I've been looking for a good round to convert my p17 enfield to and it looks like a 338-06 may be a good one for most anything but dangerous and very large animals. Does anyone have experience with this cartridge?

In reference to another topic on this board . . . have you considered a 9,3x62?

JohnTheGreek

The.338-06 is sufficient for any thing in North America.

Builder the 338-06 is one of my fravorites. I've built many of them. IMHO the 1917 is much to large an action for this round. Save it for a big bore caliber. You can buy a VZ24 in great shape for around $100.00 & be way ahead of the game both in money saved in turning the action into a nice sported & a much trimmer gun overall.

Ditto on what Doug said. If you're looking to build a 338-06, find a Mauser action. If you want to build something on your Enfield, build a 338 Win mag or keep it as is and build/buy something else. I believe good quality Enfield actions will become more valuable in the years to come.

Ryan

Thanks all for the input.

John

The .338-06 is a great round for hunting anything in N. America except for possibly the big bears. I have one built on the older Ruger M77 & it is a pleasure to carry & shoot @ 8 1/4#. I alsao like the 210gr NP @ 2700+ fps as an all-round load. I have taken Duiker through a big bull elk w/o recovering any of those bullets. I also agree w/ the others on this, your P17 is a bit large & would make up better as a .404 Jeffery?

I used the 338-06 for a few years and its a grand caliber, but I finally switched to the 9.3x62 a decision I have never regretted...

I hate to see anyone waste a good Enfield on anything other than a Magnum caliber as the action lends itself to the 505 Gibbs etc...It also makes a nice 404, 416 or 375 H&H.....

I own both. The 9,3 x 62mm has a slight advantage over the .338 06 in bullet weight. They are both great.

I have had one for the past year built on a pushfeed M70.I'm getting 3050 with the 180 NBT in a 24" barrel without any problems and 2900 with the 200 BT.The 210 Part shoots great at 2700+ but I'm still working with it.Medium powders seem to work best. My rifle loves RL 15.

I've about concluded that for the basic '06 case, the .338 bore probably has about the best balance between SD of bullets and practical velocity over any larger bores but might be matched by the .330 and .333 bores of British ilk. To me hyper velocity is just not where it's at.

Rob, I've tried many pounds of different powders/bullets in my .338-06 & I keep coming back to 53 to 53.5gr RL15/FC match primers/FC match 06 cases & the 210grNP. It will break 1" most of the time @ 2700-2750fps. IMR 4320 is a close 2nd & everything else a distante 3rd. Good shooting!

I've have a .338-06 that my gunsmith and I made. Argintine Mauser, new barrel, new stock, parkerized, ect. I did the minor metal work and made the stock.

I used it when I hunted out west and killed two elk, a moose, and three mule deer. Use a 210 grain Nosler Partition for a good velocity/weight combination. I use 4350 powder. Should work well in a Enfield and won't require all the extra work that a .338 Win.Mag. takes.

Good luck

Griz and Fred,

I was thinking of trying H4350 with the 210 Part.Have either of you used this powder with this bullet ?

No Rob, but I have seen it's use in some articles. I would think it a bit slow for the 210grNP but probably just right for the 250gr. RL19 also looks good for 225-250gr bullets. I have shot several sub 1" groups w/ the 250gr NP & RL19 @ about 2450fps. More load dev. would be needed. I think you are right there using RL15/210gr NP.

I've used R15 with the bullets of 210 and lighter, it worked just fine.
For the heavier slugs I used IMR 4350.

My good friend Brad from this forum (also a fellow Montanan) used H4350 in his I believe. Seems to me he had really good htings to say about it.

This is a wonderful round, I'd love to Rem bring it out in their classic with a 23" tube.

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

Or in a Win. M70 FWT. w/ the same 23" bbl.

Rob1SG,
H 4350 is the powder I use, I think. I'll look it up tonight and will get back to you. We're in coastal Alabama so the hurricane may keep me off line for a while. I tried 4-5 powders and 4350 is about the best for accuracy and velocity - I've got a 26" barrel, by the way, and this may add a little velocity.

I had good luck with Varget and the 210 PT. Great accuracy and about 2730 from a 24"bbl but a max load is 53.5. I was thinking maybe more of a slower powder would boost Vel to 2800. H414 is the recomended powder in their manual for 2800. I have heard good things from people on the site about H4350

correction Max load of 53.5 is for RL 15 at 2650, Varget is 56 gr.Max in my rifle.

Hurricane's past so I'm back. I promised some info on my best load and here 'tis.

Powder: 62 gr. H4350 (Speer max w/ 225 gr. bullet)
trickeled.

Case: Federal 30-06,necked out, fireformed, partial sized, trimmed, flash hole deburred. LOA=3.270" (you can adjust to your own rifle seat depth, mine is 3.287")

Bullet: 210 gr. Nosler Partition

Primer: Rem.9-1/2

My chrono=2679 FPS muzzle @.25% std. deviation. Note: rifle has 24" bbl.

Accuracy: 1 MOA @ 100yd

Set for max point blank w/ 6" kill zone:

+2.7"@100 yd. - 2459 fps
+1.2"@200 yd. - 2249 fps
0 @ 224 yd.
-3"@261 yd. (max. point blank)
-7'@"@300 yd. - 2049 fps
-23.6"@400 yd. - 1861 fps

The way I see these figures, the maximum effective range of the cartridge is about 300 yards and, frankly, I wouldn't trust my range estimation past 300 yards anyway.

Good luck

With Federal Premium 225 TBCs in the 35 Whelen, I average 2609 ft/sec with a 22� Ruger SE and averaged 2620 ft/sec through a 24� Shilen barrel. My point is that there is an available factory load that allows the Whelen to run right along side many hand loaded 338-06s in 225 gr bullets.

As an aside, I am of the mind that the lethargic performance of Remington�s Whelen ammunition played a significant role in the lackluster rifle sales in this grand old round when they commercialized it in the 80s. If Federal would have been on the scene with their Premium offering and Remington�s damn lawyers would have been kept away from the loading bench at the factory, the Whelen�s commercialization may have had an entirely different outcome. CP.

Though a bit more difficult to find, VV-N550 and the 210gr Partition or Barnes X go 2800 fps in my 22" barreled 338-06. Federal case life has been exceptional as well.

Just came back form the range. Tried some VV150 with the 215 Sierra. 55gr. in 24" bbl 2700fps and a 3" group at 300 yds.This is a starting load in my rifle only. I'll post the Max load as I work it up.

I just got back form the range, a bit of fine tuning before my trip to Montana. My .338-06 is printing just under 3" groups @ 300yds w/ the 210grNP o/ 53.5gr RL15. I am 3 1/2" high @ 100 & 2" low @ 300. I'm ready for that big bull!
Rob, I've tried the VV150, but RL15 keeps coming back as my accuracy load. Funny, the 210grNP shoots better than the Sierra or the 200gr NBT from my rig?

[ 10-07-2002, 06:25: Message edited by: fredj338 ]

Don't over look IMR-4320 in the 338-06 as it will give you the highest velocity with the 210 gr. Nosler....

After a few years of the 338-06 I went to the standard 338 Win. which will do anything the 338-06 will do in the same lenth action and then some...A switch that I have never regretted....

You are right again old wise one. IMR 4320 is very close to in preformance to RL15 in my own .338-06. Velocities are very close w/ equal pressure signs. Accuracy is a bit better in my rifle w/ RL15.
While I like the .338WM alot, everyone has one of those, & the .338-06 is easier to shoot well for me.

Varget gives equal vel. to Imr4320 in my rifle and groups better with the 210 Nosler.Every Rifle is unique.Guys I'm just having fun trying different things. Thanks for the experienced advice though. It is appreicated

I went to the range yesterday and was continuing my load development in my 338-06. I was shooting Nosler 210 Partitions and IMR 4320 in FC brass and WLR primers.

Last week I started with 53.0 grains and went up to 55.0 grains in .5 grain increments shooting 4-shot groups. The groups averaged 1.75- 2.25" at 100 yds.

Yesterday I started at 55.5 grains and went up to 57.0 grains. Again shooting 4-shot groups. The 1st group started right where I left off last week but I as got hotter the groups shrank. The 56.5 and 57.0 loads were under a 1" in the .6's and .7's. The 57.0 load gave a litter bit of bolt resistance so I plan to go back next week and re-shoot the 56.5 load but vary the seating depths. I have had all the previous loads just kissing the lands.

I am excited to get these results because I have not been able to get under a 1" previously with other bullets and powders. The best previously was 180 gr. BT's with Varget. I was getting consistent groups of 1.1 - 1.25".

I'll let you guys know how the seating depth affects the groups.

C_ROY

C-Roy,
Approach that 4320 load w/ caution. I know all rifles are different, but that sounds like you are getting on the warm side. Mine will handle 55gr w/ the 210grNP @ about 2750fps. You might also try backing the bullet off the lands a bit. I seem to get better accuracy w/ a bit of "run" to the rifling.

[ 10-10-2002, 09:06: Message edited by: fredj338 ]

fredj338,
You are correct that is a warm load according to all the manuals I could find 4320 data in. I checked case head expansion and pressure ring expansion as I progressively moved upwards in .5 grain increments. Primers looked fine as well. The 57.0 load gave just a little hint of a hard bolt lift. Since I am not a "velocity nut" the 56.5 load will be just fine. I am hoping that varying the seating depth will shrink the group. After I find the best seating depth, I think I will try a match primer as well. Then I plan to start over with RE15 and see how that powder performs with the 210 partition? I also have some Hornady 225 gr. spitzers I plan to try with IMR4350 or H414.

I am really liking the 338-06. I have a new .338 Win Mag but I can't stop playing with the 338-06 to start load development on the .338 Win Mag, that's a good problem to have though.

C-ROY

I find RL19 works about the best with the 210 gr Nosler, in both my 338-06 and my 338 WM. I like the 338-06 a little better simply because the rifle is a little slimmer/lighter and you can get one more round in the mag. - Dan

Dan, I tried RL19 once, I think 61gr & groupd were good but velocity was not up to RL15 or 4320.
What is your RL19 load?