.338 Federal

[Shootist43]

Ghris, a man(s) gotta have a plan. For what it's worth I like yours.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

The only thing is, a .300 really needs a 24"-26" barrel to attain those speeds. I used to have a Ruger Frontier in .300 WSM. It would literally use 15 more grains of powder than a .308 shooting the same weight bullets (180 grain) and still produce only 2400 fps from that 16" barrel. I am also not a big fan of short mags. The only one I had fed like I was trying to push a bike chain uphill into a meat grinder. That said, I also am on the lookout for a .300 Win Mag as I also like that round. Reasonable recoil and flat shooting with enough authority to get it done. I was just drawn to the .338 federal because it looked like it had the best of both worlds. Hit like a .30-06, with a bigger, heavier bullet that shoots flatter and all that with low recoil and a short light rifle to boot. But I am willing to change my mind if something fits that bill better.

I also was considering the 8mm rem mag but I think it is so obsolete and everything is so hard to find including rifles that it is a no go.

Chris G
What about a 358 Winchester with a 200 grain accubond.
Should be good to 250+++yards.
Cheers mate Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Although the .338 WIn mag is one of my favorites for critters over 500#, your .375 is in a similar niche. Your idea a .338 Fed or a.35 Whelen would both fill the “hole” in your arsenal.
If a Sako or Savage isn’t to you liking, do as Milehighshooter suggests, buy a used rifle and have it rebarreled.
I’d love to see a Browning BLR, Henry Long Ranger or Remington pump in .338 Fed.

Meigsbucks
What's wrong with a BLR or Ruger in already chambered 358 Winchester.
Cheers mate Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

So after people made me doubt the .338 federal... (Thanks AH community) I bit the bullet and bid on this and I WON! (kind of ironic that we say we won an auction since all we did was win the opportunity to pay the most for something..)

Anyway... Say hello to my new-to-me elk rifle in .300 win mag!

Shes a diamond in the rough. Recoil pad needs to be sanded to fit so I will likely take the finish on the stock down, maybe rechecker it, and there is a worn spot on the barrel so I may rust blue the whole barrel after I cut 3" off of it. But the bore looks like new and I have a bunch of brass, bullets and dies coming. It will ultimately get a set of NECG Irons and a barrel band sling swivel in true african style... I just can't leave well enough alone.

Anywho... now I am looking for load data for elk. I was thinking of a 165 grain Barnes TTSX at about 3,000 fps or a 180 grain partition or accubond at 2,900fps. What have the guys who have hunted elk used?

ChrisG
I t would be sacrilegious to c ut the barrel to 23 inches. You should have just got a 30 ought six if you d oi that.
I'm 6 and a half foot, 245 pounds and my 35 Whelen has a 25 inch barrel plus muzzle brake and I don't have any trouble moving through the bush.
Please don't shorten that barrel.
Cheers mate Bob

 

[ChrisG]

Meigsbucks
What's wrong with a BLR or Ruger in already chambered 358 Winchester.
Cheers mate Bob

I already went on the trip and came back. I ended up going with a .300 Win mag. A .358 would have been a major handicap in the country I was shooting over. Thanks for the suggestion though. Most of the places my guide got us into, minimum shot distance was like 300 yards. A .358 Winchester would be dropping like a rock at that distance and it's bullets wouldn't expand reliably due to the low speed out that far. The .300 was loaded with 168 grain Barnes TTSX at 3200 fps and I would have probably taken a 350 yard shot comfortably with it, but past that I would start to lose confidence in my ability to hit the kill zone on the first shot, even on something the size if elk. I felt that I had given myself the biggest margin for error I could. All-in-all though... I didn't get a shot at any elk and came home with nothing but lots of pictures.

 

[Rare Breed]

So I have one glaring gap in my hunting firearms.

.223: 5-150 lb animals
6.5x55: 80-350 lb animals
?
.375 H&H: anything up from there
.416 Ruger: Just because big nasty stuff exists.

I have pared my rifles down to those 4 and now I am feeling like I need a filler rifle in there. I am considering a lightweight (<7.5 lbs) bolt gun with a 20"-22" barrel for everything in the 400-700 lb animal class. I was considering this cartridge because it seems to be the best of both worlds. Good to 300 yards (I so rarely ever shoot farther than that except at varmints) and built in rifles that are compact powerhouses.

I would be hand loading for it but I like to pick rounds that are also factory supported for brass and loading data and such. I am thinking a 210-225 grain bullet somewhere around 2,400-2,500fps.

Does anyone have any practical experience with the round? Especially on elk sized game?

 

[Rare Breed]

I have the guns you have. I bought a 338 in Sako and love it recently

 

[ChrisG]

ChrisG
I t would be sacrilegious to c ut the barrel to 23 inches. You should have just got a 30 ought six if you d oi that.
I'm 6 and a half foot, 245 pounds and my 35 Whelen has a 25 inch barrel plus muzzle brake and I don't have any trouble moving through the bush.
Please don't shorten that barrel.
Cheers mate Bob

Barrel was cut to 23 and recrowned. I lost about 50 fps from the 26 inch barrel and lost about a half pound of muzzle weight. The rifle balanced much better afterward. I ended up selling the rifle after I got back. I realized that walnut and blued steel look nice in a gun cabinet, but after a few days in the horses scabbard that rifle was already scuffed up. I ended up getting a ruger guide gun in .375 Ruger to replace it.

 

[bruce moulds]

chris,
you nailed it, some cartridges are more versatile than others, and as such are less limiting.
sounds like you need a 7mm stw or similar.
you can zero that at 300 for a point blank to 350 aim dead on.
bruce.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I already went on the trip and came back. I ended up going with a .300 Win mag. A .358 would have been a major handicap in the country I was shooting over. Thanks for the suggestion though. Most of the places my guide got us into, minimum shot distance was like 300 yards. A .358 Winchester would be dropping like a rock at that distance and it's bullets wouldn't expand reliably due to the low speed out that far. The .300 was loaded with 168 grain Barnes TTSX at 3200 fps and I would have probably taken a 350 yard shot comfortably with it, but past that I would start to lose confidence in my ability to hit the kill zone on the first shot, even on something the size if elk. I felt that I had given myself the biggest margin for error I could. All-in-all though... I didn't get a shot at any elk and came home with nothing but lots of pictures.

Chris
You probably would have been better off with a rock over that distance than a 358.
At least you wouldn't have to carry the rock
Glad you enjoyed your hunt.
Cheers mate Bob