.338 Federal in Encore

[Encore28]

I am sure this has been talked about BUT I am interested in hearing if anyone has shot the .338 Federal in the Encore.
I am interested in hearing a range report------accuracy,recoil etc
Thanks for any input

Encore28

[scoe]

I have one and love it.  24 inch barrel from MGM.  Took it on a caribou hunt this past fall and it did a great job.  First bull was shot at 341 yards and the second was shot at 200 yards.  Both bulls were shot behind the sholder.  I am shooting the 180 grain Accubond.  1/2 inch groups at 100 yards from the bench.  This set-up has also taken two deer from 50 to 100 yards.  All shots have been pass throughs with massive internal damage.  Hope thhis helps.

Ryan

[Encore28]

Ryan
Thanks for the info and congrats on the caribou. I am in the process of buying another Encore to use for my PA bear gun-----the .338 Federal is on my short list.
What is the recoil like?  What would you compare it to??
I am considering the 24 or 26 inch barrel.
Thanks again

Encore28

[surveyor47]

I have a 26" medium heavy taper barrel with sights from T/Cs custom shop in 45-70.  I find that the 26" barrel is easier to hold steady and reduces felt recoil.  I prefer this barrel to my 24" carbine barrels.

The front sight screw on my 24" carbine barrel backed out under recoil and required a gunsmith to remove the dovetailed bead sight.  The gunsmith said that half of the the threads were stripped, so he used locktite when he replaced the screw.

What is the advantage of the 338 Federal in comparison to a 30-06? For example:
The 270 Winchester has a flatter trajectory, which is bested by a similar trajectory and heavier bullet weight in the 7mm Remington Magnum.
The 35 Whelen offers better stopping power on bear by virture of greater bullet diameter and bullet weight.

A significant flaw (at least for my purposes) of the 338 Federal is that it operates at magnum pressures rather than standard pressures. Why deal with those pressures, when the 338-06 can do exactly the same job, presumably at lower pressure? 

To me, the short answer is that the great old 35 Whelen of 338-06 ought to be the "go to" rifles when a 30-06 isnt enough and 338 WinMag is too much. What advantage does the 338 Federal have in comparison to the 35 Whelen or better yet, the 338-06 a direct apples to apples comparison? 

The ballistics of the 338-06 are almost identical to the 308 Winchester, except for bigger heavier bullets, so where is the 338 Federals advantage?

 

[Encore28]

Surveyor
You make some good points------------------
I like the .35 Whelen BUT am not a fan of big recoil-I am getting soft in my old age . I have a 350 Rem Mag that I think is the best bear cartridge BUT I only shoot Encores now.
The .338 Federal may not be the BEST choice for my needs BUT I need a heavy caliber with light recoil. Believe me if the .350 Rem Mag would not loosen my dental work in the Encore I would have one.
The 270 and 7mm mag are also nice calibers BUT I am looking for a bullet above .30 caliber.

Thanks for your thoughts on the 26in barrel VS the 24in barrel-------I have a liking for the shorter barrels because of the type of hunting we do(driving swamps and heavy woods)makes carrying a long barreled gun a liability BUT I may get the 26in barrel for the reasons you stated.

Lastly, I also like the .338 Federal because of my liking of oddball calibers--------I know there are a bunch of common calibers(with light recoil)out there that will handle a bear well BUT why be ordinary?

Thanks again for all of your input
Encore28

[Varmint Hunter]

Ryan
Thanks for the info and congrats on the caribou. I am in the process of buying another Encore to use for my PA bear gun-----the .338 Federal is on my short list.
What is the recoil like?  What would you compare it to??
I am considering the 24 or 26 inch barrel.
Thanks again
Encore28

For hunting bears with the Encore I decided on the 20" Katahdin barrel in 45-70. It is very handy, particularly in a treestand. The 45-70 can be shot with full power loads or with rather sedate loads that produce light recoil. Either way they plow a large hole through bears of almost any size.

The 45-70 is also just fun to shoot when you're throwing those big hunks of lead down range. Another nice thing about the 45-70 is that accurate loads can be found at virtually any velocity. That's something you can't say about most bottle-necked cartridges.

[surveyor47]

I believe that the 330-06 can do the job you want at substantially lower pressure than the 338 Federal, 60,000 PSI vs 50,000 PSI. That pressure difference is significant, because of increased blast, reduced case life, and the requirement for relatively fast powders. The 338-06 ought to be very similar to the 30-06 when it comes to reloading. I considered puchasing a 338 Federal barrel, but came to the conclusion the 338-06 is an all around better round.  Thats where I would put my money.

If you are hoofing long distances in rough terrain in tight cover, the 24" barrel is the way to go.  If you plan on hunting an area with more open view, offering shots at over 100 yards, the 26" barrel might be better.  I like the way the 26" steadies out the gun and makes it feel more balanced.

[surveyor47]

You also make a great point that the 35 Whelen while offering greater stopping power than the 30-06, can also knock your fillings out, hence the attraction to a 338 diameter bullet. But lets not forget that the 35 Whelen is first and foremost a bear cartridge, its reason for existance.   

[Birddog 1]

Now you all know that TC has a 338-06 barrel for there Encore bigger case more powder. you can't get the magic powder Federal uses to get the velocity in a 338 Federal.  Nim

[scoe]

Encore28

I got the 24 inch barrel because I mostly hunt deer out of box blinds in Michigan.  My encore is a lot easier to use than my Remington 700 in .270 in those blinds.  Since I already have a .270 I wanted something different that would handle all of my hunting needs, and the .338 Federal does that with about the same recoil as the .270.

Ryan

[Encore28]

Ryan
Thanks for the heads up on the .338 Federal--------------I am in the process of getting an Encore frame and the Endeavor stock set-up. I will order a barrel this Spring(From where I am not sure yet)and have it scoped by the Fall.

Thanks again

Encore28