Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats .338 A-Square Magnum

I'm looking at a .338 A-Square, and can't seem to find formed brass or anything and wondering if it would be difficult and expensive to have it re-chambered to either a .33-.378 Weatherby or a .338 Lapua?

It just takes regular 338-06 brass. I believe several people make it and it can be found on the internet by googling "338-06 brass for sale". I know Weatherby offered it at one time. A very worthwhile cartridge. powdr

Nope. You are confusing the .338 A-Square with the .338-06 A-Square. The first is based off the .378 Wthby, the second off the .30-06. I'm pulling this info out of my A-Square reloading manual "Any Shot You Want" pages 443 through 459.

I know that rechambering to 35 whelen or 9.3x62 would be very straightforward and cheap. But so would making your own brass from 30-06.

Yes its the big magnum version I'm talking about, .378 Weatherby necked to .338. Its different than the .33-.378 Weatherby factory round.

I'm looking at the cartridge drawing in my A-Square reloading manual and it appears Mr. Alphin came up with this design by substituting the Weatherby shoulder radius with a 35 degree conventional shoulder. It's hard to tell with the dimensions in my manuals, but I tend to think a standard .338-378 reamer will be able to clean the chamber up without setting the barrel back. It's close. Maybe a phone call to a reamer manufacturer is in order.

I was reading on another forum and a guy didn't think a .33-.378 factory round would fit in the magazine since the A-Square is shorter. I can get into this rifle at a great price and thats the only reason I'm looking at it. Quality cartridge offers brass but not until they have enough back ordered. I'm not a skilled hand loader and buying case forming dies gets expensive.

My manual shows the overall length of the loaded A-Square to be 3.670" and the brass length is 2.850" Compare that to the length of the Wthby. at 3.738" and 2.913." If the action and magazine can't handle the length of the Wthby cartridge it could make good sense to set the barrel back and go .338 Lapua. You could capitalize on the Lapua's great brass, availability, and abundant load data.

I'm thinking about buying it, it has a nice leupold scope and I could be into it for under a thousand. I've wanted an A-Square rifle for years and this is the best deal I've seen. Would be nice to have readily available brass and loaded ammo though. I guess that .378 bolt face would work on the Lapua round?

The bolt face is compatible without too much fuss. It might not be too big of a deal to form the brass from Wthby. brass either.

Is the rifle an A-Square Hannibal model? If so, you might have a nice little toy to play with.

Sorry guys, I stand corrected. Read the original post wrong. powdr

yes its an A-Square Hannibal, you either like them or hate them!

Hello rg475,

Interesting post. I have a couple of A-Square rifles. One in 416 Rigby, and a Custom Deluxe in 416 Hoffman. (the forerunner of the 416 Rem Mag)

Where are you located?