Myself, I'll take the 338-06. Matter of fact, I'm getting ready to build one.

Why? Not sure. Personal preference, for whatever reason. Never was a fan of belted magnums (although I do have a 264 WM).

Heavier bullets possible from the 338-06.

As for factory ammo, it's only a matter of time. It's such a popular wildcat, one of the factories is bound to legitimize it (A-Square already loads for it).

If I was limited to one gun I would take the 300 Win. but I wouldn't be very happy about it.

I would, however, take a 338 Win. and be as happy as a pig in do-do!!!!

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Dead

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Freedom wasn't free. Today they want our guns. What will they want tommorow?

[This message has been edited by Frank Nowakowski (edited 05-08-2001).]

Brad

[This message has been edited by Brad (edited 05-09-2001).]

best regards,

redleg

JMeier

AD

OW! That stake in my heart really smarts!

Personally I really like its ability to fling those 250's at a nice moderate 2550 fps that penetrate like crazy. .318 Westley Richards? .333 Jeffery? Remember them? That was their forte and the same goes for the .338-06 of today. An easy to shoot cartridge that with heavy bullets penetrates like mad on anything here or in Africa.

Frank N.

[This message has been edited by Frank Nowakowski (edited 05-11-2001).]

Rob, those published figures are with low-end .300 Winchester ammo, and do not reveal the true potential of this cartridge. If you look up Federal High-Energy or Hornady Heavy Magnum ammo, you'll see that speeds of over 3100 fps. are listed. I have used the Federal HE ammo quite a bit, and out of two .300's that I own, I've gotten over 3150 fps. with this stuff, so at least in my guns, the published numbers haven't been a lot of blue sky. I also get over 3100 fps. with 180's in my handloads (IMR4831, H4831SC, or Reloader 22), and this is out of a 24" barrel. I sight my rifles in at 2.5" high at 100 yds. for a 250 yd. zero.

Another load I use that increases the usefulness of the .300 on medium game in open country is the 165 gr. bullet at over 3200 fps.. With this load, I sight-in 3" high at 100 yds. for a 300 yd. zero.

With powders like Reloader 22 or IMR 7828, I've never had any trouble in getting 2950 fps. with 200 gr. bullets, but quite honestly, I've had such good luck on elk, moose, and African game of up to 1600 lbs. in weight with premium 180's that I've never taken anything with 200's.

Allen

I have a .300 Win and am thinking of rebarreling a .30-06 to .338-06 A.I., which should effectively duplicate non-hot load .338 Win., but with lots of soft load flexibility.
In .300 Win. I usually use 190gr BTSP Hornady, 200 gr. Barnes X, and 250gr. Barnes Originals for the moose hunt I've not yet gotten around to.
Theoretical caveat: If your impact range is close, the higher velocity .300 may create more blood shot meat than a slower, sturdy .338 bullet.
Weatherby's factory loading of the .338-06 may open up this mild mannered-magnum wildcat to a great future.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Rob1SG:
Allen, please advise me on what the 300 WM will do at long range that the 338-06 won't.Nosler Manual lists the 180 gr BT at 2970 fps with the 338-06 at 400 yds. your 180 gr. drops about 4" less. Like I said previous most shooters can't hold on animals that far anyway.Factory ammo for the 300 WM is listed at 2950 with 180 gr.

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Uhm, 4" less @ 400? With what, a 375 yd zero?

Seriously, if you're handloading and you can't get more than 3100 with a 180 in a 300 WM (that's also accurate and doesn't show signs of excessive pressure) then you need to give up handloading.

Now look at the BC of a 180 .308 vs .338. Now look at the trajectory tables for bullet drop--not bullet path @ 400 with a 300 zero. The latter may fail to point out how much higher the .338 needs to be at midrange to maintain the same zero.

IMHO you don't want the bullet rising 3.5-4+" above the line of sight at 150-175 yards. Who thinks of using a range finder and "correcting their hold" at such a close shot? Many "maximum point blank sighters" shoot over close targets (myself in the past included). That's one of the biggest reasons I like flat shooting rounds--not only less drop at long range but less rise at mid-range as well (when zeroed properly).

In short, with a more "apples to apples" load comparison pressure-wise, the .300 will have a much higher velocity, it will shoot a bullet that is much more efficient giving a much flatter trajectory, it will drift much less in the wind and it will hit harder when it gets there.

That's what the .300 will give that the .338-06 won't at long range.

It really comes down to what is more important to you, range or bullet weight. I'd personally rather try and get inside 250 yds, and risk loosing the game, then setting up the long range shot. And in that case, the larger dia, heavier bullets are a better choice.

Oh, I also consider shooting 180's in a 338-06 or 35 whelen as making the rounds something they aren't, same way I feel about loading 250's in a 300 mag.

[This message has been edited by Paul H (edited 11-30-2001).]

I used to shoot the 338-06 a lot, but have gone to the 9.3x62 now and I have a 338 and a 300 H&H...there all fine calibers and not a lot of difference in any of them..I do believe the 9.3x62 with a 320 gr. Woodleigh is in a class with the 375 H&H, in killing power and effect on big animals.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

What would you think of the 35 whelen with the 280 gr a-frame, or the 310 gr woodleigh?

So far I'm content with my ackley whelen pushing 250 a-frames @ 2700, but keep thinking about trying the heavier slugs. Only problem is I have a 1-14 barrel, and Woodleighs response to my querry of whether this would be enough for their 310's was, 1-12 is fine, 1-16 is too slow, and we don't know about a 1-14. Oh well, I guess only one way to find out

Paul H
That 35 wheelen Imp. with a 280gr sounds like good Moose/Bear medicine!

FN

AD

Your load will be 3.3" high at 142 yards. The 300 load will max out at 2.6" high with the same 250 yd zero. So, if 3.3" high at midrange is acceptable to you, you'd zero the 300 at 272 putting it 3.3" high at 155. After doing so, it's path would be 5.21" higher than the .338 load at 400. It would suffer 3.78" less drift in a 10mph wind as well. Not huge differences, but easily enough to make the difference between a well placed shot and a not so well placed shot.

I'd also be willing to bet that load would be more "apples to apples" pressure-wise to my 180 load that clocks 3195 making the differences even bigger.

Anyway, it sounds like you're happy with the 338-06. I didn't mean to sound like I was down on it, I think it's a good round. I just wanted to point out that the 300 mags do have an advantage at long range.

I don't have any personal experience with the 338-06, but I do have some with a 35 Whelen Improved which is kind of similar in concept, at least. That's a good gun.

Cubdriver,
You should wonder why? either your brother is ill imformed or your being suckered..

A 200 or 220 gr. 300 will work as well in thick stuff as a 250 gr. 338 and I own and have used both a lot in the last 55 years..

I know rifle bullets, regardless of caliber do not shoot through brush with any degree of effiency, better to pick a hole and shoot through it or wait for a clearing or pray that it works this time....

The term "brush gun" is a worn out joke...The only brush gun I know of is a 458 win with a solid and its not anywhere near foolproof. I have seen those big boys scream across Tanzania into Dar Es Salaam hopefully....

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

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God Bless and Shoot Straight

Anyway, loving your rifle and having confidence in it is what it's all about. I'll admit, I'm a speedfreak That's just me. My current deer/antelope load (130 XBT @ 3663) never rises above 3" high at midrange when zeroed at 300. It's only 2.89 low at 350 and 6.88 low at 400. Not having to hold low at midrange, knowing if I see a deer that "looks like" it's at 300 I don't need to put a rangefinder on it to make sure it isn't really at 325 or 275, etc gives me confidence. At any reasonable range simply put the crosshairs where I want the bullet and squeeze. That's what makes me happy, to each their own.

The funny thing is (you'll like this) the longest shot I've taken with that load so far was about 275 yds on a 12" antelope. All the deer have been nailed at less than 250 (and the biggest was at about 75 yds). They would have been just as dead with the 35 Whelen That said, my brother had a chance at a monster whitetail this year at 400+ and no way to get closer while carrying the 35. Oh well, he'll be bigger next year.