wow... i'll wait for some actual ballistics to come out, but this one appears to rate a 'definite skip' on the ol' buyit-skipit scale.

Hudge

Rob1 wrote:  That cartridge is about 100 times more interesting (to me) than the recent barrage of short and fat or ulta whamy boom booms. Those numbers are right on the heels of the 338-06 and in real world, non internet gun guru terms, just as lethal in most cases as the 338 win mag. .....

Me Too!- Got my interest!

First I've heard of this development.  Think it will be much more effective than the 358 Winchester.

Wish they would put a 250 grain round nose bullet in it when it come out - Would be an easy carry HOG THUMPER!! Also hope the rifles have a twist to stabilize a 250!

Federal are you listening?  or looking?  see:

I don't know if it will survive. Except for the .243, nothing much based on the .308 case has appealed tp the masses. The .358 is dead, except for a few fans. The 7/08, while used by a lot of serious hunters, doesn't exactly set the world on fire with its sales numbers. And the .260 was almost dead when it hit the shelves. All three are good cartridges, but were never accepted  by most shooters and hunters.

.338 on a .308? I'll wait and see.

Well, I'd rather see a 358 re-introduced.  But the 338-08 has been around for a number of years and appears to be a pretty good cartridge.

It is a close duplicate of the 8x57 but fits the short action that "everyone thinks is so important.  I'd never sell any of my present gun cabinet occupants for the 338-08.  But a Kimber 84M could easily slide into a small open spot in the rack.

"And the .260 was almost dead when it hit the shelves."  True, the gun shops killed them because they could easily talk the new gun buyer into a 7-08; and then not have to stock two different rifles.  Shame, as the 260 (aka 6.5-08) is an outstanding cartridge.  The same gun shop babble will have to defeat the 338-08 by comparing it to the 325 WSM.  They should be able to convince most newbies that the 338-08 is not worth stocking.

BEAR

You are probably correct in your prediction on this one Rob.  I've been trying to think of any Federal invented cartridge that ever sold well????????????

BEAR

 I've been trying to think of any Federal invented cartridge that ever sold well????????????

Come on, there are LOTS of cartridges Federal produced or helped develop. Among them are the:

.32 H&R Magnum. Big success! One of my favorite revolver cartridges. Currently, I think that me and probably two other guys in the continental US shoot it.

7/30 Waters. Another hit! I've seen one rifle chambered in 7/30. Never seen any amunition on any dealer's shelf!

Well, at last they didn't develop the .41 Action Express...

Did federal work on the 357 Maximum????????????

Another popular number in my neck of the woods.

BEAR

35-08 maybe!  If it is Remington, they will call it the 9mm-08.

BEAR

this one could work boys, considering the short action craze. you're looking at whole family: .22 cheetah, .243 win, .25 souper, .260 rem, 7mm-08, .308 win, .338-08, .358 win.

betcha federal is tied to a bolt gun manufacturer (looks like sako right now. how 'bout savage?). look for a short, light, do just about everything series. maybe with switch barrels? (again, savage?)

Might be a good cartridge.

     Id want it in a short action model 70, 20 inch barrel , manlicher stock leupold  1.5 X5 VX3 in QDs. with a set of Flip up express sights...tj3006

   PS I would rather do the same rifle in a .358 win...

The 338-08 got some decent press when the old Shooters website was up.  I guess a couple of guys had some pretty good luck with on thin skinned game in Africa.  I find it interesting enough, though, I'm not certain it'll do anything that a good 308 or 358 wouldn't.  

I gotta think this one will wind up with the .356 Win and have a small cult-y following for those that lay hands on a rifle.  IMHO, 788

Cartridge sounds interesting.  I hate to use the word "need" when taliking abouts guns because need has nothing to do with it and we probably don't need this one.  I doubt it does anything that the 325 WSM doesn't do, another cartridge we don't "need" when we have the 350 Rem & 8 X 57.  I have to confess to not understanding the whole short action thing, even though I have a Sav 12 in 300 WSM.  In theory short action & short cartridge equal better accuracy, but I doubt anyone's going to see it in the field and maybe not on the bench.  

Didn't Fedral hook up with Charter Arms a few years ago and come up with a 9mm mag - what a combo.  

The whole short magnum is merely providing an "effectient" amount of powder.  The only time the short fat thing works is when you compare it to cartridges having more powder than can effectiently be burned in the bore.  The cartridges like the 264 win mag with 24 inch barrels can easily be beaten by cartridges that have less powder; a lot of the 254 mag powder is just pushing other powder down the barrel and pressurizing the extra cartridge space.

This is why Winchester had to make the 325 WSM an 8mm.  A new 338 WSM wasn't better than the 338 Win mag; because the bore capacity at 338 is not over capacity for the 300/338 mag case. 

That same 300/338 case IS however,overcapacity at 30 cal. So less powder (300WSm) CAN reach the same or even higher velocity than an ineffecient 300 win mag..  So .338 bore diameter is the biggest the WSM will go, or it will NOT be able to reach the velocity of the long mag shells.

Don't get me wrong.  Who needs the extra marginal velocity for hunting?  But that is the "thing" about the WSMs.

BEAR

thoughts TJ,

I see lots of references to the "new slower powders".  If I think on this re the 300 Win mag.  If I can't burn completely all the "old fast burning" powder in a 26 inch barrel; how would a slower powder help.  Seems it would be less effective?  Sure the long barrels are the key to this problem with magnum cases.  I hunted with a guy who had a 30 inch tube on his 300 H&H improved gun.  He loved the accuracy and velocity.  But few, including me want to hunt with a 30 inch bolt gun.  I'd do it on a Ruger #1 maybe.

I 'think' lots of the hype on the new powders are just a way of saying; we have increased the working pressures in modern guns.  Few reloaders are shooting modern cartridges in the single lug, rear lug bolt guns of the 1800s.  For over 75 years gun, ammo, and reloading powder suppliers have lived in the fear of liability of having shooters fire high pressure modern loads in ancient rifles (win95, Mauser 93/95, even Enfields and Springfields of 75+ years ago).  These were not of high quality consistent metallurgical standards and rear locking guns are "springy" sometimes coupled with slight max headspace conditions can make for a 'running start' of the bolt thrust forces.

just thoughts

BEAR

i am not as optimistic about it as you are, but you make an excellent point regarding ammo availability. federal will have a ton of incentive to get this thing to work, and i would think ammo should be relatively easy to find, and inexpensive, compared to some of the other new cartridges out there (priced wsm, or rum ammo recently???).

i do think a savvy handloader can do a lot w/ this cartridge, especially since it will no longer mean owning a wildcat, handload-only gun - which is probably what holds a lot of great cartridges back (25 rsaum and 17 mk4 come to mind first).

however, i think the gun market has been saturated the past couple years w/ new stuff and me-too hype (ruger especially, and to a lesser extent rem and win)...

options and flexibility is always good - i'm just doubtful about how well this one will be received.

You can't sell much ammo (even if Federal wants to) unless Ruger/win/Rem/Savage chamber and make a lot of rifles.

It cost money to tool for new cartridges, all three have make a large investment tooling for the WSM, WSSM, Ultra, and the RSAUM.  rifle folks are getting tired on having so many cartridges that don't sell.  How fast/slow are rifles being delivered for the 325 WSM?

would a dealer push a short action 338 fed when he has 325 WSM on the shelf?  Nothing wrong with the 338 fed but it will never fly.

338 Fed= death

BEAR

No matter what they call it, it will NEVER out perform the .338 Lapua I built, I think I will just stick to the standard cartridges and let the new puppy cartridges make others happy. It always seemed to me that when a new reduced cartridge came out, with an accronym name, it was like they were trying to steal away from the originals something that they can't, legitimacy......................Kingpin