Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 338/06 Rebore

Wrong.

Big, rut-raged bull moose routinely continue to move for anywhere 30 seconds to hours, with partial lung function. They then die in the cold swift river, a fkn muskeg swamp, or in a tangle of willows/alders. A high velocity/light weight btch-slap to the lungs from a 20 something caliber, is the wrong answer.

Since you obvouisly need to learn through the goggles of gunwriters........Ask Barsness where his first Alaskan moose ended up dying after a behind the shoulder shot with a 338 win mag.

The way you take down a big bull, is you break out the entire fkn front end of the thing with a heavy, regardless of the velocity. You KEEP shooting till that big boy is anchored on the dry ground.

I agree. I’ve only killed two and only guided for a few more. Most of my extensive guiding is based off elk hunting, I admit. Alaska is a definite different animal. Never had much by way of rivers for them to die in and they were all the tiny runt Shirus variety. In my experience, I would rather use a .300 Wby and 180 grain A-Frames rather than a 275 A Frame out of a 338-06. The people that need to actually tool up for Alaska and not have a guide tooled up to help them out is a tiny tiny drop in the bucket. Maybe if it weren’t the 338-06 would be more valid.

Todd

Edit: no flies on the 308 200gr partition; I just had a WSM throated long for that exact bullet. But it don't make a 30-06 into a medium bore.

That was my favorite 30-06 bullet. A 200 grain partition on top of as much RL22 that I could stuff in the case. I would do a 30-06 in a Winchester M70 featherweight, put some irons on it, a decent 3X9 and maybe throat it so the 200’s were at the base of the neck and make sure the magazine allowed same. That would be a nice rig to me.

Late to this thread, but do it! You will like the 338-06.

As far as rifles, I would do the Kimber, but I prefer them to the XTR or Ruger. Simple personal preference. Nothing more, nothing less. So you should pick the rifle.

As far as crawling down the caliber/game performance rabbit hole....

My observations have led me to believe that there is a visual difference when a >338 caliber hits vs < 338.

If I need to throw out my observational experience, here it is.

Hundreds of deer/antelope. archery, 224-50 caliber.
Three dozen elk from archery, 243-375 caliber.
Six black bear from archery, 270, 30-06, and 338-06.
24 African animals with 300 H&H, 340 Dakota, 375 H&H and Cape Buffalo with a 404 Jeffery.

I have said this before, they all kill. The difference lies in the visual impact and how the animal acts after the shot.

I will add this simple observation from my first Africa trip. I carried a 300 H&H with 180gr TTSX, hunting partner used 340 Dakota with 225gr TSX.
I shot Blue Wildebeest, Gemsbuck, Mt Zebra, Warthog, Waterbuck, and Black Wildebeest. Every critter died but without exception every one ran at least 60 yards.
Partner shot Gemsbuck, Warthog, Kudu, MT Zebra and impala. With out exception each one was dead with 10-15 yards. Was an eye opening experience to say the least.

The list of bullets used on animals in the 338-06 have been:
180gr- NAB
200gr- NAB, Ballistic Silvertip, Old Hornady Interlock
210gr- Partition, TSX

I have also messed around with 160, 225, 250, and 275gr bullets. Never killed anything with any of them.

Currently have two Model 70 Classics and a 3rd "Safari" rifle at the smith's to be picked up when I get a chance.

Have two 30-06's, as every one should own one or two of them.

These broke a good amount of bone and just stumbled this little bull.



He did slide down the snow a bit but you have to love the hurt the 338’s and larger put on big stuff.

Great topic though fellas.

The above bullet is a 338 210 Swift






This is a 175 BBC from the Mashburn.

Only shot one moose so I don’t have much of an opinion there.

That off side leg is pointing the wrong way. Took an awful hit.

I've only shot two critters with the .338-06, a big 6x5 Montana Whitetail buck and an average sized Whitetail doe. Load was the Nosler 200 gr CTBS (same a BT but for the color, I think) at over 2800 FPS, and the shots were both inside 75 yards. I am a firm believer that the .338-06 is a real hammer, but this big buck actually ran pretty far, probably 75-100 yards. I was almost thinking I'd missed him until he got to a fence and didn't jump it like the rest of the herd that ran with him. Rather, he turned left and ran a few more yards then fell over.
I shot him behind the shoulder, midway up the body, and didn't break anything but ribs in and out. Here's the entry side:

and the exit:

Pretty sure if I'd whacked him in the shoulder he'd have gone straight down, as he probably would with the .257 Roberts/100 TSX combo that I've killed more deer with than any other chambering. Just goes to show you need to be circumspect with interpreting data and experience. I don't think this data point means a thing except maybe it takes bigger critters to make the .338-06 shine. But I had just finished mine and was itching to hunt with it, thus, the MT Whitetails that year (2020).

Cheers,
Rex

Yes, we should all be circumspect of 1 data point. Farthest I ever had a whitetail run was a mature buck with a 338 win mag and factory loaded 225gr Trophy Bonded in 1997. Same load took a nice bull elk, I did not see the impact or the reaction to the hit because a bunch of snow flew up from the muzzle blast. Dad said he shuddered, gathered himself and took off following the herd. Only made it about 40 yards up the ridge before he peeled off and down into a small drainage. That bullet entered right at the last rib and exited between the neck and shoulder. Shot was about 250 yards.

I have had deer run a ways when shot with a 338-06 and 210gr TSX also, but you could tell they were done. Never a doubt. The last two adult mule deer and SE Black Bear all went down at the shot with the 200gr CT Ballistic silvertips.

Not like some smaller calibers where you knew they were hit, but running like nothing was wrong until they tipped over.

I like to call it a crumple effect. Hit them with a big diameter and they crumple, They may run, but they are running crumpled.

So in my humble opinion.
A bigger diameter hits harder with all else being equal. Same bullet, velocity, & placement.

A softer bullet hits harder than a tougher bullet, with all else being equal. Same diameter, velocity, & placement,

A higher velocity hits harder, with all else being equal. Same bullet, diameter, & placement.

There are obviously myriads of combinations that will produce a positive end result, which is a clean kill.

That's why if your going to rebore you go 35 Whelen

Trystan

That is the nice thing about the bigger bullets, you can use the softer ones for lighter game. Never used the 200 BT but have used the 200 AB and it's a good one as well. I have so many 338 bullets you all are almost talking me into a 338-06

Not trying to talk anyone into a 338-06. Just stating my observations, opinion, and what I like.

OP wants to rebore a rifle and try one. He should go for it. That is what looney's do.

I really like the cartridge, even tried to go uber practical and sold/traded all my rifles so chambered. Replaced them with a 300 H&H, while I like that cartridge, regretted the decision immediately.

Soon I will have three 338-06's. All will be right in my gun room.

I don't need much of a nudge most days

The 200 Speer has been my favorite for whitetails. Real hammer at about 2600 - 2700fps. Definitely more reaction than any 30 cal or lower that I've used. Had poor penetration with the 180 AB at .338 Fed speeds. A sample of 1, though.

Beretzs,
Do it!!
The 338-06 is my all time favorite big game cartridge.If I was limited to one, that would be it. I’ve always used the 200-210 grain bullets. Big enough to hit hard yet still good enough to stretch ranges out past 400 yds. I save the heavier bullets for the 338 winnie. Although, the win mag does knock elk off their feet more often.

There is a great old article in Handloader magazine written by Steve Timm. Him and his friends had 3 of them. They tested from 200 up to the old 275 Speer. They hunted them for deer, elk, and bear in the Oregon coast mountains. I think, if I remember right, they used the 210 Partition and 200 Speer the most for hunting.

Thanks for the extra nudge. I'll have to keep my eye out for a good donor. More than likely I'd just send it off to JES and let him work his magic with it.

I am using the 210 Swift's in the 338 Win now and like the way they work so much I can't hardly stand to waste my time trying to find something that'll do any better.

My current 338-06 is a JES rebore on a 1963 Remington 700. It’s about a pound lighter than my 338 win, makes it nice for packing.

Ultimately I'd like a Model 70 or a Kimber, but I never know what'll run across. Gunner's 338-06 is about the epitome of what I'd like.

700's don't turn out too bad.

That looks sharp. Great looking hunting rifle!

After reading this thread, when my own post was on page one....

I can follow up on my 338/06 with this...a Model 70 Control Round Feed model..


it is my one "load and forget" rifle in the cabinet...

I use 3 bullets that I have a bunch still around, although I don't know if any of them are even made anymore..

200, 225 and 250 grain Hornady SPs....

anything I have pointed the rifle at, and pulled the trigger, dropped on the spot.... no following blood trails into brush or anything else..

bang flop... whether running or standing still...

rebored to 338/06 from a 270... and added a Bell and Carlson stock to it from the Factory Stock... took down the weight..

a Leupold 2 x 7 shotgun scope is all it needed or uses on top...

Have loaded it up, have loaded it down...

two extremes on that statement.... SR4759 with a 200 grain Hornady SP... 2400 fps... duplicates an old 33 Winchester...

250 gr Hornady SP or RN... 62.5 grains of H 380.. 2650 fps... serious punch....

H 380 is an overlooked powder in this cartridge.... 65 grains with 200 grain bullets, 64 grains with 225 grain bullets... 62.5 with 250 grain bullets..

all three different bullet weights.... 50 grains of 4064, each one 2500 fps MV, and same point of impact pretty much, at 100 yds.. flexible...

the 338/06 kills stuff...

always thought about I had to have a 338/06 and 35 Whelen... after doing the 338/06, never had the need to do a Whelen...

this from a guy, when I usually hunt with my 30/06, the load is usually a stiff load of H 4831 with a 220 gr RN or a 220 gr SMP Partition, at about 2800+ or so FPS...
yeah, it'll do that in an 06....

I don't need a thumper when I hunt most of the time... but when I do... its the 338/06 or the 30/06 with 220 grainers...my preference is the 338/06....

just because I guess it is rarer than the 06.... and seems to be an upgrade over the 06... and I don't notice anything less than the 338 Win Mag in performance, just felt recoil.

The rifle just gives a lot of confidence to ya, to get any job ya give it in North America, DONE...