Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats 338-06

I never fired a shot but passed on a couple bucks and was glad I had it when I got charged by a bear.The bear stopped at the last second and turned around snapping and popping its teeth!
I think she thought I was a another bear . Big fun can't wait to do it again.

Finally bloodied mine 2 weeks ago, 225gr Interlock, 40 yard shot through the lungs and nicked the offside scapula, ran 30-40 yards and piled up. A nice large doe, no pics

Congratulations great shot!

I wouldn't guess what a custom wood stock would cost, but I'd bet you might be able to call someone like Kevin Weaver or maybe Dennis Olson to get an idea?

KeeKeerun, that is a great pic, would be neat if it would wink at you

I too have 338-06s a custom Remington Bench rifle and an Encore barrel, best 06 cartridge

30-06. Nothing a good premium 165 at 2850-2900 ain't gonna kill. Next.

Take that non looney stuff elsewhere Sir

If it was only about what COULD work we'd have the 1st Rimfire and 1st centerfire produced and nothing else!!

Your right. Carry on.

My interest began when I read Either Taylor or Boddington's comparison to it and the .318 Westley Richards and how well it worked in Africa.

Yeah man, get with it.

Well, I just booked my 2025 elk hunt, and this time I'm taking the new-to-me 338-06 AI. It's an Ultra Light Arms Model 24 with a 24-inch barrel. Six pounds with scope. Shoots 3/4 inch with 225-grain Accubonds.

But I'll have months to work with other bullets and loads to see if something else moves to the top.

Own a pre-64 M-70 in 338-06 that was chambered and cut rifled on the original barrel with iron sights. Super Grade stock
from the 1950s that I found reasonable with reasonable finish wear. Similar early Model 70 custom-original barrel-w/sights
in 35 Whelen. SG styled stock.

The 338-06 is the cat's meow on big or dangerous game. Nosler 210 or 225 Partitions do carry it up to and beyond the 318 Westley-Richards
or 333 Jeffrey. A 35 Whelen Ackley Imp will equal a 350 Rigby, but the 350 handled excellent Rigby solids that were proprietary 100
years ago. With Swift A-Frame bullets in both calibers, you are set for Alaska or Africa.

Wow. I recognize your name and know you’re a pro, but 6lb 338-06 AI? That hurts my shoulder just reading about it! I don’t think I’d want to be on either end of that! 😳

Tom, the 185TTSX worked great on 2 moose out of my standard 338-06. You may want to give them a try also.
1st shot was a double-lung on a nice cow at about 225 yards. She made about a 30 yard circle and went down. Next was a young bull at about 60-80 yards. Hard quartering away. The bullet ended up just under the hide after busting through the off side shoulder blade. Dropped on the spot. The guide was thoroughly impressed.

That bullet looks perfect! I’ll try the 185 to see how it works out of my rifle.

Welcome Tom……..I think that you’ll like it here. The site is entertaining, enlightening, exasperating, and probably a host of other words staring with “e”……some of which shouldn’t be used in mixed company! memtb

Thanks. I’ve gotten a lot of good info here in the six years I’ve been here. Some entertainment, too.

Give these a good hard look, call Mark at Apex and get some real time info on the Afterburner bullets

They allow you to "gun up" a notch, using your chosen cartridge without redlining into over max pressures, or going to a larger capacity cartridge .... the bullet design coupled with the high bc are guaranteed to impress

Your 338-06 AI will mimic the flat trajectory of a 300 Rum with target type 200 gr bullets

338 Cal Apex Afterburner bullets

May have missed it, related to Grits?

I ran the 225 Partition in my former 338-06 for an Elk load, the 200 Ballistic Tip for Deer. 2670 fps and 2910 respectively in the standard chamber, WW brass partial sized, my chamber in the Hart was cut to handle 250s, but no trouble reaching lands w/OAL for mag box in a 700, 3.335 or whatever the max OAL is.....all shot 1/2 MOA. 23" barrel, IMR 4320 was my go to in the 225. IMR4064 is a good one for 200s and down. If you get long shots, not sure how the 185 x will work, as to expansion, though I seem to recall Layne Simpson used the 338 Federal with that bullet, on an Elk around 300 yds, not sure of shot placement.

I feel the 185X, 200 SP and 210 Partition are best for the 338 Federal, but like longer heavier bullets with higher BC in the faster '06 versions. 225s only give up 2" of trajectory at 400 yds with a 200 zero but hit harder and should penetrate deeper.

Good luck on your future hunts.

Don’t over look the 210 Partition, it’s about the perfect do everything bullet for the 338-06.