338-06 vs. 300 win mag

[Scott Spencer]

Thanks for the reply, Greg. You post makes a lot of sense and is something for me to think about. One option I thought about was buying a 30-06 and having the factory barrel rechambered and recalibered (is that a word?). Essentially, have the standard factory barrel caliber cut larger from 30-06 to .338 and have it rechambered to the .338-06 AI. I believe Redding makes a two die set for the .338-06 AI for about $80.

I wound up having my Win Mod 70 30-06 glass bedded to see if the accuracy would improve. My gunsmith told me that he wanted to get my rifle to shoot a consistent 1.5" - 2" group at 100 yds. My groups before the bedding and trigger clean up were 3 - 6 inches at 100 yds.

I shot the rifle for the first time since the bedding job and shot 1.7", 1.5", 1.4" and 1.3" at 100 yds. At 200 yds I got 2.2" and 2.4" with two groups. It isn't, and never will be, an MOA rifle but it will be a good hunting rifle here in Alabama and out to 200-300 yds.

Dilemmas..... :grin:

 

[tjen]

This discussion is causing a dilemma with me. I have a 30-06 right now that just isn't performing as well as I want it. I had pretty much decided to rebarrel it into a 338-06 AI and now all of these posts have me hesitating!


Where is the 30-06 falling short of your requirements? Is it too limited for the distances your shooting or is it not giving you the on game performance you want? And still at what range is this happing, and what bullets are you using?

If your shooting up to 300 yards the 35whelen will amaze you same with the 338-06. If your shooting over 400 yards the 300mag and 200gr accubonds if more like 500 and up you would like both an increase in caliber size and powder capacity like a 338 rum or lapua.

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

Scott, you could buy a new custom barrel for less then you could re-caliber an old factory barrel. Thats' mainly because they have to use the same equipment to do it. Generally it only makes sence to re-caliberl if you have an old gun, and you want to keep the barrel original, but the bore is in a highly degraded state. Since this would involve pulling the barrel off anyway, why not just go custom.

Print the action, put on a match quality, medium contour (about a 3 or 4) 26" barrel on it, Chamber it in the 338-06AI you are dreaming about, and you will have tack drive delivering maximum standard lengh, non-belted performance. With 200gr BT/AB, you would have a great North American rifle.

 

[Scott Spencer]

Print the action, put on a match quality, medium contour (about a 3 or 4) 26" barrel on it, Chamber it in the 338-06AI you are dreaming about, and you will have tack drive delivering maximum standard lengh, non-belted performance. With 200gr BT/AB, you would have a great North American rifle.

Just what I needed, and wanted, to hear! I am going with a Savage stainless rifle (116 FHSS) but I will now wait for their Accustock versions coming early in 2009. It will have an aluminum bedding block with an integrated stiffner in the forearm. I just read about them in the new Guns & Ammo and according to Savage it should add about $10.00 to the retail cost of the rifle.

A Savage 116 FHSS with a 26" #3 or #4 barrel in 338-06AI sounds perfect!

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

Scott, the more I think about it, the more I like it.
IT WOULD ALSO BE GREAT AS A NOSLER 48. :grin:

 

[SJB358]

I will second all the other guys. The 338/06 and the 35 Whelen are pretty underated for their intended purpose. I have some experience with the Whelen and 225gr TSX's at 2700FPS and they do an excellent job out to 300 or so. You could easily stretch it out a little further with a good ballistic plex scope. The .338 and .358's really hammer BIG game and do it without alot of extra recoil. Scotty

 

[Mighty Peace]

This discussion is causing a dilemma with me. I have a 30-06 right now that just isn't performing as well as I want it. I had pretty much decided to rebarrel it into a 338-06 AI and now all of these posts have me hesitating!

I'm looking for a rifle that will cover my hunting for elk, moose, black bear, whitetail, and mule deer. I really wanted to stay away from the belted cartridges and really didn't want another .30 cal rifle like the .300 Win Mag or .300 RUM. I suppose there is nothing wrong with two rifles but I would prefer a single rifle and that is why I was going with the .338-06 on my Winchester Mod 70 that want to keep.

Maybe I should just plunk down $550 on a Savage Model 116 in .338 Win Mag and keep my Win M70 30-06?

Go with the 338-06AI -JUST TO BE DIFFERENT. Thats what I did. As my Sako m75ss 300WM with 180gr Accubonds is a great rifle, I just wanted to be dieerent...therefore my 338-06AI on the Sako m75 Greywolf...NOW still got to find time to reload 225gr Accubonds and get to the range with my 338-06AI

 

[SJB358]

A 35 Whelen AI would be an awesome round. It would pretty much be the same as a 338 Win Mag without the extra recoil and you could always fire regular ammo in it, in a pinch. Scotty

 

[jtoews80]

LOL, I passed on a 35 Whalen AI at a show in May, with dies, 100 rounds of brass and a couple dozen speer bullets. It was built on a P17 with the big ugly tub milled off and a cock on opening conversion. Rings on it too, was a fine looking rifle. Maybe I missed the boat there.

CC.

 

[SJB358]

Man, that would have been an awesome rifle. I am sure someone lucky grabbed it. What was it going for? That would be an elk/moose hammer. Scotty