Guys I wanted to posit a question here and I wanted to make sure I didn't diss anyone so I will say at the outset that the .338/06 is one hell of a cartridge! If Remington had chambered it instead of the 35 Whelen, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

Right now you can buy and off-the-rack rifles from Ruger in .338 Ruger Compact Magnum both right and left handed with a wood stock or stainless synthetic. You can also buy a Ruger Hawkeye in that same caliber, again with a wood stock or stainless synthetic. If you are a Winchester guy, you can buy a 325 WSM in about five or six different configurations, again including a wood stock or stainless synthetic. A bunch of other makers now chamber the 325 WSM including Browning, Sako, Tika, and Blaser just to name a few. For both the Ruger and the Winchester, top quality brass is readily available as well as current load data. The Ruger will equal the 338/06 and the WSM will exceed it.

My question is if these rifles and brass are readily available, is it really worth the effort to try and put together a custom rifle in .338/06? Any thoughts?

Dave If someone wants a hardhitting medium bore that has minimal recoil yes they should build a custom 338-06. The 338 Ruger Compact mag and the 325 WSM are availible right now but I wouldn't want to bet they will be around in 2 or 3 years. I will bet however that there will be lots of 30-06 brass and lots of good 338 cal bullets availible. We had a slug of short magnum calibres on the market a few years ago. The 270,7mm and 300WSM and the 7mm & 300 Rem SAUM s.You don't see the Saum's or the 7mm WSM setting any sales records. The same thing will likely happen to the Ruger compact, the 325 WSM and the 338 Federal.

Snowman:

I am thinking that the 270, 300, and perhaps even the 325 WSMs are here to stay but you are right about the 300 and 338 Ruger Compact Magnums. Only time will tell. I plan to stock up on brass just in case and don't forget, the Ruger Compact Magnums are just shortened .375 Ruger brass and I think the .375 Ruger is here to stay too.

Take a look at a Cooper M52 as they chamber it in the 338/06. Coopers are very accurate rifles and their customer service is A-One.
I have one in their 'Excalibur' style. Took a very heavy beamed 6X6 bull Elk in 2008 with a Barnes 185 gr TSX - DRT.
Vernon

Let's see factory cartridges based of the .308
.243 Win,.260 Rem, 7-08, .308, .338 Fed, .358 Win

Of those 6 many will agree that the .260, .338 Fed, and .358 are not very popular, doomed, or dying.

Now lets look at factory cartridges based on the 30-06 case.

25-06, .270 Win, .280 Rem, 30-06 .35 Whelen.

Of these I seldom hear anyone say even the Whelen is dying or doomed.

The 6.5-06 and also the .338-06 are very popular wildcats and you can buy brass for the .338-06 from at least one manufacturer.

I am thinking it may only be time till someone decides to run with the .338-06 and stop counting on fads for new sales.

Theres nothing I can do with the .338-06 that I can't do as well or better with a .30-06 or 9.3x62. And I have all of those calibers.

Dave,
Very good post.

In a nutshell, No. Unless you want a custom rifle. Then it is a very easy to accomplish.

I am a big proponent of th 338-06 cartridge. But I am also at peace with the fact that the 338-06 will never be a huge commercial success and probably never be reintroduced commercially.

Multitudes of reasons why Winchester and Ruger came out with their own proprietary cartridges mirroring the ballistics. Obviously they think there is a market for that ballistic range. Didn't want to pay royalties? To easy to convert old standard length actions to the cartridge?

Why the Weatherby introduction did not spark. The rifle and ammo were out of the price range that the cartridge would appeal to. Common sense blue collar type.

And how Art Alphin's invovlvement hurt the cartridge. Not thought of too highly in the industry. Requesting too high royalty fees?

When I built my 338-06's the two you listed you did not exist and the Weatherby was not available.

I do not plan on getting rid of my 338-06's. Especially not to acquire either of the cartridges you listed, the 30-06 or 9.3x62.

But the 338-06 does have a lot going for it. It is a very easy conversion on any standard length action with a standard boltface. Very easy to form brass, easy to load for, easy on the shoulder and works fantastic in the field.

It is not the be all, end all, sitting on a throne. But it is a very solid, dependable, working class cartridge IMO.

RyanB
You're right. But, I like tinkering and forming (reforming?) cases. Admittedly with the 338/06 all I'm doing is running an expander button through a 30/06 case.
But, As my wife says, 'it keeps me off the streets'.
Vernon

quote:

RyanB
You're right.

I disagree, as I can do everything the 30-06 and 9.3x62 can do with my 338-06. One cartridge in place of two.. makes sense to me.

One die set instead of two, one caliber of bullet to have in supply instead of two, need I go on?

I challenge you to buy a box of .338-06 in a store, load it with a 320gr woodleigh or a 125gr VMAX, buy a case of surplus ball ammunition or meet the minimum bore diameter for hunting big game in Zimbabwe.

For me, its too big for most and not big enough for the rest.

I have (3) 338-06 rifles, one Weatherby Ultra-Lightweight, one full custom M98 and one full custom M70...and they are great rifles. I would even make room for another. There is just something about this cartridge...that has a sort of romance about it...that just gets attention when you say what it is. You don't get the same "ring" with a 338 RCM or 338 Federal. I ain't changing my mind, thats for sure.

Woodrow:

I doubt that I could change your mind. However, next time you are in Cabelas, Gander Mountain, or your local gun store, see if they have a Compact Magnum with a little 20 inch barrel that you might handle. You'll understand. It took me a long time to understand what Jeffeosso and Michael458 were saying but now I get it.

Dave, beyond the 30-06 and 375 H&H, rifles are all about desire, not need.

I built a 338-06 in 2000. I didn't find it really did much more than the 30-06. It does make a bigger hole, and thumps stuff slightly harder, but at the end of the day a critter hit the same with either is dead.

For a sport hunter and rifle nut, this is all fun and games so if you have a 338-06 itch and feel like scratching it, by all means do so. I did and don't regret it, even though I got rid of it a long time ago.

Will say, the rifle nut side of me REALLY likes the 338 RSM... and I loathe the 325 WSM. Go figure.

RyanB,
We all know there are better cartridges for "meeting" the minimum African DG requirements. How many DG animals have you shot with your 9.3?

There are also better cartridges for shooting V-max bullets. My 22-250 immediately comes to mind. Or my 270 shooting 110gr V-max which my son dearly enjoys shooting. How many boxes of 125gr V-Maxes have you run down your 30-06?

My 338-06's were not built to hunt DG or shoot varmint bullets. They were built specifically for elk, and have worked wonderfully on the aforementioned, plus antelope, black bear, and deer. I probably could have done the exact same thing with the 30-06 or 9.3x62. Would those cartridges have done it any better, I doubt it. Just like the 338-06 probably doesn't do it any better. Just my preference.

The 338-06 is simply 0.3" better than the 30-06 and the 9.3 is 0.28" better than the 338-06. Nothing more, nothing less.

BTW, the OP does not ask about 30-06's or 9.3's.

Brad,
Well stated.
You forgot to add 223, and swap 270 for 30-06!

Dave, I do understand what you are saying, as I have somewhere around 40 rifles and since I am short many are just what you say....short/handy/powerful including the 375 and 416 Ruger Alaskans but also Ruger M77 RLSDZ w/18.5" very thin bbl and Winny 70 Compact Classic with the 20" thin bbl, amongst others similar. I still like the 338-06, maybe because it is the red headed step child. Hell, I have a friend who loves Corvairs and has half a dozen of them.

Dave,
As you know, I am a new 338/06 owner so my experience with the cartridge is limited to the 40 rounds I fired at the range on Saturday and a moderate amount of research. Being a lefty as well, when I began looking at .323/.338 catridges I had the same questions as you and then some. What sold it for me was:
1. It will do anything a 8mm RM, 8x68S, 338 WM, 338RCM, 340 Wthby Mag will do at the ranges I intend to shoot +/- 300yds
2. Brass is cheap and easy to form from 30-06. Of which I have about 500 rounds of once fired. I can't imagine that 30-06 brass would be very hard to find even if I didn't have a surplus.
3. With the execption of the 338RCM, it uses a good deal less powder so it is more economical to reload for.
4. As I have come to find out, recoil is lot less than a 338WM, 340Wthby Mag and an 8x68S so I will shoot it more accurately. I have not shot a 338 RCM or an 8mm RM, so I cant speak for them.
5. I just like it!!

Good Hunting!!

Adam

quote:

Originally posted by SDhunter:
Brad,
Well stated.
You forgot to add 223, and swap 270 for 30-06!

Ha! Too true!

Setting aside the fact I have a 338-06, yes, certianly worth it. Brass is easily made by just necking up 06 cases. It's a great hunting round for anything around the world, but the Big5. With 180gr TSX @ 3100fps or 250grNP @ 2500fps, it just works.

I've really had the desire to have ONLY ONE "wildcat" and that was a 338/06.

I liked the larger bore diameter, and the ease of just necking up 06 brass was pretty easy...

and I wanted it on a Model 70 action... plus I had a little extra personal enthusiasm as the rifle was bought in Montana..

so to me it was a true Western Elk hunting rifle..

even tho I have a pair of 338 Mags, once I built the 388/06, they pretty much grace the gunsafe..

for a caliber heavier than my 6.5 stuff, it is my favorite cartridge...

so yeah, I am biased in my answer...

and as pointed out early in the thread, all those other fancy calibers are going to be around in a few years?? who knows..

but I know the 30/06 brass will be around and so will 338 bullets... and as hand loader, I really don't care what cartridges are available or not.. I just care about brass and bullets, and primers being available..

the 260 was mentioned as almost dead.. maybe on the shelves for factory ammo, but for those of us that handload, its as hot as ever...and gaining more and more converts..

personally I don't know why any serious hunter would be at the mercy of the marketing depts at Gun Manufacturers.. handloading and after market barrel availability, why would anyone really worry??

quote:

Originally posted by SDhunter:
RyanB,
We all know there are better cartridges for "meeting" the minimum African DG requirements. How many DG animals have you shot with your 9.3?

No dangerous game, but 11 animals. When I go back for buffalo I will take the 9.3 rather than the .416 because I shoot it that much better.

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bush:
My question is if these rifles and brass are readily available, is it really worth the effort to try and put together a custom rifle in .338/06? Any thoughts?

If you just want a Custom Rifle, it "might" be a good choice, not as good as the 35Whe, but pretty good.

The thing that would make me rethink it is the "Starting Loads" in a 338WinMag provide the same Velocity as "SAFE MAX Loads" in the 338-06. So you can duplicate the performance in the 338WinMag and then surpass it when/if you desire. And resale on a 338WinMag will have a larger group of potential buyers.

Best of luck with your choice.

I have been nothing but pleased with my 338-06 since putting it together in 1995. At 7 1/4" ready to go it is my go to elk rifle and will be chasing bears in BC 12 weeks. Go for it.

Dave I built one (.338/06) several years ago on a model 70 Winchester featherweight, that used to be a .30/06 and I am not sorry I did so. It's main use was for a light to carry hunting rifle to be used in the high country on elk or mule deer. It will do anything my .338 Win mag will do out to 300 yards! It will hold a 3-shot group off the bench with 210 grn Nosler partitions at .780 to .900- MOA with it's lightweight barrel at 22.5 inches.

quote:

And resale on a 338WinMag will have a larger group of potential buyers.

I am happy that I sold my 338 WM and built my 338-06's.

I am not worried about resale, as mine are not for sale. I did sell two of mine, and didn't get hurt on the sale. Wish I would have kept one of them. But somebody wanted it more than I did I guess.

I am having another 338-06 built, Win Model 70 FWT blueprint. Don't plan on selling that one either. Hope to pass it down to one of my boys someday.

There are a lot of you who think the 338/06 is just right I built a 35 whelen ai before the 338/06 became popular and can tell you the 338/06 will become your go to gun from ak. moose on down it will knock them over!!Dont be afarid to pack the powder in it. Check out a straight 35 whelen? Kevin