ORIGINAL: switchbackXT_shooter
.338 federal is a 308 win. case necked up to .338 in. dia. they say it develops more speed and is better on the recoil. looks like a step up from the .308 to me so if you think 308 win. is a little bit small then why not look at the .338. its perfect if you dont (or wont) want to get a magnum.
Just remember the .308 is the us millitarys 7.62 mm cartrige. the same cartrige that replaced the 30-06 as the main battle rifles round. then it was delligated to some machine guns and mostly sniper duty. mostly with the SF now, the standard issue GI JOE average soldier gets a m-16 in 5.56 (aka hopped up .223 remington) now a days. just fyi.
also I was wanting a .308 to put next to my 270 win. in the gun safe but im looking for a rifle in .338 federal that I like for my deer hunting and the 270 will under go a make over to become my main cyote sniper gun.
yeah...i realize that..i spent 8 years in the army,{ 18 month combat deployment to iraq.}...and i was a combat engineer, digging up mines and disarming roadside bombs aka IED's..so i wasent a 'pogie or a fobbit' who never saw the outside of the wire. so i know that the military uses the 308 in there M 240 series,B,G,E and so on. the GI was given the M-14 in the early 60's then thay went to M-16A1 and A2 and then A3 and now there useing the M-16a3 flattop and the M-4, the m-14 was 308 and there were somedays i wished i would have had one of those. you hardly ever see a "sniper' rifle over there. and the ones i did see were old 30-06 grands and 50 cal barretts. fyi but thanks brizbo