Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats 338-06 barrel contour?

Throwing together a 338-06 on a m700 action.....have decided on using a Douglass barrel. Any suggestions on barrel contour? Soenthing similar to the factory SPORTER contour or slightly heavier? Figure the walls would be fairly thin with the 33cal hole?

I would go factory Remington Magnum Sporter contour if keeping length reasonable. I had a 22" BDL SS in .338WM and that contour seemed just about right.

Plus you can often find take-off and aftermarket stocks already fitting your barreled action, as it's a fairly popular contour.

I have a Shilen #-3 on mine. Some people like a #-2, I like the 3 better.

I went with a pac-nor 24" in #4 contour because I was adding a brake.

On a M70 action with scope, steel base and rings it is a hair under 10lbs... but I can shoot it all day.

What JPro said, built mine ordered mine .05 OVER the Mag Contour, turned out Hart did it .730, so .055 over. Weighed 8.0 naked in an ADL stock, the early original "heavier/more solid" SS/ADL stock. 23"

If I did again, it would be Mag OEM 22" - had a factory BDL/SS 338 WM I chopped to 22.5, handled MUCH better IMHO.

I Prefer Bartlein, but would run a few others...cut rifled or Lilja/Pac-Nor.

IMR 4320, WW brass partial sized, and 225 Partition or Barnes will do anything you want in a 338 bore FWIW. 2670 in my 23"

200 BTs ran 2910......deer were pole-axed.

I rescued and put back into service a badly rusted pre-64 M-70 in 270, sent it to JES and had it rebored to 338-06, plenty of meat there on that factory barrel to go 338"

It's favorite load features the 210 gr partition at 2800 fps with H-380 powder, it has to be a higher pressure load, although brass holds up nicely, I have no concerns using it in this rebore.

Thanks fellas. Really appreciate it.

My whelen is mag contour. Seems perfect at 20" and ADL. 1.5-4 illuminated #4 Leopold in talleys.

If I was going to build myself a 338-06, I would use a #3 Douglas contour if the stock was fairly light and a #4 if the stock was heavier (balance). GD

Douglas 3 just perfect
Keep it between 21-22" long
I have had two but now use a 35 Whelen

I have been very happy with a copy of the Remington magnum contour.

I built a 338RCM with a #3 at 22" and its just about right for a general purpose rig. It balances very well with standard fill McMillan (32oz) stock.

I also have a 358 at 20" with a #2 and its very thin (and light) The #2 would be ok if you were building something lightweight and mine balances well with a EDGE type stock.

so #3 for a normal rig, #2 for a LW would be my recommendation.

I had a Shaw barrel put on my 338-06. They would only do med-heavy. If I were to do it over I would choose 22" instead of 24" for a better balance. I'm not trying to max out velocity. This has only been used on black bears and deer. 210gr partition of IMR4320. Load recommended to me by Chub Eastman manny years ago. It has proved accurate and effective. Husqvarna commercial action and MPI stock.

Also, I have 1 inch shank cut at 23 inches.

Mine is a rebore of a 270, so Rem Sporter. Stock is a McM KS take-off. Balances beautifully.

Another vote for the Rem Mag contour.

I have this same stock on mine,It works great.

Mine is a duplicate of the 25-06 that was taken off. Balances well it's in a McMillan Lt weight hunter.

Custom barrel in a Remington sporter contour finished at 24”. Fitted with a McMillan EDGE stock, it’s comfortable to carry all day. I wouldn’t go with a magnum contour unless I didn’t care about weight.