I was thinking about buying a Tikka T-3 Lite in 338 Federal. Does anyone have one? Hows the recoil? I have a T-3 lite in 7MM-08 and its snappy but not rude. Just wondering how the T-3 is in that cal.

I cant picture any .308 brother kicking....

The 338 Federal is right much stiffer than the .308 if you put it in a light weight rifle. Big difference between 165 and 200 grains. I'd say its about comparable to a lighter weight 30-06 with a heavier bullet. Or really about on par with a 7mm Mag...in a standard rifle. Recoil is tough to quantify. It is a lot less than your standard 338 Win Mag though.

I watched a TV special on the 338 Federal the other evening. They had a fifteen minute segment on the new cartridge. I am not sure if you can trust everything they say on TV, but if you can trust them, then the cartridge should be a dandy. Federal said they canload from a 160 to 250 grain bullet. They recommended the 200 grainer. Federal said they formulated a special powder. They were shooting the cartridge in a Kimber 84M that is suppose to weigh 5lbs. 5ozs. The people who shot the rifle said the recoil was not much more than a 308 Winchester, even in the light Kimber rifle. Tom.

is itcomparable ballisticallyto the 338 Lapua? The lapua is a mag right? is the 338 federal a mag as well? or am I really confused?

If you find the 7mm-08 "snappy" them you better not think about getting a more potent caliber, at least in the Tikka lite.
IMHO the Tikka is a great gun for 243-270 & 308. When you start talking calibers that have more recoil they are too light unless an experienced rifleshooter and recoil is not an issue. You'd be better served going to a heavier rifle.

The 308 has more punch than the 7mm08 and more than the 243, so I am going to say that a 338 would be more than my 308.. To me I don't see the benefit of it..

i think they made that cartridge for people who dont like the brutal kick of the 338 Win Mag it would be good for anything........ without blowing a hole through it like the 338 Win Mag

I'd say you are confussed... The 338 fed is simply a 308 case that has been necked up to 338 cal.. NOW the 338 LAPUA is all together a different story. It is based on a necked down 416 Rigby cartridge which can produce recoil levels that most shooter would find very uncomfortable.. But man do the LAPUA'S everSHOOT FLATandHIT HARD!!!
The LAPUA is a mag shell it just isn't belted.

anything that shoots like a light .30-06 IMO isn't kicking much at all. I'm sure in a lightweight setup a .338 federal will kick harder than say a .243, or 7mm-08, though I've sometimes heard neckdown causes more kick than the actual weight of the bullet being shot.

Also, who cares about kick? I've yet to shoot anythign really big, but an unscoped .340wby at about 8lbs, didn't kick much at all either, now that I'm a full sized adult, my .270 gives me alove tap, the .300 and 340 kick and I feel it, but guns kick, who cares? I dont lose a contact....or detach retinas, and can shoot it a few times more without worry, im not going to plink all day with it. I really don't forsee a .375h&h, or .416rigby/rem or .458 lott really being much to deal with either, that .458 may be stiff, but I'm pretty sure I can handle it without much concern. If kick makes your worry about accuracy, then sure but once you learn to control your finger/flinching...then kick really doesn't matter.