Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Sent Off My Tikka T3

To JES to rebore from 30-06 to 338-06. Been wanting a 338-06 hunting rifle for over a decade and finally broke down and sent it off. I purchased some 225gr and 250gr hornady interlocks so if anyone has any good load I am definitely open to them. I was wanting something a little heavier for the brushy spots I like to hunt in and am not really a fan of the levers. Can't wait til it gets back and I can get to put some lead downrange.

Sold my Tikka T3 in 338 Federal today, got a new Ruger 338 RCM on the way. Its pretty close to the 338-06 I've got some 225 grain core lokts that worked well in the Federal on critters as big as bison so will try them first. Hornady will be similar Im guessing.

I had a kimber Montana 270 rebored by JES to a 338-06 several years ago. He also cut it down from a 24” to a 21” barrel. From the 21” barrel I am getting 2835 fps with 210 Sciroccos and 2690 with 225 accubond with RL-17. I will be working up loads with the 230 eldx and RL26 here in the next couple weeks. If I can get 2650+ with the 230s and good accuracy it will likely be my go to load. Thus far the 338-06 has worked great on moose, caribou and grizzly bear.

What's the accuracy of JES barrels? For the price, I could see just picking up a rifle with a smaller bore and having them bore it as necessary.

My 358 shoots slightly better bored out than it did prior to reboring as a 308 though that could be because I had the barrel cut down as well so it’s shorter and stiffer as well. The 338-06 I never shot it as a 270 so cant comment on that. Both rebores are consistent 1.5” at 100 yards and occasionally I can fling 3 into 3/4 of an inch for each, so I guess they are sub MOA all day long

Thanks. If you can shoot a 338-06 that weighs roughly 2lbs, give or take, into 1.5" I'd say it's just fine.

Haha hardly...the 338-06 is just under 5 pounds naked and 7.25 pounds scoped as I have it currently.

Cool! What do they do with the barrel shorten rotate and re label?

Shoot straight

Bob

RL 17 and I used Ramshot Big Game with 225 accubonds.

I’ve got a rechambered 338 to a 35 Newton. It’s an amazing shooter but seems to be crushing Leupolds.

With the couple of rebores I’ve done I’ve used a bunch of JBs to smooth them out and DBC’ed them and they’ve been pretty smooth after the treatment.

Can’t wait to hear how it shoots.

My Tikka 270 rebored to 35 Whelen by JES shots better now than before!

My vanguard 7mm-08 to 358win shoots great as well or better than it did new. He will stamp the correct cartridge above the original marking and x out the original. Neatly. Quick turnaround and quality work.

I predict satisfaction! He's done two '06 to 9.3x62s for me and the boy, and a Ruger no 3 is there now, going from .223 to 9.3. The two bolt actions already done shoot bug holes with multiple loads ranging from cast bullet plinking loads to full power stuff with different bullets. I will send him more work in the future!

Yes, I researched JES’s work for about a year and there is really noone not satisfied with his work. I can’t wait til it gets back. I think it will be an excellent rifle to carry at about 7.5lbs loaded out and also not so light as to punish with the recoil. Should also have power to spare. Super excited for next November.

Reloader 26 is too slow burning for that application. Won't be able to fit enough in the case to make good speeds. Reloader 17, CFE 223, Ramshot Big Game, that's where you want to be for powder.

I will keep ya posted...same thing was said when I asked about it in the 6.5 Creedmoor and it’s driving 143 eldx to 2900+ fps, and 75 ELDM to 3380 fps out of the 22” 22-250, and 178 eldx to 3180 fps out of a 300 wsm. It’s a dense powder and I have 16 pounds on hand. A simple ladder will cure my curiosity if it’s a flop I am out a couple hundred grains and being too slow the brass won’t be hurt at all in the process.

On Quickload, Reloader 26 is listed as the powder attaining the fastest velocity with the bullets you listed in the 6.5 Creedmoor and 300 WSM, and very near the top with the 22-250, so you were apparently asking the wrong people.

You're going to be way over 110% load density with the 338-06 (aka won't be able to fit enough powder in the case).

When I asked QL didnt even have info on RL26 everyone just assumed it wouldn’t work.

Like I said it’s only a couple hundred grains of powder if it sucks will go back to RL17. I certainly won’t have to worry about over pressure atleast haha
People are getting great numbers with heavies from 30-06 and RL26 so it’s an itch I gotta scratch. If it works I will use it if not oh well. If it’s only 2500 fps with the 230 but super accurate I may still use it.

Have you shot any of those over another chronograph? I guess the good with rl26 it’s slow powder so be damn near impossible to blow oneself up. Kind of like h4831 in the 270and 06

Magneto speed and Labradar (2 different units)

Gotta find pressure signs to know where to back off to right?

26 is really danged good in my Tikka 6.5 CM and 147 ELDs

I agree it works very well in the CM and WSMs and supposed to be great the 30-06 and 270 as well.

What did that cost?

Being as it was 4 years ago now my memory is a bit foggy but certainly sub $300 for the cut, crown, and rebore.

I think my Newton was 300 cause he had to rent a reamer.

Normal charge is currently $250. I paid an extra $50 to jump from .223 to 9.3. Gun arrived today and looks great.

I usually stop when I start blowing primers..

I just go up till I get stuff bolt lift or ejector marks and back down from there. If you don’t know where the pressure starts you don’t know if where you decided to stop is just under where you are seeing pressure or not regardless of what the powder guides say work in their rifles. For example my 300 wsm load is 1.5 grains lower than where I saw pressure signs but still getting 3180 fps from a 178 eldx but federal factor blue box stuff in the same rifle gives super stiff bolt lift and ejector marks. Just found its best to find where pressure signs are in my rifle and back down accordingly from there

That will only give you an "Indication" while using the same batch of bullets, primers and powder. Change any and all bets are off.
The chronograph will keep you safe and in the right area, especially when changing lots of components..
John

Agreed which is why I always work up to find pressure when any of the above changes even when using the same powder but a different lot I back down and work up again. Best to be safe and not assume just cause it’s listed as safe in the reloading book that it’s good in your rifle. Lots of variables so best to find what works in your rifle. Reloading book is merely a guideline to get you in the ball park to figure what your rifle likes.

The chrono is more reliable that bolt lift or primer/brass signs, since as JB has mentioned in the past, those traditional pressure signs often don't show up until 70-75k psi. If you want to keep under the ~60-65k psi SAAMI max pressure rating, the chrono is a more reliable indicator of that, used in conjunction with pressure-tested load data and like components and rifle setup. Obviously if you see traditional pressure signs before hitting the velocity you think you should reach, based on book data, that's a good indication you should back off the pressure a bit, as well.

I guess my point is even if the chronograph says I was ok I found pressure signs prior to what was seemed ok. So I just back off what pressure signs I rather than relying on what the reloading guide say I should be seeing given kinda sort similar bullets with kinda sorta similar brass with kinda sorta same primers with kinda sorta same primers with kinda sorta same rifle chamber with kinda sorta barrel length. The chronograph is for sure but if you never found pressure signs and settle in on a nice load what’s to say the load you found is just a .5 grain below where you’d see pressure signs but you never knew because the book said that with kinda sorta the same weight bullet and kinda sorta the same brass and kinda sorta the same powder lot in kinda sorta the same chamber you should be seeing such and such a velocity according to the reloading guide. Now I guess you could just load that and be none the wiser to how close you were or weren’t to pressure signs in your setup but I would rather actually see those pressure signs myself in my particular application and back down accordingly.

Got it back today. Super happy. Put on a limbsaver, talley lightweights, and leupold vx-2 3-9x40. Stupid me snapped one of the screws off on the rings. Should I even worry about drilling it out or just leave it? Has 7 screws holding it now.

I don't think I'd be able to let that go. Not saying you couldn't, but it would bother me. I don't enjoy drilling steel out of aluminum, though.

Yup it would bug me too. Likely fine but I would always wonder if it was that dang snapped of screw messing up my groups, when really its likely just me.

Put it on my fishing scale it weighed 7.27lbs with sling. My 6.5x55 t3 weighs 7.56lbs without a sling. Must have taken a pretty good amount of metal out. Both have talley lightweights and vx-2 3-9x40s.

I'd replace that screw, but I'd try other methods of extraction before considering using a drill.

I think i am gonna pull the other 3 screws and take the cap off and see if i can unscrew it with pliers.

Want to give a shoutout to talley also. I asked what size i needed for a replacement screw and they are sending me some screws.

Finally got to shoot this today. My load was a basically middle of the road 59.0gr of H4350 with a hornady 225gr interlock. There was not the amount of recoil I was expecting though I admit I didn’t think 338 win mag was that bad either. First shot is high right. Adjusted down and 2nd shot is the next farthest right. Adjusted again and the other 3 shots are in the ripped up area. Granted only 50 yards but potential is definitely there.