Mag. Mag. All of this should impress the many North American hunters who celebrate the mid-caliber deer rounds of the good old days, like the 32 Winchester Special and 35 Remington. This list might not require you to go buy the latest rifle or booming cartridge, but its full of proven performers. At 300 yards a 10 mph right angle wind will bump it 9 inches. I loved my .280 Rem., though I didnt have much confidence with it beyond 350 yards. Ammo Choice: Remington Premier 150-grainSwiftScirocco. Ackley. Remington Premier 150-grainSwiftScirocco, Federal Premium Vital Shok 100-grain Nosler Partition, Hornady Superformance 140-grain Hornady SST, Hornady Precision Hunter 143-grain Hornady ELDX, Winchester Expedition Long Range 190-grain ABLR, Federal Premium 200-grain Trophy Bonded Tip, Federal Fusion 175-grain Bonded Soft Point. There are very few other calibers where you can easily buy factory ammo with bullet weights that vary by a factor of two, from 110 to 220 grains. It is also an excellent killer, as i've killed a couple of moose, 2 blackies and 2 caribou with mine with quick 1 shot kills. This powerful little shorty just gets it done. I am concerned that it might blow up and not penetrate too well on elk or moose so I think my hunting load will be a nosler partition in 210 gr and a BC of .400still a good long range bullet. Cookies help us deliver our services. .300 Winchester MagnumA strong following for this round in Alaska. Shoot a moose through both lungs and they die, quickly, every time. About the same as a 30-06. If you find that underwhelming, sorry. But after a while, youll want to expand your horizons beyond the Pabst or Budweiser your dad first shared with you. I think the 200gr Interlocks were designed with the 35Rem in mind. Moose Jaw-Lake Centre-Lanigan 58% 8% . This is based off my extensive loss of bloodshot moose meat and core separation when I used a 200 grain interlock on a moose in a 358 winchester which would be similar. For 80 years this Minnesota company has been loading everyone elses cartridges, but never its own. Ill confess, I havent worn out any .338s in the field, but had the honor of dropping an elk with a Sako M85 chambered for the then-new 338 Federal. This caliber was developed in the early 2010s for military applications. A 180- to 185-grain .338 bullet is light for this caliber, but fast. USA (Presidential) France (Presidential) Montreal. Like I stated, I have lots of 250 Hornady round nose bullets. Burris Fullfield II 3-9X scope. Tract Toric UHD 30mm 2.5-15x44 FFP MOA Scope. Check out this story from contributor Mike Roux, for an excellent and educational anecdote highlighting the importance of a full quiver of calls. For many folks, were just now getting to what they might consider the bare minimum for moose. As with many of these classic cartridges, that means theyve proven themselves. Thats about 300 foot pounds more than the .30-06 shooting a 180-grain slug and 116 foot pounds more than a 7mm Rem. For ammo, check out Federal's 150g Power Shok cartridge. Im not convinced a small increase in bullet diametersay from a .277-inch or .280-inch to a .308-inchmakes a major difference in killing performance, but stepping up to .338-inch should make an impression. You want a bullet that will expand rapidly but retain weight. Ammo Choice: Federal Premium Vital Shok 100-grain Nosler Partition. Looking to enhance your effectiveness in the turkey woods this season? Below that, you arent gaining much over the .30-06, and cartridges like the 6.8 Western and 6.5 PRC maintain more energy beyond 400-500 yards. This 175-grain load typically isnt as accurate (or as expensive) as some premium options. While the 300 Blackout has enjoyed broad appeal across a wide range of hunters and shooters, the .338 Federal is designed for one specific application: mountain hunting. Well, it has a couple of issues that turn many hunters off. Just $1 per month , Bigger isnt always better when it comes to picking a cartridge for moose hunting, By The ELDX gets a bad rap for supposedly blowing apart on impact. The .338 Fed is shooting almost right alongside the 338-06, which has a well developed reputation on big game. But you should have. If the .30/30 has piled up even half the venison its credited with, its one heck of a deer round. Its something Ive never seen, especially at the modest velocities of the 6.5 CM. Dec 7, 2007. The 308 Winchester on left was the parent of the newer 338 Federal on right. I know of a lot of moose, and even several big Kodiak bears, that met their end quickly with the .308. Ron Spomer The 338 Federal fits short-action magazine rifles like this Sako III prototype. This is about 100 fps faster than the parent .308 Win. . The .338 Federal's 200-grain TBT drops 9.2 inches at 300 yards when zeroed at 200 yards whereas Hornady's 200-grain SST load in the .338 RCM drops just 6.9 inches at that same range with the same zero. Well, maybe you do. Making this round questionable as an improvement on any medium bore. | with a similarly-weighted bullet. This efficient short-action cartridge flattens game like the hammer of Thor without kicking you in the shoulder like a stubborn mule. TBT loads are within 0.3 inch of drop with 200-yard zeroes. But there are more .338 Win. A recent bull moose that a buddy killed took one shot through the ribs with the 150-grain .308 load, took two steps, then nosed into the ground. Factory ammo is more expensive as well: Comparing the 200-grain loads referenced above, you'll pay about $39 per box for the Federal round and about $57 for the magnum. And itll slap your shoulder with 12 ft/lbs less recoil. The .338 Federal, however, boasts an additional 100 ft.-lbs. Mag. I tested 11 different rifles and a variety of ammo in .308 in 2022 and Ive been thoroughly impressed with the Remington 150-grain Core Lokt Tipped. The .338 Federal is 9.2 inches low at 300 yards and 26.3 inches low at 400 when zeroed at the same distance with the same 200-grain bullet. The American .30 calibers, from the .30-30 and .308 through the .30-06 and various .300 magnums with all the great bullet choices available, seem to be less affected by those problems than most other calibers. Moose Jaw-Lake Centre-Lanigan (federal) MP: Fraser Tolmie (CPC) Latest projection: March 26, 2023 CPC safe hold. The 6.555 Swede has certainly done the legwork of establishing 6.5mm cartridges as viable moose killers but does it in a more efficient package. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. M Murphy Moderator Joined Jan 25, 2005 Messages Heavy bullet. Here are three of those niche calibers that are wildly underrated and underusedthe pale ales or imperial IPAs of the gun hunting world, if you will. The ballistics are even better than that of its grandfather, and in shorter action: it will fit the action of a .30-06. And it does it with a compact, super-efficient package. Anyone wanting more thump on the target without too much more to the shoulder should give this delightfully balanced, hard-hitting cartridge a ride. Then there are the ballistics. To be effective, a moose cartridge needs to have reasonable penetration and fire a bullet that will generally hold together at the velocity it leaves the muzzle. Once hunters in the U.S. get to .308, theyre pretty much done. But you should have. Zero to keep all shots inside of an 8-inch target and trajectory will peak 4 inches high at 150 yards. With those heavy bullets, the .338 Lapua isnt screaming fast, and even at the closer ranges, the bullets seem to hold together very well. New horizons and beers are on tap. At 300 yards the .338 Federal load carries 1,884 ft.-lbs., which pales in comparison to the RCM's 2,358 ft.-lbs. When given the option, Ill admit, realistic decoys are worth every penny. One relatively underrated hunting load (in many calibers) is Federals Fusion. Only a few weeks later, it was gone. These are the type that sometimes pancake on contact or break into pieces, none of which then retain momentum for deep penetration. It recoils less than a .30/06 throwing 180-grain bullets and at 300 yards drops only a measly 1/2-inch more. Whitetail hunting strategies for the next generation. The old .30/06, the .308 Winchester, or any of our many .300 magnums will handle any game stateside and most anything anywhere else on the globe. The .338 Federal is 9.2 inches low at 300 yards and 26.3 inches low at 400 when zeroed at the same distance with the same 200-grain bullet. Were talking solid elk numbers here. About the AuthorCork Graham has been covering guns and hunting since 1983, when he asked for an LOA from his NROTC squadron at UC Berkeley, and headed to SEA to cover wars as an 18-year-old photojournalist. Send a 200- to 250-grain A-Frame, AccuBond or Nosler Partition from this round and youve got powerful moose medicine. Access the newest seasons of MeatEater, save content, and join in discussions with the Crew and others in the MeatEater community. The decision ultimately comes down to how much you are willing to spend on ammo, how much recoil you can effectively handle and the type of game you will be pursuing. N/A. Yes, its pretty much just the .308 necked up to take .338-inch bullets. Appropriate velocity. Tips, techniques, and equipment are applied to these classroom discussions on how to become more proficient and successful at making long-range shots while hunting with AR-platform rifles. Theres only one question: What are you waiting for? I'm using the .225 gr. But the .338 Win. Known as an ideal cartridge for medium-sized game, the .270 is more gun that most people give it credit for. Add the ability to be used with a SA and that's enough to consider it a viable chambering IMO. This reduced the overall weight of the package, and makes for a great mountain . The ballistics and accuracy are impressive. When the Alaska gold rush picked up in earnest with the Klondike in 1899, those who had the money and wisdom brought their Winchester 1886s and Marlin 1895s: they shot a much better round for putting moose on the table than the .30-30 and .38-55, and such, of the time. Like the .338-06, its a reloaders dream: beaucoup bullet options, and .308 Win. However, its a great bullet for the money. Several manufacturers make bolt-action rifles chambered in .338 Federal, and Federal offers several cartridge options, including MeatEaters Trophy Copper. If it were all about penetration and power, why stop at anything short of the .50 BMG? .35 WhelenThis round has a definite following in Alaska, and is one of friend and colleague Bryce Towsleys favorites. There will always be exceptions, like the Eskimo who thinks nothing of taking a polar bear with an AR-15, or that tiger shot in the head with a .22 long-rifle. Ask most Alaskans about their favorite and the .338 Win Mag is the answer you get, next to .30-06 and .300 Win. Federal's sister company, Savage, offers 14 bolt rifles chambered in this round as well as an AR-10, and there are still some Sakos and Kimbers available on used gun racks. Hornady currently lists four .338 RCM Superformance loads, with bullets ranging from 185 to 225 grains. I really like the slight bump in velocity of the 200-grain Trophy Bonded Tip, and my rifle shoots it well. The .300 WM has firmly established itself as a fine cartridge for moose (and anything else on the North American continent). The 7mm is another American staple cartridge. Energy stays just above 1,500 ft/lbs at 355 yards, too. To get the most of it, Id recommend using 190-grain or heavier bullets. Why aren't more writers writing about the virtues of the .338 Federal and, more importantly, why aren't more deer, elk, bear, and moose hunters shooting it? Were not talking anything too crazy. The 06 is old and boring, but I cant find any way to justify it not being included in this list. brass is everywherejust run the .338 Federal resizing ball through it. Contributing Editor for RifleShooter Magazine, Brad Fitzpatrick gives us a review of this modernized version of an iconic favorite. vs .338 Federal, Hunting Basics :: Equipment For A Backpacking Hunt, Survival Cooking For Preppers And Camping, Always Prepared - Managing Your Clothing Effectively, Is the Caveman Diet Realistic For Your SHTF Plans, Where To Buy Bullet Proof Vests And Soft Body Armor, Put A Lid On It :: Combat Helmets Of The Cold War Era. 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