Love or hate relationship?

I don't know about you guys, but something has always had a ring to it, when "338" is said around a hunter....It has just got a magic in it's numeric name...

Today I was out chronographing some loads in my Model 70, in 338 Mag....A 250 grain Sierra was chrony'ing at 2700 fps... not being a max load..

I can manage the recoil, but after regularly hunting with a 260 Rem or 7 x 57 ( or in that neighborhood), I had to ask myself, why would the average hunter need that much rifle in the lower 48 states, with that kind of recoil..

There was a rock wall about 150 yds away.. ( mountain side, not somebody's suburban rock wall for all you eastern types)...
So I let a round fly at the rock wall...

That 250 grain slug knocked a big hunk of rock off of the rock face, and it tumbled down the side to the ground...

But watching it hit ( not using a scope at the moment), I had to once again, ask myself.... Who needs this much punch in the lower 48?

Just for the heck of it, I also took a shot at the rock face, with a 338/06 that I also had with me, shooting a 200 grain slug at 2400 fps...

It did the exact same thing once it hit the rock wall... with substantially less recoil...

I gotta admit, it got me wondering... does one really Need a "338Mag".. for hunting in the lower 48...

Yeah I can hear the elk hunters etc...but I think the bigger argument in practicality is that it compliments burning off excess testosterone...a 30/06 with a 180 grainer does a darn good job...

also a 338/06 with a 250 grainer at 2650 fps, definitely has less recoil than a 338 Mag with a 250 grainer at 2700 fps...

There is definitely a place for the old girl out in the game fields... its practicality is a different question tho was my conclusion after shooting both it and the 338/06....

I'd get rid of it, if the name didn't stirr one's blood the way it does... this Model 70 didn't feel so good in your hands and at your shoulder... and you feel invincible when you pull the trigger on it...

Publically I don't care for the 338 Win Mag...

Privately, I love that darn thing, every time I shoot it...

I just need the opportunity to hunt more with it, than just once a year during elk season....when no elk ever seems to show itself, in my presence.... at least a legally shootable one that matches what my tag allows me to shoot..

anyone else have a love/hate relationship with their 338 Mags, or any other rifle?

cheers
seafire

quote:

I can manage the recoil, but after regularly hunting with a 260 Rem or 7 x 57 ( or in that neighborhood), I had to ask myself, why would the average hunter need that much rifle in the lower 48 states, with that kind of recoil..

But watching it hit ( not using a scope at the moment), I had to once again, ask myself.... Who needs this much punch in the lower 48?

I gotta admit, it got me wondering... does one really Need a "338Mag".. for hunting in the lower 48...

Well obviously you don't need that much recoil and knock down power so just give the rifle to me.

I'm positive you won't do that though because you still want it. Now don't you?

No love affair on my part with the .338 Win because until you give me that rifle, I'll be happy with my .338-06. It probably has all the power I'll ever need or want. That didn't stop me from wanting a .375 Ruger though.

quote:

Well obviously you don't need that much recoil and knock down power so just give the rifle to me.

I'l take it down to UPS and get it off to you, first thing in the morning...

I understand what you're saying Seafire. I have a wonderful 338 WM that I had built mostly for African hunting. After a couple of trips with it and quite a bit of game taken, I have to say I like the IDEA of a 338 Mag more than I actually like the 338 Mag. The 338 Mags really shine when you're shooting at ranges greater than 250 yards at game weighing more than 600 lbs - I just don't get to do that very often.

I recently built a 338-06 also. It's shooting 217 Swift A-Frames (they were some kind of close out from Midway a couple of years ago) at about 2625 fps. It kicks much less than the 338 Mag and has all the power I'll ever need in the lower 48. I might actually hunt with it here.

I'm beginning to think if I ever really need the power of a 338 Mag, I probably ought to be shooting a 375.

That said, my 338 Win Mag has earned a spot in the line-up and I won't be selling it. I might want it for Lord Derby Eland and Roan in Cameroon one day.

SF2, they are very, very popular here in OZ for our bigger deer species.
But then, I would be prepared to bet that there are more "elephant guns" here in Victoria than in Africa...

quote:

I'm beginning to think if I ever really need the power of a 338 Mag, I probably ought to be shooting a 375.

There is a lot of truth here!

While I have a .338-06 and a .35 whelen and a 9.3 X 62 the truth is that if you truly need more than a .30-06 then you probably need a .375!

A lot of folks have taken to the .338 Magnum as an elk rifle.....I suspect it's a way to compensate for good placement more than anything.

With premium 180s in the old .30-06 the elk die just fine!

A 25/06 or 270 will do the job for 99% of the hunting I will do, but I love my 338 Win Mag, its fun to shoot, and after 21 years I just replaced the barrel with a new Lothar Walther barrel (chambered in 338 Win Mag of course), so I definitely won't be selling mine. From my perspective, even shooting 300gn bullets at 2500 fps, the recoil is fine anywhere but from the bench, you just need to get used to it. With 160gn bullets at 3300fps it is flat shooting to be a good proposition for medium game at long range, and with 6 or 7 available bullet weights between these extremes it is a really flexible caliber. Perhaps it is bigger than you need, but if you could only have one gun it could be one of the best choices! Better to be over-gunned (is there such a thing?) than undergunned.

............SF2 ,,, how do you get 2650 from a 250 gr bullet with the 338/06 , many load manuels show that as a MAX load in the 338 Win Mag ???? ....I like the 338 Win because its a nice little rifle that will work as a biggish rifle .......I,ve run brn bears with one in my hands , with the 300 gr Barnes Orig. RNSP bullet @ around 2500 fps.......I,ve shot 2 deer @ over 400 yrds with factory 225 gr loads and it was the biggest CRF stainless Ruger for along time .....I got rid of my last one but it is comeing home again so it can,t go again ..........

Well, I have a love affair with my old M77 .338 win mag. It's really accurate, and it kills with authority, plus, it shoots reasonably flat if you want to reach out and touch something. Being the owner of a number of big-bores, including an 8-lb. .416 Rem, and an 8.5-lb .450 Ackley, I don't find the recoil excessive in the least. There is also a large variety of good bullets available, and you'll never be under-gunned in North America no matter what you hunt.

So, I have to ask: What's not to like about the .338 win mag?

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
While I have a .338-06 and a .35 whelen and a 9.3 X 62 the truth is that if you truly need more than a .30-06 then you probably need a .375!

A lot of folks have taken to the .338 Magnum as an elk rifle.....I suspect it's a way to compensate for good placement more than anything.

With premium 180s in the old .30-06 the elk die just fine!

Those of us influenced by Elmer Keith understand why the .338 Winchester is a success. How many other cartridges offer as much without either more recoil and blast, or excessive weight? How many cartridges have a 30-06 trajectory when shooting bullets possessing a sectional density of .313? Damn few I'd say! Some things like apple pie and vanilla ice cream were meant to be, and so too were the .338 Winchester and 250 grain partitions.

From badgers to elk, my experiences with .338 Winchester have been numerous and successful. I can also say it is one of the easiest calibres to develop accurate reloads for. And when one is hunting the front range of the Rockies where grizzlies can make a meal of you, the .338 is good company indeed.

Is it the best choice for hunting plains game? Probably not, but the fact remains it has been used for such producing the usual results -downed game. My longest poke with the .338 was in excess of 800 yards. I bagged that antelope, but I'll also tell you I much prefer the 7m/m Rem mag for such things.

quote:

............SF2 ,,, how do you get 2650 from a 250 gr bullet with the 338/06

Wonder that myself. My wildcat has 11% more capacity than a 338-06 and with a 24" I can't get there at pressure I care to shoot.

My .338 win,
A model 70 classic, is sitting in my safe with out a scope. Its got real nice wood , and in the part of oregon where I hunt , it makes a great rifle.
I need to try again to work up a load that my .338 will shoot better. I get about 1.5 and thats probably plenty good enough but my 7mmSTW is a real tack driver. So I take it and my Whelen and or 45/70.
I also bought a ton of 180 grain partitions for my 06 and I may use it next year.
I like the .338 just fine , for elk. Probably more power than needed but thats no problem at all. ...tj3006

The 338 win mag is the best choice for all North American game.In the Ruger model 77 with its medium heavy barrel it does not kick bad.I have shot one of my Ruger 338 and my Winchester model 70 with a boss 300 times in one day.The winchester has way too skinney of a barrel for the 338 but its a good gun to carry but I like the ruger model 77 way better .I have shot 95 deer with it from 3 to 425 yards.I have also shot black bear,wild hogs ,wild dogs and even a coyote with it.My guns are super accurate.I shoot standing off of a milk crate on top of the bench with a 60 pound bull bag on top.I use past pads also.The 338 tears up way less meat than the 30-06 or the 270.Its the smallest gun i use in Alaska.I have hunted deer 24 years with it and always will.I hope Ruger does not stop making the 338 win mag for their new 338 short mag whichj will probally disapear in 5 years or less.The 338 hits way harder than the 30-06 or the 300 win mag.The 338 win mag is an awesome Elk rifle.With the right bullets its a 400 yard elk gun.I trust it on grizzleys but its the littlest gun I would use on coastal bears .The 338 is very accurate and very versital.When you use 250 gr or bigger bullets its a dangerous game rifle.My taxidermist killed a cape buffalo with one shot with his 338 win mag with 210 gr Nosler partitions.
Tey Speer grand slam bullets the 225 gr are very accurate in my gun as well as the 250 gr.I use 200 gr power points for deer that are super accurate.You can never kill an animal too dead.

quote:

Originally posted by Whitworth:
Well, I have a love affair with my old M77 .338 win mag. It's really accurate, and it kills with authority, plus, it shoots reasonably flat if you want to reach out and touch something. Being the owner of a number of big-bores, including an 8-lb. .416 Rem, and an 8.5-lb .450 Ackley, I don't find the recoil excessive in the least. There is also a large variety of good bullets available, and you'll never be under-gunned in North America no matter what you hunt.

So, I have to ask: What's not to like about the .338 win mag?

Once again, you took the words right out of my mouth.

Although instead of the 450 ackley and .416 rem, mines just a 8.5lb 458wm

My take on the 338 mag is more of a cannon mag... The 338-378 Wby... It's a riot to shoot with a 250 grainer going in excess of 3000 fps... Yeah, it's WAY more then is needed but it is fun.... The Weatherby works just fine for elk but my '06 with 180 grain pills works just as well...

Ken....

ForrestB,

quote:

I'm beginning to think if I ever really need the power of a 338 Mag, I probably ought to be shooting a 375.

Ditto! If I need more than a 7x64 I use my 375 H&H or her heiness, the 9.3X62.

I, too, am a big fan of the .338 Winnie. While it's true that you don't really that much power in most circumstances, it's nice to know it's there when you do need it. In my experience, the .338 kills with authority but does much less meat damage than the .300 magnums that I used to hunt with. Recoil is far from excessive, and with bullet weights from 160-300grs, it is really quite versatile. I can't really think of a better cartridge for elk, moose, and black bears.

While there may be a grain of truth in the thinking that if you really need a .338 you should step up to a .375, keep in mind that most .375s will weigh at least 1-1.5 lbs. more than a .338, and that will add up on hunts requiring alot af walking or hiking. Salmon streams in Alaska are the only place in North America I can really see the .375 having an advantage.

I shot the 338/06 for years prior to the advent of the .338 Win., I bought a .338 Win when they first came out and never looked back..It is a great caliber with a 210 gr. Nosler at 3005 FPS and a 300 gr. Woodleigh at 2500 FPS, it does it all..

As to its use in the USA, I would say its the best elk rifle on the market. It will shoot through and elk lengthwise or kill him at 400 yards with ease..It is an exceptional deer rifle with heavy bullets and does not bloodshot them all to hell like the light rifles do.

As to felt recoil, my .338 kicks no more than any 338-06 I have used.

The .338 didn't begin life with thunder and lightening, a 30 day wonder is was not..It started our almost a failure and built up from there as folks used it until it has become a top seller over the years, mostly by word of mouth and not big advertising campaigns, in other words it earned its reputation from being used in the hunting fields of the world by hunters..Today it is a big success and that, in itself, speaks for it..

It is probably my all time favorite caliber and I have shot duiker to cape buffalo with it and it always works..then we have the time honored 30-06, but thats another great story.

VapoDog ; A lot of folks have taken to the .338 Magnum as an elk rifle.....I suspect it's a way to compensate for good placement more than anything.

This may very well be true . How ever in my Case depending on where I'm hunting be it Alaska Canada or Africa !, I feel better with a 225-275 grain .338 then I do with my 7 RM with a 160 grain pill .
Grizzly country in particular . With that said it also depends on what my hunting companions are carrying .In addition how close they are while I'm hunting !!.
375 H&H is the largest caliber I own other than Dbl.9.3X74X12gauge Drilling which never sees the light of day .

In NA I carry my 44 Mag when hunting generally , with my 6.5X55 7MM RM or 30/378 .

Shoot Straight Know Your Target . ...

Years ago, before I had ever fired a .338 Win. Mag., a buddy purchased one and thereafter pronounced it the most vicious kicker ever to come along. Watching him shoot at the range it was evident he was simply scared to death of the thing and could not hit anything with it as a result. To make a long story short I got it cheap and never looked back. My present Model 70 Classic Super Grade is one of the finest .338 Win Mags or rifles of any caliber I have ever owned. The .338 Win Mag is a very useful caliber in the lower 48 or anywhere else. It rivals or exceeds the 30-06 in versatility and that is saying something. If you reload just load down a little and you have your 338-06. I do reload but seldom bother downloading. Recoil is not a problem. 200gr Accubonds kill the little stuff and 250gr Partitions the big. I have a 30-06, .300 Win. Mag., and 375 H&H but some how seem to always reach for the .338 Win. Mag. when something really needs killing.

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:

quote:

............SF2 ,,, how do you get 2650 from a 250 gr bullet with the 338/06

Wonder that myself. My wildcat has 11% more capacity than a 338-06 and with a 24" I can't get there at pressure I care to shoot.

Well Boys, that is what the chronograph reads.. handloaded of course..people have accused my chronograph of being too fast in its readings.... but the SAME chrony has also told me that loads from other rifles in other calibers have been running WAY below what the reload manuals tell me it should be running...

Same chrony does the same thing with other loads in the 338 Mag and 338/06...

2650 with a 250 grainer is using H 380 powder.. worked up using 35 Whelan data...

several powders will hit 2600+ in my rifle...using Sierra or Hornady 250 grain SP's... however, not with a Partition...

a quick check of my " handy, dandy" hornady manual shows that list a max charge of 59.4 grains of H 380 with a 250 grain bullet for an MV of 2600 fps..

the load I developed on my own working up, before I saw it in the Hornady manual was using 60 grains of H 380.....

therefore 6/10s of grain over their listed recommended max, yielding another 50 fps is not out of line, nor is it going to erupt my action and blow it into outer space...

Loads up to 62.5 grains in my rifle with 250 grain bullets have not given me any pressure problems..

so Ramrod and Gumboot, I hope that answers your question and clarifies my statement...

and Gumboot, your question " SF2 ,,, how do you get 2650 from a 250 gr bullet with the 338/06 , many load manuels show that as a MAX load in the 338 Win Mag ???? "....

I normally work up loads and then will check a manual out for reference to see how my load, that works well in my rifle, without producing pressure signs, compares to what might be listed for that powder and bullet weight in the manuals...strictly for a reference about pressure first, velocity comparison's second...

So I use a manual usually for a reference for a starting point, and then if someone questions my developed load, then I compare what I have come up with, to what the manuals might have to say about it...

I can also tease a 225 grain Hornady SP to 2800 fps in that rifle.. again using H380, with Large rifle primers, not the mag primers that ALL the manuals always tell you to use with that powder...

Guess I experiment and think outside the box a little more often that others seem to...people always look at me weirdly when you mention H 380 as a 338/06 powder.....but I didn't think about that, and found out it works pretty darn well....

oh and those loads are also tackdriving accurtate for a 338 bore also...

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I shot the 338/06 for years prior to the advent of the .338 Win., I bought a .338 Win when they first came out and never looked back..It is a great caliber with a 210 gr. Nosler at 3005 FPS and a 300 gr. Woodleigh at 2500 FPS, it does it all..

As to its use in the USA, I would say its the best elk rifle on the market. It will shoot through and elk lengthwise or kill him at 400 yards with ease..It is an exceptional deer rifle with heavy bullets and does not bloodshot them all to hell like the light rifles do.

As to felt recoil, my .338 kicks no more than any 338-06 I have used.

The .338 didn't begin life with thunder and lightening, a 30 day wonder is was not..It started our almost a failure and built up from there as folks used it until it has become a top seller over the years, mostly by word of mouth and not big advertising campaigns, in other words it earned its reputation from being used in the hunting fields of the world by hunters..Today it is a big success and that, in itself, speaks for it..

It is probably my all time favorite caliber and I have shot duiker to cape buffalo with it and it always works..then we have the time honored 30-06, but thats another great story.

Amen. well said.

Just as an addition to the above post,

concerning chronographs and components variations in loads...

while out chronographing yesterday with the 338 Mag, I also had the following results which "conflict" with common accepted results...

With a charge of 60 grains of IMR 4064 and a 250 grain Sierra SP....

According to the Sierra manual, that load should have yielded LESS that 2600 fps, as they recommend a load of 60.5 grains at 2600 fps...

with a CCI mag primer , 60 grains yielded 2575 fps.. so that seems the manuals logic would hold true....

NOW... same load, but with a CCI large rifle primer and 60 grains of IMR 4064 (out of same container as the above) a three shot average Chrony'ed at 2685 fps...2680, 2686 and 2690 fps....110 fps faster with a large rifle primer vs a Mag primer!

That doesn't make sense to the average armchair ballistician ( and I am not pointing out Gumboot or Ramrod, either as one)... who would immediately dive into some explanation on being over pressured for some unexplanable reason.. or they might even try to explain why with a reason...

Point being, manuals are strictly a reference.. the chrony is what tells the truth....

and a chrony will both support and contradict reloading manuals...

but they verify the TRUTH in YOUR rifle...

In my testing yesterday, I found 4064 exceeded specs in the manual...

IMR 4895 matched specs in the reload manual, with a mag primer... and exceeded specs with a large rifle primer...( manual stated it should take 61 grains to make 2600 fps.. it exceeded that with a 60 grain charge and a large rifle primer)

RL 15 didn't live up to the specs in the manual...being 125 fps short...

( and don't naythsayers, don't try to say, that I had my primers mixed up.... I didn't)...

according to the Lyman # 47 Manual's max listing using 4064...with a charge of 62 grains, my Mv should have been 2577 fps...

guess my rifle wasn't paying attention in class very much...

a 60 grain load of IMR 4064 & large rifle primer, yielded an MV of 2685 fps out of my model 70, with a factory 26 inch barrel..

So that is 110 fps faster than the manual, with 2 grains less of a charge....and using the non recommended large rifle primer as opposed to the vaunted Mag Primer in a magnum case.....

What gets me, is a soon as results never match the manuals results, so many folks will start questioning one's honesty, or questioning one's intelligence, or their competentcy in doing the right reload procedures...
they will blame faster results on high pressure, bad chronographs etc.....

but they never seem to think that reload manuals are reference points only....they refer to them as gospel, and then condemn different results as blasphemy...

why is it so hard that they have trouble accepting different results in different rifles, using different components than listed in the manuals???

Guess some people just love to "be told" in life, and then are perfectly happy to follow whatever they were told.. and even zealously question those who differientiate from their accepted axioms...

( NOTE: this was not a slam to Ramrod or Gumboot... they both brought up a legit question... it just inspired a response from my problem with the armchair ballistiican crowds that lurk within these kind of forums...)

seafire, I don't own a 338winmag, I do have an equiv. in the 338x74K though. I like the power, it definetly seems to hit game harder than say the 06. For elk hutning in cover, I can think of few rounds that are better, but the 338-06 gives up little to the 338winmag in thick cover. I can't get 250gr bullets to go 2650fps but even at a leisurely 2450fps, it penetrates like crazy, just what I want for hard 1/4 shots in timber on bigger game. I think the biggest reason so many guys like the round is it gives you near .375H&H perf. in a rifle that is 1#-2# lighter & still managable recoil.

............sf 2 .,., i,M NOT ? WHAT YOU SAID AS BEING TRUE ... i,VE JUST NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORe ...With my CZ550 Medium 9.3x62 FS I got 2600 fps w/250 gr moly coated X bullets ....The 9.3x62 is more efficient than the 338/06 by a small amount ,, I know a guy who uses a 338/280 and doesn,t get 2700 w/210 Nosler ..........You have a Major KEEPER of a rifle there and useing it as a yard stick I can see your point ...But not all 338/06s are created equal to yours I,de bet ......If I lived down south I would have and use a 338 win mag ,and a 223 .........The only other cartridge that comes close to it is the 358 Norma Mag ......imo why lug some long ass rifle [26-28"]around just to get the ballistics of a different cartridge in a 20-22" barrel .If they both are within a persons blast and recoil tolerance levels ...????????

What is the proper name for the cartridge made by necking up a .338 wm to take a .375 bullet? Is that called the .375 Taylor?

Truth be told one of the reasons I own a couple of .338 mags is some years back a friend who owns a gunshop called me up .
He says to me hey you still looking for anothergun in 300 caliber , my reply was well yes . Then I have a deal you can't pass on , what do you want to pay for the scope or the Rifle . What the ? , I guess the scope I said .Not knowing what was what ,he hadn't even told me what it was yet .
Well come on over and see if you like the combination .

I get over there and here is a Browning A Bolt SS Stalker with a matte 4X12X50 Zeiss setting on it , in .338 Win Mag. . Well he sold me the Gun W/scope as it was less money than the purchasing the scope .
I couldn't believe it when he handed it to me and the bolt was on the correct side LH ! , along with the original box of shells the previous owner brought back with the rifle ?. #3 were missing out of the #20 !.

The gunshop owner told me the guy had purchased the set up from him and the one box of shells , then a month later traded it in for an 06 because he didn't care for the recoil !.
OK by me ,I love that thing for $ 650.00 how could I say no !. The scope alone was near $900.00 back then .
Then I had to have a .338 Lapua mag., when it came out !!. It's a disease I tell you a disease !.

Shoot Straight Know Your Target . ...

..................Just to check I went to the Hodgdon web site and perused the 338/06 data ,,,,,With H380 powder , a 250 gr. Hornady bullet 55.8 gr yielded a velocity of 2462 fps and produced a pressure of 61,100 psi .......................The 225 gr Seirra SPBT with 59 gr of H 380gave 2668 fps and 61,600 psi.....I know there are fast barrels ,, I have one on my 458 Win Mag ......but with that little a case as the 338 /06 has , almost 200 feet per second difference indicates something is not correct .....

I have never had a 338 Win Mag. Probably never will. I did have a 340 WBY Mag once, killed elk with it.

When I need a heavier bullet/bigger hole I use a 375 H&H. I now have a lot of ammo and brass for the H&H.

However.. That does not take anything away form the 338 Win Mag. I have shot several belonging to friends. The recoil seems less to me that the 300 Win Mag.

I think the 338 is a great elk rifle as Ray has stated. It is also a great choice for the bigger stuff in Alaska.
Maybe that is why when Winchester brought it out they called their Model 70 rifle the 338 Alaskan.

If I did not have so much 375 H&H Bolt Rifle Trash I would have a 338 Win Mag Blaser R 93.

I know lots of people claim very good vel for there 338-06s I have a 27 inch 338-06 I can only get 2450 with 250 bullets using several differant powders.

Its a nice rifle kicks less then my 338wm mag but a 150 fps less vel or so adds to that.

I like my 338 wm also and it kills things right fine. If I want bigger I use my 416 taylor and after shooting that the 338 wm doesn't kick much at all.

The 338 win mag is one of those do anything guns.I shot my cousins 7 mm stw which had just come out ouch .It kicked like a fast hammer.I find the 338 win mag easier to shoot stand than at the bench.I skipped the 375 and got a bunch of 416 Rem mags to become my larger rifles.If I want longer range I use my 338-378 weatherby.The 338 win mag is 50 years old and is going to last alot longer than alot of new cartridges.The problem with the 338-06 is its still a wildcat.If you loose your ammo on a hunt your screwed.They will have some 338 win mags around in elk or moose country.I let one of my friends borrow my Winchester model 70 with a boss for 5 years .He had only hunted with a 30-06 before.He shot 5 moose with 5 shots.He was amazed at the difference between the 338 win mag and the 30-06.I finally got it back from him.He encountered a one eyed 7'2" blond grizzley with his soninlaw.They had to shoot it 6 times with their 338 win mags and were very glad to have them.They were shooting 200 gr bullets and switched to 250 gr after that.He said if he had the 30-06 he use to carry the bear would have probally gotten them.I have been impressed with everything I shot with my 338.The 338-06 is a good round which should have become a factory round instead of the 338 federal .There is alot more interest in the .338 caliber these days.

quote:

Originally posted by dgr416:
.....He was amazed at the difference between the 338 win mag and the 30-06....He said if he had the 30-06 he use to carry the bear would have probably gotten them.

To take a couple of excerpts from your complete post...

This is the reason I just picked up a 338 WM a couple of hours ago....

A $400 Ruger M77 MKII "CRF" 338 WM safe queen (un-fired)!!!

I love my 30-06 with 180gr Partions but if the situation warrants a bit more firepower, its glad to know I got it even at the cost of more recoil, I just better get used to it!!!

Late bloomer
I brought one for my sons graduation present from a fellow member shipped for 375 like new.
Great rifle he has used it this year to great scucess on deer and hogs so far.

Plenty think that if you need more than a 30-06 then you need a 375H&H. Fine, but even then the 375 is in reality merely a minimum.

Screw 'em. Nothing that's overkilled runs away. If you like it shoot it!

quote:

Originally posted by gumboot458:
..................Just to check I went to the Hodgdon web site and perused the 338/06 data ,,,,,With H380 powder , a 250 gr. Hornady bullet 55.8 gr yielded a velocity of 2462 fps and produced a pressure of 61,100 psi .......................The 225 gr Seirra SPBT with 59 gr of H 380gave 2668 fps and 61,600 psi.....I know there are fast barrels ,, I have one on my 458 Win Mag ......but with that little a case as the 338 /06 has , almost 200 feet per second difference indicates something is not correct .....

Well Gumboot, you are using Hodgdon's info, and I am referring to Hornady's Load manual using their info....

So this is a classic example of one source putting out one piece of info, and then another source showing some variations that some consider dramatic...

however, even at the two extremes..200 fps isn't going to make or break a hunt, if one puts the bullet where it needs to go..

all I can do is report the chrony's results..

and in fact, there is no reason to inflate it, because on line here, you normally get more critics questioning it, than you do getting others who think you are some sort of hero..

But essentially both sources show a 4 grain difference...hence difference in velocity..

now as for pressure, unless we both had both of the test rifles used by each to test side by side, the comparison becomes acadmenic....

however, taking H 380 as a powder, and applying it to a different cartridge, might reflect some characteristics of pressure and H 380...

on a 243, when I first got some Nosler 55 grain Ballistic Tip and some 60 grain Sierra HPs, I tried a batch of loads in a Model 700 ADL, that all shot like crap... this rifle was just bad out of the box...

however, trying H 380 and working up loads up to 50 grains with either bullet, it became a one hole shooter....

so I stayed there, and posted it...

I was immediately flamed on line here as guys were telling me how my load was 4 grains OVER the published max listed in all the current load manuals...and I was going to get some newby killed when his rifle blew up, etc...

THEN Nosler comes out with their new load manual and they exceeded my load by another 3 grains, and exceeded any published data, previously available by SEVEN grains! from 46 to 53... over a 15% difference..

I also noted in how that H 380s groups tightened up dramatically at the full case or slightly compressed point in both the 243, and the 223... So I worked it up in the 338/06, since the burn rate seemed in the neighborhood, and the same thing held true.. then several manuals concluded with their data, that I was correct in my assumption...

so that is that's my story and I'm sticking to it...as the song says...

but as anyone who passes on load data, we always give the advise, work up...and anyone should stop whereever they feel comfortable..

that point can vary in all of us, for different reasons..

quote:

Originally posted by seafire2:
Love or hate relationship?

Yes (on both)

I have had a 338 win mag now for a little over 2 years. The rifle is the perfect 338 win mag, a Beretta Mato - CRF, heavy barrel, straight stock for recoil control. I have shot 252 shots through it using 5 different bullets and 1/2 dozen different powder combinations.

I used to push the envelope in order to get the kind of velocity I expected to get; 2875 fps with 225 gr bullets and 3000 fps with 210 gr bullets. All loads worked up to carefully but sometimes 3 to 4 grains over book max just to get what the book says I should.

Then I had a case head separation and decided it was not worth it to try to get those velocities.

So I will say this, if you are getting the kind of velocities you expected to from the 338 win mag, count yourself lucky. I have been disappointed. So much so that I am contemplating rechambering to the 338 RUM since my mag is plenty big enough and no bolt work would be necessary.

quote:

Originally posted by woods:

quote:

Originally posted by seafire2:
Love or hate relationship?

Yes (on both)

I have had a 338 win mag now for a little over 2 years. The rifle is the perfect 338 win mag, a Beretta Mato - CRF, heavy barrel, straight stock for recoil control. I have shot 252 shots through it using 5 different bullets and 1/2 dozen different powder combinations.

I used to push the envelope in order to get the kind of velocity I expected to get; 2875 fps with 225 gr bullets and 3000 fps with 210 gr bullets. All loads worked up to carefully but sometimes 3 to 4 grains over book max just to get what the book says I should.

Then I had a case head separation and decided it was not worth it to try to get those velocities.

So I will say this, if you are getting the kind of velocities you expected to from the 338 win mag, count yourself lucky. I have been disappointed. So much so that I am contemplating rechambering to the 338 RUM since my mag is plenty big enough and no bolt work would be necessary.

Woods, do you really feel that you need more speed? With 250 grain Partition Golds, I'm getting 2,750 fps and I don't feel it is lacking anything. Shoots flat enough and kills enthusiastically!

elmer kieth droped his own co-wildcated .333OKH when winchester came out with the 338 win magnum. that speaks VOLUMES. Long Live the Great 338 win,magnum.
regards

quote:

Originally posted by JBD:...........
200gr Accubonds kill the little stuff and 250gr Partitions the big.

And 210 gr Partitions kill them all !!! I have an A-Bolt in .338 Mag, I just love it to death. It's a bit much on deer, even over 400 yards, but Lord, does it kill elk !!!! I had the same exact rifle in .300 Mag, and shooting them side by side, the .300 kicked harder. I think the whole recoil thing is a myth and surely overstated. I bought my wife a .30-06 for an elk hunt. She didn't want to use it, she wanted my .338 !!! On top of that, the first load I tooled up for it shoots under .75 MOA year in and year out. How could I not love such a rifle ????

quoting the new hornady reloading book a friend picked up, off the top of my head "the 338 winchester mag at 500 yards has the same energy as the 30-30 at the muzzle"
that defines "reaching out"
im planning on buying a ruger in it some day... a 338-06 might come first though (the 333okh a friend got is pointing me towards that)