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

Building a 338-06 and wonder...is there any use looking at say the 338 Scovill, 338-06 Improved or any similar non magnum 338 round? powdr

I have had multiple 338-06 both standard and improved. Would only do one again if I had to keep a .473 bolt head. Otherwise a 338 W can be loaded with R15 or Varget to easily duplicate hot 338-06 velocities.

I am on my third .338-06--sort of, as it is actually a .338-.280 Improved, designed by and built for Ken Howell. As I said in the other .338-06 post, I finally took the easy way out and just use Norma .338-06 brass and fire form it while doing load development or hunting. If the incrementally longer case and the 30 degree shoulder add any significant velocity, my chronograph suggests that the gains are minimal, if any. If you have a yen to just do something different, go on and please yourself, but don't expect miracles.

I was hot on a .338-06 then I warmed up to the .338 Federal because it can be used in a medium length action. Recoil is a bit less. Nice if your package is lighter.

Sticking with your .473" boltface, I think the standard .338-06 is plenty. Easy to make brass for if you don't want to or can't find factory. Most every other wildcat or variant really doesn't offer much if any improvement. If you need more, then step up to the .338 Winnie.

My .338-06 was a super shooter.



[img]https://i.imgur.com/2DvgqgD.jpg?1[/img]

Dang Z, what happened to it? powdr

No, and with a 210 gr Partition, H-380 powder and 2800 fps, betting you can do all that needs doing and them some with the standard 338-06.

I did the Ackley for the cool factor. Ran 200/210's to mid 2900's, but it prefers them at 2800 in a 21 1/2" Rock.

Someone decided they liked it more than I did and made me an offer I couldn't refuse. Since then they've taken a couple of Elk with it on top of the one I took. It was ridiculously accurate!

The only reason to look at any other 338s is to simply find what floats your boat. All of them, 338F through 338W will kill anything you want to shoot.

Z1R, that was a beautiful rifle! Cerakote? If so, do you recall the color?

I'm really liking the 338 RCM in the Ruger 77 with a 20" barrel. It's more of the improved version.

Thanks. No, rust I blued it. After a week of dragging the rifle through waist high snow, it still looked good.

I have an Improved and I'm not sure it matters a whit.

This right here.

My next 338-06 (and last) is in process. I have had the same issues as z1r, other people like them more than me.

I plan on going no further than a 200gr ballistic silvertip and 210gr ttsx. There is nothing on the NA continent that this will not handle, and less than a handful on this planet.

Years back, I got the .223 Ackley bug and built one. It only shot really well at standard .223 velocities while burning more powder. More trouble also to form brass. I will not do that again. Lots of effort for gain you cannot really see in the field is the bottom line on many improved cartridges. I have a standard 338-06 made years before it was tamed. With the 210 grain Nosler, there is nothing in North American I would not shoot with it. It just works.

John