Author Topic: 338-06 (Read 2166 times)

Wild Man · « **on:** January 04, 2006, 08:34:38 AM »

I was reading my Speer reloading amnual this weekend ( not alot going on at the house over the holidays), and I am very interested in the 338-06. Do any of you have any experiance with this caliber?

Coyote Hunter · « **Reply #1 on:** January 04, 2006, 08:46:13 AM »

No personal experience on game, but I have shot a 1903A3 converted to this caliber. Although I have a 7mm Rem Mag and .300 Win Mag for long range work, Ive only reached past 300 yards ONCE in over 20 years of hunting antelope, deer and elk. During that time I have come to believe that fatter and heavier bullets are better than those of the smaller, lighter and faster persuasion.

The .338-06 has a lot going for it. First, its effective. Second, recoil is reasonable and very manageable. Third, its range is suited to probably 99% of all game taken. Because of the relatively mild recoil, it is arguably a better choice for close range defensive work than its siblings the Win Mag and RUM.

Sourdough · « **Reply #2 on:** January 04, 2006, 09:30:41 AM »

The Moderators (MAC11700 & Quick) of the "NEF/H&R Centerfire Rifle" forum have Handi Rifles rebarrelled to .338-06. I would suggest you go to that forum and ask them any questions you may have. They have been working with that cartridge and can tell you a lot about it.

Wild Man · « **Reply #3 on:** January 04, 2006, 10:50:14 AM »

Sourdough,
Thanks for the info. I will post over there and see what I can find out.

jnclement · « **Reply #4 on:** January 05, 2006, 06:15:26 AM »

I was building one on a Savage for a Nilgai hunt, but a primer blew on some Weatherby ammo and torched my bolt face. I found a great deal on a 300 Winmag about the same time, so I dropped the project for now. I think the 338-06 had more recoil than the Winmag, but it could be related to the weight of the rifle.

Mac11700 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 05, 2006, 07:42:57 PM »

Quote from: jnclement

I was building one on a Savage for a Nilgai hunt, but a primer blew on some Weatherby ammo and torched my bolt face. I found a great deal on a 300 Winmag about the same time, so I dropped the project for now. I think the 338-06 had more recoil than the Winmag, but it could be related to the weight of the rifle.

Truthfully...it has more to do with your stock dimensions between the 2 cartridges.. than just more recoil...It really doesn't kick that bad in my 8.5lb Handi Rifle..and accuracy is outstanding...

The range report is here...
http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=74795

WildMan:

I'm not expert on the 338-06...but I do have a rebored 25-06 single shot NEF Ultra rifle...and have taken exactly 1 deer with it so far...it did good and drop the doe in her tracks..I was using the newer 180 Accubond bullet moving right out there at 3050 fps(3 grains shy of max loads for this one)...Do I like the cartridge...yup...would I ever get a bolt gun in it...Yup...and I would let Wayne York at Oregunsmithing do the work for me again...Quickdtoo on the NEF/H&R centerfire rifles forum has worked with more of the heavier weight bullets than I have...but this winter I will be loading up a bunch of different weights for it all the way up to 300 grains...Drop me a PM if you need my data for it..Also...pick up a Nosler #5 manual and the new Hodgdons 2006 Annual Manual for some interesting loads...and also the Barnes #3...

Thought I might add...if you want a short action...that doesn't give up too much difference ...take a look at the new 338 Federal...it's a 308 case necked up for the .338 bullet...

Mac

longwalker · « **Reply #6 on:** January 19, 2006, 12:05:22 PM »

I built one to hunt larger game. I used a savage 110 and rebarreled to 338-06. I have found that the 200 grin bullets give excellant results on Deer size game. 225 Grain bullets seem to shoot slightly better but not so much better. When the 200 grain bullets are gone I' ll reload the next batch with 225. The real surprise for me was the lack of adjacant meat damage. The bullet passes through with a large wound channel that has in my experience, four deer, dropped three and had an other travel about 10 feet.

I have a high confidance with this rifle. Maybe it's because I built it and worked up the loads. My feeling is I can use it for just about anything.

Longwalker

nasem · « **Reply #7 on:** January 19, 2006, 02:20:48 PM »

I do not own a 338-30, but i have shot it before, I just want to let you know that after 7 rounds, I stopped shooting it. You how how people say "kicks like a mule" ? well, from my experience, the 338-30 kicked like an elephant with full factory loads.......... It doesn't "shove" you back, but it STINGS sooo fast & hard. That was the worst recoil experience I have ever seen, I will never shoot a 338-30

If you want massive knock down power, why are you going with ultra fast / small caliber bullets ? a 375 h&h with 270 gr going around 2600 FPS has more knockdown power that any 338-30. and if you want something that will reach ALL the way out there, try the standard 7mm mag or 300 win mag.

And if you like some "recoil" + range, get a 300 RUM, I own one, and the recoil isn't like a 338-30, however, since my rifle is over 9.5 lbs, the recoil is very managable.

nasem · « **Reply #8 on:** January 19, 2006, 02:23:15 PM »

and another GREAT long range caliber is the 7 mm RUM or the 7mm weatherby mag,

Don Fischer · « **Reply #9 on:** January 23, 2006, 11:40:44 AM »

Mac 11700 wrote:

Quote

but I do have a rebored 25-06 single shot NEF Ultra rifle...

Quote

Where did you get that done and what did it cost? I've got a Paul Jaeger 1903 Springfield in 30-06 that's had about all the corrosive military primers it can stand shot thru it. Don't want to get rid of the barrel it's got, just re-bore and want the 338-06.

Lone Star · « **Reply #10 on:** January 23, 2006, 12:41:42 PM »

Quote

I do not own a 338-30, but i have shot it before, I just want to let you know that after 7 rounds, I stopped shooting it. You how how people say "kicks like a mule" ? well, from my experience, the 338-30 kicked like an elephant with full factory loads.......... .

The cartridge under discussion is the semi-wildcat .338-06, a .30-06 case necked up to .338 caliber. I believe that you are talking about another cartridge altogether.

My .338-06 started life as a .30-06 M7600 Remington, bored to .338-06. It has harvested Kodiak blacktails and some caribou just fine. The 200 Speer is the bullet for deer, perfect performance in the little .338's velocity window. Recoil is heavier than the '06 but not terrible by any means, noticeably less than my .338 Mag. The .338-06 falls a couple hundred fps behind the Magnum, but for most uses it is a great cartridge IMO.

nasem · « **Reply #11 on:** January 23, 2006, 12:58:37 PM »

you know what, Lone Star is right, i was talkin about a TOTALLy different round, sorry, when i saw 338-06 the nightmare of the 338-30 struck me and I went on and on about how horrible the recoil was

sorry-

quickdtoo · « **Reply #12 on:** January 23, 2006, 01:03:09 PM »

Quote from: Don Fischer

Mac 11700 wrote:

Quote
but I do have a rebored 25-06 single shot NEF Ultra rifle...
Quote

Where did you get that done and what did it cost? I've got a Paul Jaeger 1903 Springfield in 30-06 that's had about all the corrosive military primers it can stand shot thru it. Don't want to get rid of the barrel it's got, just re-bore and want the 338-06.

Don,

Wayne York of Oregunsmithing did both of ours, cost was $300. He's a bit behind in his work right now due to his move east, but he does excellent work, uses 6 groove cut rifling.

Tim

http://home.earthlink.net/%7Eoregunsmithing/index.html

Gregory · « **Reply #13 on:** January 23, 2006, 01:40:02 PM »

Quote from: nasem

you know what, Lone Star is right, i was talkin about a TOTALLy different round, sorry, when i saw 338-06 the nightmare of the 338-30 struck me and I went on and on about how horrible the recoil was

sorry-

What is a 338-30?

nasem · « **Reply #14 on:** January 23, 2006, 02:04:44 PM »

weatherby 338-30, its 30 caliber bullet that goes even faster than 300 RUM, 180 grain is like 3450 FPS, harsh recoil

Lone Star · « **Reply #15 on:** January 23, 2006, 03:47:28 PM »

Quote

weatherby 338-30, its 30 caliber bullet that goes even faster than 300 RUM, 180 grain is like 3450 FPS, harsh recoil

Nope, you are confusing the .30-.378 Weatherby with the .338-06. There is no such thing as a .338 Weatherby, but there is the huge .378 Weatherby, which is the basis for the .30-.378 Weatherby.

realidahorock · « **Reply #16 on:** February 14, 2006, 05:47:48 AM »

Howdy-I use a 338-06AI and love it. Not to be argumentative but my brother in law hunts right along side of me with a 338 WEATHERBY :wink: realidahorock

quickdtoo · « **Reply #17 on:** February 14, 2006, 05:57:57 AM »

I don't see .338 Weatherby ammo listed on the Weatherby site, but they do chamber their Vangaurd rifles in .338 Win mag...

http://www.weatherby.com/productCart/pc/viewCat_P.asp?idCategory=28

http://www.weatherby.com/products/ammo.asp?prd_id=19

CowboyEngr · « **Reply #18 on:** February 14, 2006, 11:31:46 AM »

The long standing Weatherby in .338 caliber is the 340 Weatherby. It's the belted Weatherby case necked to .338. Also, didn't Weatherby do a run of rifles in 338/06 recently?

Mac11700 · « **Reply #19 on:** February 14, 2006, 02:57:33 PM »

Yes Weatherby made the Mark 5 in 338-06 up until last year.They aren't catalogging it anymore.They still sell the ammo..so does A-square and Nosler...

Mac

realidahorock · « **Reply #20 on:** February 14, 2006, 05:38:50 PM »

Weatherby really does make a 338 Win. Mag and the 340 Wyb. mag. They are different monsters. They have been doing this for a very long time I believe. Life is good, BestLever

longwalker · « **Reply #21 on:** February 16, 2006, 10:26:20 AM »

I forgot to mention the resulting adjacant meat damage one gets from "high" velocity bullets is considerably less with the 338-06. I was surprised by the lack of blood shot meat often found with high velocity bullets. ( 25-06 ) Plus the wound channel is impressive. Assuming you are hunting for something other than a wall decoration it is a very good choice.

longwalker

beemanbeme · « **Reply #22 on:** February 16, 2006, 01:39:22 PM »

To hijack this thread for a moment, the proper term is 30-338. A .338 case necked to .308. Sameo, sameo as a .308 Norma Mag

kombi1976 · « **Reply #23 on:** February 16, 2006, 03:08:41 PM »

Quote from: longwalker

I forgot to mention the resulting adjacant meat damage one gets from "high" velocity bullets is considerably less with the 338-06. I was surprised by the lack of blood shot meat often found with high velocity bullets. ( 25-06 ) Plus the wound channel is impressive. Assuming you are hunting for something other than a wall decoration it is a very good choice.

longwalker

Some of the guys hunting with bigger bores like 45-70 at moderate velocity talk about eating right up to the wound.
Much less explosive effect and efficient knock down.
I could be wrong, but wouldn't heavy for calibre bullets have a similar effect?
For example, a 175gn 7x57 or a 215gn .303 Brit round doesn't push the bullet nearly as fast but the penetration is superior and it shouldn't be as bloodshot around the wound because the initial shock is less.

Mac11700 · « **Reply #24 on:** February 17, 2006, 05:46:29 AM »

Quote from: longwalker

I forgot to mention the resulting adjacant meat damage one gets from "high" velocity bullets is considerably less with the 338-06. I was surprised by the lack of blood shot meat often found with high velocity bullets. ( 25-06 ) Plus the wound channel is impressive. Assuming you are hunting for something other than a wall decoration it is a very good choice.

longwalker

I agree..I took a very small doe with mine last deer season..and lost no meat at all using the Nosler 180 Accubond..it it dropped it in it's tracks..I think it is a very good cartridge..it may not seem like a good deer gun..but it works rather well without it slamming you like some of the other magnums..I can't wait to try it on much larger game..

Mac

powerguy · « **Reply #25 on:** February 18, 2006, 12:51:22 AM »

Forget all the 338-06 and 30-378 stuff. Instead get a 338 win mag and be done with it. Load it up with 250gr partitions and you can kill anything on this continent with authority period. And ammo is very easy to come by. If recoil is a problem either get used to it or sell it and just hunt squirrels with a 22lr.

handirifle · « **Reply #26 on:** February 18, 2006, 12:11:45 PM »

Quote from: powerguy

Forget all the 338-06 and 30-378 stuff. Instead get a 338 win mag and be done with it. Load it up with 250gr partitions and you can kill anything on this continent with authority period. And ammo is very easy to come by. If recoil is a problem either get used to it or sell it and just hunt squirrels with a 22lr.

"Powerguy"

Come across pretty harsh for someone who just joined. Ever stop to think there MIGHT be another caliber someone might actually ENJOY hunting with that will do the job? Not everyone really WANTS to be kicked like a mule, me for one.

Comments like that are harsh, rude and uncalled for. Feel free to hunt deer with a 338 Win Mag if that floats your boat but you have zero ground to stand on by calling others weak if they don't want harsh recoil.

rich5674 · « **Reply #27 on:** February 18, 2006, 01:51:29 PM »

Hey Powerguy I'll say it again, They are made of thin skin, flesh and blood, MEAT, not Kevlar, oak or steel! I'm talkng about deer and elk. We like to talk about all these fancy new calibers because we're gun nuts, but as Townsend Whelen said " You are never wrong with the 30-06". Keep the magnums. I tend to think they are for people that are poor shots before they bought the rifle or are shooting too far from their target instead of stalking closer.

powerguy · « **Reply #28 on:** February 20, 2006, 12:23:38 AM »

HANDIRIFLE, I did not post that you or anyone is "weak" please reread it. I just stated that a 338 win mag. with 250gr will get it done and that is all. People that are afraid of recoil usually do not shoot that much. If recoil is a problem then they can put a simms pad on their gun and that will help out tremendously. There was nothing rude about my initial post but it did occur to me that your ego may be softer than your shoulder (now that was rude) HA ha ha take care guys and no harshness was intended here. Lots of calibers will get it done. 22 lr -700 nitro express, there is no right one.

killdeer · « **Reply #29 on:** February 20, 2006, 05:56:02 PM »

Powerguy,
welcome to Graybeard Outdoors!