338 fed

[swapdonkey]

I'm in Minnesota hunting for white tails and the long hours in the stand got me thinking. Right now I'm using my 338-06 I really like the rifle, but with a 24 barrel its a little tight in the enclosed stand. I have a model 70SS in a 7-08 that would work just fine the way it is, but sending it to JES and getting it rebored to a 338 fed with a 20 or 21" barrel would be a deer killing machine. Also looking at allients websight 2000mr would almost get me to what I'm shooting already in a nice neat package. Help talk me out of it guys.

[AZVince]

I don't think there is much to talk out of.
Your reasoning seems sound and I have a prejudice towards anything .338.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk

[AKMtnRunner]

If the 24" barrel bothers you, why not just cut down the barrel on the 338-06? You'd still have a better expansion ratio compared to typical 30-06 barrel lengths. Then you'd still have the 7-08 for lighter bullet applications. If you rebore the 7-08 to 338 federal, you'd just have two 338 cal rifles. Convenient I guess if you reload and if you use 338 cal for everything, but at the cost of losing versatility.

[Smitty of the North]

338-06 shouldn't suffer much from losing a cupla inches of barrel.

Why isn't a 7mm-08 also a "Deer Killing Machine"? I understand the perception that 338 Fed . might be better for Bear, although I may not agree with it.

But, "DEER" ???

SOTN

[hodgeman]

There's a lot to love about the .338 Fed. I've been contemplating a .338-06 and recently a NIB .338 Fed showed up down at the store... hard to justify the extra effort and cost needed to make a .338-06 when the .338FED is right there, ready to go.

For any and all deer hunting the .338Fed should be good to go...and critters a good deal heavier than deer as as well.

[1Cor15:19]

I'm in Minnesota hunting for white tails and the long hours in the stand got me thinking. Right now I'm using my 338-06 I really like the rifle, but with a 24 barrel its a little tight in the enclosed stand. I have a model 70SS in a 7-08 that would work just fine the way it is, but sending it to JES and getting it rebored to a 338 fed with a 20 or 21" barrel would be a deer killing machine. Also looking at allients websight 2000mr would almost get me to what I'm shooting already in a nice neat package. Help talk me out of it guys.

338-06 shouldn't suffer much from losing a cupla inches of barrel.

Why isn't a 7mm-08 also a "Deer Killing Machine"? I understand the perception that 338 Fed . might be better for Bear, although I may not agree with it.

But, "DEER" ???

SOTN

I agree with Smitty, I'd use the 7mm-08 before any .338 cartridge for deer. A 120 grain NBT or 140 NBT would work well enough, but I'd be tempted to load a 120 TSX as fast as the rifle would push them. I used a 120 TSX on a larger than average deer (40 inch moose) this year and he couldn't shake it off.....

From a stand I'd prefer the 7mm-08 by a good margin--and for argument sake I own and hunt with a .338 Federal, a 338/06 and a 340 Weatherby so I'm not particularly biased against the .33s...........

[iofthetaiga]

Ditch the 7-08, get a 6.5x55 or 7x57, and lop a couple inches off the 338-06.

[Amigo Will]

If we now need 338 for deer I don't want to even guess on moose or bear guns today. Cut your 338-06 and put good sights on it while your at it.Sell the 7mm08 to pay for the work on the 338-06 and get more ammo for it.

[GrassLakeRon]

7-08 is a great whitetail round. I would keep it. As for the 338-06 I would leave it as well. You have a nice hunting combo. I wouldn't spoil it.

[sayak]

If you get it rebored, go all the way and have it rebored to .358 Win. Why stop at 33?
Still, 7-mm08 is a great round. My son loves his. Gotta love the .308 family as a whole.

[VernAK]

SD,

If there were any deer left at my MN deer camp, I'd be down there right now.

The 338 Fed is a great little round that I carry around AK in a handy little Kimber Montana at 5.25 pounds w/scope. It shoots so well with Federal 210 NPs that I haven't loaded for it.

John Barsness has some great loads that will achieve the factory velocity.

Need....has nothing to do with it....if ya want it, do it!

Shoot a big buck.

[Hudge]

I don't think a .338 Fed is needed for deer, but if you want it by all means get one. I used the 7mm-08 for deer hunting when I lived in MT, and it was a great round. I sold it before we moved to AR, or I would have used it there as well. I really like the 7mm-08 for deer, and would buy another one in a minute if the price was right. That being said, I am getting a .338 Fed for Christmas, as I found one on clearance here and think it would be a great moose rifle.

[ADfields]

If you get it rebored, go all the way and have it rebored to .358 Win. Why stop at 33?
Still, 7-mm08 is a great round. My son loves his. Gotta love the .308 family as a whole.

Agree, I build a lot of both but only the 358 Winchesters ever stay here, only downside to 358 Win is today it's a roll your own deal. 338 Fed you can buy ammo for now but I suspect before long it will also be a roll your own round. No bother, easy to make brass for ether from 308 or 7.62 and easy to load for.


7mm08 is also a great round but I think of it more as an open country mid range antelope/sheep/goat round than a woodland deer type round.

[2dawgs]

Or, leave them two great rifles alone and gicha one of them thudy/thudys for white tails. roud:

[Smitty of the North]

Maybe, I'm not understanding the OP, ( swapdonkey.)

So he's got a 338-06, and is using that for deer. Nothing wrong with having a 338 Fed. for a lighter gun in the same caliber.

Maybe, not needed, but should work as well for deer, too. Especially if you were hunting deer down Kodiak way, where shootin sounds, like a dinner bell to the bears. Or, so I hear tell.

Besides, lotsa folks back in the Old Country, MN included, have got populations of Black Bears and Wolves, and Catamounts, and Monster Hawgs.

I spoke too soon I reckon, maybe, I dunno.

Smitty of the North.