[Mowgli Terry]

I got a couple of projects going at the same time. One ongoing project is a Tikka T3 in 338 Federal. These Tikka's are dandy rifles. This is an older rifle that came used with Warne rings. The scope is a VX-2 Leupold 2-7 variable. My brass is reformed 308.

Just wonder if anybody here has loaded, hunting or shot a T3 in 338 Federal. I think these rifles are outstanding. I'd like to get some comments on the T3's in any caliber. Also, some shared information on 338 Federal would be helpful.

 

[Terry_P]

My only experience was several years ago I tried to make a deal on a used one in 300 Win Mag. The action was like butter and the rifle in beautiful shape but the price seemed quite high and the retailer would not budge off it at all so I walked away.

 

[Mowgli Terry]

he action was like butter and the rifle in beautiful shape but the price seemed quite high and the retailer would not budge off it at all so I walked away.

Ditto. Found a nearly new Tikka in 7mm Magnum in a pawn shop. Ask the price. One could go to Sportsman's and buy one new for that much. No dealing with those people.

 

[Terry_P]

As I recall it was $800 back in the 90's. That was too big a hill for me to climb. It was at the Kittery Trading Post and they wouldn't take $50 less. I don't know what suggested retail was in the late 90's but I'm thinking it wasn't much more than that. I told them if they were that proud of it they probably should hang on to it.

 

[Mowgli Terry]

338 Federal: I got into to the bullet library in the Skunk Works. Found 200, 215 and 225 gr. 338 Caliber bullets. I got some Shooters World Precision Rifle that is very similar to Varget. I have gotten part boxes of these exotic bullets at trade days at the club.

I'm going to scrounge up some more same brand 308 brass for making 338 Federal cases. A cat urinated in the Chrony. No more Chronograph. I'm thinking the 338 Federal is the American equivalent 9.3x57 We are not blessed with heavy low velocity bullets is the real difference. If there was a 275 gr. bullet the would work at the lower velocity there wouldn't be much difference.

Incidentally, a friend gifted me with a box of a variety of 8mm bullets. I'm gonna do some loading for my Husqvarna 8mm sporter. I'd like to do some shooting with the 9.3x57's and 338 Federal, I got some of the old 275gr. Speer bullets in the Skunk Works. The box of 8mm bullets includes bullets from Sierra, Hornady and Barnes.

The old Saturn is down. This gives me a chance to do some loading. Also, got the lawn mower running already.It's peaceful in the neighborhood. I don't mind hanging out by myself here at the house. I missed our weekly handgun shoot. Hopefully, I'll be there next week. The guy that fixes my stuff was at the club today testing some loads at 300 yards. Guy sent me some pictures of his trophy's from hunts in Africa and Russia. You can meet some really interesting people shooting.

 

[Terry_P]

What did he shoot in Russia? Everyone hears about the Russian Bears and Bore, and I know they used to have a big Wolf population. I imagine in the eastern sections they have Caribou, Musk Ox, Polar Bear and other artic game.

I never owned any rifle calibers larger than 30/06 but I did contemplate converting one of my 06's to 35 Whelan or 338/06. Once I had the rotator cuff surgery on the right shoulder in 2015 I put the idea to bed. Now I'm trying to figure out how to reduce recoil on my 12 ga with the rifled BBL. The problem I have is, it is most accurate with Federal 3" Sabots and anything else opens way up at 100 yards. I am going to try some reduced recoil 2 3/4" at some point.

I tried reloading something very similar to LBC Sabot Slug 12ga (25/pak)-ballisticproducts.com . I had two problems. The first is the tip that sticks out when you roll crimp the slug over it. In a tubular magazine I refused to load more than one because of primer contact with the tip of the slug behind it. The second thing is with the loading data they provided my groups were tough to measure as they weren't groups more like a foot apart.

 

[Mowgli Terry]

Friend is on the way here to pick up project gun. I ask him if had taken anything in addition to the brown bear. He had sent me picture's of game he had taken. The were forwarded to another friend who is working up a 416 Rigby loads. This friend is shopping for a scope for that 550. My hunter friend is going to take a look at my CZ 550. It's an older gun with no recoil bolts.

Added: Friend spoke at length on the trip to Russia He only hunted brown bear He did take a good bear. He explained that these Russian bears were comparable those on Kodiak Island.

The 35 Whelen is a great cartridge. The cases are easy to form. There's plenty of loading data. Performance is on the heels on the 338 Winchester. Back in the day we had built up a 338-06. The bullet selection for the 339-06 is more extensive that than the 35's. I find the Whelen to be an easy to live with cartridge with good accuracy.


I don't know anything about loading shotgun slugs. it's time I did some homework. To me the hardest kicking gun I shot lately is my 870 with high brass buckshot loads. .I had the notion to work on loading buckshot. That too, is matter for some homework..Were you using a rifled shotgun barrel. I was impressed with the accuracy of slugs in my non-rifled 870.

I can recognize the shotgun components when I see them. Meaning I don't know anything about it. There's always something new to learn.

 

[Terry_P]

I shot skeet at an RV Park in Texas we used to go to. The renters had built a 5 station range with two throwers on the edge of the park. That is when I got into reloading shotshell as I was going thru 100-150 rounds a week and the cost then if I reloaded was about $1.30 a box vs. $4-5.00 retail for new. Once I got into it I would bring a loader and most components and buy shot down there once I ran out. We would pick up all the hulls after we were done and the reloaders would help themselves. It was a fun way to spend 3 months in the winter.

 

[Mowgli Terry]

I did some pretty extensive bird hunting years ago. Hunting quail was not like dove shooting. We were hunting on fallow overgrown farm land. The volume of dove loads we were buying would not put somebody into poor house. My main firearm was an older Ithaca Model 37 20ga. pump. I'd use high velocity shells. Our terrain made the choice shells practical.. I recently patterned the household 870 with Remington #4 buckshot loads and some field loads. I just don't remember patterns this good in the old days. I suppose it all has to do with better shells and choke technology.

I have not hunted birds in many years. I recently got a Ruger 28ga. O/U. I looks like a wonderful upland game gun. I remembered the old days using a 28gr. 870 Skeet gun. I realized in the old days that was some over my pay grade with that 870. There's an unused MEC 600 in the outbuilding. I may, as a possibility, cast some up some slugs and give it a try, Yes, there's some 0 buck here too. I can see another boondoggle on the way.

 

[Terry_P]

I have a Ruger Red Label in 12 GA with 26" BBLs. It fits me like it was custom and the fit of a shotgun is what makes the difference. I have about 4500 rounds thru it and it still looks new.

A 28 Ga must be a sweet looking, handling and shooting gun.

 

[bearcatter]

I honestly didn't know there was a 28 gauge.
The Red Labels were very nice. Can't understand Ruger dropping them, wonder if they'll come back.

 

[Mowgli Terry]

A 28 Ga must be a sweet looking, handling and shooting gun.

Those Red Label's are nice shotguns. I only fired enough rounds to make sure the selective trigger was working. There no sign the gun has ever been shot very much. This gun is like other Ruger's here. Attention to details on the metal to make sure the gun works. Wood is "proud." Overall, the gun fits and swings well. Looks like there was too much competition from foreign OU makers to keep Ruger in the shotgun business.

 

[bearcatter]

Some buyers don't care that "quality" and "cheap" are two different things.

 

[Terry_P]

I suspect the cost of production was too much for Ruger's price point.

 

[Mowgli Terry]

I suspect the cost of production was too much for Ruger's price point.

I remember that there seemed to be some problems with the guns. In the day there were complaints about the triggers and ejectors. This may have frightened away prospective customers. There also several older O/U that did not have problems. I thinking of Winchester and Browning branded guns.

Maybe Ruger does not do well out of the world of workhorse rifles and handguns. I'm thinking of the shotgun and the Number One. The Ruger SxS never really saw the light of day.

 

[Terry_P]

The only issue I had was shells I had reloaded a few times and the brass heads thinned slipping past the ejectors. A pain in the butt until you figured out the secret handshake. Then you start paying more attention when you put shells in. What I like about my RL is it fits so well it shoots where I look. No aiming just look at the bird, lead and it goes boom.

 

[Mowgli Terry]

I was doing some homework on the 338 Federal with Hornady 200gr. bullet #3310 That bullet was plugged into my antique ballistics program. One feature is a "point blank zero. Pick how high you want the bullet above the line of sight you want the bullet. This old time program with give you a 100 yard zero related to high you want that bullet above the line of sight. In this case it was 2.69" high at 100 yards. That would be a 210 yard zero for +3" above the line of sight. Maximum range is 240 yards. At that range the bullet 3" below the line of sight.

The velocity was plugged in a 2600 fps-a top load. These are some of the figures.Max range where that bullet is 3" below the line of sight is 240 yards. At 250 yards the load has 1804 ft-lbs. of energy One the downside this bullets is discontinued. The velocity range is 2500fps to 3300 fps from the Hornady 10th. edition book. I have a few of these bullets to start. I'll give the new chronograph a try the 338 Federal. I gonna have to look for a lower velocity range bullet. I'm hell on chronographs.

All this may be exciting as watching the paint dry. All these numbers are meaningless unless confirmed by actual range time.
My impression is the 338 Federal is a heavy bullet option depending on one's preference of energy levels and bullet choice.