I'm having my dad's old FN mauser action remade into a 338-06. Doing my research, I see it hurls 215 & 225 gr. bullets only 200 fps slower than a 338 Win Mag. Now, outside of Pop's 375 H&H, NOBODY I KNOW has ever shot anything bigger than a 338 win mag. And that person eventually sold the 338 Mag he had. Too much. Not that the 338-06 is by any means a dainty cartridge, but it is not the fire-breathing behemoth that a 338 W.M. is. Heck, shooting a 338-06 might let you actually hit the thing you shoot at, with the less flinching. I really wonder why its not more popular. I guess that 4-6 more inches of drop at, like 250 yards must be the very thing that makes it useless compared to the 338 Mag. Now, when it's done, I have to muster the cajones to pull the trigger on the thing. Wish me luck!

Hey, welcome to AR. You're not nuts...the 338-06 is a great cartridge. I find that folks that get into rifles tend to run up the velocity/ft/lb ladder initially, but then later settle into more conventional rounds. They get tired of getting beat up, shooting is no longer fun, accuracy is compromised, and they come to realize that they really don't shoot game at 500 yards. That's why the 270, 308, 30-06, 338-06, and 35 Whelen are still around...pick the bullet you need for the game, select the caliber that handles it, and go hunting.

When compared to the .30-06 it comes up short on every level except bullet weight. I think this has always been why it hasn't done any better over the years.

I like it and own one myself.

Because until rather recently it was a handloaders cartridge, pure and simple. Us gun nuts and reloaders are but a small minority of the total shooting and hunting population. Custom guns and non-factory available cartridges just aren't as popular. But, now when you get around folks like we have here, you'll see chamberings like the 338-06, 9.3x62, and the 280, are VERY dear little darlings

Sylvaneous, Thanks for asking. I did one time a few years ago and have learned a lot!
There are three(3) .338-06 here in the safe, so you know what I think of the caliber. It will do anything you would like on this North American continent.
I could go on, but the point is made.

The field is already crowded. Yes it is a dandy cartridge. Does it bring any real performance gain to the table? Not really. Would it be a marketing success ? Don't think so. It does, however, have a slightly better chance of survival than did the .333 OKH. But not much. roger

I like the cartridge, and have several obscure chamberings and two wildcats. I don't have a 338-06, and don't plan on one. The reason is that I can't justify it. I have two 30-06s and one 338 WM. Also, for the stuff I would it for, I think the 8x57 is just fine. It's an in-between cartridge, that is a good one, but not good enough to say it's better than a std 338 WM.

Besides, I have a 35 Whelen that I rarely shoot, so why would I want another in that class to rarely shoot as well?

The only thing I have a use for the 338-06 is that I've bought some Weatherby brass on sale, and necked it up to 35 Whelen. Worked well.

KB

Because it is easier for most to get a 30-06.
That takes care of the original question.

There are two main differences between the 30-06 and 338-06
1. Popularity
2. bullet diameter

There is one main difference between the 338WM and 338-06.
1. About 100-150fps

Falls right between a 30-06 and 338 WM. Pretty good niche IMO.

I am a pretty big fan of the 338-06. I currently own three, and have owned two others.

You will really like it, easy to load for, and the bigger diameter hits a little harder.

I always figured that the in-between 338 ought to be on a 60mm case, like the 8x60S necked up, or the 376 Steyr necked down. Or maybe like the 338 RCM. Now there's an idea, and factory chambering too.

KB

for anything south of the 48th parallel, the 338/06 is more than anyone would need... and it is fine for up in AK also...

I only own one and ONE is all I ever need...

I have been very pleased with mine since it was cobbled together in 1995. The 210 gr Partiton at 2800 fps in a 7 1/4# rifle all up just works.

338 RCM, Ruger's proprietary answer to the 338-06. Very nice round.

But it was not available when I built my first 338-06. Once you have the dies, you are set.

Another sticking point for me, is the fact that I am NOT a Ruger rifle fan.

You can load down the 338 Win Mag to 338-06 levels, but you can't load up the 338-06 up to 338 Win Mag levels. If you put in the practice time, the 338 Win Mag is as easy to shoot as anything else.

quote:

Originally posted by impala#03:
You can load down the 338 Win Mag to 338-06 levels, but you can't load up the 338-06 up to 338 Win Mag levels. If you put in the practice time, the 338 Win Mag is as easy to shoot as anything else.

And the .338 WM ammo is a lot easier to find on the local store shelves, and there is a much greater choice of factory rifles available for it...so far. And you still have the same length & weight action to lug around even with the smaller of the two.

I have owned several 338 rifles. I would own a 338-06, but I would probably do an Ackly Improved one on the 9.3x62 case. Ala 8.5x63 Reb.

I have owned a 338 Win, 340 Weatherby, and continue to own a 338 Lapua.

Nothing wrong with the 338-06, but I would have to agree, it's less gun than a 30-06 is with the same 200-220 grain bullets.

I have a 338-06 because I did not need two 35 Whelens. My second 35 Whelen was inherited, but had been built by someone who had sent a spent case to have a reamer built back when the Whelen was a wildcat. End result was a chamber that was acceptable but "sloppy."

I built a 338-06 because I had no 338 caliber rifle at the time and did not want to build a 338 Win Mag on a 1903 action and have to open the bolt face or deal with feeding problems. I like my 338-06 and it will shoot all day into 1 MOA with RL 19 and 210 to 225gr bullets.

I have reloaded for friends many belted cartridges (264, 7mm, 30 WM, 338 WM, & 375 H&H) and just dislike dealing with belts. I know many will disagree, but because my "friends" often bring me brass that others have fired and I need to reload so the new cartridge will fit any/their chamber I dislike having to FL resize and potentially not getting the cartridge resized "all the way to the belt."

I find the 338-06 very pleasant to shoot and not much different from my 35 Whelen in accuracy or velocity delivered downrange. I tend to use the 338-06 with 210 to 225gr bullets and use only 250gr in the Whelen.

If I want/plan to shoot beyond 300 yards I will rely on my 338 RUM, which beats the 338 WM hands-down. However, if I was to start the 338-06 all over again I would have built it to 338-06 AI specs. Not much difference for a reloader, but closer to 338 WM velocity and probably ideal for a Springfield action.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Barstooler

I never really saw a reason to go there. The 30-06 and .338WM bracket the .338-06 as pointed out earlier. In open country a longer shot is likely and the .338-06 doesn't offer anything better than several others and needed to be handloaded for. I like the choice to be able to get factory ammo. The more common the round the more likely you are of getting what you need.

The 35 Whelan was interesting to me for "dark timber" but I decided that it would be a little harder to find ammo for if need be. If hunting in this terrain, a heavy big bullet that penetrates deep leaving a big hole is my choice, and although I think the .35 would be good, I don't think it would be any better than a .338WM.

The .338-06 is probably more viable now with the newer lighter bullets that are available that retain weight for penetration. The choices of gunpowder have expanded tremendously.

All that said, I can and have loaded as light as 200gr Barnes X and love 250gr Woodlieghs in my .338 Win Mag. My rifle shoots great with the 250's and I quit looking for a better load. If I were concerned about recoil I could shoot a lighter bullet at .338-06 levels to tune the recoil down a bit, but why I would I'm not sure. Tuning a .338WM down is pointless. One last thing is I can get ammo dang near anywhere. Nate

quote:

Originally posted by SDhunter:
338 RCM, Ruger's proprietary answer to the 338-06. Very nice round.

I have used the 338-06 with 225 grainers, and the 35 Whelen Improved and 338Mag with 250 grainers extensively on all manner of PG up to Eland under African bushveld conditions. All are based on Mauser actions. Each performed equally well, but I'd have to say the 338Mag is faster than needed for the conditions found in bushveld Africa. I agree that the 338-06 probably offers little beyond the 06, but I like having niche cartridges. Makes for great campfire talk.

Well it seemed for years if it didn't say Magnum on the end of it people weren't buying.

I had the 338Wmag. Replaced it with my 340PDK. Since I shoot 225s or less I give up nothing to my 338Wmag handloads.

338Wmag is very easy to pick up at the store. Like 270, 7mag and 30-06.

I've 2 338-06's and 2 338 WM's....don't need to use the magnums here and the way it is touted here I should. I think the .338-06 is perfect in its design and is successful in anyone's hands.

quote:

Originally posted:

I agree that the 338-06 probably offers little beyond the 06, but I like having niche cartridges. Makes for great campfire talk.

And I'd be willing to figger' that's probably why 70% or more of them exist.

Nothing wrong with that reason at all. It's likely why 70% of ALL cartridges exist.