0-500 yard accurate THUMPER

[bigngreen]

How much case capacity do you gain with by AI'ing the 30-06 case?

 

[MTBULLET]

How much case capacity do you gain with by AI'ing the 30-06 case?

in mine:

30-06: 68.2
30-06AI: 69.2
338-06AI: 70.6

 

[Tikkamike]

I'd pick. 338 Win over. 338-06/AI.lightbulb

not to mention you can buy the ammo anywhere and reloading components are easy to find and no fire forming. plus still very manageable recoil.... I still vote the 375 H&H

 

[etisll40]

I appreicate this discussion and feedback guys. Here's a little more about what I'm doing.

First off, I have a 7mm STW and a 338 Lapua with a 27" barrell, they are both tackdrivers, so another 338 wm or edge or Lapua is not on my list right now. If I did that I'd definitely build a 338 Lapua ai. A friend of mine and he's an accomplished 1000 yard benchrest shooter, gunsmith and 365 days a year hunter. The guy kills a lot. His Lapua ai is more powerful than mine and the ai part gets him in the upwards of 25-30 reloads. But ai typically burns powder more efficiently and adds to case life. Enough about Lapua ai.

ANYWAY


I bought an FN Belgium made Model 1950 30-06 Commercial Mauser action, new/unused specifically as a dangerous game action. It's an awesome action. So I am thinking poor man's magnum and considering 35 Whelen and wai which is based off the 30-06 cartridge, but a friend and DG builder has been trying to get me to go 338-06 which is based off the 06 case too. And from my research the 338-06 is an awesome medium-Intermediate range thumper. The vast array of 338 bullets with higher bc's and higher sectional density make it better for ranges past about 250 yards then the 35 Whelen or 35 wai.

Additionally I could use this as a whitetail gun out in the 300-700 yard range I'd guess. So Black bear, big hogs, brown bear under say 75 yards and deer and elk going out in the 500 range, it's a good catridge I'm coming to believe. Close in dangerous game too. So I'm looking for a versatile dangerous game caliber with reach too. Also, I'm going to have iron sights for thick hunting. Am I on the right track?

 

[FEENIX]

If you are going to stay with a .338 bullet for a mid range, my vote remains with the. 338 Win despite new information.

However, since you put "dangerous game" in the mix, I'm with Mike and go with the venerable. 375 H&H.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

Here are my personal accuracy loads for the cartridges I recommended which are perfect for your action and like I said virtually identical killing performance of a 338 winchester to 500 yards. 338 Gibbs off the '06 case. 70 grains H-414 with a 200 grain nosler at 3068 fps. This is with a 26" barrel. 338-06 AI 73 grains winchester wmr at 2936 fps with the 200 grain bullet. Either of those will do you to 500 yards and hurt a bear up close. Those are the ones I would do on your action and why I own and depend on them of all the ones I have tested through the years.

I love the 375 H&H and have the AI version and the old 375 wby which is basically the same thing. Both are much better than the original H&H but not a fit for your action.

 

[Top Cat]

I'd skip right over all those and look at a 375 or 416 Ruger Alaskan...right off the shelf it's a great rifle...simple and inexpensive.

And although these cartridges are orphans, they would surely fit the bill as well for this purpose if a 338 Win is not the first and best choice.

338 RCM or 325 WSM.

The RCM is available OTC in a handy Ruger and is nearly identical to a 338-06 AI / Gibbs et al, without special dies and brass forming; and considering how popular they aren't, one could likely find a rifle at a discount...lots cheaper to buy than to build.

Or 9.3x62 would be a classic in that classic action.

While fun to contemplate a 338-06 I'd be more likely inclined to just stick with the Belgian 06 and load some 220 partitions...that load packs a lot of thump.

If I recall correctly, more bears have been taken with the 30-06 than all other calibers combined, 30-30 might be #2, hunting is one aspect, but guys that work around bears up close for a living day in and out, and where an encounter is more than a possibility, I've seen carrying a .458 Win for real good reasons.

And 500 yds is a do-able range for the 458 with the right bullet...when I can shoot BP 45-70 there all the time with open sights, a 375 or 416 Ruger is well beyond that round in LR capability.

One might as well take advantage of modern cartridge designs; stopping power is more about practice than anything else it seems.

TC

 

[etisll40]

I am hearing a fair amount about the 375 H&H and I think it may be in my future at some point. Thanks for the load information, I'll save it. I have a hard time with the 338 wm because I already have a 338 lapua and I want a lighter more woodsy type gun. For what I'd shoot at longer range is primarily whitetail and maybe Black bear in the 300+ range. It seems to me that shooting a Brown bear past 300 does take a bigger thumper so I will have to adjust my thinking on that. I'm starting to think that a Grizzly is probably a 200 yard shot at max and if that's the case than a 375 H&H is more realistic, especially if it doesn't go down quickly. the closer you get probably the easier it is to kill. But then you have the risk of it being closer too. I'm still going to hunt one and I'll have a guide I'm sure, so for that the 375 H&H will have to be in the collection.

I still like the 338-06 for a woods gun, hogs, black bear and whitetail at a distance. I think the 338 bullet selection favors it over the Whelen.

 

[Good]

Any reason you didn't consider the 338 RUM?

 

[etisll40]

I think my basic range will be under 150 yrds woods and open field. I have a 7mm stw and 338 Lapua for longer work. I expect to use it tracking black bears and hogs. But I can see it being used on whitetail, even then probably 500 max.

I may someday have a 338-378 or a 375 Cheytac or 408 built. But I see that a ways off.

After this build it's either a 375 H&H or 458 Lott, for grizzly and eventually Africa.