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Thinking of getting a 338Fed for some close up stuff. The 338 looks like it has good(ish) projectile selection, cheap 308 based brass and dies plus some real KO power with the heavy pills.
I intend for it to be a handy bush rifle. Light, short and sturdy. Suppressed with a minimum of barrel. Hoping to get down to <6lb all up including scope. Sccope being something low power and compact.
I have one mate with a Tikka and he rates it. Does anyone run a 338Fed?
Something just arrived today that you may want two play with next time your down:)
@BRADS Wrong forum bro
450 Bushmaster? :cool:Quote:
Originally Posted by BRADS
I had a 338 Fed a while ago now.
Gave up with it, never shot an animal, but it was quite a heavy Model 7.
It was supposed to shoot subs, it did but not that well.
It shot supers pretty well, but recoil was getting up there a bit.
I decided the projectiles wouldn't be particularly great on Fallow (my main bush use) as they would tend to be pretty hard for Fed speeds.
The 450 Bushmaster makes the 338 Fed look pretty average
Mate of mine is running a .338 rcm suppressed built on a kimber with a can on it have witnessed it in action using the 185 Gmx it's the best bush sledgehammer I have seen so far :D
I can anchor a Red stag with a 243 so really the difference between 338 and 45 is only going to be a paper problem. The larger bore makes me assume I can gain greater volume over a shorter length. I have toiled all my life with crowbar barrels. Time for a change or at least a short option in the safe. Realistically I think a 308 would do it but they're too common and would make VCs head swell up:PQuote:
Originally Posted by Kiwi Greg
What pills were you using @Kiwi Greg at super speeds in the 338? Obviously bigger pill = more recoil regardless. the 200g BT/AB was my first thought.
The 450BM looks OK. Whats it like on gear as in dies, brass pills etc. It's a straight walled 284? Does it feed well from a mag? How many rounds do you get in a mag like you did for BRADS?
You can anchor a Red stag with a 22 sub if it looks at you & you are close enough :)Quote:
Originally Posted by kiwijames
I was using 200 SSTs or something, I got some 160 TTSX Barnes but never used them, I got 2500fps with the 200s.
The T3 Tikka takes three in the mag & feeds flawlessly, the Rem 700 takes three & feeds fine after some slight mods.
I have plenty of brass, factory rounds & Hornady Dies.
The Factory rounds go 2000-2025fps out of the 12" barrel, reloading should lead to more velocity, as they are an AR15 round so won't be going flat out, I haven't tried yet though.
The Factory supers are rifle 250s, I use pistol 225 FTXs for subs, I have some 300 XTPs but settled on the 225s.
The brass should last forever until you lose it, they use small rifle primers.
funny you say that greg I just smoked a 120 pound pig with a subbie tonight. who needs fancy high powered rifles......
What did you shoot it with?
Friwi
A friend of mine shot a huge 16 point red stag in a forestry block about two weeks ago with his suppressed Tikka .338 Federal. Pole axed it. Weighed one of the back steaks and it went over 11lbs.
My brno model 2Quote:
Originally Posted by Friwi
Throwing a 42gr subsonic
Do it @kiwijames you know you need a 450 BM :thumbsup:
Bill ,
Shit man , you must be made of MONEY , to be able to afford Winchesters 22 subsonic ammo , me , I could never jsutify or afford IT , not at $120 a brick , too use to paying $40 a brick for 22 ammo .
Later Chris
go talk to your local reagional council 84 for the last brick
still cheeper than feeding anything else in my safe, and in all reality there is piss all rabbits around here
i walked close to 10km and saw two
I have built a couple of 338 Feds for customers. I would say they are the best choice for an all round sub and medium range round. Good feeding out of just about any action set up for a 308win, easy for brass and loading, good case design, etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by kiwijames
As far as ballistics and 'stick busting' ability goes, a long projectile will deflect less than a short fat one. The swedes at Norma figured that out in their tests years ago. I.e. A. 250 or 300gr .338 will be better than a 240gr .45cal .
The bullets out of the states that are dedicated for subsonic hunting loads are the best out there for .30cal or .338cal. Made be 'lee-high', or something like that.
I've been thinking about one for a while, a 185tsx barnes at 2700 would be an awesome medium range set up.
That wouldn't have been Kelly would it???Quote:
Originally Posted by 10-Ring
(Kiwijames) dont take advice from experts that have never a shot deer with one ! D. Maisey built mine 5years ago and ive shot many deer since. It has a killability that ballistic charts dont show. Mine has a 16" barrel and i only get 2600fps with the 180gr AB but man does it put animals down
What does a 338fed have over a 308 with the heavier pills?
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[QUOTE=username;237723]What does a 338fed have over a 308 with the heavier pills?
Probably nothing if you load the 308 with 150 or 180g Nosler Partitions
EXPANSIONQuote:
Originally Posted by username
Same thing a 308 has over a 7mm08.Quote:
Originally Posted by username
Yes, and as you're no doubt aware, he knows what he's talking about when it comes to hunting and rifles.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shearer
COOLNESSQuote:
Originally Posted by username
Cheers that bit i already understood!Quote:
Originally Posted by kiwijames
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This is the main thing. And its a perfect answerQuote:
Originally Posted by kiwijames
Big holes let more light in, letting light in kills stuff.;)
Big bullets going slower than their effective opening velocity don't make big enough holes or cause enough internal damage to let in enough light.
Extremely under whelming, unless solid bone is hit :oh noes:
Just did some expansion testing with the 450 BM into a 44 gallon nearly full of water, it certainly makes the drum jump.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kiwi Greg
I tested the Hornady 300 XTP, 225 & 250 FTX & the Sierra 230 JHP.
They all hit the bottom of the drum & dented it to a greater or lesser degree :o
They were all going around 950fps.
You can see that the 225 FTX pistol projectile really flew to bits :cool:
I decided to try the 250 FTXs that I have pulled from the Factory Hornady 450 Bushmaster rounds.
I'm glad I did as it really showed the typical lack of expansion I have seen from conventional jacketed rifle projectiles in the past at subsonic speeds.
You could literally load them & fire them again
http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5abd9196.jpg
Never really considered going sub sonic with the 338Fed but food for thought.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kiwi Greg
Do it James!
Nothing on paper compares to the way animals just fall over dead.
200gn BTs at 2500 is devastating (14.5" barrel)
Kills better than my RemMag hands down at under 300.....trajectory after that isnt what youd call a laser beam:D But I have shot it out to arround 400 which is way more than enough for that gun.
Underwhelming it definitely isnt.
J
Check out lehigh projectiles. They make a 300gr subsonic projectile. There was an article in NZhunter a few years back about it. Display ProductsQuote:
Originally Posted by kiwijames