Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles FN 338-06

I recovered one 210gr NP out of an elk. Lost the front.
The bullet obviously worked, but I like the mono's when it comes to premiums.

Otherwise at 338-06 velocities, have been perfectly happy with plain c&c bullets.

Friend used a 180gr AB last fall on his biggest WT to date. Complete pass through and damage was typical of a lead based bullet.

Boy, that’s a fact!

I have one, a JES rebore. Its about a 1 inch gun, more than accurate enough for elk. It is a slow barrel tho.

200 AB's, max I can get is 2672.

225 AB's, max I can get is 2504.

Its my timber gun, so not overly worried about it. Worked fine last year, cow being pushed by a bull at about 80 yards.

It still smacks steel at 350 yards with a nice punch.

It can continue as long as it wants. I certainly know which side of the argument I am on.
Should I turn in my loony card?

Never...



DF

I found some of my load test for 200gr Accubonds.Here is my results
61.5grs Reloader-17 2830fps (poor groups)
63.0grs of Hunter 2730fps (excellent groups)
62.0grs H4350 2740fps (excellent groups)
59.5grs BLC-2 2830fps (excellent groups)
56.0grs Varget 2849fps (excellent groups)

When I had a 338-06, my rifle loved this load.

I re-bedded and painted the stock. Now with Conquest scope, sent back for elevation turret.

DF

Not insluted, but I will disagree a little. The Whelen wasn't designed for 200 and 210 grain bullets. It was made for 250gr slugs.

But if you want to look at 200 and 210 grain bullets, Ken might have said:

"I suspect the best way to improve on the .338-06 is to neck it down to .308... taking advantage of the better sectional density of the .308 bullets, as compared to .338 bullets, as well as the larger and better selection of available .308 bullets".

So is the 338-06 a tweener?

I hear ya...!

Just quoting our bud Steve, who was quoting Ken Waters...

DF

It's all good. I like all 3 of them

Just get a kick out of gun writers that compare equal weight bullets in two different bore sizes and then (surprisingly ) choose the small bore due to greater sectional density.

Who woulda thunk it

Currently using CFE223 for 200 NABs. Used to use Re-15, but CFE223 shoots well and I have more of it. Plus, I might get some de-coppering benefits (yeah, right).

So far, my best load is the 160 TTSX over Varget, should be running a bit over 3K fps.

It groups around .7" at a 110 yds. I'm thinking about using it this weekend for WT's. The runner up was 180 Weldcore, but slightly over an inch group.

Will report.

DF

BTW, Dyna Bore Coat works well. After an extended range session, a few soaks with Wipe-Out is all it took. I never use a brush after DBC treatment.

This rifle is more finicky than some. It does very well with what it likes, not so good with others. The 225 Fed Fusion shoots 3", the 200 Speer around 2 1/2", neither very impressive. The barrel looks like a very good one thru the Hawkeye, but we don't know who make it or who fitted it.

I'll get the best load, stock up on those bullets, sell the rest. I've yet to try the 210 NPT and the 200 gr. Combined Technologies (a black NBT). The 200 CT was accurate in my 338-284.

DF

I just put the little Mod 77 338 RCM on layaway! Near as I can read, it is very similar in case capacity to a 338/06? Of course, this one has a 20" barrel so velocity will be a bit lower. I still have some Nosler 200 Ballistic Tip, a handful of Speer 200 and a wad of 250 NAB. I bet I can find something it like to shoot! I will put a low powered scope on it, probably a 1x3 or 2x7 at most. A few years back, I saw one in the used gun rack at Cabela's. Someone had put a 30mm, huge, heavy scope on it, I forget the power but it made it feel like a club in your hands. I like light and lively for the woods myself. So, I've had a 338 Federal, a 338/280 Wildcat ( very briefly, had bad brass), 338WMs, 340W and 338 RUMs. But no 338/06, nor RCM. I'm looking forward to it.

Follow up on the 338-06 FN.

I just got back fron shooting several guns, including this one. Two stand out loads: One is Seafire and gunner500's pet load with H-380. I shot a .65" group with 61 gr H-380 and the 200 gr. Combined Technologies (essentially a black NBT).

Another was the 210 NPT over 54 gr. Varget, which shot .8".

The 160 gr. TTSX shoots sub inch with a very close POI to these heavier, shower bullets. That I wasn't expecting, but I'll take it...

All these will make great hunting rounds, IMO.

DF

[quote=WhelenAway][quote=Dirtfarmer]Just read and downloaded from the CD, Steve Timms .338-06 article in Handloader #109. Very good article.

Bottom line, he considers 200, 210, and 225 gr. bullets the most practical. IMR-4320 seemed his best powder. In June '84, he didn't have some of the newer powders, like RL-17, etc. So, not too unlike Ken Water's Pet Loads, excellent but somewhat dated info.

Steve quoted Ken Waters' note from his Handloader #87, .35 Whelen article. "I suspect the best way to improve on the .35 Whelen is to neck it down to .338... taking advantage of the better sectional density of the .338 bullets, as compared to .358 bullets, as well as the larger and better selection of available .338 bullets".

I think ole Ken was right, not to insult Whelen fans. But it is what it is...

In Ken Waters' article on the .338-08 (now .338 Federal). he concluded that it was a "Wildcat of Merit" [Handloader 177] that "betters a .358 Winchester while simultaneously offering an increase in power over the .308 Winchester from a short action rifle."

Hence we have what Ken actually said about two different .338s.

I ponder sometimes what those guys could have done with the selection of high performance powders we have today.

I love reading their stuff, but as you note, it's dated, limited to vintage powders.

Steve did a great job with that article, as he typically does.

Some Whelen advocates did get fuzzed up a bit at Ken's assessment of the 338-06 vs the 35W....

Finn Aagaard also wrote a good piece on the 338-06. Finn and Ken were both great writers, down to earth, not a lot of fluff and filler with either of them.

DF