Please excuse my ignorance, I have never built or had a custom rifle built for me. I'm extremely intrested in the thought of a .338 federal based on a fn pbr xp. Just wanted to hear what the more experienced have to say. Thanks
can a .308 win be made into a .338 federal?
- Thread starter creech
- Start date
That's it? Would my pbr mag work or do I need new bottom metal? It's going to be a long while before I can afford to do much so I have time to get everything together. Also any brand suggestions on barrel, or recommended smiths?
Different strokes, man...
OP: 308 mags will work fine. The 338fed is just a 308 necked up to .338". It has the trajectory of a slow pitch softball, which is why you wontfjnd many folks around here very interested in it. For knocking critters on their ass a couple hundred yards away, it'll do fine.
For barrels and smiths, please search a little, this has been covered EXTENSIVELY. In short, any of the name brand barrels are good, and any of the gunsmiths talked about here on the hide are totally worth their salt.
I reckon so and im not knocking the ops idea but the 338 was made because you couldnt feed anything longer in an ar 10, it seems like a novelty more than a response to a needed cartridge. Its trajectory is awful, as a cartridge its not particularly efficient and bullets are expensive for the 338 in comparison to anything else. Im not trying to pee in the mans pool I'm actually curious why he wants to build one as opposed to one of the other 308 offspring
I hear you. I can't think of any application where I'd prefer a 338fed over...well, any of the other 308 based cartridges. Maybe its better for subsonic use?
Actually, how about a 250-300gr round nose @ 1050fps through a can? That would kick ass!
For target shooting or killing though, I'll take the 7mm-08 any day.
For subsonic though you could go the 338 whisper, again more efficient and lighter. Id go with one 6.5 or 7mm offspring of the 308 and call it a day but like you said different strokes.. to the op if its what you want knock yourself out and enjoy just please post some pics, always like to see customs
I looked into the .338 federal for a little bit. My use was going to be a compact, lightweight rifle that handled and balanced like a short barreled .308, but slung 225-250 grain pills out at a modest speed....for hunting elk in the doghair thick timber here on the west side of washington. where a long shot is 150 yards....although most of the elk I've killed in heavy jack fir and timber in this area you'd be better off with a shotgun than a scoped rifle.....its a temperate rainforest.
After considering the .338 federal or the rugers .338 RCM I moved on to the .325WSM...but time will tell whether or not these calibers will fall by the wayside and be forgotten and abandoned by shooters and factories that produce them and components.
Although as one of the guys brought up above, its a novel idea to build a large frame AR based off of that round.....hmmmm interesting.
Although as one of the guys brought up above, its a novel idea to build a large frame AR based off of that round.....hmmmm interesting.
I hear you with regards to long shots round here, I grew up in south texas before moving to western washington where a short shot is aroumd the 200 yard marker, and after getting over the idea of a one week deer season for rifle decided to make the most of it and grab my rifle and go. Went to scout areas around sultan and found deer in clear cut areas, thought ok I can play with this, I'm used to the elevation game and the distances are reasonable, opening day I grabbed my 14 lb 308 and a pop up blind and went to an area where deer had been traveling, my first and only shot of season was at around 20 yards. Figured it must be a fluke till the next year was exactly the same. After that I decided to hell with this and switched to a lever action 35 rem. and now a ruger no. 1 in 45/70. Probably more than I need for a blacktail but a 325 gr flex tip does good work on black bear.
