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Jevyod Offline OP
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I have been reading with interest the thread about 338-06 or 35 whelen, because I am in a bit of the same situation. I have a 358 Win that I thought I could use, but due to it being built off a small ring Mauser, I want to keep pressures down. Because of that, I am looking at the possibilities for a bigger game rifle. Here are my parameters: game up to elk and moose size, also sufficient for big black bear. (here in Pa we have several 600+lb bear shot each year. Distance, I would say my max range at this point is 350 yards, maybe 400. I have an older Savage 110 rifle currently chambered in 30-06 that I have never shot. The gunsmith put a bore scope down the barrel, and said it looks like it as shot very little. So I have the option of A. Leaving it as an 06. Would probably put a better stock on than the cheap birch it came with. Or B. I can re-barrel to an 06 based cartridge. So I have been looking at primarily 338-06 or 35 whelen, or leaving it as an 06. I ran the numbers, and on paper there does not seem to be much difference between the 3 at 350 yards.

For the 06 using 180 grain accubonds and figuring 2850 fps muzzle velocity, 350 yard vel is 2252/2027 lbs energy.
For the 338-06 using 225 grain accubond figuring mv of 2685, 350 yard vel is 2144/2296 lbs energy
For the whelen using 225 accubond figuring mv of 2650, 350 yard vel is 1984/1966 lbs energy.

Do these numbers look like they are reasonable? I got them from Hodgdon's site. The nosler shows higher vel with the whelen, but that is a 26 inch barrel. Secondly am I missing the point entirely and should I be looking at something else? I would like to keep it to a simple barrel change if possible. For what I am seeing, I am tempted to see how the 06 currently shots, and if it is good just be done with it. My reasoning for that is easy to get brass, and a big bullet selection. I do reload for pretty much everything I have, so i don't see doing differently with an 06.

Last edited by Jevyod; 01/27/20.

......the occasional hunter wielding a hopelessly inaccurate rifle, living by the fantastical rule that this cartridge can deliver the goods, regardless of shot placement or rifle accuracy. The correct term for this is minute of ego.
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Rifle calibers are a lot like fishing lures. Made to catch the fisherman not necessarily fish. Sounds like you are on the right track. Any number of calibers will do a good job for you. Hasbeen


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So load some 200 gr NPT's in the o6 and quit f**king worrying about it being inadequate for Penn. Jeez MB


" Cheapest velocity in the world comes from a long barrel and I sure do like them. MB "
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I love my 35 Whelen, but I am with Magnum Bob here. The 30-06 with heavy bullets is plenty for your needs.


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Shoot the donor. grin

If it prints bug hole groups, you’re done. If not, then you can start playing with it.

Also, with partitions or TTSX’s, you really needn’t go heavier than 180’s in a .30-06.

Keep us posted.

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I had a 30-06 that shot like crap even after I sent it back for warranty and the barrel and receiver was replaced.It's a 26" Rem Long Range.I decided to send it to JES and have it rebored to a 338-06.I chose the 338-06 because I liked the bullet selection in the 338.I studied on it and figured the 338-06 with a 200gr Ballistic Tip or Accubond would give me close to what a 300 Win Mag would do with a 200gr Accubond.I'm really liking it.It shoots really well and I can get a little over 2800fps with the 200gr bullet.It cost me $250 to have it done and that was a bit cheaper than a rebarrel job.I have plenty of once fired 30-06 brass,plenty of powder that I use for my 308,so really all I needed was dies and bullets.Found it to be really easy to load for with the 200gr bullets and it also did well with the 210gr Partition.I bought a good supply of Accubond seconds from SPS .Beside paper so far I shot a couple of red deer with it so far and it performed really well on them.
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~Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla~
As Bob Hagel would say"You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong."Good words of wisdom...............
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It has been mentioned before. Just load the 30-06 full up with 200 grain Partitions and learn the trajectory. Simple.

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Jevyod Offline OP
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I guess the deeper question here is the suitability of 30-06 for elk. I am guessing the increased diameter of the other 2 makes little to no difference. I read an article recently on Elk hunting, and I forget who the author was. He mentioned a quartering away elk at 300 yards, and the need for a bigger cartridge to punch through, esp if its stomach is full. He did not outright say it, but he thought a 338 win mag was a good place to start, and that an 06 is marginal. Got me thinking, but methinks he may be slightly overfilled with ummmm organic fertilizer.


......the occasional hunter wielding a hopelessly inaccurate rifle, living by the fantastical rule that this cartridge can deliver the goods, regardless of shot placement or rifle accuracy. The correct term for this is minute of ego.
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Use the 30-06 with 180gr Accubonds and go hunting.

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.30-06 and be done with it.


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I'm sure I could have killed both those red deer with my 30-06,but in my case for the 338-06,I had a 30-06 rifle that I was going to rebore or rebarrel.I tell you,most people don't realize just how good a 30-06 is especially if you reload for it,it probably is right up with some of the 300 magnum factory rounds and what it does give up to them probably blows out the exit side anyway.I worked up some 200gr loads for my 30-06 and they ran 2650fps.I also did some for my 300 Win Mag and they were 2860fps.I have several loads for my 338-06 that are right there with the 300 Win Mag with the 200gr Accubond.Here they are
61.5grs R-17 2830fps
59.5grs BLC-2 2830fps
56.0grs Varget 2849fps
59.0grs Big Game 2812fps
59.0grs CFE-223 2807fps.

And when you have a 338cal bullet going the same speed as a 30cal bullet of the same kind,which on do you think will have the bigger whoomp when it hits?


~Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla~
As Bob Hagel would say"You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong."Good words of wisdom...............
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You are overthinking this. Elk are not hard to kill and very few are shot past 200yards. Being 76and working at it for quite sometime, I am working on my 5th dozen of elk kills. Most with a 30-06, either with 180 gr Game Kings, Nosler Partitions, or 220 gr RN. It isn't so much as to what is on the head stamp of the cartridge, but more on the shooter's ability to put the bullet where it belongs.


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Sounds like you are trying to justify a new rifle. If you want one, for whatever the reason, buy or build it. It you are truly concerned with having enough gun, just load your 30-06 from here on out with appropriate bullets for your game and don't give it another thought. The 30-06 with 180 Accubonds or Barnes will do everything you have talked about so far with zero issues.


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FC, MB, WA, and saddlesore are giving you good advice, IMO.

I have used the 30-06 for much of my hunting here in Alaska- mostly with 180 gr c&c bullets. Never found it lacking.

Well, I did buy a .338WM some decades ago, more for mental comfort than any real need. Those 1-2 gallon piles of steaming bear poop I was coming on in heavy cover kinda put the spook on me for a time. Never needed it for that, tho it does as well as the '06 on moose, and not any better as far as I can see. I have gone back largely to the '06 or .260. Haven't even fired the .338 in over a decade, and I like that gun! smile


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I had absolutely no problems killing 8 of my first 10 elk with my .30-06. Most were shot with 180 grain Sierra GameKing bullets, and a few with 150 grain Hornady Spire Point bullets. Although my favorite elk rifle now is my .300 Weatherby, I still think that the .30-06 is a good elk cartridge. If I would hunt elk now with a .30-06 I would probably use 180 grain Accubond or Barnes TTSX bullets.


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Originally Posted by Jevyod
I guess the deeper question here is the suitability of 30-06 for elk. I am guessing the increased diameter of the other 2 makes little to no difference. I read an article recently on Elk hunting, and I forget who the author was. He mentioned a quartering away elk at 300 yards, and the need for a bigger cartridge to punch through, esp if its stomach is full. He did not outright say it, but he thought a 338 win mag was a good place to start, and that an 06 is marginal. Got me thinking, but methinks he may be slightly overfilled with ummmm organic fertilizer.


This is funny as hell. I kill elk with the 7mm-08.





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There’s nothing wrong with the good ol’ 06.

I’m in Pa as well, and have seen some of these bigger bears up close and personal. I’ve hunted with the 06, without issue. My pet caliber is 338wm. And I have a 35 whelen that’s awesome also.

If it was me, I’d dress that savage up in a nice stock, work with it to find it’s liking, which probably won’t be too difficult and hunt. My liking is the 180 Nosler partitions in an 06.

Pick your personal preference.
I will say this, in the back of my head, I always feel better when hunting with a mid bore.

Keep us posted.

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I like the magnums, but much of the time it is as others have said.. The .30-06 is all that most hunters ever need, and will kill most of the elk we shoot.. When I was younger, elk meat was important to my family budget.. Many of the elk I killed in those days could have been taken with the old 06, but quite a few were shot at 450-600 yards.. These were the days when I needed meat, time was short, and elk hard to come by.. I haven't shot an elk at over a three hundred yards since I retired 20 years ago.. I have a nice little Remington 06 that I have been carrying the few days I hunted elk this year, so I think you will be well served with the old 06.. If the chance for a long shot is there, load a 165 Accubond or a similar bullet, if not 200 grain bullets are great also..


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I read a lot of Alaskans even use the 30-06 for bear.


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A well placed 270 win. will kill an elk. A fellow’s wife here in mid TN killed elk with hers.


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