Have been researching to build a 338-06 a couple years.

Reloading supplies are expensive, brass is expensive or fireformed and rifles are scarce. Midway no longer carries the A B barrel.

Downloaded 338 Win Mag. is a no-brainer 1 gun caliber. 210 gr TTSX @ 2600-2800 fps is a wonderful combination to take everything and recoil tolerable.

Often hear about 3000 fps being required for distance shooting but wind drift is a greater factor than bullet drop.

I am not sure why you want to down load the .338 win mag so much. If recoil bothers you get a .338 federal.
The .338 win mag kicks if your rifle does'nt fit you very well.
But my ruger hawkeye is farly comfortable.
I don't know if you have any other rifles but the .338 win is a very good cartridge.
You might also consider a 35 whelen.
It kicks less than the .338 win and is a deadly round for sure...tj3006

Here are some "figures".

All with the 210 Nosler Partition.

Muzzle Velocity/Wind Drift at 500 yards, 10 MPH crosswind.

338 Federal 2630fps/26.8"

338 Win Mag 2830fps/24"

338 Ultra Mag 3050fps/21.3"

NE450, now you have to publish the foot pounds of recoil for each of them!

quote:

Originally posted by ar corey:
Reloading supplies are expensive, brass is expensive or fireformed and rifles are scarce. Midway no longer carries the A B barrel.

quote:

The 338-06 is a dandy, and a hand loader's dream. Few others are as easy to secure components for and most require more effort for satisfactory results, witness the 35 Whelen. Brass for both is about as economical as it gets and bigger bullets cost more -that's a fact. Bullets for both are similarly priced, but .338" bullets offer the best bang for the buck.

quote:

Often hear about 3000 fps being required for distance shooting but wind drift is a greater factor than bullet drop.

IMHO many of the best cartridges average 2750f/s, and that's about the magic number for flat trajectories. I can tell you from experience that a 250 grain .338" has less drift than does a 180 grain .308", and both average 2700ish in factory form. (I'm talking 30-06 here)

A lighter bullet isn't the way to go if one is concerned with wind drift, however, loading down is dandy if one has a special application in mind, otherwise a smaller calibre is probably best. Just MHO here...

If you have never fired a 338wm before your gonna love that round,its recoil really is not bad at all and you will absolutely "slam to the ground" whatever you hit with it, it's the only round i have "all one shot kills" and everyone was DRT & no tracking involved...the 250gr. is a sledgehammer...i use it for everything... also 200gr. 225gr. very accurate and mild recoil...Have fun & good luck!

Downloaded powder charges for common rounds link


http://www.chuckhawks.com/reduced_recoil_reloads.htm

Nothing wrong w/ the 338wm, great round, but I wouldn't buy one to download to the 338-06. I have been hunting w/ a 338-06 for years. It's a great all around NA cartridge. If you want one made, then get one made. It can be done quite inexpensively if you already have a 270 or 06 doner rifle. The 210grNP @ 2750fps is easily done in a 22" & will kill well to 400yds on just about anything that walks in NA. Load 250gr anything @ 2500fps for woods hunting where shots are under 200yds & it's also a good game taker. If you choose to hunt say antelope @ 400yds, the 185grNAB or Barns TSX @ 2900fps is a good round.
How do you figure the 338-06 cost more? The dies are the same, the cases cheaper (06, 270, 280, 35whelen), the bullets are the same & it uses far less powder. So how is that nore expensive than 338winmag?

Reloading supplies for a .338-06 are expensive? All depends on what you define as expensive.

Also, you can take the cheaper way out and purchase .30-06 brass and reload to a .338.

I have shot a 338 quite a bit on game and from the bench in preparation. I attempted to download mine to use on whitetails just to get some more use out of it as it is an all weather gun, Brown Precision. I had several different bullets in 200 and 225 grain that I was going to use up. Accuracy was abyssmal. A sub-MOA gun went to 3 and 4 inches at 100yds. I forgot the download thing and went back to full power loads. I wish I had just used the time I wasted on putting together several boxes of regular loads for it and stocking my shelves. Just my observation.

I have down loaded 300 Mags and 375 H&H Mags to hunt deer and pigs on my lease, jus because I wanted to have some fun with a particular rifle.

All of my shots there are under 100 yards, most under 50, I like to get close, and just did not "need" full powewr loads.

My reduced loads have all been accurate, most use IMR 3031, as I have a bunch of it on hand.

I do not see why it would not work in the 338 as well.
Lyman shows a starting load with a 200gr bullet with IMR 3031 at 54 grains for 2620fps.

50gr gives a 250gr bullet 2272fps.

quote:

Originally posted by Magnum Hunter1:
I have shot a 338 quite a bit on game and from the bench in preparation. I attempted to download mine to use on whitetails just to get some more use out of it as it is an all weather gun, Brown Precision. I had several different bullets in 200 and 225 grain that I was going to use up. Accuracy was abyssmal. A sub-MOA gun went to 3 and 4 inches at 100yds. I forgot the download thing and went back to full power loads. I wish I had just used the time I wasted on putting together several boxes of regular loads for it and stocking my shelves. Just my observation.

My experience was exactly the same. I'm not saying that it can't be done successfully, but I gave it up.

The powder that was the last straw was IMR 3031. My loads were with 200 gr bullets and only a couple of grains below starting loads per the manuals, but the hang fires were very unsettling. There was a very noticable delay between the fall of the firing pin and the boom, and the muzzel flash was bad too.

I would strongly advise against the use of 3031 in the 338, unless it's full power loads. Assuming the starting loads in the manuals is minimum would probably be ok.

One powder that I didn't try, but now suspect may be the best choice is H4895. Hodgdon says this powder can be loaded to 60% of maximum.

KB

I download mine at times, because at times you don't need a full bore 338 Mag, but like your particular rifle..

I have found 35 to 40 grains of SR 4759 turns one into the equivalent of the old 33 Winchester if you like feeling retro sometimes...

actually if someone wanted one rifle for big game hunting... a 338 Mag isn't a bad choice..

load it up to full potential or download her to the 33 Winchester equivalent or a 32 Win Special..

as where I am hunting with my son, 150 yds is a very long shot...

kicked up a small buck at 20 yds this morning..let it go as it is only second day of the season...but I could see shooting it with a 338 Mag at full bore...

I have shot a lot of 60gr of IMR3031 in a 375 H&H and never a hang fire.

I do not think Lyman would list a load that might cause a hang fire.

SR 4759 is a great choice for low low loads in rifle cartridges.

40gr of SR 4759 with the 220gr Hornady 220FP is a one inch grouper at 100 yards in my Blaser R 93 Tracker barrel, and hits the same place as Federal factory 300gr Nosler Partition.

I tried a load recntly in my .338 win that was really mild and ver accurate. I loaded a 225 grain nolser acubond over a medium dose of
V-N160.
The load was well undere moa but i don't know the velocity.
I have a lot of rifles so I can pick a lighter round if I don't need a lot of power,
But I don'r down load much.
If all I had was my .338 win I would use near full powewr loads for every thing I shot at with it.
Dead is dead. No such thing as to much power.
Now if you are hunting near home's and you don't want have a load that travels far, get a 44 mag lever gun or a 44/40.
...tj3006

I think after reading this discussion that I'm going to try reduced loads again in my 338. It's a fine shooting rifle, and I think it would be neat to have something ballistically near the 338 Federal to hunt deer and maybe hogs with.

KB

Couldn't you just buy a 22 Hornet and lie to your buddies about it? They wouldn't laugh any harder.
I have a problem with shooters who buy a cannon and then download it to pea shooters power levels.
Why did you buy the damn thing in the first place?


Rich

What is there to lie about with regard to a 22 Hornet? It is what it is. Too much for small game, and too little for anything else. Perhaps I'm missing something in imagination and perhaps humor.

It's interesting to learn of your problem, and classification of the 338WM as a cannon, and the 338 Federal as a pea shooter.

I always liked the comfort of full power loads with my 338WM when I was hunting the Sitka deer in the company of brown bears. Lately I've been favoring my 8x57 and 308, mostly because I have yet to have a bad encounter with a brown bear, and because the smaller non-magnums are plenty fun to shoot.

So, you are probably right and I'l probably never get around to messing with downloading the 338, since I have other good choices. Oh well, to each his own, it's all fun.

KB

I have been shooting the 338 for soem time with , I would say a mild load,

250gr doing about 2400fps
275 gr 2350
300gr 2300

and gentlemen, that is a sledgehammer , it is fun too shoot, and recoil is not bad at all

Love the 338 though, I would use it as my only gun at any time

I have shot a lot of European game with a downloaded .338 WM and really like it. Velocity is 720 m/s, bullet a 200 grain Ballistic Tip.

A friend of mine has loaded some of those 350 bullets for his 458 Win.

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
Couldn't you just buy a 22 Hornet and lie to your buddies about it? They wouldn't laugh any harder.
I have a problem with shooters who buy a cannon and then download it to pea shooters power levels.
Why did you buy the damn thing in the first place?


Rich

Rich,

I can follow your logic...

I think the reason why, is that those of us that do are handloaders and can tailor our rounds to what we are going to be using them for...

I hunt where there are houses all around the 3000 acres of public land...so a fast shooting magnum, might not be the wisest choice in there..

however a heavy bullet moving at 2200 to 2400 fps, is a lethal package..and more than ample enough for the 150 yd max shots that present themselves in there.....

okay, but then you have an 8x57 Mauser. I cast for all of my big boys, but if I want less than .577BME I go to my 550 Gibbs. Less, then the 505, down to the 450 Dakota, down to the 404Jeffery or 416 Rigby. Last two on the list are the 375H&H or 9,3x62.

It's just me, don't pay too much attention.

regards,

Rich

I think that loading down a BIG gun is a great idea.

Many eople have BIG guns and would like to use them more.

I have shot a BUNCH of deer and pigs, and a few bears with my ELEPHANT GUNS.

With the proper bullet they kill like the Hammer of Thor.
Many of the loads kick a lot less as well, making the rifle more fun to shoot, and cause less wear on the gun as well.

Seems like a win/win to me.

PS I have shot squirrels, armidillos skunks, and coyotes, with my ELEPHANT guns as well.

I find the 210 TSX in the 338 win mag very tolerable my load is on the mild side at 2900 fps and it kills like a lightning bolt or the Hammer of Thor. I think a fully loaded 338-06 is only 150 fps less if that. Load it for 2800-2900 and shoot everything in North America with it. My rifle weighs 9 lbs with the scope, sling, and 4 rounds in it. Not light but not a heavyweight either. I have shot -06's that kicked more, a bunch more. DW

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
Couldn't you just buy a 22 Hornet and lie to your buddies about it? They wouldn't laugh any harder.
I have a problem with shooters who buy a cannon and then download it to pea shooters power levels.
Why did you buy the damn thing in the first place?


Rich

Why? Simple answer Rich: want a 1 gun rig with 338 frontal area.

Using TTSX 210 I can punch a lethal hemmorage in the deer, elk and moose I hunt killing them quick and not destroying any meat.

That leaves me 3 choices:

338 Federal
338-06 custom build
338 Win Mag.


338 Federal is available in the Kimber and Tikka. The Tikka has gone up laregely in price now. The Kimber's are expensive.

338-06 custom build involves expensive barrels now because Midway stopped selling the Savage 110 A n B. A custom build is going to run 700-800 minimum.

That leaves the 338 Win Mag. in a Weatherby Vanguard or perhaps a Savage in the low price category.

Calling a 210 grain bullet moving at 2700 fps a pea shooter is nonsense.

I downloaded some 200Gr. & 225 gr.Hornadys in my 338winmag.yesterday down to 338federal speeds,easy to shoot & all my bullets grouped together & were very accurate...No problems & easy to do,dont ya' love the freedom to reload your own ammo ...
I love the smell of 338wm gunsmoke in the morning..

Although I don't own one,I feel that the 338 win mag is a great round.I think the only .308 diameter round that has the right size case is the 308 win...all the others being overbore,including the 30-06.

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
Although I don't own one,I feel ...

first honest post flinchie has made

A 35 whelen and a downloaded 358 Norma mag would also make good cartridges, IMO.

quote:

Originally posted by Kabluewy:
I think after reading this discussion that I'm going to try reduced loads again in my 338. It's a fine shooting rifle, and I think it would be neat to have something ballistically near the 338 Federal to hunt deer and maybe hogs with.

KB

Using the 210 grain TTSX at 2600-2700 is most likely going to punch through any elk or moose as well. And having extra weight is great against wind.

Another benefit is the window of accuracy.

Buying a 338 Federal can greatly limit accuracy if rifle doesn't shoot them good at max load.

338-06 same thing, although Barnes has got some great speed out of their tests with this.

338 Win. Mag. will almost guarantee a good group. If I need to wear a PAST at the bench because the most accurate is max then I can. Shooting at game doesn't matter.