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

Longtime 338-06 fan, though have not owned one for about a decade. I look at the 338-06, 35Whelen, and 9.3x62 as heavy bullet 30-06s, having non-magnum recoil. At one point, was running the 338-06 and 338WM at the same time. I perceived, the 338-06 to lose less performance out of a short barrel than the WM, in addition to having reduced recoil, and therefore found the 338-06 to be outstanding when packaged lighter and more compact than a 338WM sporter. Recoil was more than a standard 30-06, so someone bothered by a heavy for caliber 30-06 load, would probably be bothered by a stout 338-06 load. If not, for someone who handloads, the 338-06 is both effective and efficient on large game without having magnum recoil.

If starting from scratch, however, having run a 338RCM, I now find the RCM to be a better 338 chambering for a light short barreled rifle over the 338-06. But, now prefer just using a heavy for caliber bullet in the 30-06, and if that is not big enough, then a 9.3x62 for a non-magnum large game rifle.

Best

My 338-06 is a Weatherby Ultralight which weighs 7.25 lbs. all up. I has a lot of muzzle flip off of a rest which is typical of a lot of light rifles, you just need to get your hands on it and it is fine. As for recoil due to the light weight mine has a little more recoil than a 30-06 but not enough to be concerned with. Certainly less than a .300 mag. In similar weight rifles they should be very close. I shoot 180 to 225 grain bullets in mine.

Since you said you are not necessarily recoil sensitive I would not worry one bit about it, as most others have said.

3120 from my 28" Pro Hunter....58 grs 4064

I can't figure out why the .338-06 has never caught on more that it has. While I don't own one, I think it's an excellent cartridge. One would have to really try to find a better cartridge than the .338-06 for everything on our continent.

That is nothing but silly talk.

Why would anyone ruin a perfectly good 270!

Now doing that to a LA 7x57 is cooking with peanut oil.

I have had two. A moderately light 03 custom bolt gun. Even with 200 in an 06, the 338-06 with that weight is a small amount faster, so it thumps a bit better.

The other one doesn't really count. It was a rebored BAR equipped with a Deceleratot. It was nothing all the way from 200 & 210 to 250. I used it as a primary hunting rifle for several years. I thought I was tired of it and sold it, only to almost instantly regret. It is more than enough for Texas, including exotics.

On the other hand, a 7 Mauser has a great track record as a do it all round.

Best wishes,

"...perfectly good .270?"

Oxymoron for the day.

CRS is really a good guy, just a bit misdirected...

DF

How about a scholarship to Camp Ingwe's re-education gulag for pups and selected Fire contributors...

misedirected? I am twisted beyond words...BUT I am not gay!

I am so far gone down the 270 road that there is no helping me now. Too much brass, too many bullets, too much success and too stubborn to change.

I/we have killed stuff with 85 to 160gr bullets, 1900 to 3400fps, spitting distance to turret range, before turrets were the rage I might add. Gophers to elk and most everything in between.

I sure do like that "cull" 7x57 I got from you...

Rescued that poor rifle from a safe full of .270's, etc. This poor step rifle was getting NO respect...

It finally has a happy home...

DF

A good friend had a .338-06 on a '03A3 build. While I only fired one round through it I thought it felt like a .30-06 in the recoil department. Maybe a tad more but not uncomfortable at all. A .338-06 is on my wish list (like I need another rifle...).

Nice. I'll bet with that barrel you could get a lot more if you wanted.

I've got a 1/2 pad in my custom 338-06. It's not bad at all from a recoil standpoint.
This rifle shoots everything well from the 160's up to 250gr bullets.


My .338 Mag in Kimber Montana...that's another story!

Bet that sucker speaks to you, especially with heavier bullets...

If it was mine, I'd be leaning toward the 180 NAB and 160 TTSX, driving them at solid but not "balls to the wall" velocities.

DF

I've settled on the 180gr accubonds with H4350 and RL15. The 210 partitions shoot just as well. Either will do just fine. The 160gr Barnes are excellent bullets, but I tend to pick up my 30-06 with anything lighter than 180gr bullets. Having that luxury is equally as fun.

Yeah, I like having that luxury, too.

DF

I always figured, if you are concerned with recoil enough to ask about it, get the smaller cal.

Yep it could be pushed harder as I feel 3300 might be doable.