do any of you wilnerness hunters use one?

Don't know why one wouldn't. I have a Weatherby UL in 338-06 and with 210 gr Barnes tipped TSX bullets, I don't know of much it wouldn't handle in North America...including bears. Mine weighs 6.4# with scope. It has been to Africa and taken game up to about 750# with a single shot.
Ground round in my opine.

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer
SCI
DSC

I have a ruger #1 lite sporter I'm going to change to 338-06.

GarBy,

Is recoil a tad stiff in that setup? I was thinking a rifle shading 8lbs all up would be about perfect?

stiff recoil, same powders as the 30-30 but more and heavier bullets. little shoulder, but excellent round. great vast bullet selection.

same shoulder as the 30 06 just as the whelen is, is it not?

same CASE as the 06 and whelen, but the SHOULDER is inbetween. more shoulder on the 06 and less on the 35 whelen

Like GarBy says anything in NA OR Africa. My pre 64 fwt bored to 338-06 has taken yukon moose/caribou in NWT, 9'3" brown bear in SE AK and seven African animals all clean kills. Bullets from the 250 A FR for the brownie to 225 partitions for the moose/caribou to the 210 TTSX for the African antelope, etc.
Mine does come in at 8lbs all in and ready to squeeze. Is a pleasure to shoot and carry. Now it needs to make a trip to S. Texas brush country of some pork/venison, etc and it will truly have made the trips around the country.

I got a very good deal on an Echols Legend stock and am expecting it tomorrow. It is the standard fill fiberglass and was inletted already by mcmillan for a #3 barrel which is no big deal since that can be opened up or closed in for a new barrel. looks like I could come in at 8 1/4 lbs all up which I think would be pretty spiffy for this caliber.

I'm gonna work with CASII for the metal finish and stock painting. Pretty excited about that as his work looks excellent.

You should love the weight of your rifle.

got the legend stock today from the big brown truck. gentlemen: all i can say is that is one well thought out stock design. it is the standard fill weight which is much lighter than i anticipated it would be. not sure i'd want any lighter than that.

i'm definitely excited about this project.

As Garby stated, the Weatherby UL in 338-06 would be tough to beat for a lite packing rifle packing plenty of punch. I have one in 338-06 which I have not shot yet and one in 30-06 which shoots very tight groups and has no more recoil than a standard type gun weighing 2 lbs more. I chalk that up to the excellent Weatherby stock shape. Roy knew what he was doing with that stock shape, thats for sure.

woodrow,do you shoot one now?

As stated, I have a Webby UL in 338-06 but have yet to shoot it. I have the same rifle in 30-06 which is a tad lighter due to a slightly smaller barrel diameter (.580 vs .620 at the muzzle) and it shoots great with a lot less recoil than you would think. I also have a 338-06 custom 98 Mauser coming and can't wait to shoot it as well. That one has a wooden stock but is very trim and handles well. Perhaps this weekend I will load up some ammo and see how well the Webby 338-06 shoots. I have been more into handguns as of late but still like the long guns though.

BUilt mine 338-06AI in late 2008 based on a Sako m75 Greywolf rifle with a new barrel. Shoots 225gr Accubonds and TTSX's. LOve the gun.

I use Norma or Weatherby headstamped 338-06 brass (Norma makes the Weatherby brass).

Weatherby has factory ammo (210 Partitions I believe) and still may make a rifle in the caliber.

To me, the "felt recoil" is less than my Tikka T3 laminate/stainless 270WSM with 140gr Accubond reloads.

For a backpack rifle mine would be considered NOT (weighs in at 9.63 lbs) with scope...but it doesn't bother me.

I'm calculating weight when done and I should come out around 7.75lbs without scope.

I built my first .338-06 in the late 70's, and used it on moose, brown bear and several other animals... (actually, P.O. Ackley rebored a Ruger 77 30-06 for me) I liked the cartridge so much, i built another one EXACTLY the way i wanted it for my "go to gun". I was doing a lot of brown bear hunting at the time, and also cleaning up other folks messes with it.

Anyway, after a lot of bullet testing, i settled on 275 grain Speers, and never looked back! They out performed all others, with 250NP's coming in second.

I put tons of meat in my freezer with that rifle, here's one of the moose i harvested with it,



I still have the rifle today, but it doesn't get used much any more...

DM

just curious,why not the 35 whelan instead of a 338-06 ?
seems as though more would be preferred

quote:

Originally posted by white eagle:
just curious,why not the 35 whelan instead of a 338-06 ?
seems as though more would be preferred

I started out with a 350 Rem. Mag., same balistics and same bullet choises as the Whelen. And i did use it on several moose ect...

Back in the late 70's, and into the 80's the 35cal. bullet choises just weren't up to the performance of the .338 bullets of the same time peroid. Fact is, on the biggest game, the .338's out performed them.

These days, both have good bullet choises, so choose your weapon...

DM