At this time, the Browning BLR (Browning Lever Action Rifle) is the only rifle currently manufactured in .358 Winchester. Once this stay in place order for Michigan is over, I’ll be picking up a Browning 81 Stainless Laminate BLR in .358, can’t wait. Bullet size is the biggest distinguishing factor between them. One important word of caution is necessary with the new.338 Federal cartridge. 300 Win Mag vs 338 Lapua vs 338 Win Mag: Cartridge Sizes The shared heritage of the .300 Win Mag and .338 Win Mag, as well as the unique roots of the .338 Lapua, is obvious in the photo below. Since it’s probably the single most popular caliber in the United States, virtually every major style of bullet is available in .308″ like the Barnes TTSX, Berger VLD, the Hornady ELD-X, GMX, InterBond, InterLock, and SST, the Nosler AccuBond, AccuBond Long Range, Ballistic Tip, E-Tip, and Partition, the Remington Core Lokt, the Swift Scirocco and A-Frame, and the Winchester Power Point (just to name a few). Aussi un artisan meilleur ouvrier de France me le fabrique actuellement; une carabine de grande chasse, un custom à partir d’une Remington 700 action courte cal 7-08. Tout est revu: levier de culasse, extracteur Sako, sécurité Recknagel 3 position, sous garde acier Badger, canon Lothar Walter, crosse type anglaise en noyer magnifique français, fût type Rigby …un bijou qui sera en 358 Win, Très bon article, merci !! I'm considering building one too but only for hunting. 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. Before we get started, I have an administrative note: Some of the links below are affiliate links. rifles , a 7MM-08, a 30-06 and a 7MM Rem. The .338 Federal—like most of our great short-action standards—is based on the .308 Winchester case. 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. While there is a large amount of overlap in their capabilities, each one does offer certain advantages. 1 moa is probably average but if you find a load it likes you might do better. 338 Federal vs 308 Winchester vs 358 Winchester For Big Game Hunting. Federal's announcement that in the spring of 2006 they would release a new .338 caliber cartridge based on a necked-up .308 Winchester case was of great interest to me. I know it is capable of much more than what the factory offers and I’m excited to play around with it. 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. 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. Bought my second .338 Federal this spring and chronographed the 200 grain Fusions. Winchester manufactured the .358 Winchester in the Model 88 lever action rifle and the Model 70 bolt action rifle for a time. This helps support the blog and allows me to continue to create free content that’s useful to hunters like yourself. Formally released in 2006, the .338 Federal was the first cartridge to bear the Federal name. So where do we stand with each cartridge? I have some 160 TTSX, 200 Interlocks, 200 SSTs, and 215 Gamekings I'm going to start loading. While the .358 Winchester certainly performed extremely well in that role, it was much more capable at longer ranges than many people gave the cartridge credit for. In fact, at longer range, the .308 Winchester is a better choice as the advantage the .338 Federal has in kinetic energy narrows considerably and the advantages the .308 Winchester has in terms of trajectory and wind drift become more pronounced. The first is to rebarrel to .308. 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. It has dropped my last two bears with authority. John, They had them at Grice Gun Shop in Pennsylvania, and Grice listed them on GunBroker. performance out to 400 yards, without the recoil of magnum rounds. The .338 Federal came out a few years ago, and it's based on a .308 case, so it can be used in short actions like the .308, .243, etc. John, J’ai craqué pour le 358 Win. Federal's offering is based on a.308 Winchester case necked-up to accept standard.338" diameter bullets. A Bonnier Corporation Company. That reason, combined with the relative scarcity of .358 Winchester factory ammo, makes that cartridge an especially appealing choice for handloaders. Pour le stand … des Speer de 158 gr (.357). But there are more .338 Win. The.338 Federal, a necked-up.308, is just one year in circulation at this writing. I now own two .338 Fed. Re: 338 federal vs 358 Winchester « Reply #4 on: January 07, 2016, 04:32:14 PM » I have a 338-284, and I quickly found out that most bullets seem to be designed for magnum case capacity. Price - .308 seems to be slightly cheaper than 30-06, not a huge difference, but .338 is much more expensive. Description; Additional information •LOWER RECEIVER: DSP AR-10 Gen 3, Billet Lower, 7075-T6 Aluminum, with Enhanced Flared Magazine Well. SKU: DSP-AR-10.308-T-1 Categories: Rifles, Titan AR-10. It is a big game caliber designed with reasonable recoil for today’s lightweight rifles. 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. Check out the article below. Though it’s not readily available as factory ammunition, many reloading manuals have loads for up to 250 grain bullets. 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. I’m more interested in 185 and 200 grain projectiles so…. factory rifles available today, and virtually every bolt gun manufacturer offers at least one .338 Win. The max loads for 308 an 338 fed in my books show 308/180 @ 2661fps 338/180 @ 2682fps That is a 21 fps advantage with a bullet of inferior SD With 200's my loading manuals show 308/200 @2514 fps 338/200 @2545 fps A 31 fps advantage, once again with an inferior SD. Both are great rounds. Thanks for your comment Matthew. The .308 Winchester is no slouch though, especially when using heavy, premium quality bullets (like the Nosler Partition). Not surprisingly, all three cartridges have very similar case capacities. With regards to bullet weight, the majority of .308 Winchester factory loads shoot bullets in the 110-180 grain range. Among many others, Browning X-Bolt, CZ-550, Kimber Hunter, Mossberg Patriot, Nosler M48, the Remington Model 700, Ruger American, Ruger Hawkeye, Savage 11/111, Tikka T3X, Weatherby Mark V and Vanguard, the Winchester Model 70, and the Winchester XPR are all available in .308 Winchester. Price - .308 seems to be slightly cheaper than 30-06, not a huge difference, but .338 is much more expensive. Most hunters and shooters in North America are probably familiar with the .308 Winchester cartridge as well as cartridges like the .243 Winchester and 7mm-08 Remington that are descended from it. Its heavy recoil hurt its score in this test. The .338 Federal fires a 210-grain bullet at 2600 fps, and 180- and 185-grain bullets at 150 to 200 fps faster. It carries more energy than a.308 and shoots about as flat. Don’t let the “.340” fool you. And despite the .338 RCM's impressive numbers, the .338 Federal is no slouch. .338 Federal ammo and .358 Winchester ammo are MUCH less common than .308 Winchester ammo. Thanks for your support. Especially for shots inside 200 yards, both cartridges are excellent choices for bigger game with their larger diameter and heavier bullets. This is an area where the .358 Winchester (at close range) and .338 Federal really shine when compared to the .308 Winchester. 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. The.338 Federal is an effective and efficient deer and hog cartridge and a very good elk and moose cartridge. Glad you enjoyed the article Jame! I have been looking at these three calibers on an AR platform for my son. The box rated them for 2700 fps but I’m actually getting 2750 consistently. 1. Are just itching to take a rifle chambered in one of these cartridges on a hunt? In my view, this 33-bore cartridge makes a lot of sense. Book an outstanding black bear hunt here. Oh, and the .338 Federal does all that while at the same time fitting in a short length rifle action as well. 358 Winchester vs 308 Winchester vs 338 Federal Rifles The rifle situation is very similar to the ammunition situation with these cartridges:.308 Winchester is by far the most popular with the.338 Federal and.358 Winchester, in that order, following far behind the.308. ST, 900 Ehlen Dr., Anoka, MN 55303; 800-322-2342; www.federalcartridge.com) points out that the new .338 Federal cartridge has increased velocity over the .308 cartridge and heavier bullet weights.In addition, it produces muzzle energy that is greater than a .30-06 and is right up there in competition with the 7mm Magnum. to accept.338 bullets. 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. 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. The 210 tsx flattened a bull moose at around 75 yds. I think the exact same thing could be said of the 308 family. Having this brief experience with the cartridge has planted me firm in the .35 cal camp. However what I really enjoy about the .358 is its ability to utilize .357 pistol bullets for fun in the off season for paper punching or chasing coyotes. It initially gained a reputation as a good “woods cartridge” for hunting medium game. 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. 4. All rights reserved. Though the .30-06 remains quite popular among big game hunters, the .308 Winchester has steadily grown in popularity over the ensuing decades as well and is now also one of the most popular and commonly used centerfire rifle cartridges in the world. 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. Mag. A 180gr .338 bullet will need speed. Happy hunting, Copyright © 2020 Outdoor Life. Buy a really good .338 Fed hunting rifle here. Are you looking for a great cartridge for sheep, mountain goat, or tahr hunting where you need a heavy hitting cartridge with manageable recoil in a lightweight and easy to carry rifle? Since it is based on the .308 Win. Once again, there are even fewer .358″ bullets than .338″ bullets, but there is still a decent selection of them. A Thompson Center Pro Hunter and a newly re-bored, vintage 1971 Browning BLR. 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. Currently, Savage and Wilson Combat are the two primary options for hunters wanting a new bolt action rifle or carbine chambered in .338 Federal. Bigger bullet, heavier bullet, and similar trajectory to the highly respected (and deserved) .308 … Would you like to learn more about some other extremely capable deer hunting cartridges like the .308 Winchester? The 338 Federal for sure answers the bell in regards to taking its parent round to another level as does its stable mate the tried and true 358 Winchester(I put that in there for you Beartooth)! That being said, a serious hunter should still be able to find a high quality hunting rifle that suits his or her needs well regardless of the cartridge chosen. Unlike short magnums, it doesn't require a wide magazine box, so it's ideally suited to slim, welter-weight rifles. In fact, that cartridge is certainly one of the Top 10 best selling rifle cartridges in the United States each year, if not in the Top 5. This is illustrated in the table below comparing Buffalo Bore, Federal Fusion, and Hornady factory ammunition loaded with 150gr (.414 BC) and 180gr (.503 BC) Fusion Soft Point bullets in .308 Winchester, 200gr Fusion Soft Point bullets (.416 BC) in .338 Federal, and 200gr InterLock Soft Point (.282 BC) bullets and 225 gr Barnes Triple Shock X (TSX) bullets (.359 BC) in .358 Winchester. The .338 Federal is just a .308 case necked up to .338-caliber bullets. Federal’s 200-grain Fusion loading is an excellent all-purpose load. This cartridge was a wildcat not too long ago, and called .338-08 back then. Ordered stainless steel barrel, 30 caliber chambered in 308 Win., 18'' barrel length with mid length gas system, cryogenics and RCA bolt carrier group. Most loads for the cartridge also carry more energy downrange than typical .358 Winchester loads, but not quite as much as the .338 Federal. The fundamental specifications and dimensions of the.308 case remain the same, meaning the.338 Federal brass can easily be formed from.308 Winchester brass. Unveiled the same year as the .243 Winchester all the way back in 1955, the .358 Winchester also uses a modified .308 Winchester case. Do you want a cartridge well suited to hunt large game like elk, moose, red stag, or kudu in North American or on an Africa or New Zealand hunting safari? Case capacities and reloading data were obtained from Kwk, Hornady (p651 of the 10th Edition Hornady Reloading Manual), and Nosler (here and here). Though the differences in the external dimensions of the .308 Winchester, .338 Federal, and .358 Winchester are relatively minor, there are some interesting differences in their ballistic performance though. The .338 Federal is a rifle cartridge based on the .308 Winchester case necked up to .33 caliber.It was created by Federal Cartridge and Sako in 2006 and intended as a big game cartridge with reasonable recoil for lightweight rifles. Nov 21, 2008 #3 a little more info on … While I could chose from a variety of deer rifles in my cabinet including the two aforementioned .308 Win. The case length of the .338 Federal is 2.015” where the 8.6 Creedmoor case is 1.685” in length. To me, this gun gives the maximum amount of power for the minimum amount of pain. Availability - A quick check at midwayusa.com shows 10 pages of .308 and 8 pages of 30-06 and only 1 page of .338 2. As you can see, there’s a wide disparity in availability between the three cartridges. OP, you will love the .338 Federal and IMO an excellent choice for your uses. Get a good hunting rifle chambered in the cartridge that you think fits your needs the best, learn to shoot it well, use quality bullets, and you’ll be all set for most hunting situations. For the game and ranges you are discussing the .338 Federal and .338-06 are both excellent choices and both better than a 7mm-08. Extension fit very snug into receiver witch is a good thing. That same load in the lighter Browning BLR produces 32.51 ft-lbs or free recoil energy, which is closely approaching .300 Win Mag levels. For close in work, the 225 woodleigh RN is wonderful performer. Federal has two 7mm Rem Mag loads in their Fusion line: a 150 grain bullet at 3,050fps (3,098 ft-lbs) and a 175 grain bullet at 2,760fps (2,960 ft-lbs). That advantage is especially pronounced with the Buffalo Bore load. 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