlb there and yes the 300 gr Sierra MK will drop an elk quickly even though it acts like a FMJ and punches right through...that bullet hasn't read all the BS so it doesn't know it's not supposed to.

I think the 338-06 is an excellent round and so is the 338 Fed...just pick one to fit the action you have, develop a load, sight it in at 200 yds, SHOOT it at various ranges to learn the drop and go enjoy it...forget all the BS you read online, learn for yourself.

I have a rifle in almost every caliber available right now or have had one in the past so I can pick and choose...sometime I use my 338-06, sometimes my 375 H&H or the 416 Taylor, 45-70, 12GaFH and sometimes a 22LR or 17 FB.

At one time all I could see was small bullets at high velocity...now I usually pick a larger caliber and heavier bullet for whatever game I go after, and hardly ever shoot over 200 yds. If I can't get within 100 yds that means I'm getting sloppy or lazy in my old age.

Dance with who you brung and enjoy them.

Luck

quote:

No flame or diss intended but as soon as I read some question like this one I know SOMEONE HASN'T done their homework or the question wouldn't be asked.

Isn't asking questions part of "doing the homework"?

quote:

.338 Federal

...............