7mm-08 vs. .338 Federal

[BUNDUKI]

if you are looking for a truly versatile rifle for africa i dont think you can go wrong with a .375H&H Mag.
i have taken game from duiker to cape buffalo with one and never found it wanting .
you can load bullets from 200gns all the way up to 380gns .the long cartridge feeds like a dream
if your ammo doesnt show up at your destination you can be assured your PH will always be able to lay his hands on some .375H&H i think he would struggle to find you some .338 Fed.
i use a win mod 70 CRF bedded into a mcmillain stock had the barrel cut a 22" put a swarovski 3-9x36 in a set of talley qd rings so i can still use the irons. it weighs in at 81/2lbs scoped and balances properly which i think is very important for a african rifle as most shots are taken off and or off sticks
regarding meat / hide damage on smaller game i find it is a lot less than many lighter calibres. i have used it on red dear and driven boar in europe with satisfying results.
just my 2cents
hope its helpfull

 

[sambo3006]

The 338 Fed sounds like a good choice for a short action light weight rifle. The larger bullets will do the job on the heavier critters and the Barnes 160 gr TTSX would shoot just as flat as your 7mm-08.

 

[Autorotate19]

How bout the .325 WSM?

 

[winmag]

How bout the .325 WSM?

+1 I just read this post from beginning to end and was immediately thinking the same thing. .325WSM is simmilar to a 300 in trajectory, but also simmilar to a .338 in energy delivered. Not to mention its on a short action like you want.
Balisticly superior to anything mentioned yet in a short action.
.325WSM .325WSM .325WSM .325WSM Hands down

 

[McStern]

Dear all,

many thanks again for all your input.
Concerning the .325 WSM: two potential drawbacks as far as I can see:
- standard short actions are mostly too slim, are they not?
- short barrels (22'') are probably not the best thing to go for?


thanks for your thoughts.

M

 

[3006savage]

Short action really limits your choices when you are talking African Game. 325 WM would be my best choice with something like a 220 grain AFrame.

 

[338 bruce]

if its going to be a custum rifle why not a 338 wsm?

 

[Miller Outdoors]

A caliber that comes to mind that would fit your situation very well is .35 Whelen.

 

[garys43077]

I'd go with the .338 Federal. Here's why: yes they 7mm-08 and the .338 F have about the same powder capacity but guess what? The .338 burns more of it's powder in the barrel. Think of it this way, longer barrels burn more powder right, is it a function of length or volume of the tube? I say volume, and the .338 F with a barrel of equal length as a 7mm-08 has more volume in the barrel, it is therefore more efficient. When I first read the ballistics of the .338 F I was sceptical, then I ran one over my chrono. Holy Crap, I had to think long and hard about how such a small case could push a 200gr bullet at just under 2700 fps from a 22 inch barrel. The only thing that could explain it was the volume of the bore relating to the burn efficiency of the powder. Let me sum this up for you, both cartridges can go 2700 fps; the .338 Federal does it with 200grs while the 7mm-08 does it with difficulty with a 160 gr bullet.

 

[Fitch]

I'd go with the .338 Federal. Here's why: yes they 7mm-08 and the .338 F have about the same powder capacity but guess what? The .338 burns more of it's powder in the barrel. Think of it this way, longer barrels burn more powder right, is it a function of length or volume of the tube? I say volume, and the .338 F with a barrel of equal length as a 7mm-08 has more volume in the barrel, it is therefore more efficient. When I first read the ballistics of the .338 F I was sceptical, then I ran one over my chrono. Holy Crap, I had to think long and hard about how such a small case could push a 200gr bullet at just under 2700 fps from a 22 inch barrel. The only thing that could explain it was the volume of the bore relating to the burn efficiency of the powder. Let me sum this up for you, both cartridges can go 2700 fps; the .338 Federal does it with 200grs while the 7mm-08 does it with difficulty with a 160 gr bullet.

I don't know about volume, but the area on the back of the bullet is considerably larger which means that the same pressure will create proportionally more push on the bullet.

Fitch

 

[topbrass]

I don't know about volume, but the area on the back of the bullet is considerably larger which means that the same pressure will create proportionally more push on the bullet.

Fitch

And more push means what?

 

[flashhole]

If you are not burning all the powder in the barrel you are using the wrong powder.

 

[Fitch]

And more push means what?

More push equals more acceleration. Simplifying a complex situation for discussion purposes, the basic equation for acceleration F = ma rearranged gives a = F/m which says more force on the back of the bullet gives more acceleration. It also says that smaller mass will accelerate faster for the same force. F = net force on object being accelerated, m = mass of object being acted on by the force, a = acceleration (all in some consistent system of units). In the case of the bullet there are a number of forces - the one that accelerates the bullet at any given moment is the pressure in the bore (pounds per square inch) acting on the cross sectional area of the bullet (square inches). More area means more force all other things being equal.

Fitch

 

[topbrass]

I thought that a larger area would require more pressure to get equal acceleration.