Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles FN 338-06

Here is a link to my recent Fire Classifieds purchase of a 338-06 FN Mauser.

www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/14114129

I mounted a Bushnell 4200 Elite 2.5-10x50 Firefly in med Weaver rings. Scope already with rings was sitting on my work bench. Gun came with steel Weaver compatible bases.

I think I'm gonna like it. Waiting on dies, got new W/W 30-06 brass to form into 338-06 rounds. Have 200 gr. Speer and 225 Federal Fusion bullets and most any powder one could think of for this round. gunner500 likes H-380. H-4320 has long been a classic with RL-15 a popular choice. Some like RL-17 for a slight velocity edge. I have those and a bunch more in that general burn rate range. Just for local WT's and hogs, don't think I need premium bullets. With big chunks of lead like these two, I think I'll be well prepared for whatever.

DF

Sweet!

Thanks, Ken.

Probably a bit light for those NM jackwabbits.

But for other stuff....

DF

It is,but I'm sure you make do with it.

I put my 338-06 together in 1995, a Cliff LaBounty rebore of a Walmart M700 ADL synthetic. I have taken multiple elk (210 Partiton/185 TSX), black and grizzly bear (225 AB) and a couple of mule deer and hogs between. Next fall it will head to NE BC for mountain goat, moose, elk and, if found, mountain caribou, black bear and wolf. My BC load uses RL-15 and the 185 TSX. A great round.

Good looking rifle.

Here's some reading material;
https://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/.338-06+A-Square.html

Sweet rifle and an interesting caliber! Hope it works well for you.

I have been kicking around the idea of building one or finding one, but with two 338 Win Mags, and one of those is loaded down for Whitetail with 180 Grain Nosler Accubonds, I just haven't convinced myself that I need one of these yet.

Thanks for that info and for your help making this a smooth transaction.

DF

Do yourself a favour, and build / buy one. You didn’t mention what rifles your current 338 Win are ?

Pick the one that fits you best, and go
Get another one in 30’06 to maintain ergonomics,
Then spin on, or rebore to .338’06 , easy peasy
225 to 250s in the 338 Win, and 180 - 210 in the 338’06

Or find a 338 RCM that suits your hunting style.
Mine would be a Stainless laminated with Open Sights

You don't need one.....

I sold my 338WM in the late 90's and have long since been a huge 338-06 fan. Have had numerous rifles (5) such chambered. Currently have one, and two more being built right now. It is currently shooting 200gr Hornady SST's into tiny groups.

Since I have read very good things about the now discontinued 200gr NBT's in this caliber, I want to work up a load with 200gr Nosler Ballistic Silvertips for my SE Alaska Black Bear hunt next June.

My experience has lead to me to believe that the 210gr mono metals are fantastic for elk but a little to hard for deer. The plain 200gr Hornady IL causes lots of meat damage on deer, never used them on elk.

I sold a friend of mine a 338-06 (seller's remorse) and loaded up some 180gr NAB. He used the rifle and load last fall to take his biggest whitetail yet. Bullet seemed to work perfectly, not recovered of course.

338-06 good medicine.
While hunting with a 338-06 you'll feel good inside.
Smile from ear to ear.

One of them is a Late 1980's Winchester Model 70 XTR Sporter and the other is a Mossberg Patriot. Both shoot very very well. The little Mossberg is a tack driver and because it was inexpensive and very lightweight it is my tree stand rifle.

LOL, Guess I may just have to do myself a favour!

I am telling you, you do not need one...….

I am still on the fence, but....... thinking about a Interarms Mark X 30-06 re-bored to 338-06 be JES. Hmmmmmm!!!!!!!! Already looking at one.

I've owned two .338-06 rifles, a M70 Classic Stainless and an 03A3. The 03A3 was a shooter, but a heavier rifle than I wanted to hunt with all the time, so I traded it for some custom knives. So I'm just down to the M70 in that cartridge.

That M70 was showing potential when I broke my leg preparing for an elk hunt in 2015. I haven't messed with the rifle much since then. I really need to dig it out of the safe and take it hunting.

Cool rig! I load my 22" Ruger M77 Tanger .338WM to .338-06 levels and you are right about those "big chunk" bullets being effective. A 185-210gr bullet at 2,700-2,850 certainly makes an impact on a hog's day. Blood trails are generally very good and tracking jobs are short. The 200gr NBT and 185TTSX have been easy to work with at those speeds. My 185 load only goes 2,700fps for low recoil, but it's been a killer so far.

Looks a lot like mine. Mine was built with a 24" barrel, has a ramp frt sight and the gun came with a Redfield Jr 1 piece scope base that has that flip up peep on the back. B &C stock I've used 200 gr Interlocks and 200 gr SST's with it and 760 WW powder shoots nice. With the gun came a set of Redding dies that have the tapered expander ball that creates a 338-06 case from a once fired 30-06 in 1 stroke of the press lever. Shoot the hell out of it DF you'll enjoy it. MB

Thanks, MB.

This scope wasn't my first choice, but I think it'll work out just fine. The really heavy triplex reticle with Firefly feature should do well in dim light.

I like 2.5X for off hand shooting, 10X for longer shots. I'm not a fan of 50mm objectives, but this one is pretty sleek, should pick up light well. It's not light, but the rifle isn't either, around 8#, 11oz without floorplate. 8#, 14 oz all up. The 3# Timney trigger helps.

It looks like it was glass bedded well and I don't need to do anything but shoot it.

Buttstock sent dies and bullets separately, should receive them today or tomorrow.

Will report.

DF

With the taper on the ‘06 case, it really is easiest to go with a CRF Mauser action and a simple rebore.

If you haven’t seen it, search out AlaskaLanche’s thread on his 84L bored out to 338,
and lopped off at 20”. — Lite Done Rite , iirc was the thread title

DF - I’d like to hear more about your experience, and overall impressions wrt that scope & reticle.
Does it work much better in low light ? How is resolution at 10X in daylight ?

Thanks