Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 338-06 recoil???

Got my eye on a two really nice rifles. They are the same model. One is chambered in 338-06 and the other is in 275 Rigby. If I am to buy one or the other, it will be my go-to rifle. I mostly hunt deer, but every few years I have a moose or elk tag.

What is the 338-06 recoil comparable to? I am not recoil shy per se, but I am also not gonna be running out and buying some sort of ultra mag either.

Any help would be appreciated.

I run 50 grains of 4064 with a 250 grain RN... and 60 grains of H 380.... the 4064 load kicks like an 06 with a 180 grain bullet...

the H 380 kicks like an 06 with say a 200 or 220 grain bullet...

definitely noticeably less than anything in that caliber range with the word Magnum attached to it...

It is heavier than a 30-06, but not as unpleasant as a 300 Mag. More of a push that a fast hit. You can load it to very acceptable recoil for your deer hunts with 200 gr bullets.

But gun weight and stock shape make a lot of difference.

If you said you hunted mostly elk and moose, with the occasional deer, I would say 338-06 is a good choice. Since the ratio is reversed, I would probably go with the 275 Rigby.

A 30/06.

The 7 Mouser would kick less and dump the occasional elephant....

Recoil: .338-06 is like a .30-06 with 180's or heavier, depending on your setup. I had a mauser in a heavy stock, and with RL-15 under 210 TSX's, it recoiled noticeably less than my 700 Whelen shooting 250's.

Skookum: Having a Rigby in your stable means that at least 38.334% of the Campfire will bow down to you regularly. There's no contest on this one. And yes, it will take elk & moose without fuss: light TSX's driven fast, or 175 Partitions loafing along, it remains as competent & capable as ever. The Rigby/7-Mauser is the cartridge that delivers the punchline, "No, son - let's walk down the hill, & f*ck all the cows."

FC

Hell the recoil from a .338-06 is nothing to even be concerned about

I'd think the 338-06 would kick like a light loaded 338WM. Ie a lot more than a 7mm/275.

338-06 recoil with 225-250 gr bullets is about the same as 300 WM with 180's. If you are shooting bullets 200 gr or less recoil is a bit more stout than a 30-06 with equal bullet weights.

plug in the numbers and calculate here.

http://www.handloads.com/calc/recoil.asp

I have a .338-284 which is a ballistic twin to the .338-06 and I have a 7x57. The 7x57 gets used more and to me is a better general use round. The .338-284 kicks about like an '06 with heavy bullets, the 7x57 hardly kicks at all.

They both kill stuff.

DF

338-06 with 225 grain bullets at 2560 fps is a stout push. It may sound very obvious, but it is similar to 35 Whelen shooting a 250 grain bullet in the high 2400's. With heavier bullets it doesn't rattle your fillings like a 300 or 338 Win Mag does. 338-06 with 180/200 grain bullets will give you more of sharp magnum jolt that is a bit uncomfortable IMO.

I guess a lot depends on perceived recoil due to stock fit, gun weight, etc. I would think a light weight .338-06 with heavy bullets could get ones attention...

My .338-284 has some heft, not heavy but enough mass so it's pretty comfortable to shoot. And, I generally use 180 gr. NAB's or 200 gr. Combined Technology (silver and black NBT's) bullets. The 160 gr. TTSX shoots really well in this gun.

For heavier bullets, I'll pick up the 9.3x62.

DF

Get the Rigby.

You never know when you're going to have to shoot a man-eating tiger one-handed.

I have a light synthetic stock on mine, and with 250 grain Bullets, I don't really think the recoil is anything to worry about.... guess it has to do with what you are expecting...

sure it has more recoil than my Model 70 in 7mm Mauser, but both are easy to shoot accurately in my opinion....

my 338/06 is a Model 70 with a 24 in factory barrel bored out to 338/06.... the barrel originally being chambered in 270

Personally I wouldn't want to be without either of my two... the 7mm Mauser and the 338/06,, being a hand loader...

With the availability of a seemingly never ending supply of '06 brass .338 bullets, I say:

"What recoil"?

I wouldn't think it would matter.
Personally, I would shoulder and handle the rifles and pick the one that felt "right".

Having owned 2 Rigby rifles, I know you are paying for the grill badge and there are many accomplished gunsmiths today who perform equal quality work. although I do miss the double, but not for hunting purposes, it is really a toy in the modern hunting world.

John

What a conundrum to have. Recoil is not an issue with the 338-06. I have owned multiple rifles such chambered.

I think you should buy both. How is that for enabling?

Wow!

That's a great use for a .270, bore it out to .338-06

Ingwe would be proud of you...

DF

I have the AI version not primarily by choice but couldn't pass on the price of the barrel.Is it better than a standard 338/06 ?..probably not much if any especially to a dead critter.Totally agree with DF and also ones own personal recoil tolerance.

The 160 TTSX through mine is the real deal but mostly surprised at how flat it shoots.



Had this custom .338 mold made last winter 220/240 grs each,they're very accurate and more than adequate for deer or speed goats.

Dont have a 338-06 but I have identical rifles remington 700 classics in 35 whelen and 3006. The 35 whelen ,particularly with 250 gr bullets has significantly more kick than the 30-06 with 180s.Hope this helps.

What kind of speeds are you getting with the 160 out of the -06? They work real well from a 338 Fed.

As for recoil, I think the 338-06 is a good thump, but not the sharp brain rattling crack of the big magnums.