Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats 338-06

Anyone ever spent much time working with the 338-06?
How easy to resize the 30-06 case neck up and does it need to be new cases unfired or does it matter?
What weight bullet and brand did your rifle prefer?
What die set would you recommend and do you have a favorite powder or loads?
Thanks in advance for any help.

I shoot a bunch of 338 RCM which is very close to 338-06.

I use it mostly for moose. I have shot 185ttsx, 210 ttsx and 210 NP All with very good results. My favorite powders are BLC(2), Big game and 2520, but a bunch work well. I find that its pretty easy to get good accuracy from the RCMs.. not reason to think it wouldn't be true for the 338-06

I have made lots of 358 and 35 whelen from 308 and 06.

As long as you use adequate high quality lube (imperial for me) its not too hard. I mostly resized once fired. Make sure your expander ball is tapered. I typically use Redding dies. I can't remember if the ball is tapered as I bought the dies, but if not its just a few dollars to by one. Most of the major die companies have a tapered expander or you can by one from them.

If you find sizing tough you can anneal, just be careful to not get the case shoulder before sizing as an annealed shoulder can lead to a collapsed shoulder during the neck expansion.

I have made probably 20 of them and owned 3. I have hunted with them a fair amount. I have high praise of the cartridge. Overall I use the 210 grain Nosler Partition most, but also used the 225 as well as a few kills on deer with the 200 grain Speer Hot Core. The lightest bullet used was the Barnes 185 grain and I did shoot some Hornady 250s but never killed anything with one of those. Also I killed 1 big elk with a Speer 275 grain, but that bullet is not made anymore.
I have killed deer antelope elk 1 bear and also a few cattle with my 338-06s. As a guide I have seen a lot more elk (thinking back I'd guess about 9) and 3 moose killed with them as well a a good number of deer. It's always been a solid performer on all game. Both the Hornady and Speer 200 grain cup and core bullets seem a bit too soft for shots under 100 yards, but not horrible. Good to excellent performance was common with most other bullets. For elk and larger game it seems to be at it's very best with Nosler Partitions, Accubonds and Swift A Frames and Sciroccos in weights from 200 to 225. For deer however I don't think it matters much and 200 grain Cup and Core bullet work well enough.

For brass I simply neck up 30-06. Lube the necks inside and one pass makes the shell. No problems at all.

Powders? 4320, RL15, RL19, 4064, 4350 and WW760. Different guns with different barrels seem to prefer different powders just like all other cartridges. If I were going to recommend 1 to start with it would be 4064. But the 338-06 is not a difficult round to load.

I found necking up the 30-06 brass to be rather easy as long as the brass is soft.I use once fired brass.Being fired it's a step in the right direction.You could use multi-fired brass,but it would be best to anneal it first.I use Winchester brass.It has a little more case capacity than Remington brass,maybe as much as two grains difference depending on the powder.Either one would work,just keep in mind there is a difference.As for dies,it's really a matter of choice and what's available.I'm using Lee dies for the 338-06 myself and for a lot of cartridges I load for.I like the ease of setup and they produce just as good of ammo as RCBS.Redding dies are probably the best dies I have.As for bullet weights,I like 200gr Noslers,but I'm sure other brands will work well too.The 200gr ballistics are similar to a 180gr in a 30-06.My rifle seemed to group the 200gr the best running them around 2700-2800fps with just about any powder with the burnrate between Varget and 4350.Here is some of my data with my rifle.Remember every rifle is different,so always start lower and work your loads up.
My 338-06 was a Remington 700 Long Range 30-06 rebored by JES.It is one of the best shooting rifles I own.I really like the 200gr bullets,both the Silver Ballistic Tips and Accubond.My rifle shoots them both same POI.It's accurate with several loads.I have found it shoots well with so many powders,but I keep going back to Big Game because it always groups so well with it.I use the WLRM Primer and resized Winchester 30-06 once fired cases necked up on all of them.Here is my load data.
180gr Accubond 58.0grs Varget 3010fps
180gr Accubond 60.0grs Big Game 2940fps
200gr Accubond 60.0grs 760 This load grouped good just never got a velocity on it(checked later and it was around 2800fps)
200gr Accubond 62.0grs H4350 2740fps
200gr Accubond 63.0grs Hunter 2730fps
200gr Accubond 59.5grs BLC-2 2830fps
200gr Accubond 56.0grs Varget 2849fps
210gr Partition 54.0grs Varget 2721fps
200gr Accubond 59.0grs CFE223 2807fps
200gr Accubond 59.0grs Big Game 2812fps
200gr Accubond 61.0grs Accurate 4350 2661fps
210gr Partition 59.0grs Accurate 4350 2777fps

I have a couple of 338-06 rifles and really enjoy the caliber. I use a max load of Win 760 and Nosler 210 Partitions in one and Sierra Gameking 215 grain in the other, though I forget the powder I used. Both are tack driving hammers. I run 30-06 brass into an 8mm expander die and then a second pass in a 338-06 die. That may not be necessary but was recommended to me to prevent overworking the brass, though I am not sure it really matter. Its a great cartridge and hits harder than you might expect. I would not hesitate to use it on elk or other larger game.

Great info gentlemen. 👍

JES guns do seem to shoot. Mine does.

Man, you put some time and work into that data.

Thanks for sharing.

DF

I have a 338 06 AI that I shoot. I started with new Lapua 30 06 brass and ran it over a tapered expander. Easy peasy then fire formed the 40° shoulder.

I use 200 gr Hornady SST bullets for deer hunting and they are devastating on them. Probably wouldn't shoot larger critters with them though.

Varget gave best velocity and ES with mine. H4350 wasn't as accurate and the ES was around 70 FPS. Big Game powder looks like a good option and will give it a try at some point.

I myself have just started with the 338/06 ( about the only Medium bore I haven't loaded for or Wildcatted, ha) I use LEE Dies, they work great. I also use a LEE Factory Crimp Die ( the one for the 338 Win Mag is the same.) I use new Lapua and Winchester brass. My Lot of Lapua brass has tight primer pockets, only my CCI primers fit well. I'm loving it, Imperial Wax inside the neck, run into Sizing die for a snug bolt close, load and shoot! I also played with a 338 RCM awhile back, but I never cottoned to the rifle. I like this Wby UL LWT! Have a ball man!

1. Yes I have spent many years with the 338-06.
2. Easy, have only done this with new cases.
3. 200-210gr, I like T/TSX, Partiton, Accubond, BT, Interlock. In reality most bullets will work. Harder to find one that will not work.
4. Have had good luck with RCBS and Redding. Many powders work as it is easy to load for. My preference is Varget.

It is one of my personal favorites and would not hesitate to use it on anything except, elephant and rhino.

I ended up with one almost by accident. It was a custom built on an Interarms action in a Brown Precision stock that had been gathering dust for a long time at a local gunshop. I tried to buy the Ziess scope off the rifle; the shop owner was tired of looking at it and offered me the whole package for $1000, he had $2000+ on the price tag.

My plan was to take the scope and flip the rifle. But it came with a box of handloads. I figured it wouldn't hurt to shoot up the box 1st. I ended up buying dies and making brass from 30-06 brass.

Getting good brass was easy and I had no trouble getting accurate loads with 200 and 225 gr bullets. Never tried anything heavier.

But after using it for a couple of years it just didn't make sense. It was a lot easier to just load 200 gr bullets in my 30-06 and it would do anything the 338/06 would do with 225 gr bullets. A .338 bullet is only about 1/2 the thickness of a dime greater than a .308 bullet. That's nothing, it doesn't make a bigger hole and the 200 gr .308 bullet will match or beat the .338 in penetration. With a lot less trouble and recoil.

It was about 2 years later, but I did eventually keep the scope and sell the rifle.

It isn't that the 338-06 doesn't work, it does all of the great things you will hear about. But it doesn't do them any better than a 30-06 loaded heavy. For guys who love to tinker it is probably a great round. I prefer to keep it simple.

That was always my take on the 338/06 as well.

Same could be said about the 338Federal as compared to the 308.

No "Surprise!",that every projectile cited thus far,is a piece of fhuqking schit. Hint.

The .650 BC 250gr Skinner is a fhuqking phenom at 2500fps+ and will put a 375 H&H on it's heels. Hint.



The '06 isn't even in it's Universe. Hint....................

Yawn ........... again.

SuperKchunt,

It isn't like you were going to leave the couch and do something...you "lucky" kchunt. Hint. Congratulations?!?

Hell...you had to fhuqking steal your avatar. Hint.

The .650 BC Skinner is AMAZINGLY accurate,very robust,digs deep,sheds velocity begrudgingly and slip atmospherics exceptionally. It retains 2000+fps of impact velocity to 400yds+,makes 1000ft lbs of "energy" to 1000yds+ and is but a 2 Mil windage correction at the 1000yd line,in a full value 10mph influx. Hint.



Now you can say you've "seen" one,which makes this a VERY Big Day,for someone like you. My Aye Eye obviously squirts 'em faster,but that is a different discussion. Hint.




Fhuqking LAUGHING!.................

When it comes to non-magnum Medium Bores, personally (YMMV) I always felt the 9.3x62 was a great round, and one in which both the 338, 35, even 375/06 calibers do well to mimic/compare to. I have owned/played with 3 9.x62s, and they do have some thump. I just like the newer, lighter bullets in 338/35. To me the 9.3x62 makes sense with the 285gr or so, no doubt the 250 Noslers work swell, but hard to get! I even shot/loved the Woodleigh 310 in my 35 WAI loaded to 2400. Thats right there with the 9.3x62 But unless one shoots or has opportunity to take big thick hogs, elk size game and bears/moose, a 30-06 165 does it all, yes. However, I'm one of the few who does believe the Mediums )of any velocity, hit big animals "harder". I love the 30-06/200s, sure, but it and the 220 still really only shine on big hogs and up. Deer, even lengthwise, are just not a good example, again, in my way of thinking, ha.
Lapua Scenars are used for hunting all over the world, and Sticks 300 I am going to have to try . I base that on my over 20yrs use of the 35 WAI, 338 mags, 375 H&H and Wby. Up to 250yds, I could never tell the difference! So, can we get along without the 338/06, why sure, but there's a reason thousands of Texas deer hunters use 223 to 22-250s! We looked at the 270/280/30-06s as "magnums", ha. Lots of bloodshot meat! Thats why my old friend shot the factory 220 SN in his 30-06 for deer, it didnt bloodshot them. However, you can use the right bullet in any Medium and eat right up to the bullet hole, as they say. But only handloaders really spend time/money on the Wildcats, ha. But they are tons of fun!

What’s the floor on FPS for that 250 to open well?

No such thing. They CRUSH schit Subsonic,as it has the mass,ass and diameter to obviously do same(less expansion). Hint.

They are Wickedly Fhuqking RELIABLE and have no equal. Hint.

Bullets matter wayyyyyyyy more than headstamps and the .338" 250 Skinner is a fhuqking PEACH. Hint.............

Does the word "underwhelmed" have too many syllables for you?

I'm thinking yes.

SuperKchunt,

Your nothingness is a synonym for having to steal an avatar and setting upon your couchbound kchunt. Though "luckily" you can Google me...you "lucky" kchunt. Hint. Congratulatons?!?

Fortunately for you,Imagination and Pretend are free,so even YOU can "afford" to "contribute". Hint.

Fhuqking LAUGHING!..........