Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Bigger than 30-06 on 30-06 Action

So I just got back from an elk hunt in Wyoming where I carried my old standby, a .300 Wby 24" barrel with 3x18 Leupold VX-6HD. I have killed elk in 4 states and about 20 head of African Plains game with it and love the gun. I practice regularly out to 450 yards (as far as I can get where I can practice here in Michigan. I took a pretty good 6x5 bull.

The problem was that this was a new area to me and found myself not glassing and looking at elk in a distance and planning a stalk, but instead all the hunting was in timber, mostly navigating around and crawling over blown down timber. Only time I could have even shot 200 was in the valley's on the way in to each morning's hunt but the elk were not in the valley's...they were up on the mountain tops in the timber/blowdown.

So I was prepared to kill my elk out to 450 yards but ended up killing him at 30. Blew a hole through both shoulders with the .300 Wby pushing the old 180 grain Jack Carter Trophy Bonded Bearclaws at just under 3000 FPS

Point of all this introduction is that I plan to hunt this area again and another that is similar and when I do I don't want to carry a 24" in barrel I want to carry a 22" barrel gun. And I don't need to be shooting 450 yards so instead of my big optic on a 30mm tube I will be using a Leupold VX3 2x-8X 1" tube that I have laying in the safe doing nothing that weighs 2/3 (or less) what the scope on my .300 Wby weighs. I want something that will punch a big hole in an elk at less than 200 yards (of course the first time I hunt with my new gun I will see a monster 6x6 at 400 yards LOL)

I have a Pre-64 Model 70 (1952) in 30-06 that I am thinking about making my "timber elk" gun. I want to carrely less weight and shorter barrel am planning on putting it in a Brown Precision Stock and putting a Krieger 22" barrel on it. I want a cartridge that functions effiencently in a 22" barrel that is bigger than the .30-06.

I am considering having it rebarreled to:

.338-06
.338-06 A-Square
.338-06 AI
.35 Whelen

Am I missing anything that I should be considering?

What would you build?

I would not go AI, minimal gains for the hassle. I would also give consideration to 9.3x62. Not absolutely convinced a 338-06 gives a lot more than a heavily loaded 30-06 (with 200 partitions as an example) if you run one of the lighter bullets in the 338.
One thing I found was that a fairly light gun (8lbs) shooting a heavier bullet (35 whelen, 250 grain) kicks a fair amount, at least more than I anticipated. Doing it again I would not go lighter in a medium bore and would likely go either 35 whelen (more versatility when downloaded, i.e. deer in the timber or plinking loads) or 9.3x62 if I thought I was up to it..

I like your plans. The problem is, when your rifle is finished, it will be so handy, you might render your 300 magnum obsolete.

Jesse Occumpaugh down in Oregon, will rebore your original barrel for much cheaper than buying a new barrel. The pre 64 barrels drill out nice and clean!

http://www.35caliber.com/8.html

The 9.3x62 Mauser would be ah dandy, especially if you'll keep heading back to Africa.

Mine sent 300 grain A-frames into moose and caribou at distances as long as 400-500 yds.

Do you dare go "full timberman" and afix a fixed leupold 2.5 ultralight?

Yes. How about putting that 30-06 in the Brown Precision stock, trimming the barrel to 22" if necessary, and leaving it at that?

If you feel the 300 mag has enough steam to do the job at 450 yards than there's no logical reason to doubt the efficacy of the 30-06 out to your 200 yard specification.

Very good point and definately something to consider. I am kind of enamoured with the idea of a little bigger hole than .308 for no logical reason but your point is certainly valid and worth consideration

The 338-06 ballistics: 225 grain bullets at 2700 fps alllllll day long......

I live in Michigan so I would have to ship to Jesse but the idea of just reboring the barrel is worth considering.
The barrel on my 1952 Win Model 70 is 24" long and farily heavy contour with hooded front site. It is classic "old school" and makes the stock gun quite heavy for a 30-06

I am hoping that I can rebarrel and restock and still keep the abilty to keep the original stock/barrel and be able to put them back for collector purposes if they don't need to alter the action any. Not sure if that is possible? Maybe if I take Mathman's advice and keep it as the .30-06???

As far as the 2.5 Leoupold I have one in my safe...on detatachable Talley Mount as a backup to the 1x-5x Leupold I have on a Win Safari Express .375 H&H...so it is something to consider. I will be taking that rig to Africa for Cape Buffalo next summer.

I kind of like the 2.5-8 option just in case I find myself needing to do work at 200-300 yards. The versitilty seems to be worth the additional weight over the straight 2.5 but certainly is worth consideration once again.

That is the combo I am leaning towards right now.

I am leaning away from the AI version.

I had not considered the 9.3x62 I will have to research that.

I am pretty oblivious to recoil. Especially when shooting at game (not on the bench sighting in) and ESPECIALLY when shooting at game in close quarters where it is "put it on the shoulder and drill them" kind of hunting with not a lot of time to think about things. So other than initial sight in with strap on recoil pads, ear plugs in under cans (cutting the noise down goes a long way to combating perceived recoil) etc I am not concerned with recoil. I will carry the rifle a lot more than I shoot it when hunting so saving the weight is the big win

If I could figure out how to reduce the file size of the pics on my phone I would upload picks of the old fart (me) with the elk and the 1952 Win Model 70 I am thinking about building on.

It errored out for file size when I tried

Another vote for the 9.3x62... Recoil is not bad. Factory ammo available. And can reload using necked-up 30-06 brass.

I need to look into that....

Love your tag line....that is being demonstrated daily in "The Swamp" right now

Never used a 200gr partition in that ol 06, have you?

As several have said, there are no flies on the old 30-06 for elk hunting. Using the Nosler Accubonds or similar bullets in a 180 or 200 weight gives you plenty of energy to knock the snot out of any elk IMO. If you need to shed weight, put it in a composite stock of your choosing and go hunt. My 1953 Pre 64 70 is my son's favorite rifle for elk and deer hunting next to my Pre 64 300 H&H AI.... either one works fine for him and I doubt I'm going to see either of them back any time soon....

Bob

Jesse takes the guns shipped regular USPS priority mail. Dozens of guys on here have gone this route.

Then there's the 275 grain A-frames at 2400 fps. Sight in a smidgen high at 100 yds, for a no-nonsense hold out to 300 yds. You can eat right up to the bullet holes, no blood-shot mess and one helluva blood trail......

Actually...I have never even fired it. I snagged it for a bargin at a estate sale just because it was a Pre-64 action and in great shape...and came with a Zeiss Scope and period authentic leather sling...for $800. For that price I couldn't leave it there and figured I would find a way/reason to use it.

I relocated the scope onto one of my deer rifles and essentially got the rifle & sling for free (or got the scope free whichever way you want to look at it)

Thinking about it, a good 200 grain in the ole -06 is a really good option. I still need to lighten the gun up with a new stock and lighter/shorter barrel, so since I intend to get a new barrel any cartridge I can run through a .30-06 action is a candidate...including the 30-06

Good thoughts....and yea...probably won't get them back LOL

Good to know...thanks!

I would leave the 30-06 a 30-06 and just go kill elk. If the max range you are shooting is under 500 yards, you already have a fantastic elk cartridge.

You ought to look up the thread "deceased by Scenar" and see just how effective the 155 Scenars, when fired out of .308s and 30-06s are.

A 155 Scenar at 2900-3000 fps would certainly be plenty.

In spite of what neophytes and flatlanders say and think, you don't need cartridges that often get used for African dangerous game just to shoot an elk. The are really not that hard to kill in spite of BS spouted.

Also going to the Brown Precision stock that was mentioned should take out some weight without having to change out what is probably a perfectly good factory barrel.

Definately.

Also taking another 20lbs off me wouldn't hurt either

I dropped 20 before this hunt. Another 20 would get me down near my college football playing weight (way back in the olden days of the late 70s)

I will check that thread out.

I kiled my first elk with a .308 pushing 180 grain Nosler Partitions. He was dead as can be 75 yards away. My issue was no exit wound, no snow and elk tracks everywhere. Blowdown was so thick I heard him fall to the ground with a loud thud and saw which way he ran. He was only 70 yards away and it still took me 30 minutes to find him. I was kind of panicing until I did.

Bullet went through both lungs, no shoulder hit, just lungs and balled up against the far hide. Just a trickle of blood from the entrance wound. I decided I wanted full penetration after that and grabbed the .300 WBY, used it all over the west and two plains games hunts in RSA and Namibia and never looked back...until this year. I realized that I was carrying way to much gun and scope (and binoculars and cloths and body fat) than i needed in that blown down timber.

Ya, leave it a 30-06, load up 200 gr Nosler Partitions, or go to one of the terrific "unleaded" bullets like the Barnes TTSX, Nosler E-Tip, Hornady GMX... something along those lines and probably in 165 - 180 grains with the "mono metal" bullets. Those things penetrate superbly.

But if you just want a bigger bore rifle there's nothing wrong with that. I'd lean towards the 35 Whelen or 338-06, though the 9.3x62 is certainly tempting.

Regards, Guy

The 300wby is an excellent cartridge. One of my favorites. However, like I said earlier, you should try a 200gr partition in that 30-06. It will dig every bit as much at that 300wby will. Even at sedate speeds of 2,600fps. It works well in timber areas. My last elk that I shot with the 30-06 and 200gr partition fell in those exact circumstances. As with most of my elk killed, he did not move much after the hit. I can see your concerns after using your 308 and the 180. The same thing happened with a bud of mine using his "trusty" 308w and a new bullet he was trying (178gr ELDX). At least you were able to find your elk, he was not so lucky.. Anyway, you want a bullet that's going to penetrate very deeply and do so with minimal bloodshot meat, try the 200gr partition one of these days. Try one in your 300wby if you have to. Performance will be similar either way. Now, if you are just looking to have something odd and unusual, go for it. The cartridges you mention do not have any advantage over the old 30-06, but they are cool nonetheless...

load up some 200 grain partitions or 220 grain RN in the 06 and go kill an elk that walks

Yea…the simplicity of keeping it as a 30-06, dropping it in a lighter stock and running heavy bullets has a lot going for it

I would highly recommend the 9.3x62. Mine has very low recoil and is very accurate.

Another vote for the 9.3x62 although I also like my 338-06.
I have both and there is much more factory ammunition available for the 9.3x62..
And it is a very capable and versatile cartridge.
My problem is I like them all.

If you rebarrel it and keep it a 30-06 I’d set it up with the Serengeti reamer and run 200gr bullets. Or a 300 Sherman would be very fun!

Al Siegrist is a Michigan gunsmith who rebores rifle barrels. You'll likely save some money on shipping that you can put towards buying .366" bullets and new brass.

Siegrist Gun Shop
Al Siegrist
8752 Turtle Rd.
Whittemore, Mi. 48770
989-873-3929

Jess Rebore rebored my 30-06 to 35 Whelen. I opted for his 5 groove. He did an excellent job, mine is very accurate.


JESS Rebore 541-942-1342

I have 3 rebores from JES. They All shoot very well!

If you want a Whelen or 338, your need sounds perfect to me. Either the 338 or Whelen will reach to 400 without a bunch of trick moves. Sounds like a great build.

I’ve only taken one elk, but I’ve hunted for decades in heavy brush in Washington State. Even though you plan to hunt the same area next year, don’t handicap yourself with a brush-gun cartridge—the ability to reach out and touch something is never a handicap. But instead of choosing a cartridge based on muzzle velocity, look at impact velocity at the longest range you plan to shoot, then look for bullets that will expand there. That may limit your choices somewhat. Then crunch the numbers on recoil--a light 35 Whelen can easily kick as hard as a 338.

Brush hunting is an offhand shooter’s game, so mount the scope as low as you can get it. Weaver mounts are as low as almost anything, plus they’re light. That matters because the finished rifle should balance at or very close to the front action screw, and every ounce you add aft of that point pulls the balance point aft as well.

The best way to get the balance right is to take the action, stock, scope, and mounts to your smith and tell him what cartridge you want, then let him pick the barrel contour, etc., required to make that happen. Ask for a recoil pad that's rounded on the heel and toe so it doesn't hang up on your coat on fast shots. A slightly shorter LOP than you’re used to using can be almost like cheating on fast shots, so wear your hunting clothes when you go and ask him about it. Resist the urge to set the trigger too light—three or four pounds is about right for a rifle that you'll use in a hurry. Crisp is more important.

Finally, shoot a LOT of offhand before the season. Focus on getting the safety off as you mount the gun, and on working the bolt hard and fast for your second and third shots. Also work on the post rest, since you may be able to lean up against a tree. I spent a lot of time on the Jeff Cooper Snaps exercise before I went hunting. I also shot double- and triple-taps with my 338, and I dropped my elk with one fast offhand shot at 110 yards.

I know it's blasphemy to say it around here, but if you do this stuff, then the cartridge you choose won’t really matter.


Okie John

I’ve got a 270, 300 & 340 Weatherby rifles and have found that the power isn’t often needed now that optics have the capability of stretching trajectories in ways I never imagined as an old school hunter. Velocity used to be the only way to shoot far - now it’s about BC. Look at your particular rifle as a bullet launcher only - head stamps are yesterday. Took me several years to figure that out.

Long story short - I went 338-06 and haven’t looked back. Lots of good info both here & online. Not (much) better than a 30-06 with 200 grain partitions but seriously - not much is - however the 338-06 can shoot the grand 250gr Nosler Partition which can literally kill anything. Just my .02

Let us know what you go with

All kinds of TREMENDOUS feedback in this thread.

Thanks to EVERYONE for sharing their knowledge, experience and thoughts. You all have given me lots to ponder on

Been a lurker on this forum for years and knew the depth of knowledge here was great

So when I needed help it was time to make my first post

Thanks again everyone.

Going to think on this for a while, do some more research, then get the project started this winter

Lots to consider for sure

As a guy that grew up chasing Whitetails in the swamps of Northern Michigan with peep sited lever guns…I am picking up what your laying down brother.

Good stuff

Some great information here so feel free to ask - but with a warning... you'll get so much info you may have a hard time deciding which way to go so pay attention to details that make sense to you. Also, we love to spend other peoples' money so be prepared if you ask to start saving for that next thing ....

Comes right down to it, I've shot elk with a 30-06/180 grain bullets, 300 Win Mag 180 grain bullets, 338/225 grain bullets, 300 Weatherby 180 grain bullets, and now a 26 Nosler/140 grain Accubonds from 30 yards to 600 yards and really couldn't say which one killed better. The rifles that handled best were the easiest to get the job done however.... and that doesn't always a short barrel to accomplish it. I've used my 26" barreled Winchester classic and my 22" barreled Pre 64 custom , both in 338 WM in thick timber and open country and really didn't notice a difference in issues even though I really thought I would...

I will say that no matter what rifles I've migrated to over the years due to my rifle looniness like most on this site, I would never feel undergunned for anything in North America with a good stout 30-06 that was built right and was carrying the proper bullets for the job at hand...

Bob

The one caveat to using 30-06 brass is that first time around, you will need to neck up to ~.375", and then neck down to 9.3mm to create a false shoulder. The 9.3 neck die will need to be adjusted so the bolt just barely closes to keep the cartridge head against the bolt face. After the first firing, normal reload process.

How about the .300 Whelan?

The older I get the more KISS principle I like. When I was younger my curiosity just about ran out of control the 35 whelen, 338-06, 338 win mag, 375h &h and a custom 9.3x62. The grass is allways greener on the other side of the fence even when it isn't. If that pre 64 stock isn't modified don't, find a lwt syn replacement. Get it bedded, don't bob the barrel, work up a 200 gr NPT load with RL-26. Switch scopes to the 2.5 x 8. It will do anything in the lower 48. At his point if you find it inadequate you can take it back to collector piece and do what ever with something else that probably won't work any better. I been busting my butt trying to find 9.3 x 62 brass, dies, and bullets not easy these days. 458 win says if you can' t get it done with a 30-06 "your unwittingly commenting on your marksmanship," he is right. If you can t handle a 24 " barrel in the woods, stay at home and do what your wife tells you too. Mb

To be honest I’ve never heard of that. I’m gonna have to research it now. How does it compare to the 30-06? Are reloading dies available for my RCBS Press?

Hook, line and sinker!

😂😂😂

I can see the wisdom in everything you wrote.

Except the last sentence because I still want a 22” barrel. I never intended to cut the barrel or damage the stock because I always wanted to be able to put it back together if need be. I am gonna re-barrel even if I decide to stick with the 30-06 and if I ever sell it the buyer will have both the synthetic stock/sporter barrel and the factory stock and barrel as a package.

At the range I am looking at for where I hunted and intend to hunt again (300 yards or less and most likely 150 yards or less) I won’t miss the FPS I lose w a 22” barrel. But the ounce savings and ease of getting through the thick stuff is real. I am 62 years old and live at 750 feet of elevation so when I get to 10,000 feet where I was hunting every ounce feels like a pound. Hence my desire to get on a synthetic stock, smaller more compact lighter scope and the shortest feasible barrel. Hell I’m even looking into fluted barrels to shave another once or two.

All this said, fate seems to have clubbed me upside the head and said “Listen to Magnum Bob except you get your 22” barrel”

Last night I was at my gun club and saw that a buddy of mine had posted a takeoff barrel for sale. He also had bought a pre-64 model 70 in 30-06. He put it in a custom laminated stock which he glass bedded and re-barreled to .35 Whelen. He was asking $50 bucks for the 30-06 barrel that was on the rifle. He didn’t feel the need to save it because it wasn’t the factory barrel. Someone had already re-barreled it and the stock was pretty beat up so he wasn’t really concerned about trying to preserve the collector value of the Stock and barrel that came with it because basically there was none.

So I went to his house and looked at the barrel. It was practically in mint condition, bore was great, was 22 inches long, was a thinner contour than the factory barrel but not super thin and was stamped “Skaggs Gunsmithing 2011” I didn’t know [bleep] about Skaggs Gunsmithing” but a quick search on my phone found a place by that name in Oregon. My friend got the gun from a guy in Idaho so that seemed to make sense. Skaggs Gunsmithing has a Facebook page that is kind of outdated (no recent post) but it all about competition shooting so I figured it was worth snagging at $50. I had two $20s in my wallet so I offered him the $40. He rolled his eyes but he took it LOL. 😂

So now I have a 22 inch barrel for a pre-64 model 70 in 30-06. I had been pricing out Krieger barrels and Douglas barrels in the $1000 range, so I figured WTF…For $40 it was worth seeing what this Skaggs Gunsmithing stamped barrel is all about. I doubt he actually made the barrel but more likely bought it from one of the barrel makers, installed it and maybe did some accuracy of work on it (lapping?) 🤷🏻‍♂️

So it looks like the plan for now is to swap that barrel onto my action, drop it in Brown Precision stock, have the action checked and if need be trued up and work up loads with 200 grain Nosler Partitions and Accubonds and see what I got

We will see if Fate knows what she’s talking about. Worst case I can always put a Krieger or Douglas barrel on it later and even change the caliber if I do but I have a sneaking suspicion I’ll be just fine with this 30-06 barrel if this Skaggs guy knows what he is doing

My M70 is off to JES as I write this to be transformed from 30-06 to 9.3x62. Good to here more positive feed back on this round. Looking to possibly "nine three a nilgai" soon.

I still have a 30-06, I'm not completely insane!

Thumbs up termin8r, It's you be gettner time. Whatever you sacrifice in velocity on the shorter barrel you will make up downrange with the bc's on the 200 NPT or 200 Accubonds. Mb

Termin8r, I like where you're going with this. Those 200 gr Partitions are no joke. I was really impressed with the accuracy I got with them. At least with my 30-06 rifle, the recoil seemed pretty gentle. I was running them at 2600 fps from a 24" barrel via H4350. Only shot two critters with them, a wolf and a grizzly both in Alaska. They expanded readily on the wolf, and penetrated deep on the grizzly. I'll admit that the grizzly sucked up several bullets, all at under 50 yards, before he was done.

BTW - nice score on what's probably a pretty sweet barrel! I hope it works out well for you.

Regards, Guy

The finest "Timber Elk" rifle I can think of would be a 30-06 stoked with 200 gr Partition's. Mine was an M70 with a 21" bbl and backup open sights:

Termin8r, sounds like you got real lucky on snagging the barrel. With the 200 g Accubonds or PTs, you're bound to find a load it likes and you won't be sorry once you put one in an elk at any range.

My son has been shooting my Pre 64 70 for several years for deer, so I usually load 150 Partitions for him and they shoot very well. Right around .75" at 100 yards from the bench. This year I loaded up what I had left of the Partitions since they are so hard to get and the rifle just flat refused to shoot them worth a darn. Must have got a bad batch as these would only shoot around 2 MOA with the same load I've been using... had some 150 Ballistic tip Hunting loaded so we tried those and the first group was a cloverleaf so that is what he hunted with this year. This and all my other Pre 64s have never been picky about bullets before, so I'm guessing it had to be the bullets this time around... so try several until you find one you like. A buddy shoots nothing but Barnes TTSX and loves them. His results are a good testament to the quality of those bullets also...

Another point, which you probably already know, if you're going from 750 ASL to 10K ASL, if you can squeeze it in try to get there a couple days early to acclimatize. Once you get a few days in the thin air there you will feel a lot better hiking through the woods/hills, etc.... I know my place is at about 200 ASL and we hunt around 7K ASL and it takes me a couple days to get my lungs and legs working right.... it doesn't really matter that I'm 68, it seems it always felt that way...

Bob

Yeah that’s the kind of stuff I was hunting and only half the trees were blown down. I spent more time going over and around tress than between them.

And there I was carrying my 24” Barrel 300 WBY with big optic ready to shoot elk at 400 yards 😂

So when I go back I’m gonna have a rifle that’s more suitable to the situation and 3+ lbs lighter

Great elk and great pic

Yea 4350 is my standard for the 06 and my .270s. I have that on my bench so it’ll be the first thing I try. Gonna try the RL-26 also whenever I can get my hands on some

Yeah, we will see on the barrel. It’s a great score if the barrel shoots good

Yeah I only had one day at 6800 feet before we went to 8500 feet for one day, then packed into our camp at 9600 feet on the 3rd day in Wyoming.

Next time I’m going to try and give it a little bit more time before heading to the remote camp. And hopefully continue to drop the pounds off me and my gear plus more time on a stair machine before I go

I may have to try the Barnes TTSX too. I’ve heard good things about them penetrating like crazy

Pretty cool story. If the gunsmith is/was located in Oregon, I bet its a Pacnor barrel. My old smith loved using Pacnor's because he said they were very good people to work with and the barrels were very accurate. Now when you get your Brown Precision stock you will be set. Do you have a good smith to re-barrel your rifle? My old smith would only charge me $40.00 to swap barrels. He was damn good at what he did.

I'd have a hard time not going 30-06 and loading it with some 165- 180 gr Barnes TSX /TTSX

Termin8r,

If you can find some RL-26 and use it with the 200gr. Partitions, you'll soon forget about the rebore! 200gr. bullets at 2700fps+ will do anything that needs to be done well from the muzzle out to 400yds!

Elk Country

That rifle is right up there with Old Ugly and Finn Aagaard’s Professional’s Rifle in terms of pure, unadulterated utility.


Okie John

Have to admit, my Pre 64 70 in 338 WM was a joy to carry in the woods with the 22" barrel... and shoots as well as just about any rifle I own.... but it has been semi-retired while I play with my new deer/elk/everything rifle- 26 Nosler custom on a RR Remington 700 action...

Bob

The first two I thought of were 338’06 and 35 whelen…… buuuuuut, I’m a rifle nut and I love 8mm and I love 180&200gr tsx and I once thought about an 8mm/06 but then knew I probably couldn’t take it to Africa and…. Yeah. A lot of ands…. I’d day 338’06 and 210TSX and live happily ever after.


But then there’s the short action option and 338 federal or 358! There I go again.


338’06. Final answer

😂

I feel your pain 😎

Well, you could be practical and hunt the rifle you have, even if the barrel is cut down. It will work great.

Other than that, what Mainer said.

All of the above except for a 20" barrel.

I have had 3 of 338-06 std and Imp, 35 W (3), 375-06 AI. Zero 9.3-62.

Full loads in a 30/06 are so close to the 338-06 that it isn’t worth the effort going to the 338-06. Incidentally, I think velocities are commonly overstated or the cartridge pressures are overloaded by fans of this cartridge. 250’s at 2450 are tops, as is 2625 for 225’s, and 2700 for 210’s especially in a 22” barrel. Your 30/06 will get pretty close to 2700. I don’t see the advantage.

The 35-36-37’s are more but for your purposes not that important. Someday you may try the 168 TTSX which gives velocity and penetration. Much flatter shooting than any of the others you considered. Until then the 200’s are very good.

I wouldnt alter your pre 64 if it’s in good shape, I have a 1952 Sporter in 30-06 as well and it’s a gem. That said having owned both the whelen and 338-06, my preference is the 338. I had JES punch out a Kimber montana and chop it to 21 inches. It pushes a 205 hammer at 2800 with RL17 easily. I’d find a different donor and build a 338-06 off of that.

If I wanted lighter and more handy timber thumper id do a .358 win on a short action.

"I may have to try the Barnes TTSX too. I’ve heard good things about them penetrating like crazy"


This is a 185TTSX from my .338-06. Pulled from a moose after it went through 3/4 of the length. Not sure how much more penetration you'd need for an elk.
My son shot 2 moose last month within a couple minutes of each other. Neither went more than 20 yards after a single shot a piece.

Shooting 2 moose in a couple of minutes is certainly,,Piling up the Work!

My first cow elk was with a 30-06, 23" Douglas barreled (#3) Mod 70 Featherweight (PF) and the Hornady Lite Magnum 180sp. 2x7 scope. I then had an opportunity to go to South Africa. I found a used Mod 700 Classic in 35 Whelen, had it reamed out to the Ackley, trigger adjusted to 3# and a Decelerator pad put on. Added a 1.5x5 Leupold on it. I fireformed my brass and used the old ( at that time it was new!) 250X right at 2600. I put it 1" high at 100. I shot Blue Wildebeest, Red Hartebeest, Kudu, Zebra, and Oryx. I recovered only 2, lengthwise shots on the zebra and kudu (over 3 ft) It was "my" observation" that using a big gun on big animals was perfect! It chilled their doo-doo pronto! Later in life I found another Mod 700 Classic and had it put in a Brown Precision High Country (that's the one you want!) and added a brake ( I'd had a neck surgery so had to then) I used the 200X, shot zebra and Black wildebeest ( 347yds on wildebeest, 250 on the zebra) never recovered a bullet! But I will add...a 30-06 with a 200gr bullet (or 220 round nose or Woodleigh 240 or 168-180 TTSX) is an awesome round! Just saying...now I have a 22" Ruger 77 in 338 RCM and will work with the 180AB, 200BT and the 205 Hammer. 2x8 Vortex Razor on it. Sheboygin! have a ball Pard...but try it in 30-06 first!
I have also had a Mod 70 Featherweight rebarreled to 9.3x62 and worked up the 286 Nosler. I gave that rifle to a young friend (had a young family & no money!) and killed a big spike that year standing behind a screen of buckbrush...35 yds, straight down! I used a Mod 700 BDL SS in .375 H&h (them they cost $350 bucks!) that was very light and a joy to use, same with the Mod 700 Classic in 375 H&H, awesome rifles! That is another way to go, light and fast 375 H&H!

Leave you mdl 70 alone and buy my Mauser project in 338-06. ;-))
Metal work is done, needs a stock and a finish

My 275 grain swift A-frame loads over 63 grains of 2000 MR aren't close to a 30-06.

Great thread lads! Lots of good input and perspectives.

I have just finished installing an NECG peep with new, higher front blade on my Ruger 9.3. Going to hunt it with just the peep this year. It is fast handling without the scope and the round is obviously a dandy.

The 338-06 is a cool round. So, one needs both, that and an '06 (or two).

I have one 338-06, two 30-06's. But, for sure, that doesn't make the old original '06 twice as good...

But, I have safe full of rifles chambered for other rounds, for if and when I get bored with those two.....

Loony stuff...

DF

This.

Makes way too much sense.

DF

After hunting in the area you’ve described I built a 350 RM on a 600 action and used 250 grain bullets.
I think I’d be using a 35 Whelen in the cartridges you’ve covered. But I built a 375 Whelen AI that I might use too. But you can’t go wrong with the 35 Whelen IMO.

The 30-06 with good bullets would work well too.

The logical choice is the 35 Whelen without a doubt

My black timber elk rifle is an older Remington 760 in 270.

If you want to put a bigger hole in your game, how about a 9.3x62?

I suspect you'd notice a difference.

338-06, 35 Whelen or 9.3X62.

I had multiple 30-06 rifles and never got too excited by them, ho hum, it's a 30-06... They killed elk just fine but Zzzzz
I looked for some more performance in 35 Whelen , 3 different 760 pump rifles and a bolt rifle over 20 years and lastly, a 338-06 bolt rifle.
Each one worked fine but was sold to other guys looking for a magic cartridge/rifle combination and later replaced, "maybe I'd overlooked something, I should try a new bullet"
Nope,there's no magic cartridge

I could have saved a lot of time and a few bucks if I'd just loaded better bullets for the 30-06s and focused more on hunting and less on cartridges.

I was in this boat few years back.
Love My 06, but wanted something bigger. Was going To buy a 06 donor and sent to JES for a rebore. I Went from 338-06, to 35 to 9.3 .
I finally settled on the 9.3 as I figured I want to go bigger, might as well go big. Ended up with the sauer 100 vs buying a donor/rebore.
Now that I scratched that thumper itch, I’m back to the old 06. It just works.
The gun looney in me is selling the 9.3 so I can do 338-06.
Hoping it’s a little less recoil off the bench, Guess I’m a little more sensitive than I thought.

I see you have 375hh. So you don’t need another African rifle. But I’m sure you already know that the 9.3 is acceptable in many African countries. So the 9.3 could be a Great back up.
I say keep the 06 and buy my 9.3. ;-D

I am late to this party.

My immediate thought before opening the thread was 338-06.

After reading the OP and scrolling through the posts., here are my thoughts.

Practical would be to keep it as is a 30-06 and make the package easier to carry. I struggle with tearing down a classic rifle though.

My choice would be a 338-06, I own three of them and would be my choice. Have taken an elk at 275yards with mine. If practiced, would not hesitate out to 450. I like 210's at 2800fps. Have blown through every elk I have shot with them.

I am not a 35 fan at all. Simple personal preference.

A 9.3x62 would be another good option.

use 200 grain partitions in your 30-06 and you won't be disappointed.

Nobody's mentioned the 400 Whelen yet?

Not super practical IMO

So? What does practical have to do with anything?

It fits the OPs use pretty well. Plinking with 41 cal cast pistol bullets in the off season. Sounds like a win/win to me.

You are right. We are looneys.

Might as well go all the way to 416, or even 458 then. 45-70 lever comes to mind.

Or even another 300 Weatherby with aforementioned 200gr partitions set up with a shorter barrel and lower magnification scope. Would not have to load to the max either.
Some benefit to having a familiar platform, especially when things happen quick in the timber.