.338/06

blinddog

blinddog

New member
I am starting to plan my '08 build am thinking I really need somthing with a bit larger diameter than .30 but not so large as 458. I have so far 243,270,30-06, 44 Mag and 45-70, and I am just before finishing my 458 Socom. I was looking into the 338 diameter offerings and came across the .338 Federal, while researching the ballistics on that I found the .338-06 it is a .0-06 case necked to .338 Mv runs from 2500-2900 FPS with bullets from 180-300 Grn this fits my need as far as bullet diameter and wt ranges. Now I am thinking up what rifle. The Federal can be chamberd in the AR 10 Platform but I have two AR's now how difficult would a lever action Browning be to rebarrel? the Chamber pressure on both these rounds is rated at 65,000PSI so am I limited to a bolt or single shot? The TC Encore has barrels in both the Federal and the 338-06 The T-C would be some less expensive to since all I would need to do is buy a barrel and die set.Any opinions? I am thinking Elk in a year or five,Longer range targets the rest of the time. Or just vaporizeing PD's /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
 
I built a 338-06 on a Rem. 700 ADL. It shoots great and I really like it. My MV has been around 2560 With 225 Hornady bullets and 4320. I think I can get that up a little with some 4350. I would go with the 06 over the Federal as you will get better performance in a longer action or single shot with the longer case. Not much but I would utilize any advantage. I am going to work up a load with the 210 Nosler Partition or the barnes 210 TSX bullet. I think both would be great deer/elk bullets.
 
Take a look at the 338 Win Mag; I think you will like what you see. It is the logical step up from 30-06, will do a bit more than the 300 Win Mag and fall just a bit shy of the 375 h&h. A 210 gr. Nos. partition @ 2960 fps is the hammer of Thor on nilgai, deer and hogs. Up to 250 gr. bullets available if you wish to tackle larger game.

Regards,
hm
 
I have a .338-06 A-Square chambered H&R Ultra, the rebored and rechambered 26" 25-06 barrel can push close to 3100fps with the 180gr Accubond using Hodgdon BL-C2/Nosler PT data. I would think a 28" Encore Prohunter barrel would make an excellent donor for reboring and rechambering, and still be short enough to handle better than a bolt rifle with 26" barrel. Of course it's all in the "what you want", not necessarily what's practical or what we need!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
That would be a great choice too, mine with 26" barrel does just shy of 2900fps with the 225gr TSX, maybe someday I'll even get to hunt with it!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
Blinddog,

What an excellent caliber choice. T/C can make you up a "Custom shop" pro hunter fluted barrel for about $350.00 including the flutes ($50.00 of the flutes) or you can buy a pro hunter 338 federal barrel and ship it out to Mike Bellm for re-chambering to 338-06.

IMO the 338-06 does not get the "RESPECT" it deserves. A-Square had SAMMI standardize the cartridge but Weatherby did chamber the round in one rifle for 1 year and then close them out. Weatherby did a "PIZZ" poor job of promoting the cartridge or rifle.

The 25-06 and the 338-06 makes a perfect North American 2 gun battery. The 25-06 will handle game animals up to 250 pounds and anything over 250 pounds the 338-06 will disbatch with ease including animals that can "bite" back.

I would develope handloads using the 185 gr Barnes TSX ( a 30-06 equivelent) or the newer TTSX and any 225gr. bullet of your choice.

A Savage switch barrel rifle would be another option.

There is still Weatherby brass floating out there as well as factory ammo at very high prices.

Hoggy.

Hoggy
 
Not to take anything away from the .338-06 (an excellent choice), but I second the .35 Whelen. Especially in the Ackley Improved version, which will throw a 225 grain Partition or X-bullet upwards of 2700 fps, if you keep your barrel length up to about 24" or so.

Either way you have a good round, with managable recoil and plenty of range (especially using the '06 case length) and thump.
 
The T-C custom shop already offers the Pro Hunter Barrel in stainless or blue. One reason I was thinking the 338-06 is that I have severl hundred 30-06 cases floating around here been loading and shooting them since I was a kid.And as many of you know all that is required isa necking the 06 case up to .338. Plus it has the factor that it is one of Elmer Keiths brainchilds like the 44 MAg
 
The T/C custom shop never did put their fluting equipment in place. They decided 3 months ago to send the barrels to the T/C factory next door for individual barrel fluting.

Hoggy
 
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i was going to make one years ago, but i won a 338 win mag in a raffle
i still have the barrel for a mauser 98 action if your interested in one
todd
 
Been thinking about that one. Just got a new 30-06 M700ADL at a good price but the barrel is POS! Some inspector was really asleep on this one. Plan is to rebarrel in either 30-06 or the 338-06. Haven't really decided yet, you find all kind of argument whether the 210 338-06 load is a better elk gun than the 200 30-06. 30-06 might be easier to resell if push came to shove.
 
The 338-06 is one great cal . You can build the rifle light and it kills as well as the 338 WM. Mine is the Ack Imp 338-06 and it chrono a little over 2900 fps from the 24 inch barrel with Rel 15 and the 210 Scirocco. I have killed the last two bulls i have fired at with one shot each. I used a Left Hand SS 700 Action with 24 inch Pac-Nor barrel and stocked in HS Precision Classic Stock. My rifle groups the Swift bullet 1/2 to 3/4 inchs at 100 yards depending on my shooting ability on a given day. Build the 338-06 you won't be sorry. Great all around big game killer from small to large game. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
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338-06 for the "cool factor" 30-06 to be practical. Resale value will be much better for the 30-06 like you mentioned. I thought about going with the 30-06 and just running premium 180's. I'm sure elk wouldn't like either one however. My only elk was killed with a sharp pointy stick going about 225 fps, so I don't have much practical experience with elk rifles.
 
I built a .338/06 AI almost twenty years ago, and it has become one of my favorites. Shoots 210 grain Nosler partitions into a little over an inch...and I have no idea how many pounds of elk meat it has brought home for us over the years, but it has been more than a few...one guys opinion...good luck!
 
As far as elk rifles go I have killed them with a 270 Winchester, 280 Remington, 7mm Remington Magnum, 300 Winchester Magnum and the 338 Winchester Magnum. Now days I am just as inclined to grab one of the lighter calibers, in a lighter weight rifle, as the biggest elk I ever shot was with a 280 and I do not think that he knew what hit him. My elk season here does not close till the 31st of January and will be finishing off the season with a Ruger 77 243 Winchester loaded with Nosler handloads.

As far as building a rifle I would go for the 338/06. I hunted with a man that had one when I was an impressionable teenager and it still holds a fascination for me. He spoke of it like it was the Hammer of Thor.
 
They say it only runs 100 yards behind the .338 Win Mag on performance. What the mag will do at 400 yards the 338-06 will do at three as far as energy goes. If it's not the "Hammer of Thor" it's pretty close.
 
This could go on forever. I'll vote for the 338-06AI, if you're going for the oddball you might as well "improve" it.

If you're thinking 338 Mag, skip the Winchester version and look at the 338 Lapua
 
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Here is one I had made from a 1940's vintage 1903 A3. It was never drilled and tapped for scope mounts, and I couldn't bring myself to do it. So I went old school with iron sights.
 
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