The .338 Federal, a necked-up .308, is just one year in circulation at this writing. Three new products from Caldwell - E-MAX PRO Shadows, BT Link and BT Comms – for shooting range hearing production and communication. Well, the minions who shoot and sell fire-breathing magnums would have you believe you need higher speed, flatter arc, a heavier blow; that elk up close and deer far away demand bigger hulls; that real men are unaffected by recoil. The following ammunition cartridge ballistics information and chart can be used to approximately compare .338 Lapua Magnum vs .338 Winchester Magnum ammo rounds. But there's no unsightly channel gap; indeed, you can't tell this tube floats. A prototype Sako III chambered 338 Federal dropped this Montana raghorn bull from about 240 yards. The root of the bolt handle needs cosmetic attention, too. and 30-06, plus belted magnums, long magnums, short magnums, and super short magnums, who needs a 338-08? I find myself taking it apart as I might a custom rifle. I wasted no time scoping the Classic version that arrived last fall. When you make a brand-new pedigree chart, the shapes in the chart will frequently be some sort of rectangular shapes..338 Federal Source : i122.photobucket.com Quite obviously, the .338 Federal is not going to be as readily available or affordable as the .308 Winchester—the latter’s military origins coupled with the benefits of being .30-caliber guarantee popularity—but for a big-game hunter who wants something a bit different, the .338 Federal can handle a rather wide number of scenarios. As for accuracy...well, I was hoping the 84M in .338 Federal would at least approach the precision I'd come to expect from its type. Refine by Caliber: 338 Win Magnum 338 … is not only a classic round. The best measured under an inch and a half. Comparison. The 338 Federal is a simply the 308 Win necked up. A steady snow obscured the Columbia River far below. Mag. It shoots flatter and harder than a 30-06, produces more muzzle energy than a 7mm Remington Magnum, and recoils less than a 30-06. And the Federal round is much gentler in recoil. It would be the choice if you are favoring a bolt action or any other type of rifle that is made for 243, 260, 7-08, 308 or 358. Drew Goodlin at Federal Cartridge explained. With a 180-grain bullet, the new round shoots as flat as the .338 Magnum with a 210 Partition. While the bears eluded me, I did manage some time with paper targets. Instead, it appeared in a brand-new Sako rifle, the M85. Try the new 338 Federal. The small differences in trajectory and ballistic package over the 30-grain weight spread of the bullets indicate good balance between velocity and energy. Then there are the ballistics…. Handloaders can fashion this round easily from .308 brass. at 300 yards when both fire the same 210-grain bullet. A soft, thick, black recoil pad is neatly and properly contoured. The rifle's matte blue-black metal finish has a deep and uniform luster. ©2021 Outdoor Sportsman Group. The clever heading in current Kimber catalogs, "So much less than you expect," is an apt description of this rifle. All RifleShooter subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. Though the 84M magazine holds five rounds, the rifle's belly is slim and straight, easy to clutch. The 7mm will retain more energy past 100 yards and shoot flatter, but the 30-06 will not. (Yards with metric clicks would be amazing since I … Introduced in 1965 with the .444 Marlin cartridge, the Model 444 was the most powerful lever action of its day. A slim receiver ring catches my eye as the signature feature of the 84M. Mag. What more could you ask? So armed, I hied off to the range, a 100-yard flat on the side of a rocky hill where friend Danny O'Connell had built a shooting room complete with a television monitor that delivers a clear view of the target via remote camera. It is true that most rifle evaluations accentuate the positive. For 80 years this Minnesota company has been loading everyone else’s cartridges, but never its own. The 84M is a well-balanced rifle with surprisingly light recoil, given the rifle's minimal heft. Ammunition Inputs. Many elk hunters consider it the ideal mix of reach and bone-crushing power, in a case compatible with standard rifle actions. Downrange, the '06 bullet reels in the .338 Federal, thanks to a higher ballistic coefficient. Are you leery of painful magnum recoil? While the .338 Federal cannot hope to equal the Magnum's authority, it qualifies as an understudy. Believe it or not, a 180-grain bullet from the smaller 338 Federal cartridge will drop a half-inch less than a 180-grain from the 30-06 at 400 yards. Until now. I adjusted the scope and fired a couple of groups. . Well, maybe you do. The case if based off of the .375 H&H Magnum by expanding the body and narrowing down the neck to fit a .338 bullet. That’s about 300 foot pounds more than the .30-06 shooting a 180-grain slug and 116 foot pounds more than a 7mm Rem. Incidentally, that compact magazine holds five cartridges under the bolt. While such performance cannot be expected with a low-power scope and is not needed for big game, it's a credit to both rifle and ammo. Nosler .338 bullet designs include the 180 grain Accubond, the 200 grain Ballistics Tip, the 200 grain Accubond, the 210 grain Partition, the 225 grain Accubond, the 225 grain Partition, the 250 grain Partition and finally, the 300 grain Accubond with its very high BC of .720. Winchester's .338 Magnum has been around for nearly half a century now, and while it didn't set sales records initially, it has recently become quite popular. At the muzzle, a 210 in the .338 Federal clocks the same as a 250-grain bullet from the Magnum and strikes within a vertical inch of it at 300 yards. They’re more fun to carry and shoot. We were delighted because Sako has a great reputation.". While the savvy people at Federal might be expected to field a practical cartridge every so often, I was astonished that this one showed up as an orphan. It shouldn't surprise me that once in a while the ballistics engineers have their way and deliver to shooters rifle cartridges that are truly useful. The latest in the long line of .308-based cartridges is beginning to look like a winner. The 84M's compact magazine holds five rounds; they all stripped reliably during the test. But no Federal. Cartridge Type: RifleHeight: 2.5\"Width: 0.532\"Average FPS: 2819Average Energy: 3916Average Gr: 222Recoil: 2.93Power Rank: 6.26 of 20 The .338 Winchester Magnum was designed in 1958 by Winchester Repeating Arms Company. The relatively fast-burning, compact powder charge and generous bore mean you get efficient acceleration in short barrels. Also, I'd like a straighter line from tang to comb nose so the top of the grip d. oesn't fall away from my hand or leave the buttstock looking like an appendage. This can be a suitable choice for … It is nicely fitted to the metal, standing just a bit proud on one side of the floorplate tab. The .338 Federal was created by the engineering and ballistics staff at Federal in collaboration with Sako rifles. Upper Canyon Outfitters, Snowy Range, Montana. Currently, the .338 Federal maintains a modest following, being most popular with those who hunt large bodied game out to moderate ranges. Ballistics Calculator; Reloading Data; Get The App; Premium Difference; It's Federal Season; Podcast; Ambassadors; Your Partner In Protection; Premium Moments; Team Federal; ... 338 Federal.