I was thinking of getting a Ruger M77 MKII and rebarreling to 338-06. Anyone have any input on this caliber? Like it? Hate it? I was thinking of loading 200 grn Hornady interlocks for deer, 225 grn Partitions for elk, and 250 grn Swift A-frames for anything tougher. Has anyone used those loads or any similar? How would the 210 grn Partition work as a dual purpose elk/deer load?

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Let the strucken deer go weep
The hart ungalled play
For some must watch while some must sleep
Thus runs the world away
-Hamlet

I use a 30-06 and find it to be more than enough for any deer. However, I would not hesitate at all to go to the 338-06, a long time friend has taken deer with his own custom rifle since 1979 and I don't know that his go down any quicker than mine, but they sure don't go down any slower. Hell of a rifle too, built on a old pre 64 Win. He full lenght bedded a walnut stock years ago and it still places good groups to this day.

I don't know, but my thinking would be, that a bullet with a "larger frontal mass" would have more dropping power. Seems like the reason a 12 gauge slug, or a 45-70 drops deer on a consistent basis, while the lighter calibers leave a tad bit of tracking for you at times. Not a rule, mind you, just a thought. You will lose some velocity however, so trajectory is just the slightest behind. In today's world of Utras, that must be some kind of a sin.

My buddy uses the Hornady, it works. I'm only speaking for white tail deer, he has never hunted any other animal. But it would sure seem to transfer over in your bullet weights just as well. Good luck!

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Live Free! Madison, Jefferson and all the boys paid for it, and so did our very own fathers.

I'm partial to the 35 whelen, that said, the 338-06 has a great reputation. It is also said that the 210 gr partition is the bullet for the round, combines good expansion and penetration with decent velocity. In my way of looking at it, if you want to shoot 180-200 gr use the -06, for 210-225 use the 338-06 and for 250's, use the whelen.

I just had a Mauser set up for 338-06. I used one of the Midway kits (Adam's and Bennet barrel and a composite stock). The gunsmith did a great job and it shoots around 1 - 1.5" at 100 yds with me leaning up against a tree (haven't gotten to the range, rotten MN winter). As for the caliber, I chose it over the Whelen since there seems to be a larger variety of bullet designs available for the .338. I neck down .35 Whelen brass in a single stroke with RCBS dies. Good shooting!!

Turok, over at shooter.com experiments a lot with his .338-06 AI, but the .338-06 A-Square should be an outstanding cartridge.

By the end of the year I plan to send a .30-06 Model 70 to Pac-Nor so they can replace the barrel with a .338-06 one. My son will be using it to hunt moose in bear country. However, it is possible that other manufacturers (other than Weatherby) may produce the .338-06 in the near future.

I went with the Whelen. Why because I chase moose with the possibility of a big bear not wanting to kill his own, but take mine. And besides I like big calibers., the bigger they are the more I seam to like them.
The 338-06 is a fine choice though.

I shot the 338-06 for a number of years until one day it dawned on me the 338 Win would do anything that the 338-06 would do plus a whole lot more and it was not a wildcat and ammo was available everywhere and it used the same size action and same weight of gun and the recoil is the same, regardless of what some indicate....so now I shoot the 338 Win. and I'm glad I figured it out.....I really like the 338 Win. I have killed everything on earth except elephant with it..and I would not hesitate to do that if I had no other choice, and I'm confident a 338 300 gr. woodleigh solid would do the trick on jumbo....

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

AJ, I have been hunting w/ an 8# Ruger M77 in .338-06 for several years now & am very satisfied w/ it's performance on everything from little Duiker to Elk size game (only ever recovered one bullet!). I shoot the 210grNP, as Ray has stated before, it is probably THE bullet for all around use in the .338-06.
I get an honest 2750fps from a 22" bbl. If you are used to the .30-06, you won't skip a beat shooting the .338-06. I am sure that w/ Weatherby throwing in w/ the .338-06 that others (Federal) will jump on as well. Have one made & enjoy!

I should receive my barreled action this week, it was shipped yesterday.Nosler makes a 180gr BT in 338 which can easily be loaded to 2950 FPS,funny isn't that the loads the new 300 WSM and 300 WM are loaded to in factory ammo.SD may be different but a doubt a deer will notice.The 210 Nosler will take on anything except Griz and I think the 250 Part at 2500 will handle that what more can you ask of a cartridge.pick whatever I'm happy with the 338-06

I brougt a 338.06 with a 27 in barrel fun to play with, but my 338 win mag is more gun 338 06 just dosen't have the powder cap. to get the vel. that the books say. long before a reach max vel I was running into high pressure signs. Good gun not much recoil but don't expect great things from it.

As a charter member of the .338-06 Club I have to add something regarding the last post. Each barrel is a law unto itself. Some are fast ,some slow, lots of factors at work. I have never had a problem getting more velocity than the Nosler manual says out of my twenty four inch, Lilja barreled .338-06.
With 225's I am getting near 2700 fps and with 250's 2550 fps.
If you want .338 mag velocities get a .338 mag. If 2500 fps with a 250 or 2800 with a 210 is enough go with the .338-06. Give it a try, sometimes less is truly more.
YES I know one can load down a .338 win Mag as well as load it up too. Then again 90% of us could get by with a .30-06 with a 4x scope too. The beauty of life in America is we can still get something different just for the sake of being different.
FN

pdog, Frank is right, most of us don't need the extra of a .338wm. The other thing taht is often missed is the weight of the rifle. My .338-06 comes in just o/ 8# loaded up w/ a Leup. VXIII2.5x8. Most .338WM come in @ 9# & come w/ more recoil. The .338-06 is just a .30-06 on steroids, a good round but not a lightning bolt! Just something different for the guy who wants something different.

Try a 366-06! It's a factory round made by Norma, Lapua, RWS etc If it was made in the US it would surely have as good a following as the 338-06 after all it has factory ammo from 232gr to 294gr and is just a 30-06 on steroids.

Can you guess it's real name?

1894, I do believe you are refering to the 9.3x62 mauser. 2400 fps with a 286 grn partition. Suitable for dangerous game in Africa. Plenty for big bears in North America. I plan on getting a 9.3mm, only a different one, the 9.3x64 Brenneke, capable of anything the 375 H&H will do. Looks really nice in the Blaser R93. That will be another gun in the rack. From the feedback I have recieved, I do believe that a Ruger M77 MKII Stainless/Laminate rebarreled to 338-06 will also be in the gun rack. Variety is the spice of life.

Darn! Adirondack Joe, you beat me to the punch! I guess 1894 has your prize in the mail. I like what I read about the 9.3x62, but wonder whether it's enough of a step up from the 06 to make a noticeable difference in the field. The 9.3x64, on the other hand, is truly a magnum class round, the equal of the .375 H&H, as you point out. Keep us posted on that Blaser. I have one in in 06 and am thinking about going up a notch with a more potent cartridge in an extra barrel.

No fooling you guys!

Can't honestly say if it's enough of a step up from a 30-06, never had/used an 06. Also since I'm asking peoples advice in the Africa forum it would be a bit hypocritical.

I went for the 62 cos it was a mauser in a mauser, I have a glass shoulder, I'm not a velocity fan, I have an illogical dislike of the other Brenneke (7x64) because I have a 7x57 and my gunsmith (Trevor Proctor) reckoned the African PHs hadn't noticed much difference in killing power. Having said that another gunshop owner with (doubtfull) African experience was aghast that I hadn't gone for a 64. Like you say variety is the spice of life. At the moment I pretend that muntjac are dik dik and fallow are kudu sad or what!? (a lot cheaper though!)

1894,

I'm a great fan of Jim Corbett and love reading about his adventures in India. One day the penny dropped that those Barking Deer
or Ka-ka whose barks he used to track the position of maneating tigers and leopards
through the jungle are non other than our Muntjac! Thetford Forest has never been the same since!!!

Pete

The 9.3x62 is definately a step up in caliber from the 30-06...I can drive a 320 gr. bullet to 2502 FPS in my 26" barreled Mauser...Thats a 375 with better SD.....

The 9.3x62 ain't no wuss and I can't better it with my 9.3x64, by much, no matter how hard I try..

I now have 3 9.3x62's I think..I would sell one of them if the 3rd one that I'm dealing for now goes...It is an original Husqvarna, out of Africa, with no D&T and the Mauser wing safty and trigger, Schnable FE stock..nice clean gun with a world of interresting history...contact me if interrested at atkhunt@micron.net.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

PeteE

I remember reading somewhere that a previously undiscovered variety of muntjac had been discovered in the depths of the Thai/Laos jungle - named Muntjacus Giganiticus! No bullshit!

The idea of stalking a giant muntjac buck with attitude and tusks to scale is rather fun. Judging by how one the normal sized one of them was to my GWP when I muffed the shot a bit - I would take my 9.3

Adirondack Joe,

If you are still looking for a left hand action to build your rifle G-U Wholesale, 4325 So. 120th street, Omaha , Nebraska, (402) 339-3530, lists 2 each, Remington 700 BDL Rifles, new (left hand). A 30-06 for $470 (item 5813), and a 7mm Rem mag for $490 (item #5815). You can pull the barrels on either and get your rifle.

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"If you can keep your head about you when all others are loosing theirs and blaiming it on you..."

I received mine last week. I took it to the range this weekend to break in the barrel. I was shocked when the first 2 shots went into the same whole at 50 yds. and I had cleaned the barrel in between each shot.The rest weren't that good but I only fired 20 shots. They did group inside of 1 1/2" at 100yds though. This is without load development and from two different bullet weights 200 BT's and 180 BT's. I think this is great from a ER Shaw barrel after I had been told it isn't the best barrel. I think it's great.