The 338-06 has interested me ever since I started reading about it here and over on 24-Hour Campfire. Virtually everyone who owns one sings its praises. I really liked the idea of building one but I was reluctant to sink a bunch of money into a full-custom job built around what is still essentially a wildcat round.

Over the years, I collected a bunch of parts and pieces that with a little imagination and a fair amount of work could be made into a 338-06. I had pre-War M70 action with a bunch of extra holes in it. Customstox gave me a Pre-64 style safety for a song. SDH offered an old Biesen semi-inlet blank in the AR classifieds and I snatched that up. M1Tanker gave me a set of Warne bases and rings. I had a Blackburn bottom metal unit that I took in payment when I was dumb enough to make Ted a "short term" loan. I found an old scope I bought at a Seattle SCI banquet several years ago. I boxed all the parts up and shipped them to Duane Wiebe and asked him to put together a bargain basement 338-06 for me.

Really, my plan was to build a rifle I could use on backpack or horsepack elk hunting trips or maybe use on an Alaskan moose one day. Also, I thought it would be a good way to try out the 338-06 cartridge and see if I really liked it enough to build a nicer rifle some day.

Duane whittled away about half the Biesen stock, filled all the extra holes in the action and bolted everything together. I'm sure I'm leaving out some of the steps but anyway I've been working up some loads and having fun with the finished rifle for a while now.

It's everything I hoped it would be and then some. For starters, it looks a whole lot better than I had envisioned. It handles nicely and recoil is substantially less than my 338 Win Mag.



The nicest surprise is how well it shoots. My favorite bullets so far are the Sierra 225 and the Remington Ultra Core-Lokt 225. They shoot to the same POI with the same level of accuracy.

I've pretty much settled on either 225 grain bullet over 63.5 grains of Vihtavuori 160 in a Norma case with a Federal GM 210 primer. This load gives me 2575 fps from a 23" bbl.

Here are three three-shot groups with (from left to right) 62.0, 63.0 and 63.5 grains of VV-160. Not too bad for a bargain basement truck gun I think.



Thanks to all of you 338-06 aficionados who gave me inspiration and advice. Now, I just need to get it out to the woods this fall.

Yessiree.....that's a bargain basement truck gun if I ever saw one!!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:

Yessiree.....that's a bargain basement truck gun if I ever saw one!!!!!

I need to shop in that basement!

What kind of trucks are you going after?
.

quote:

Originally posted by Winchester 69:
What kind of trucks are you going after?
.

I really like Duane's stockwork from the ones I've seen on AR, a neat blend of traditional & contempory, it might just inspire me to get a decent piece of wood on my 338-06 one day. Pity Duane lives so far away.
Steve

Nice looking Rifle. Try some H4350 with those 225's could be you'd get 2650-2700 and the same accuacy. Enjoy

Looks great and a shooter. Truck gun eh? Looks like it would be my "go to" rifle.

Terry

One should see my trk gun a 1895 in 7mm looks a bit differant then this trk gun. This is one I don't know if I could afford the trk for it. Very nice.

Yeah, it must be HELL to have to use a pos "truck gun"like that......

I mean, HOW can you STAND it, better ship it to me in BC and then you won't be "burdened" with it!

Choice, very choice.

Forrest, you forgot to mention what barrel brand was fitted.

How can one not luv his Texas kick up truck rifle. Well done and yes, a great caliber no matter what those WM boys say. Enjoy bouncing around S. Texas with that POS!!

Dang it Forrest, I was happy with my rifle, until I found out it doesnt even rate as a truck gun...

Nice group, hope you get a chance to connect something with it / thats the selling point of the 338/06!

Way too nice for a truck gun, gotta be ugly with a synthetic stock and a well used 4X Leupold on it.

Very nice rifle.

You will really like the cartridge, I know that I have been nothing but impressed with mine. They are a whole lot more enjoyable to shoot that a 338WM IMO. Yet they still thump game with authority.

I usually shoot 210gr NP's & TSX's out of mine for elk and plain vanilla Hornady 200gr SP's for deer.

My next project is to get a nice wood/blued 338-06 in the safe to go with my Remington 700 & 7600 all weather truck guns in 338-06.

Interested in selling yours?

quote:

gotta be ugly with a synthetic stock and a well used 4X Leupold Tasco on it.

I thought I'd update the definition of truck gun.

Notice ForrestB didn't say what scope he used.

quote:

I need to shop in that basement!

Forrest-

Another masterpiece!!!! Great caliber and excellent execution.

I need to find out the location of your bargain basement!! I would like to shop there too!!!!

Makes me want to see the truck!

Guys I promise it was a pig's ear when I sent the parts to Duane and he returned a silk purse to me. The receiver and bolt were in poor but usable shape however it was rusted enough that I had to replace every small part on the action. The bolt handle had been "altered" and Duane shaped a new one that is identical to the pre-war look.

The Biesen semi-inlet stock had that 70's look going on. The comb was very thick, it had an oversized swept cheekpiece and deep flutes on both sides. The grip was quite tight and it had a lot of flare at the end of the grip.

I asked Duane to shape it as best he could and honestly the best I hoped for was to end up with something like a Dakota profile. It's certainly not as nice as if Duane had the full latitude of working from a blank but I think this turned out much nicer than any Dakota stock.

To answer a couple of questions:
The barrel is a Krieger.
The scope is an old-style Swarovski AV 3-9X

Also, I got a PM asking about the mystery Sierra 225s - apparently Sierra doesn't offer a 338 bullet in 225. I bought these at Graf's. It looks like these are an overrun from a batch Sierra made for an ammo manufacturer. They're bargain basement bullets for my bargain basement rifle.
http://www.grafs.com/product/200044

Very nice rig & she looks to be a good shooter too. Like Rob, I have also moved to H4350 as my go to powder but started playing w/ VV160 a bit & it looks promising. TheH4350 is easier to get & cheaper though. Well done!

Gonna be a heckova truck to do that rifle real justice

Congratulations to Smith and Owner!

quote:

The scope is an old-style Swarovski AV 3-9X

Forrest-

I get it now, it's the scope that qualifies it as a "truck gun."



Seriously, she's a beauty!!!!!

I'll bet you got the only 4 wheel drive Escalade in Texas. oh jealous me. roger

Your idea of a truck gun must be one you just shoot from the truck so you don't scratch. Not many truck guns I've seen with Blackburn metal and Wiebe's work. Mine is a VZ24 in .338-06 with a Boyd's stock and a Timney trigger, no Tasco for me, it has a Zeiss Conquest in Talleys. By the way it shoots as good as yours.

That is very impressive from concept through execution. Well done on all levels!

Yes, that's one rifle you can just throw in the back of the truck and not worry about..

Very nice..!!!

This must be ForrestB's truck.

And I thought my '09 Argie truck gun was nice.



Back to the basement we go...

That is a nice gun and a fine caliber. I have been pleased with 338-06 for 10 years though I shoot different bullets.

My good God! I'll never post a pic of any of mine!!!

Thank goodness your hardwood floor is off a bit, it at least shows you are bit like the rest of us.

quote:

Originally posted by .366torque:
Thank goodness your hardwood floor is off a bit, it at least shows you are bit like the rest of us.

Actually, that's a bowling alley in the basement of my castle.

Mmmmnnn!, Very nice, would go just luvverly in my truck cab Land Rover!

forrest,

can you throw up some other photos for us? beauty of a rifle!

Wow! If that's a truck gun then the only thing mine would qualify for is as tire iron for changing out flats.

Nice!

Namibiahunter

quote:

Originally posted by ForrestB:
Actually, that's a bowling alley in the basement of my castle.

I shoulda' known!

I'd like to have 10 truck guns!!

I just checked my basement and I didn't find one damn Swarovski LOL! I love it. That is a beauty of a rifle. My old Chevy will just have to suffer w/ an equally dented and abused Mosin/Nagant (that I will put up against 98% of lever guns in the world accuracy wise). A 338-06 is somewhere along my very long list of Needs,Wants and Desires.

a very well done up "truck gun", appears it is ready for any truck you may want to frame it in

congrats to you and your smith on what looks to be a grand winner!

Nice enough truck gun, after you shoot that gun awhile you'll be wanting to get yourself a nice custom rifle to hunt with!