quote:

Originally posted by jsl3170:
d,

how is your's set up given where you live?

quote:

Originally posted by jsl3170:
does the 250 np hit with noticeable authority vs the standard 30 06 in say 180 or 200 gr guise?

quote:

Originally posted by Donald Nelson:
I envy all you folks who get to hunt critters larger than the deer and bear we have here in PA.
Here a 30-06 will do everything a big game hunter will ever need. However about 20 years ago I decided to buy a .300 Win mag. I hunt farms where hill side to hill side shooting is the norm so figured the added speed would be good plus if I ever had the chance to go for Elk I would be o.k.
That rifle has served me well but not until I added a muzzle brake. It was just to much rifle for me. Well a gun safe full of rifles later and I feel the need for something that will throw a bigger bullet just to have it. .338WM and another muzzle brake? I would rather not, so this thread has me looking at the 338-06. Do I need it? No not at all so a couple hundred fps will not matter but 225 grain bullets with greater frontal area than an 8x57 has with similar recoil would be nice in the mountains if I ever get a chance to shoot a blackie. So is this rifle for me? Much more recoil than a 30-06 is not my idea of fun.

quote:

Originally posted by Scott Spencer:
Sorry to bump this thread but after reading it I see there is a great deal of support for the .338-06. I'm actually waiting on my own .338-06 to come back from Pac-Nor later this month.

I rebarreled one of Ruger M77 hawkeye rifles and I went with a Ruger factory contour so it would be a drop fit in my wood stock. I chose a 23" super match grade stainless barrel with 1:10 twist. I hope to shoot 200 Accubonds and the 210 Partition as my main hunting loads here in the US.

I haven't yet decided if I will leave it unfinished or just have it cerakoted to match the flat finish of my Ruger action. I'll be adding a Timney trigger as well.

quote:

Originally posted by robthom:
I would liken it's performance to a .30-06 mated with an oriental martial artist: it's terminal performance belies it's size. And it does this without the viscous kick of fast magnums or the stout kick of larger bore sizes.


I think the optimal bullet weight for .338-06, barring 'special' applications, is 210 grains. Below that weight I think you are better off with a .30-06.

quote:

Originally posted by robthom:


I would go as far as to say I would prefer to shoot a bigger bear with a 225 grain .338-06 than say a 180 or 200 grain .300 Win Mag due to the 'bigger hole' syndrome (temporary and permanent cavitation promoting blood loss)

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Originally posted by boom stick:
With a factory gun in 338 RCM with a couple more grains capacity case I don't know what I would pick now.

quote:

Originally posted by ar corey:

quote:

Originally posted by robthom:


I would go as far as to say I would prefer to shoot a bigger bear with a 225 grain .338-06 than say a 180 or 200 grain .300 Win Mag due to the 'bigger hole' syndrome (temporary and permanent cavitation promoting blood loss)

I also like the fact the rifle has greater capacity.

Weatherby Vanguard/Howa 1500 has 5 + 1 in 338-06
as opposed to 3 + 1 in magnums.

A person is not likely to get 6 rounds at a charging grizzly, yet on rare occasion there might be multiple bears around.

quote:

Originally posted by Dewey:

quote:

Originally posted by ar corey:

quote:

Originally posted by robthom:


I would go as far as to say I would prefer to shoot a bigger bear with a 225 grain .338-06 than say a 180 or 200 grain .300 Win Mag due to the 'bigger hole' syndrome (temporary and permanent cavitation promoting blood loss)

I also like the fact the rifle has greater capacity.

Weatherby Vanguard/Howa 1500 has 5 + 1 in 338-06
as opposed to 3 + 1 in magnums.

A person is not likely to get 6 rounds at a charging grizzly, yet on rare occasion there might be multiple bears around.

This is much more fantasy than reality as Grizzlies are "apex predators" and hunt alone, with the exception of s sow-cubs family unit. There are usually a maximum of three bears in one of these and multiple bear group encounters are so rare that I have never known a person who has had this happen other than on salmon spawning streams where the bears are usually not aggressive to humans.

So......, I think that the capacity issue here is less crucial than the ability with a specific rifle-chambering-load combo to get a fast, accurate shot off and the reliablity factor is also more important.

I really, seriously considered a light .338-06 on a HVA action, light synthetic stock and sts. tube for a long time, but, my buddy had one built and then went to two simple P-64s in .338WM with the above parts. He just spent two weeks in the Yukon-northern BC and shot his winter Moose and he feels, as I do that the .338WM in his old 70s is a better hammer.

My custom HVAs are nice and light, but, almost impossible to find parts for and are NOT very much lighter than identical rifles I have built on P-64s, so, I just am not that keen on the .338-06.

That said, a nice 22" bbl's. .338-06 with 250 NPs or SAFs at 2500 or so, in a Brown, Lone Wolf,MPI or Bansner with a sts. tube and good irons, scope and QD mounts is a hell of a good rig for hunting here in BC and if a guy likes it, well, that's a big part of this whole game, eh?

quote:

Originally posted by DM:

Having said that, forget the higher capacity bolt gun helping in that situation! You will be VERY lucky to get off two shots and i mean VERY lucky. Best rifle by far would be a double rifle!

DM

quote:

Originally posted by Dewey:

Still, a light DR with external hammers in .450/400-3" or 9.3x74R, would be one fine rifle for the dense brush of BC and I could "stand" having one in my gun safes......

quote:

Originally posted by Dewey:
I did not say "never" as I have over 50 years of experience with Grizzlies here in BC. However. injurious and or lethal attacks by multiple bears as differentiated from rapid charges toward you that result in a bear(s) then "standing" to test the scentstream are fairly unusual and as you posted, very few hunters will get off a second properly aimed shot....often, not even a first.

I agree, somewhat on the DR and my "tool" for this is a customized Merkel drilling with two 12Ga. Brennekes plus a 9.3-286NP at 2400. But, these types of guns are a bit heavy and fragile for the really harsh mountain hunting we typically have here and I am most comfortable with a P-64 or Mauser with a Wisner, Lapour, Satterlee or Dakota safety, all of which I have and in various medium chamberings.

Still, a light DR with external hammers in .450/400-3" or 9.3x74R, would be one fine rifle for the dense brush of BC and I could "stand" having one in my gun safes......

So, what transpired when this old bitch came at you guys, did you have to shoot or did she suddenly stop, look, woof and then stalk away like she owned the world?

quote:

Originally posted by DM:

quote:

Originally posted by Dewey:
I did not say "never" as I have over 50 years of experience with Grizzlies here in BC. However. injurious and or lethal attacks by multiple bears as differentiated from rapid charges toward you that result in a bear(s) then "standing" to test the scentstream are fairly unusual and as you posted, very few hunters will get off a second properly aimed shot....often, not even a first.

I agree, somewhat on the DR and my "tool" for this is a customized Merkel drilling with two 12Ga. Brennekes plus a 9.3-286NP at 2400. But, these types of guns are a bit heavy and fragile for the really harsh mountain hunting we typically have here and I am most comfortable with a P-64 or Mauser with a Wisner, Lapour, Satterlee or Dakota safety, all of which I have and in various medium chamberings.

Still, a light DR with external hammers in .450/400-3" or 9.3x74R, would be one fine rifle for the dense brush of BC and I could "stand" having one in my gun safes......

So, what transpired when this old bitch came at you guys, did you have to shoot or did she suddenly stop, look, woof and then stalk away like she owned the world?

I was in an mountainous area that i knew VERY well, and realized our scent was going up hill to her. I stood still, my drilling in my hand, intending on killing "her" as "she" was the one actually chargeing to us by out scent. I didn't believe i could easily kill all three, so intended to kill her first, thinking the others would mill around giving me time to deal with them. (the guy with me was froze up, and of no use to me, even though he had plenty of rifle in his hands)

I wanted them within 60 or so feet for the first shot, and she lost out scent just outside that range. She couldn't easily pick it up again, and in typical brown bear fashion, they got VERY nervous and moved off growling. I'd seen this behaviour before...

My drilling weighs 7 pounds, and i haven't found it fragile at all. It's been my "go to gun" for more than 25 years now. And, NO thanks to exposed hammers on a DR, i'll take my tang safety DR every time!

DM

quote:

It's closer to 300 FPS difference. My pet load launches 200gr pills at 3150fps out of my 26" tube.

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My pet 338-06 load is 2850fps with max load of Varget, 210gr TSX and a 22" barrel.