My father-in-law gave me an FN Mauser rifle with a cracked stock, a locked up trigger, and a barrel so pitted, it looks like a sidewalk. He said that I could have it for free if I agreed to turn it into a respectable hunting rifle. I already replaced the trigger, and I'll put a new stock on it after I buy my wife a Christmas present. Now I just need to figure out what caliber I want to chamber my new toy for.
This is going to serve as my longer range(meaning between 125 and 300yds) do-all hunting rifle. I'll keep my .45-70 Contender with me for the close shots. It will be used on everything from coyote to elk, with a big emphasis on black bear.
I don't know anyone with any experience with calibers I'm looking at, so I'm hoping one of you can help me out.
What are the strenghts and weaknesses of the 338-06 compared to the 35 Whelen? Is it worth it to go with the improved version of either caliber? Is the 9.3x62 worth finding bullets for? Would I be better off having the bolt face opened up and chambering the gun for the 338 Win mag? I just need the opinions of some more experienced shooters. Thanks, Andrew.

They are all good calibers. Take a hard look at the 9,3x62. I have been using the near identical [power wise] 9,3x74R, mostly with 286gr. bullets. It has been very effective against several deer, big wild pigs and one black bear.
It is a natural for an FN. Check out Lothar Walther barrels.

9.3X62 'cause it says, "Africa". That's why it's my next rifle.

The basic answer is sort of "Yes". All three will do anything you want but FWIW this is my take.
1. The .35 Whelen is America's Own Medium. It and a .257 Roberts will take anything in the Western Hemisphere and do it with a grace and panache that no WSM or RUM will ever have. To own and hunt with a Whelen is to become one with the greats, Whelen himself, Keith and O'Connor.

2. The 9.3x62 has two faces. In Europe it is The Definitive Moose Gun and carried by sportsmen/women who have nothing but respect for the wrath of an upset boar. In Africa it was sort of the equivilent of the farmer's 30/30. Not ideal for running off varmints that could sometimes be the size of a house, perhaps, but run them off it could and did. Great caliber!

3. The .338/06 carries two truly distinguished lineages, that of America's do-all the 30/06 and that of the sainted .318 Westley Richards. At 2500 fps, a conventional 250 gr. roundnose will penetrate clear to next week, cancel your targets ticket, but good, and do it without beating you to death in the process. Additionally, there are so many truly sweet bullets in that caliber that for practicalities sake, it might be the best choice.

Your problem will be to balance raw function with Romance. Good hunting.

I've had some experience with the .338-06 in a M70. Took a mature bull elk at 300+ with a 225 partition. Got a few feet of penetration and a big exit wound. Also used it in Africa on plains game with 250 Swift A Frames on impala to eland. All one shot kills.

IMHO the .338-06 has a great supply of very good bullets. Easy to laod for and is easy on the shooter too.I've fooled with a few of them and they were all accurate.

Just bought a CZ in 9.3x62 . Hunted with it one day for cows but no joy, lousy weather. It appears to be very accurate. With 286's at 2400 it seems to hit about as hard (rocks&steel plates) as my .375 but a bit easier on the shooter. Like the fact that it holds five rds too.

Tough decision. I personally lean towards the .338-06 though.

FN in MT

I would opt for the 9.3x62, you have lapua brass, speer 270's for paer & thin skinned stuff and Barnes X, woodleigh's Nos partitions & BT's for other game. I have a cz 9.3 and I really like the caliber. It has a little more poke than the whelen.

I have a 338-06 Improved and in hindsight the Improved isn't necessary. On the other hand there's no penalty, either. Brass is cheap if you resize another '06 based case or you can buy the right stuff from Norma. I really see the 9.3 x 62 as a step up from the 338-06 or 35W and although I plan to get one of those too, the 338-06 would be my choice if limited to one or the other. I have never owned a 35W so can't comment there.

for the uses you list, I would just make it a 30-06

For me it would hands down be the 35 Whelen. I have taken 2 blackbears and several deer with mine shooting 250 grain roundnose bullets. None of the deer took as much as a step after being hit with heart/lung shots. Neither of the bears went further than 2 steps. I am sold on the Whelen. A true American classic.

[ 12-07-2003, 18:17: Message edited by: Iron Buck ]

This is one of those good choices ... can't do much wrong here.

I think given the choices of calibers, I'd opt for the 9.3x62. The 338-06 is an excellent caliber and deserves more factory chamberings. However, it will not yield as much energy transfer at the target as will the 35 Whelen or the 9.3x62.

The Whelen has been said to be just a little sensitive to headspacing unless your chamber is of perfect depth.

The 9.3x62 gives the most energy for the least relative recoil of any of the larger calibers I own (.338 Win Mag, 9.3x62, .375 H&H, .416 Rigby, and .470 NE). It is very comfortable to shoot and very forgiving of less than perfectly "tuned" handloads.

If you were thinking about a future trip to Africa, then I would say 9.3. There are no flys on the .35Whelen, but I think the best of the bunch for allround NA hunting is the .338-06 std. or AI. If you stay w/ the std. dies are cheap & you can get good headstamped brass from Wby. The bullet selection is impressive, 165-300gr. You can go large varmints to moose w/ this & not look back. Yes, opening the bolt face & going up to a .338wm is good, but the .338-06 will do everything the mag. will do just 75yds or so closer & in a trimmer package w/ add'l. rounds in the magazine. Go w/ a #2 23"bbl. & a nice laminated stock for an all weather package. Top it w/ a Leup. VXIII 2.5x8, perfect.
My own .338-06 is sim. built on an older Ruger M77 but I used a #3 bbl.. I've taken a dozen or so game animals w/ it & the exc. 210grNP. You'll be happy w/ either of the (3).

[ 12-07-2003, 20:33: Message edited by: fredj338 ]

Excellent replies all, except two things are being overlooked: 1) this is a gift from his father-in-law and there's an opportunity for relationship-building by either simply restoring Dad's old rifle to useful condition or involving Dad in the decision on choice of calibers; and 2) he is a college student, and as I recall living those days, money is probably very short.

I'd recommend repairing the stock with epoxy, seriously cleaning the bore, and, since the trigger has been replaced and no other problems have been mentioned, take it to the range with some good factory ammo and give it a try as is. Pitting doesn't necessarily mean poor performance...give it a try. You can move up to a rebarrel and new stock later if necessary.

This suggestion, coming from me, would seem very odd to my friends, since I'm known to be a wildcatter gun nut kinda guy (.35-.284, .35 Whelen Improved, and now .35-.300 WSM, using Speer 9.3 270 grainers squeezed down to .358" in a Corbin Bullet Reducing Die). But this hobby is costly (probably not practical for a college student) and the gains over standard rifle/factory loads are somewhat dubious.

That's my 2 cents.
Jerry/AK

Thanks for all the replies. It seems like each caliber has some good qualities.
Jerry/AK is right about the tight budget, but my wife gave me the OK to do what I want with the gun. It will be my graduation present to myself, since I won't be able to go on the Alaskan moose hunt I originally planned. I also recently found out that we are expecting our second child in late June, so this may be my only chance to build, or even buy, my dream rifle until both kids are through college.
This will be my only rifle, and I hoped to make it something that my children will be proud to have when I'm gone. That is the reason I don't want to keep the original 30-06 chambering. I wanted something a little different.
My father-in-law is pushing for me to just go nuts with the gun. He got it from a friend in need of quick cash for $25. He would like to see it turned into a 338WSM, the gun he always wanted.
Keep the comments coming. If anyone can think of a good medium bore round I didn't mention, tell me about it. I just always wanted a .338 - .336 caliber rifle, and this seemed like the perfect oportunity to build one. Thanks everyone!
Andrew

mstarling: I think given the choices of calibers, I'd opt for the 9.3x62. The 338-06 is an excellent caliber and deserves more factory chamberings. However, it will not yield as much energy transfer at the target as will the 35 Whelen or the 9.3x62.

Care to explain the "energy to the target" thing? Who can you tell -in simple terms- which one of the two delivers more energy to the target?

From a practical point of view, only one of these three cartridges is likely to still be in production when your children have finished college and you are on your way to the happy hunting ground.

It has been in production for nearly a hundred years and continues to gain in popularity every day. The other two are wildcats that come and go every few years.

Good point KurtC.

Plus, you can use plentiful .358 pistol bullets in the Whelen for low cost plinking. No such thing available in the other two calibers you listed.

It didn't cost me any more money to have my .338-06 AI chambered. Price was the same for the regular chamber as for the improved. I chose the improved for longer case life while paper punching, which I do way more than meat shooting.

Uh Dave, Kurt was talking about the 9.3x62 . . .

First, I have to assume that you will reload for anything you choose... If not, then your choices will be quickly narrowed down.

That being said, I went through this same exercise about 5 mos ago. I picked the 338-06 AI, and built the rifle myself from a VZ24 action on the cheap as a hunting tool, not a showpiece. Total cost was less than a new factory rifle in 338 WinMag (and I get a CRF action to boot!)

Bullet selection was much greater in .338, and more components are available locally than either of the other two choices. This does everything I need it to do. It will push a 200 Hornady or 210 Nosler within 50-100 fps of the 338 WinMag, and it costs no more to get it chambered like this than a standard 338-06. Recoil is so mild for such a hard hitter, it is difficult to believe. In this particular cartridge, the Improved version does have a definite benefit, and I can't say that for many 'improved' chamberings I have seen.

You are right - for American hunting, the .338 bore is a perfect size for just about everything. Plus you will have no bolt face or other action modifications to worry about. It amounts to screwing on a properly chambered bbl and putting it in the stock of your choice.

I decided that if I build a 9.3 caliber rifle, it will be in 9.3x64 - now there is some serious power. If you are planning on going with mostly larger game, you might consider this one as well. It is a bit larger in case size, and will run right with the 375 H&H, all from a standard length action. Bolt face will have to be opened up very slightly, but not near as much as for the WinMag case head size. This is my next project!

My vote is for the 338-06 (improved or not - up to you). A more respectable hunting rifle will be hard to come by Let me know if you have any specific questions - be happy to answer all I can. maxman

Due too Brass avaiabity the 35 Whelen gets my vote. Their are more 35 cal bullets to chose from, and brass is easily made from 30-06. I have one and also have the 338-06 at one time. The 35 Whel gets my vote!

You would not go wrong with any of the three but being the owner / shooter of two 9.3 x 62..they get my vote.
I also own / shoot a 338 Win.
I like the 9.3 better.

Thanks for shaking the cobwebs from my head Oldsarge. Since Remington has been chambering rifles and making ammo in 35 Whelen for almost 20 years now I don't equate it with being a wildcat.

But my point still stands: you can do cheap plinking in the Whelen with 38 special pistol bullets. What's the choice in the 9.3?

My vote is already made--9.3 x 62 in a CZ-550.

I have used 9mm Makarov bullets for varmints in the CZ, and they really bust 'em up. The CZ's 1-14" twist gets along with the short little pocket gun bullets real well.

I also cast a 270 grain flat nose bullet from Mountain Molds, designed by a poster on this board (Eirik). It shoots VERY accurately at all velocities from 1600 to 2400 FPS.

I've only had this rifle for 11 months, and it is fast becoming one of the most useful rifles in the safe. I would have to call it Africa's 30-06, not 30-30.

These three calibers seem to have a near cult level following! Maybe you can all help me with availability of components.
I know that factory brass is available in each caliber, but not locally. At least none of my local shops carry any. Is it worth it to track down factory brass, or is reformed just as good? I have nearly 300 old 30-06 cases left over from my last rifle, so could I reform those into functional brass for any of these calibers?
There is a pretty good selection of bullets available locally in .338 and .358, but no 9.3mm. Is it worth it to get them mail order from somewhere like Midway?
Also, are there any opinions on E. R. Shaw barrels? Being the budget minded (or cheap, you decide) shooter that I am, they seemed like a good value to me. I could buy the barrel and have them install it for around $200. I don't really need a match grade barrel since this will be a no frills hunting rifle. They don't offer a 9.3x62 barrel though.
Keep the comments coming. You've all been a big help.Thanks again.
Andrew

The 9.3x62 has been in constant production since 1905. I'm sure I've left some out, but they include:

Blaser, CZ, Heym, Sako, Sauer, Steyr, Tikka, and Zoli are currently producing rifles.

Brno, Browning, FN, Husqvarna, Mannlicher and Mauser have made rifles in the past.

Lapua, Norma, RWS and S&B produce cartridges and brass, with at least a dozen companies making bullets.

As far as I know only one company has ever made cartridges for either the .35W or .338-06, and unless someone starts marketing rifles in quantity, I would not bet on the availability of factory ammo. I believe only Ruger and Remington have made rifles in .35W in the past, and only Weatherby chambers the .338-06.

While all three are excellent cartridges, I think that only the 9.3 has a subsantial past, present and future.

I think a 9,3x62 with an octagon bbl built just like a prewar Mauser sporter would be a very classy rifle. The 9,3 is not too much for deer but still plenty for even the Big Bears.

collegekidandy,
We don't know your handloading experience, but I've always been taught that when working up loads from the start, use new or once fired brass only. Don't mess with work-hardened brass that's been fired umpteen times. I'd also be wary of GI brass with their thick cases and possibly fired from a full auto weapon.

Midway, or any other dealer is a good place to buy bulk bullets from Remington or Winchester.

I have no experience with Shaw barrels. Only ever bought Hart.

You will only need factory headstamed brass if you want it or travel overseas to hunt. You can just use that 06 brass, size it up or down as you need. Unless you have a pretty big gun store near you, you'll have to mail order for most of the 9.3s but that's no real big deal. Whichever you choose, I'm sure your pops will be proud of how it turns out. As to Shaw bbls., I have not used them but they do have a good rep. as a decent bbl. for the money. There are also several makers of drop-in laminated wood stocks if you want to go that route, in the 150-250 range. Have fun w/ this, makes me think I need another project gun.

[ 12-09-2003, 05:37: Message edited by: fredj338 ]

Johan
I never said I did not like fine bolt rifles. Original British and German Mausers [pre wwII] are no doubt some of the finest built bolt rifles ever made.
However I still like the Blaser R-93 as a best buy of the current made rifles. Especially since they take-down and fit in the same case as one of my doubles.
When do you come to TX?

Andrew

I am going to muddy the waters a bit here no doubt, but your statement that you may not get another rifle until your children are out of college makes me think of one caliber. I would go with the 338 Win Mag. If you were to say two rifles I would say the 30-06 and probably ether 9.3X63 or the 375 H&H. But for one rifle I would definately choose the 338 Win Mag.

I know it isn't one of the three being talked about here, but it is a round that you can be assured will be around the twenty or twenty five years from now that your children will be growing up. It will allow you to hunt any big game animal in North America and many on other continents. You can load it up to surpass the other three or you can load it down to be in their same company. I have seen many folks use one for everything from pronghorns to elk and moose and I have heard many in Alaska use it for bear and the like up there. As has already been mentioned the choice of 338 bullets is impressive. There is something for just about everything.

Good luck in what ever you decide.

[ 12-09-2003, 12:08: Message edited by: Idared ]

When I discussed a similar project with my gunsmith he recommended the .338-06 due to the wider selection of components, as stated above.

I, however, am sometimes immune from logic and went with the Whelen which I have always wanted. No bad choices among these three, though.