Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 338-06

Tell me about your 338-06 rifles. What did you build it on, what bullets do you like most, what type of game are you using it on?

Ruger MK II, had it rebarrelled as a 7x57, got bored with it. Sent to JES, had him rebore it. Shooting the 200 AB's, killed the one elk I pointed it at.

338-06AI gifted to me from late relative's estate. ER Shaw 2 1/2 barrel contour; 24". Zastava Mk X action. McMillan arctic camo.

Best performance to date 210 Swift Scirocco over Re-17, but 200 NAB over either CFE-223 or Big Game is no slouch either. Used 210 NPT over Re-15 earlier in life to good results.

Have taken it on backcountry deer hunt (in bear country) and elk.

Stevens 200, McMillan Mountain Rifle stock, barrel originally made for a Winchester and fitted to my rifle. Shoots good, haven't hunted anything with it but it's in the cue.

Mike

Mine is on a Remington 700 action.
Shilen #3 cut at 23 inches.
Micky stock.
It shoots 200 - 225 grain bullets very good.
I haven’t tried anything larger than 225 Nosler Partitions

I believe I’d rather have a .35 Whelen, if I felt I needed a bigger bullet than a .30 caliber, and didn’t want magnum recoil.

Also hard to fault a 200 grain bullet from a 30-06, if more power is the point.

Mine is a Husqvarna via S&W with a Shaw barrel. I settled on 210 great Nosler Partitions over IMR4320. VB Could gain some with other posters but it shot well. IMR 4320 was suggested to me many years ago by Chub Eastman. Have only used it on deer and black bear so far.

I purchased a factory rifle, the Weatherby Ultra Lightweight in 338-06. Shot one elk with a 210gr TSX moving a little less than 2700 fps. With a 2.5-8x36 Leupold it weighs around 7 1/4 pounds empty and carries real well. If you can find one I would highly recommend it.

I’ve been thinking about getting a Ruger and having it rebarrelled. The thought of sending one to JES to rebore never occurred to me, thanks!

Question for you guys do you believe the 338-06 has real world performance better than a 30-06 with 200gr or even 220gr bullets?

Mines on a FN with good bottom metal wearing a 24" Douglas sitting in a BC stock. Old style Redfield Jr base with flip up ghost ring peep,has a ramped frt sight. So far 200 gr Hornady SP and SST bullets 2 deer and a coyote. Timney trigger, I am sure it all cost 2-3 x to build than I paid for it. MB

There's a good question. This should get interesting.

My 338-06 is built on an FN action with a 24” Shilen barrel. It will shoot 200 gr. bullets the same velocity my 30-06’s shoot 180’s. I’ve taken a few elk with 200 and 225 gr. bullets with good results, but I really built the rifle to shoot 225 and 250 gr. bullets. A 250 gr. Hornady SP is death on moose. If I wasn’t going to shoot bullets over 200 grs., I would stick with the 06.

I would say that the performance on game between the 30-06 with 200gr bullet and a 338-06 and a 210 to 225gr bullet would be so close as to not be detectable. Were the 338-06 may pull away from the 30-06 is when you get to 250gr bullets. The .338 diameter 250gr bullet has the kind of sectional density to penetrate thru most any game animal in North America and do it with a larger diameter bullet than the .308 diameter 200gr bullet.

I have always been perplexed when I hear someone say the 375 H&H is no better on game than a 9.3x62, 9.3x62 is no better on game than the 35 whelen, the 35 whelen no better on game than the 338-06, and the 338-06 no better on game than the 30-06 with a 200gr bullet. That thinking means the 30-06 with a 200gr bullet is as good on game as a 375 H&H. I don't think so.

The difference is small and incremental but additive, so the difference does exist in my opinion.

My 338-06 started out a a Remington 700 Long Range 30-06 that I sent to JES to rebore to a 338-06.So far I've taken two red deer with it and it performs very well.One was taken with a 200gr Accubond,the other was taken with a 200gr Nosler Silver Ballistic Tip.Both these bullets shoot the same POI out of my rifle.
I use Lee 338-06 A-Square dies.I use once-fired 30-06 Winchester brass I buy from crod1972 (250) Win 30-06 1 x fired 45.00 tyd.You can't beat that price,you just gotta watch out for when he post brass up here on the forum,it usually goes quick.Resizing it is easy,just make sure to lube the inside of the neck well since your necking the brass up.After sizing the brass,it's going to be just a tad short on length,but that has no affect on it what so ever.I've only shot 200gr Nosler Silver Ballistic Tips,200gr Accubonds and 210gr Nosler Partitions.They run around 2800fps and it shoots about as flat as a 30-06 with 165gr.As for powders,just about everything between Varget to 4350.I use a WLRM Primer in mine.I really don't see much difference between the WLR and the WLRM primers,so I quit buying standard primers and just shoot the magnum primers in my 308 Win,30-06,338-06,7mag and 300 mag.Some of the powders I shoot are ball powder and they recommend a magnum primer.
Here are some of my loads:
180gr Accubond 58.0grs Varget 3010fps
180gr Accubond 60.0grs Big Game 2940fps
200gr Accubond 60.0grs 760
200gr Accubond 62.0grs H4350 2740fps
200gr Accubond 63.0grs Hunter 2730fps
200gr Accubond 59.5grs BLC-2 2830fps
200gr Accubond 56.0grs Varget 2849fps
210gr Partition 54.0grs Varget 2721fps
200gr Accubond 59.0grs CFE223 2807fps
200gr Accubond 59.0grs Big Game 2812fps
200gr Accubond 61.0grs Accurate 4350 2661fps
210gr Partition 59.0grs Accurate 4350 2777fps

Mine is a Weatherby.

I have two.
24" #3 contour barrel on FN Mauser, with an early laid-up fiberglass stock that I refinished nicely. Other is an original Springfield barrel on a very early double heat treat '03, was already cut to 19" carbine when I got it. bore was shot out. Sent it to JES for rebore to .338-06. Walnut stock I have re-profiled and slimmed down to a nice classic form. Decelerator pads on both.
The Mauser likes the 225 Partition with 2000-MR the best so far. Gets 2700fps easy with that. 2000-MR has been a wonder powder in my 35 Whelen AI so I gave it a try in the .338.
So far the '03 carbine likes 61-62 gr Big Game with the 210 partition best.
Load work isn't mature by any means for either, as they are both less than one year new to me, but I plan to use one or the other for my cow tag in AZ this September. Haven't shot either at a critter yet.

I have both a 338-06 and 35 Whelen on pre-64 Model 70s, with the original barrels and excellent orig Winchester iron sights.
They were done in WA and ID, re-chambered and re-rifled. Both are accurate.
The 210 and 225 Nosler partitions work on heavier game. Just like the 35 Whelen, 250- 275 or 300 gr bullets can be used.
This puts both rifles into the 333 Jeffery or 350 Rigby category-both very effective and popular in Africa.
For use in bear country, both outshine the 30-06 if a bear shows up at the moose gut pile.

The 338 -06 within 150 yds will keep up with the 338WM, and is an efficient cartridge. Better than the 338 Federal
with heavy bullets. This rifle has an older Super Grade stock, which makes it attractive with Leupold 1.5 X 5 X scope.

Accurate with all bullet weights.

I have owned 338-06's in 700, 7600, VZ 24 mauser, and springfield actions.

Currently own three on Model 70 classic actions.
Hunting Rifle with 3# Shilen in a McMillan Edge
Suppressed rifle with #4 Shilen in a B&C stock
Safari rifle with a #3 Shilen, Dakota Arms sights, and Supergrade stock. Just about finished.
All with 1:9 twist.

I have shot bullet weights from 160 to 275. Have come to prefer 200-210gr bullets.
I have had the best results with Varget powder.
Have shot cottontails, coyotes, antelope, deer, Black bears, and elk with them.
Bullets used on animals have been:
180gr Accubond
200 gr Accubond, Ballistic Silvertip, and Hornady SP (disc)
210gr TSX and Partition

Right now I have two go to loads for the top two rifles. The Ballistic silvertip running 2795 and the a 210gr TTSX running 2815. Also had a 200gr Accubond load but just did not see the performance difference on the Black Bears we shot in SE Alaska in June.

Is it more than a 30-06 with 200gr bullets? Yes, exactly 0.03 inches more.
Is it better? I think so, but not enough to get panties in a wad over.

I like the cartridge and the rifles. I simply would not hesitate to use one on anything, with the exception of probably elephant and rhino. From what I have seen with a 210gr mono, I cannot imagine needing a 250gr bullet.

I may mess around with some 225gr monos in the Safari rifle, but the plan is to use 210gr T/TSX and regulate the sights with that load.

I have had no issues necking Win and Rem 30-06 brass up, and also have a bunch of Norma properly head stamped brass.

Mine is on an A-bolt Stainless Stalker rebarreled with a 25" 10 twist Shilen Supreme. Since I bought 1/2 the reamer it's also an Ackley Improved throated short for 210 Partitions seated to the base of the neck. I developed loads with the Speer 200 Spitzer, after which the 210 Partitions shot well at about 2800fps without too much further adjustment. I had it built in 1991 with dreams of a Montana &/or Alaska hunt. Life happens, plans change whether we like it or not. It's never killed anything & at this point in my life I doubt it ever will unless I decide to shoot a deer in the lower 40.

All these new bullets & powders... I just started working with it again & had it out to the range today. It shot those black CT 200gr. Ballistic Tips & a case full of the newer short grain H4350 at 2965fps into 1/2 to 3/4" 4 shot groups. Will be trying RL17 next. Maybe we'll see 3000+?