I have a Weatherby Vanguard chambered in a 30-06. I am considering rechambering it to a 30-338. As always, I am looking for opinions and advice.
Thanks,

Regards,

well RCBS and Redding have the dies. Some say to use .308 Norma Mag - easier on sizing brass, I use win .338 brass. I just bought some N560( a whopping 82.00 for 2#), IMR7828SSC is another good powder as RL 22, WIN WXR and MRP but there is none anywhere as I understand it. Lots of good bullet for them speeds. It is a very good cartridge.

The front of the bolt will have to be opened. Normally 308 Norma brass leave you with a neck that is too long. You would have to trim.

Quite a few terrific magnums were built on the 338 case. The 30, 35, 375 and 416 come to mind. The 30-338 is one of my favorite all time 30 caliber magnums.

I have a 30-338 built on a 7mmRM Model 70 Win action. It is a wonderful rifle and cartrdige. Having said that, I'd give some thought to getting the 308 Norma version (ballistically a twin) because you can get brass for it if you are going to be traveling overseas. Some countries want your ammo to be headstamped with the same thing as the gun indicates. There are some companies that will make runs of wildcat cartridges, but I have heard no so good things about their brass. Kudude

I have a FN deluxe I have rechambered from a 30-06 to a 30-338 converson. Its on my top three rifles of all, it crowds space with a supergrade pre 64 model 70 chambered in 375 H&H and a very custom 7x57 G33/40. I own a lot of others but the caliber and the rifle cannot be replaced in my battery, if I had to hunt anywhere for anything bad mean nasty, to long and light, and I had dollars on the line that is my first choice. I have three 30-338's the FN is best of breed, mean and nasty I use 220 grains ( or up) close up,( I am going to test the new Woodliegh 240 grains for that application but its all theory ATT ) every thing else load a 200 grain Nosler partion or a 180 gr Partion. With that combo you can hunt anything on this planet period. I know the large bore guys DG guys at point blank range will disagree with with me but in my mind if I am absolutly had to, if I keep my cool, its my all planet caliber. On the bullet comment I have run out of the the old Barnes 240 grs, they quit making them years ago, my last Barnes went a couple of years back, I haven't found the new Woodligh's for sale yet, I have read about the new release, I am going to try them aand stock up if the work out though.

Truth There are only only two loads that interest me in the 30-338, 200 grains ( Nosler Partion ) and heavier, I don't use anything lighter, I use to use only two loads: a 200 Nosler, and Barnes 240 round nose. Plain and simple if that didn't get it it I was deep sh********t and nothing short of heavy military hardware( 50 BMG ) was going to correct the my stupidity.

No its not not the ideal 10 yard DG cartidge round, but trust me 240 gr up close and personal will get it done if I do my job ( real important ) but stetch that to 50 yards and the games all mine, increase that to 100 yards its no contest and from there to 800 yards a thirty mag can't be beat, if you can handle the recoil.

While I love your choice of caliber, I have seriuos doubts about your Weatherby barrel, my one experience with a hot Weatherby Vangard is your rechambering won't last, your accuracy will go to hell in a handbasket in a hurry your barrel will experience severe erosion in a less than 500 rounds and for the money invloved I would change your tube. I push my 30-338 with 200 Gr NP @ close to 2900 FPS, this requires excellent barrels for anything long term. If I ever build another 30-338 it will be be a Boots Obermeyer, and Krieger would be a dumb default.

I have currenty three 30-338's: a Fn, a Mauser 09 custom, and pre 64 model 70, if I ever do another it will be a full out target job built for 1000 meters, its the only area I haven't fully explored with this caliber, the round is capable, I just don't feel I have really got the most out of this cartridge at the 1000-1200 yard level, but the limitation is all my rifles and me, not the caliber.

I don't have a clue about your boltface on your Weatherby, it will need to opened up for sure, ask a gunsmith about the details of that, I am sure it can be done, but for a few dollars invested you can rechamber and be shooting the 30-338. It is also just about the most the most practical wildcat, 338 brass one time through the sizing die and its done. Winchester brass, Nosler Partions, Hogdon Powder: three rifles all within a grain of each other on best loads. Fits my KISS prinipal exactly.

My suggestion is a thumbs up, go for it.

quote:

Some countries want your ammo to be headstamped with the same thing as the gun indicates.

Often sighted BS rule, keep your dollar hostage, hunt Alaska, Canada, New Zealand, Argentina, or anywhere where the bogus rule isn't cited.

If you really have to hunt countries with this Bogus rule mail your ammo ahead to your outfitter, a prudent choice no matter what cartridge your planning on using.

Ive been thinking of building a 30-338 or 308 Norma instead of a 300mag...Here is a question for you guys with 30-338s.

Why is the 30-338 a better choice than a 308 norma? Does the norma just have alittle longer neck? Is it just a brass avalibility issue?? Or something more??

my take on this as a new .30-338 owner is that you can get brass for the chambering easy enough, 7mm mag,338mag,458 win mag or .... .308 Norma Mag brass. The Norma is priced pretty high for the .30-338 shooters, some believe the quality is better and there is those who claim otherwise and for my money I'd stick to using Winch .338 brass. Ballistically speaking the .30-338 can do what the Norma Mag can do and cheaper- the variances are not that great apart. Go American. kudude pretty much said it all. crossing the pond is your great demise if headstamp is gonna be in question,me I stick to Alaska hunting, suits me just fine. Enjoy you're project.

quote:

Originally posted by GSP7:
Ive been thinking of building a 30-338 or 308 Norma instead of a 300mag...Here is a question for you guys with 30-338s.

Why is the 30-338 a better choice than a 308 norma? Does the norma just have alittle longer neck? Is it just a brass avalibility issue?? Or something more??

Better availability of brass for the 30-338. Both the 308 Norma and the 30-338 are ballistically identical, slightly different dimensionally. Loads are interchangeable.

quote:

Why is the 30-338 a better choice than a 308 norma? Does the norma just have alittle longer neck? Is it just a brass avalibility issue?? Or something more??

There is nothing wrong with a 308 Norma mag, if you found one on the rack and the price is right go for it. If your building why do you want to buy Norma brass when Winchester works just as well?

Ballistic difference is zip, on this side of the pond the 30-338 is practical, the Norma is while a fine cartidge is not. 308 Norma brass is hard to come by, 338 Win is very common.

My favorite antogonist in this agruement has exited the board for good, but it took years before the US ARMY replaced the 30-338 with the 300 Win Mag, and that was a logistics choice not a performance decsion gate. I have softened a tad on the 300 Mag as I am aware of some minor black magic that improved the 300 Win Mag, but I still like the 30-338.

quote:

7mm mag,

My observation is don't do this. More work, less accuarcy. I would also skip the 458 Win mag as starters, in a pinch both will work but if your buying stuff why????

338 Winchester brass one time through the sizing die, check length which shouldn't need to be trimmed till the third firing. I have used Norma brass and have some on the bench, no positive gain in performance, just costs more.

Not to be the odd man out here guys but IMO there's nothing the 30-338 or 300 Norma Mag has over the 300 Win mag.
As a matter of fact it's quite the contrary.

I have a 308 Norma I chose it over a 300Mag because I had a 358Norma and I like to be different. I load it and two friends 300mags. The 308 Norma will not out perform the 300. I've also seen no difference in accuracy etc. The 300s case is a little bigger and it will when the velocity race ever time. I have sure never found the short neck to be an issue either.

As to the brass issue. You can make 308 Norma from 338Wmag just as easy as 30-338. The neck will just be a touch shorter. It will grow and it isn't short enough to cause any issues. Only thing I have found from Norma is that it will give me couple grains more capacity.

When you look at the actual numbers, 100 pcs of 308 Norma costs $68.00 more than 100 pcs of US 338 WM but if incorrect headstamp is a non-issue for the 30-338, then 338 WM will work fine in 308 NM too. The brass is red herring, in this case.

Decide what you really want based on what you really want and then find a smith that has that reamer so you aren't having to pay for part of a new one.

Schromf

I also was thinking that the barrel may need replacement. I am looking at pac-nor for the conversion and barrel.
Thanks,
Regards,

I have long been a 308 Norma fan. I presently have two rifles so chambered and have owned 3 or 4 others. I recently put a 30-338 together and I am as pleased with it as I have been with the 308 Norma. The 300 Win Mag is a fine cartridge but I am not exactly in love with the short neck and most bullets have to be seated quite deep to function through std length actions that the 300 Win is often chambered in. I have always found the 308 Norma would produce the same velocity as the 300 win with a couple grains less powder.The 30-338 will equal either the Norma or the Win with another grain less plus allows you some flexibility to seat the bullet out a bit without exceeding magazine length. &mm Rem or 338 win cases work equally well for the 30-338 so case availibility is as easy as the 300 Win is. The Norma brass is a little pricey but if you watch you can fine it. If I was building a 300 mag I would look pretty hard at the 30-338.

That should have been 7mm Rem cases not &mm cases.

quote:

As a matter of fact it's quite the contrary

Forrest, Your prpbably right on this. But the 300 Win mag has always been a hard luck cartridge for me, and I can't get excited about it.

I was watching the History channel a while back when they were running a special on the ARMY long distance team. They even got into showing how they handload for it. If I had ever got that performance out of one of my 300 Win Mag rifles I doubt I would have ever gotten into the 30-338.

For me though I have a significant amount of time and money tied up in the 30-338 platform and I won't be changing. I wonder how much longer the 30 Mags ( any flavor ) are going to be used in the long distance shooting events. I think the 6.5x284 is starting to dethrown the 30 mags in this event, and its a process in motion so to speak. The lesser recoil is important, and for target shooting remaining energy doesn't really matter. I don't see it replacing the 30 mags in the hunting fields, but in the niche world of target shooting my guess is your going to see less and less 30 mags on the firing line, although I expect this to take years.

I've moseyed down wildcat lane a few times and it's a fun walk in the wilderness. Every serious shooter needs to do it. My education in this area is that one will not achieve usable performance gains by doing so.

The gains are in other areas

examples: The .375 Taylor isn't better than a .375 H&H....it's just available to those that have shorter actions. The 6 X 45 isn't better than any 6 MM.....but it allows one to make a very light rifle for deer hunting in states that don't allow the use of .224 diameter bullets. One can build a super light rifle on the Sako L-461 and a 6 X 45. And at least for many years (prior to the 204 Ruger) the only way to shoot the 5MM bullets was to build a wildcat.

All wildcats are built on custom labor and for that reason many of them seem to be more accurate......not because of any special geometry to the case.

I suspect the only way we learn this is by building a few wildcats ourselves.....I still have two of the four I've built. The 6 X 45 and the .243 superrockchucker......and the rockchucker will become a .25-06 when the last ammo I loaded for it runs out.

Hey.....we all spend our money differently.....and we all have a ball doing it at least with rifles. But it'll be a darn long time before I build another wildcat.

Forrest,

While the 30-338 is a wildcat, it really is a tabby and not really wild. Midway sells headstamped brass, the chamber dimensions are a locked standard.

For entry into the world of wildcats this is probably on off the best choices.