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

I am getting 2695 fps with a 225 accubond and 2655 with a 230 eldx both in a standard non AI 338-06 with a 21” barrel. 210 sciroccos are at 2835 fps as well.

Good info. Recipe?

I have long considered the 338-06 to be a non belted 300 magnum, as it pushes same weight bullets to roughly the same velocities.

But you do lose BC and SD against the 300's. I have not found that to be an issue, as the longest shot I ever had to make was 275 yards.

I foolishly sold my last one to a friend, and have another being put together right now. I would not be disappointed if he calls wanting to sell it back.

Gracias, impressive. I wonder how many more fps you get with an AI in that case. Probably not a lot.

RL17 is pretty good in my 338-06 with 225s.

My 338-06: 61 grains IMR-4350, Nosler 225 grain Partition with Fed. 210 M 2700 fps Shoots great in my rifle, I have a 23 inch #3 Shilen SS barrel.

FYI

Take care

bwinters sorry for the delay. When using 61.0gr RL17 and 225gr Accubonds I get 2750fps. The Scirocco using 62.0gr of the same powder gets 2865fps. Both will shoot an inch or better. The Scirocco on game performance is outstanding. I use mag primers in both loads. Also, case trimming is almost non existant with the AI version. Hope this helps you with your decision.

Thank you. Trying to decide exactly what to do. It seems Fred Zeglin isn't doing the Hawks any longer and can't seem to find any 338 Scovill data. I doubt the increases in velocity over the standard 338-06 are significant - given identical pressures.

I'm happy with the standard 338-06.

Not much difference.
Wish you the best.

I got 2690fps with 225 Grandslams over 55grns of RL-15. 22 inch barrel. Standard chamber.
Planning to switch over to 185TTSX's though.

I'm building my second one. I didn't shoot the first one enough to formulate any concrete ideas. Looks like RL17 might be able to perk up velocities somewhat. I'm just going to play w/the 160/180/185gr bullets. No need... living here in Texas. We do have some large hogs but our deer aren't really that much of a challenge. In my first gun H4350 and the 210gr Partition reached 2750fps which matched Weatherby's ballistics. That gun also did not do well w/RL15 or Varget. powdr

I have made a lot of them over the years. It's a caliber that is in slow but steady demand here in Wyoming.

I kept 3 of them myself from time to time, but every time someone offered more money to me than I could stand, or offered to trade guns I liked better at the moment, and I let them all go. I now have some rifles in 9.3MM and they do what I need, but I have nothing bad to say about the 338-06. They killed everything I ever shot and I never needed to shoot 2 times at anything with one. In fact it's my absolute favorite of all the .338" bore rifle shells.

I keep thinking I should build one more for me and never sell it, but I have a 9.3X57, and 9.3X74R and a 9.3X62, so I can't seem to make myself build another one for my own collection. But that is not for ANY lack of merit of the cartridge.

I think it's interesting to see how the 3 most popular planes-game guns in Africa for many of the "glory years" were the 333 Jeffery, the 318 Westley Richards and the 9.3X62. The first 2 are in the same league as our 338-06, (or close) but don't quite fire a 250 grain bullet as fast.
The 333 did have the availability of a 300 grain however, but with the bullets we have today, the 338-06 could actually beat either one of the 2 British rounds for most hunting.

The 9.3X62 is more powerful, but for anything up to elk size I can't see how more power would really help. Once you can blow a good sized hole through the chest from any angle, including hitting big bones, having a heavier and larger diameter bullet is not going to really put them down enough faster to matter.

Might see some difference on Bison or maybe Moose.

Elk hit with my 338-06 or any of the 9.3MMs I just mentioned fall instantly, or within a very few seconds. What's not to like?

Yeah, I think it's a great round.

Have a rebored pre 64 model 70 FW 338/06 standard with composite stock 2650 210 NP one hole shooter SK rings and mounts 2.5 x 8 Leupold. Wayne your out of Pendleton OR did work . Have only shot one bear 250 pound male with it 180 yards flattened him full pass though broke both front shoulders

Shoots good nice fast handling rifle in the timber.