Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters JB - how about an article on 338-06?

I think you did an article back some time ago about switch barrel Savage bolt guns?

Well, I recently got a steal of a deal on a Stevens 200 in 270 Win. I already had one in this caliber but the price was only $180 at Academy sports and I couldn't pass it up.

After posting about this, several mentioned the ease of switching barrels. So, I decided to get a ER Shaw kit from Brownells and a barrel vice and convert my older copy.

The operation was a piece of cake and the rig shoots under and inch over and over with 225 Grain Hornady's and W760 - 3 shot groups (Win 30-06 cases, RP Mag primers). This was with a good 15mph gusting cross-wind which seems to be the norm at the range where I presently shoot.

So, how about an article on this caliber in an upcoming Rifle or Handloader? I think it's been awhile...?

Everybody that posts about their 338-06 seems to love it and they all claim good accuracy.

ETA: By the way, I used Hornady New Dimension dies for the loading - the sized brass fit the Shaw chamber perfectly - when I sized the once fired brass, there was very little change in the shoulder. I think that may be one reason that I got good results right out of the gate on this...

No, never have done anything on switching barrels on the Savages.

I've had three .338-06's, all quite accurate. It's a fine cartridge, but unfortunately I never could discover exactly what makes it magic.

Ha! I've only had one and reached the same conclusion... will say however, it may be the best looking cartridge ever cobbled-up off the 30-06 case. Maybe that's the "magic"

Yeah, it does have nice proportions. And if you prefer shooting cup-and-core bullets, it's not going to overwhelm them with too much velocity.

But with the right bullets the .30-06 will do anything the .338-06 will, and some things it won't, such as shoot flat with 150-grain bullets. And if you really want more power than the .30-06, there are cartridges that actually kick things up a notch.

But if the whole purpose of rifle loonyism is to fill every little slot in the cartridge continuum, the .338-06 certainly fills one.

John, you hit exactly the conclusion I reached... the 338-06 really doesn't offer anything, practically speaking, that the 30-06 doesn't already offer.

I'd just as soon use a 200 grainer from the 30-06 than anything heavier in the 338-06. And as you say, the flat-shooting 150's in the 30-06 really can't be matched by anything from the 338-06.

Come to think if it, the 30-06 is an amazing cartridge... maybe one of only a couple things the government ever got right

Yep!

The error of my ways.

My 338-06's will do anything the 30-06 will do and my 270 shoots flatter. See, looneyism justification reasoning.

Why buy one 30-06 and get rid two other calibers?

Because then you'll discover the niche that can only be filled by the 257 Roberts...

Well, I would argue that the 250 grain .338 loads give you a bit "more" for larger game. And as you say, no need for premium bullets as we're talking 2500 fps at the muzzle.

But it's got to be marginal over the 30-06. The 30-06 throws 220 grain bullets to the same velocity and they have similar SD's...

Bottom line is I had two almost identical 270's and found that I could get a new caliber (that I've always admired) for about $220 - counting the barrel vice I had to get. And I could do it in my shop.

And maybe I was remembering another writer's article? CRS is a booger. (oops - meant can't remember "stuff" - not you CRS )

But won't my 6.5x55's do that?

I don't know, maybe I should just buy a 30-06 cause I do not own a 30 caliber anything, But then I saw a Remington 308 tactical the other day with a Hogue stock, or what about the 1975 Remington custom shop 300 WM I was offered today?

Or what about a WSM, Weatherby or H&H?
Maybe I should get a levergun in 30-30?
I just don't know.

Maybe I should sell all my rifles and start all over again?



Definitely been called worse.

What makes them magic is the shooting world desperatly needed another cartrige from the 30-06 case, a huge void that had to be filled!!
Magic, no. But I love mine. And not every kid on the block has one.
Jerry

OSOK,

I did do an article about switching rifle barrels a few years ago, but it involved using a barrel vise on 98 Mauser, Winchester Model 70 and Remington 700 actions. I probably did mention in passing that you don't need a barrel vise with Savage actions, but that wasn't what the article was about.

Part of my lack of enthusiasm for the .338-06 is due to coming to the conclusion that 250-grain bullets really aren't all that useful even in the .338 Winchester Magnum anymore. I've been shooting the .338 Winchester since the 1980's and have only taken two animals with 250's since 1990. The other animals have been taken with various 200-230 grain bullets, which worked just fine. In fact I wouldn't be heartbroken to stick to 200-grain bullets in the .338 these days--which of course suggests that a .300 magnum would work just as well, if not a little better, due to higher ballistic coefficient with 200's.

Which gets back to why I never was all that impressed with the .338-06. It seemed to me that 200-grain bullets were most useful. The .30-06 could push the 200-grain Partition to within 100 fps of what the .338-06 could do, and essentially provided the same ballistics, due to a higher BC. And the 200 Partition penetrates plenty, believe me. So why bother with another rifle, set of dies, etc. etc.? If I'm going to buy another rifle (or even just another barrel) I want it to be for some cartridge a LOT different than what I've already got, and the .338-06 just wasn't that different.

Veddy interesting, I've been contemplating a 338-06 lately but you guys have got me thinking. I'm about done with my 30-06 collection and wanted to build something bigger off of my bsa model d (factory sporterized m1917). Maybe I'll just go with a 375 h&h since I've been wanting one of those too. Hmmm...

And if you're obsessed, Lapua makes 30-06 brass and all the good "competition" dies are standard items for it.

Yep. The only problem with the .30-06, it appears, is that it isn't "different" enough for rifle loonies to get all excited.

I am thinking of buy 338-06 brass and necking it down to 308 caliber.I would then have a 308-338-06 which would be a different caliber designation!!!!

I have to agree with Mule Deer also. I have had both a 338-06 and a 338-06 AI and every time I was getting to feel good about them, Finn Aagaard's words would come back to haunt me. He said something akin to "It never ceases to amaze me what a marvelously efficient cartridge the 30-06 with a 200 grain Nosler Partition is." Since I was usually shooting 200-210 grain bullets I just couldn't get that saying out of my mind.

To make a long story short, I decided Finn was right and both rifles ended up becoming 30-06s. I traded one off and still have the other one in the safe. Not sure who said it first but I certainly agree with the statement, "A 30-06 is never a mistake".

"Finn Aagaard's words would come back to haunt me."

Here too. Glad I took the opportunity to read much of what he wrote in years gone by. Awesome experience level, and a wonderful ability to put it in writing.

Have been tempted a time or two to re-barrel my .30-06's to something else, but always seem to leave them as .30's.

I thought I will offer a counter to this discussion. Let me start by saying I have several 30-06 rifles and have used them extensively over the years. I think it is one of the finest "all around" calibers there is for game hunting and will defend it when necessary.

Now let's talk about the merits of the 338-06. It is a very efficient use of the parent cartridge brass, maybe the most efficient of all the off spring depending on how you do the math. Arguably more efficient in the 180+ grain bullets which is what is primarily available in .338 size.

The 338-06 shines when a rifleman feels he needs a similar trajectory to the 30-06, but more down range energy and frontal area for "thump". Many rifleman feel this is an advantage over the 30-06 when hunting game in the size range of elk and moose. I would also like to mention you can use it effectively on deer size game in place of the 30-06 and be proficient with your rifle when you go on the elk or moose hunt. Let's be realistic, most of us rarely go on elk or moose hunts compared to deer hunting.

At this point some may say: "What is the need, just get a 338 Win mag?". Nothing wrong with that statement if you can handle it and that means shoot it well. I have a 338 Win Mag and the recoil is much more than 338-06 with same weight bullets. The fact is a lot of men won't admit it, but the 338 Win mag is more than they can comfortably shoot, and that translates to accurately shoot. Typically a 338 Win mag is used on the larger species, and again for most of us those hunts come few and far between. We can miss a deer and get one later in the season or next year, but not necessarily so for elk, moose, bear, etc. The common man who does not live out west cannot afford to miss when the time comes on those few "lifetime" hunts.

Another plug for 338-06 is how the current large selection of modern bullets allow it to be closer to 338 Win mag than ever before. I parallel this with what MuleDeer said about modern bullets and 30-06. There was a time when the 275 gain Speer (plain old cup and core, that is no longer offered by Speer) for the 338 was highly thought of for moose, bear, etc. I still have some of those 275 Speers, and let me tell you when you touch one of those off in a 338 Winnie there is no doubt you are NOT shooting a 30-06! I suspect the reason they are not offered is supply and demand. 338 Win mag shooters would much rather touch off a 210 grain or 225 grain, or 250 if absolutely necessary. Wheter they admit it or not, 250+ grains in 338 Winnie pack a punch most guys don't want to get hit with if they can avoid it!

In closing, I will add if you only have the want or means for one rifle caliber for shooting medium to large game, the 30-06 would be my number one recommendation. If you have the desire nad means to want something with more "thump", I would recommend the 338-06 over a 338 Federal or 338 Win mag if you have never had any of the three. The reason is you can master the 338-06 quite easily, be accurate and proficient with it, and let it be a tool for you to take on that coveted elk, moose or bear hunt. Also, if you haven't figured it out already (by my rough writing!) I am not a gunwriter. Just a rifleman who loves to shoot, reload, and hunt.

Idared,

Townsend Whelen made the comment about the .30-06 never being a mistake--which has been my experience as well, at least on non-dangerous game. And even then I'd be happy using it on anything less than 1000 pounds, whether leopards or interior grizzlies.

In fact over the years I've almost never run into an outfitter or professional hunter who didn't really like somebody to show up with a .30-06. The rare exceptions have been those who didn't know all that much about real-world ballistics--such as elk or moose outfitters who believe there's an enormous difference in "killing power" between the .30-06 and any .300 magnum.