- Joined
- Oct 30, 2022
- Messages
- 3,969
- Reaction score
- 13,256
- City & State/Province
- South Carolina Lowcountry
That is why I went with a 6.5-06. 30-06, 270, and 25/06 brass can be used. Plenty of the first two around
.338 Winchester Magnum or .338-06 Improved.
- Thread starter BALLISTICJESUS
- Start date
Minero
Active Member
I know the brass would be a bit high, but if you only hunt, and hand load, I would go with 338 RPM, it's recoil would be like the 338 WM and still right behind it! In speed on same bullet weights. And wouldn't be a big difference on recoil to the 30-06.
Minero
Active Member
Sorry meant recoil less than 338 WM.
I also run a 35 Whelen with 200 TTSX at 2950 seated way out, can do that due to the long throat SAAMI spec, with 60 gr XBR. Primer pockets tight after 5 firings. It will shoot 3/4" all day long. I chose that over the 338. It will kill anything in NA out to 500yrds +. And worse case, I can find underpowered factory ammo on the shelf fairly easy.
What kind of brass are you using for your 35 whelen?
Put a muzzle brake on it. Makes a lot of differences. I use to shoot my friends Ruger Mark 11 in a 338WM chamber. It kicked
! Later he offer it to me and I purchased it. Sat in the gunsafe for years. Got a muzzle brake on it, and now it's my go to rifle for big game. We develop a load for it using a 200gr Nos BT with 75.5 grs of W760. No you won't find that in a manual either. It groups like no toworrow. 5 @ 100yds under 1/2" at that time. I haven't recross that bridge yet to recheck the velocity, but going to.
Crockett12
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2011
- Messages
- 424
- Reaction score
- 1,115
Way back when I was young, gun writers extolled the virtues of the .333OKH saying it hit like the "Hammer of Thor"! They talked about how it was such a great elk, moose & grizzly cartridge and the 338-06 is essentially a 333OKH except that one was .333 diameter bullets and the other uses .338 diameter bullets. Since both are based on the same 30-06 cartridge, no game animal will be able to tell the difference! If you still think the 338-06 SUCKS, you're probably too young to have read those articles!
Greatgrandad
Well-Known Member
While I prefer my 338WM's, I do have to admit my witnessed effectiveness of the 338-06, at least in my brother's hands. Typically, he pushed 180's around the 3,000fps mark for deer and similar, and there was no arguing on how well it put game down. Switching to the 210's, and within reasonable distances, elk and other showed no real difference between his shots and my 338WM. Stretch it out a little farther or up the bullet weights to 225 or more, and sure, the 338WM ruled the day.
Thus, I couldn't say the 338-06 sucks, for like all calibers/cartridges, it works within its parameters. More or less so for some.
CogburnR
Well-Known Member
I have had both, I sold my 338WM. I shoot my 338-06. With factory 185g CX in the 338WM the 338-06(handload) was 200fps slower with a 4 inch shorter barrel. I have Weatherby brass for it...still virgin as I use 30-06 brass all the time. 160's@3060, 200g Trophy Coppers are over 2800.
akmtnhnt
Well-Known Member
To give a little more data, 200gr TBT's from my RPM, 20in barrel run 2900fps, 230ELDX at 2700fps.
From my WM, with the same bullets I get 2915 and 2730 respectively, same barrel length. So not a lot of distance between the two.
Right up against max pressure for all of those loads.
But also to give some idea of how much/little you gain over the -06 with similar bullets from other people's data.
From my WM, with the same bullets I get 2915 and 2730 respectively, same barrel length. So not a lot of distance between the two.
Right up against max pressure for all of those loads.
But also to give some idea of how much/little you gain over the -06 with similar bullets from other people's data.
I am thinking of have a 338RUM built. To what I can do with it. One thing for sure I have a brake on it.
We have a bunch of 35 Whelens, what makes them suck in your opinion? Depending upon the application the .35 Whelen is a formidable cartridge. I consider the Whelen to be a 300 yard cartridge, after that the cartridge turns into a mortar round in my opinion. It loses a lot of horsepower after 300 yards.
If I had to make a choice between the .338 WinMag or the .338-06 AI, I wouldn't take the .338-06 AI hands down for me. The .338 WinMag for me has too much recoil. I once swapped out my 30-06 for a .338 WinMag for a bear hunt. I put three rounds through the .338 WinMag and asked to get my 30-06 back.
We have three .35 Whelens that we hunt with, all three are rebores from JES. I wrote another reply in this thread where I consider the .35 Whelen to be a 300 yard cartridge because after that the cartridge turns into a mortar round. If you are looking to get a better selection for high BC bullets then the .338-06 is a better choice in my opinion. I can hit 12 inch steel plates at 300 yards with authority all day long with the Whelen. What is the particular application that you intend to use the .35 Whelen? If I want to shoot distance I have a .270 AI , or a 30-06 out to 500 yards. After 500 yards I do not want to chance an unethical shot, plus I probably cannot walk that far to begin with.
"SIDETRACK", what are you talking about??? Isn't this how all threads are supposed to run here???
