# 338 Federal V.S. 338 Win Mag



## Captain Kyle (Oct 1, 2008)

The federal is cheaper thats all I know. What would yall prefer. What is the difference?


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## Johnboat (Jun 7, 2004)

*325 WSM*

Might as well toss it into the decision. (what do you want to shoot with it?)


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## backlashingcooger (Aug 2, 2006)

338 Win Mag...little more umph and easier to find Ammo.


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## BIG PAPPA (Apr 1, 2008)

*hard caliber*

The 338 win mag has some of the best Ballistics out there. From Whitetail to Brown Bear, the 338 will work BUT...It's the hardest kicking gun i have ever shot paper with in my life in a 30 caliber. I mean this dude kicks harder than a 460 weatherby, a 416 rigby, a 375 h&h. I had one for Alaska, and it shot okay but for all that recoil, it just wasn't worth it. I mean, when i need to drop a Moose, I'll grab the 375 or the 416 long before I'll take the 338.


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## reef_runner (Mar 21, 2005)

A .338 Federal is a necked up .308 Winchester, bullet weights range from 180 gr to 210 gr. Go to the Federal ammo website to check out ballistics between the two. 
The 338 Win Mag has been around for a while and has a variety of ammo available.
You just need to decide if what you are hunting will need a magnum caliber to bring it down.


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## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

BIG PAPPA said:


> The 338 win mag has some of the best Ballistics out there. From Whitetail to Brown Bear, the 338 will work BUT...It's the hardest kicking gun i have ever shot paper with in my life in a 30 caliber. I mean this dude kicks harder than a 460 weatherby, a 416 rigby, a 375 h&h. I had one for Alaska, and it shot okay but for all that recoil, it just wasn't worth it. I mean, when i need to drop a Moose, I'll grab the 375 or the 416 long before I'll take the 338.


I think it must be the rifle not the caliber. I have a 338 win mag in Rem. 700 stainless synthetic. I can shoot it 20 + times at the range and it kicked about the same as my 300 whby mag.
Now I cant say I've ever shot a 375 or 416 so I can only compare it to my old 300 whby mag.
But I would prefere a 338 win mag to a 338 federal simply because of more knockdown power.


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## Johnboat (Jun 7, 2004)

*I was gonna say get a 375*



BIG PAPPA said:


> The 338 win mag has some of the best Ballistics out there. From Whitetail to Brown Bear, the 338 will work BUT...It's the hardest kicking gun i have ever shot paper with in my life in a 30 caliber. I mean this dude kicks harder than a 460 weatherby, a 416 rigby, a 375 h&h. I had one for Alaska, and it shot okay but for all that recoil, it just wasn't worth it. I mean, when i need to drop a Moose, I'll grab the 375 or the 416 long before I'll take the 338.


If you make the jump to 375 you have a rifle that will work in Alaska and Africa. Also the minimum they will allow for Nilgai on some S. Texas ranches. Either the venerable 375 H&H, or the new Ruger 375 (I have the Ruger Alaskan rifle and a friend took the Ruger African to S. Africa....both very nice out of the box rifles with rings and great triggers) _I'm gonna shoot some hogs this weekend in S. Texas with my 375 BOOOOOOOOMM._


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## Charles Helm (Oct 22, 2004)

Good luck with the hogs Johnboat!


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## davidb (May 10, 2006)

Two different classes of cartridge even though they are the same bore diameter. One short to medium range (Fed.) the other any range (Win.)

The 338 Winchester is one of the best all around calibers for medium game anywhere. A 338 win should weigh 9-10ibs to soak up recoil.

Haven't shot the federal but the 358 Winchester is similar and a great woods cartridge for not only deer but hogs, elk, bear and moose to medium ranges. Makes up into a short handy package.


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## duckdaysofwinter (Jan 13, 2005)

Don't forget the new 338 RCM. http://www.hornady.com/story.php?s=761


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## BIG PAPPA (Apr 1, 2008)

*Redfisher*

I was shooting 250gr 338 cal remington corelock in the green box. I also have a 300 wby Mag (west Germany built) that has very little THUMP compared to my 338 win mag did. My 338 was also a Weatherby synthetic with satin barrel and i don't think the gun weighed 8lbs and as said above could have had alot to do with it. I dunno, i just hated that gun after shooting it even with those awsome Ballistics the 338 win mag has. I did send it to Magna Port in Michigan and they Lazer cut 4 slots in the end of the barrell and it helped alot, But i guess i never got over being turned off so much as i was in the begining before the modification. I guess all the guns i have kind of spoiled me until the 338 win mag came into my collection and that could have alot to do with it as well.


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## ltgronberg (2 mo ago)

BIG PAPPA said:


> *Redfisher*
> 
> I was shooting 250gr 338 cal remington corelock in the green box. I also have a 300 wby Mag (west Germany built) that has very little THUMP compared to my 338 win mag did. My 338 was also a Weatherby synthetic with satin barrel and i don't think the gun weighed 8lbs and as said above could have had alot to do with it. I dunno, i just hated that gun after shooting it even with those awsome Ballistics the 338 win mag has. I did send it to Magna Port in Michigan and they Lazer cut 4 slots in the end of the barrell and it helped alot, But i guess i never got over being turned off so much as i was in the begining before the modification. I guess all the guns i have kind of spoiled me until the 338 win mag came into my collection and that could have alot to do with it as well.


I had a 338 win in a custom Mauser, recoil was about like an off the shelf 30-06. Rifle design is extremely important to felt recoil. I would not buy a wetherby in anything over maybe 7 mm mag or 300 mag due to their stock design, it is truly punishing. Then in a light weight synthetic? no thanks! Not in a stoutly recoiling cartridge like you describe here. 
A high, straight comb, a butt plate angle at close to a 90 degree angle to the bore and a good pad will do wonders for you. The recoil will be straight back into the shoulder if it's done right, my 338 was a relatively heavy rifle, about 8.5 pounds without scope or ammo it accepted a total of four rounds, add a sling and you will be over ten pounds for sure. That helps too.
I had that rifle built with a Kodiak island bear hunt in mind, as nearly perfect a tool for the purpose to my mind as could be.


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## ccm131313 (Jul 12, 2009)

My buddy has a Ruger 338 Win Mag with a Muzzle Break and loves it and says it kicks less then his 270. The problem is he can NOT find Ammo for it anywhere!!!! Any of you 2Coolers have any insight as to where he may be able to get a couple of boxes?? Thanks as always!


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## Josh5 (Jun 27, 2007)

I'm not a super technical person on the ballistics stuff, but I have a couple of real field experiences to share.
My brother has the 338 Win Mag. He shot an elk in CO at 350 yards. With all the hours of watching hunting videos/elk videos, I have never seen an elk knocked off its feet. This gun literally knocked the elk off it's feet!!! I've got it on video. Just WOW!!!
Then my brother decided to have built a 300PRC. 
With it he shot a Pronghorn Antelope at 740 yards that went in the front shoulder and passed through the offside hind quarter. (Since then he has killed 2 mule deer and an elk with it)
Needless to say he is happy with the 300PRC. I'm forgetting the gun builder (St. Louis area??). They guarantee to have ammo and ship you ammo whenever you need it....


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## low8X2 (9 mo ago)

I have a Ruger RPR in 300 PRC. It loves the Hornady 230 grain A-Tips over 77.2 grains of H-1000.


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## Yak a Tak (Apr 20, 2012)

I was on the fence about adding 338WM for Nilgai, but decided I’ll stick with 300WM since I have a suppressor for it. It helps with recoil tremendously and makes it a pleasant round to shoot. Not needing ear protection makes a big difference for me.


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