Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 318 wr vs 338/06

does anybody had any experience with the 318 wr looks way cool!

I agree on the coolness factor, component bullets might be problematic at this time. Would be interested in user response as well.

Got one. I shoot either the 200 gr bullets intended for the 8x56R Steyr or Woodleigh 250 RN's.

While it is neat, the .338-06 is so much more practical.

yeah it was the cool factor i was looking for,

What is the groove dia
Of the 318 WR? Mb

bullet dia was .330. i don't think the game will know the difference. keith liked the wr so much he developed the 333 okh.
right about the cool factor though, as long as money is no object. i'm thinking about dies and bullets.

so the 338/06 is basically the same as the 318 wr just a different case or is there a ballistic difference?

Yeah that is what I thought. Pretty sure I have a 2 cavity .330 dia bullet mold I'd sell. Like new of course. Mb

Hawk makes a 200 gr bullet for the 318 WR. Definitely has all the cool factors.
GreggH

Because if the availability of brass and bullets in the USA if the 2 rifles were in front of me and I was told to choose one as a gift, the 338-06 would be the one I'd take. No difference in the game fiends but a big difference in the reloading room.

I briefly owned a 330 OKH in Rem 760 neat barrel marking did not want to deal with odd-sized bullets so the owner took the rifle back. We both thought it would shoot 338 caliber bullets.

I have a couple of rifles chambered for .318 Express (W.R.). I used a Vickers of London Mauser 98 for plains game in TZ, using Woodleigh 250 gr. softs. Great results on Impala,Hartebeest, Zebra and one Goose. Here at home I generally use the 205 gr. Hornady Interloc that is sold by Graff's for the 8x56, and it works great. Brass is easily made by running '06 brass through the .318 sizing die and trimming to length. There is not a bit of performance difference between the .318 and the 338/06 and the 338 is easier to get bullets for, no doubt, but if you want something unique that has a long respected history of outstanding performance in Africa, the .318 is your Huckleberry! Every gun lover that sees it wants to shoot it, they are just neat! Building one is a labor of love, it took 8 months over 12 years ago to get my barrel from Lothar Walther. My dies are RCBS,and were custom ordered and took months to get, but I am not sure they make them anymore, but CH4D does. Woodleigh bullets from Midway and they have them in stock right now. I like the old stuff, YMMV. Lee.

The idea to chamber a No.1 through Lipseys came up and was shot down quickly. It was said there are no proof loads. But cool it would be!

Why "vs"? The only reason to go for the .318 instead of the .338-06 is if you want to be able to say you have a .318.

The only experience I have with 318 WR is reading about it's history. And dreaming of the panache, satisfaction that would come from owning a a classic English rifle in that cartridge.

I do currently own three 338-06's though, have owned a few more.

agreed

Give Phil Massaro a shout. He's a huge .318 fan and had one built on a 98 action. I don't remember if he's taken it to Africa or not, but if he hasn't I'm pretty sure he will.

Yeah, and if we were all practical, 99% of us would be hunting with a 30/06, and where is the fun in that?

thank you to all that responded! I think that its a tie . the 318 for cool old school and the 338/06 for the easy win!

Romantically: 318
Realistically: 338-06

Just get both so you don’t have to carry all the stress around