.338-06 er 35 whelen? thinking 18.5" bull? IDEAS???

Jmac604 said:
The only factory ammo I found for 338-06 was actually a handloader in Oklahoma but starting at $70 per box.........Conley Precision I think...
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Many rounds are a hand loading only proposition. If factory ammo is a concern there is no point even considering the .338-06.
 
cam1936 said:
Many rounds are a hand loading only proposition. If factory ammo is a concern there is no point even considering the .338-06.
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I know. When the idea of a 338-06 took hold I was in a US gun store and the dealer had factory 338-06 (Nosler I believe) and was advised Weatherby made it as well. Now both manufacturers later stopped producing it but too late, the seed was planted.....
 
keith mokry said:
I would go with 20" brl in either cal. For short action I would go with 358 over 338-08
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Beat me to it....barrel length that is. A medium/heavy,long taper 20" in
.338 Federal would be just dandy. You could pack it around hunting as well as
go target blastin' at the range.

Just time your shot strings so as not to get the barrel too hot.:)
 
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i keep thinking the 338-06. i started reloading 454casul and enjoy it. i have the stevens 30-06 and want an accurate bush bolt. i know 200 yrds is the max i will shoot so i was thinking 18.5 barrel. varmint contour. still waiting to build. gathering up the bits slowly. 35 whelen is great but ive been looking online and bullet selection is minimal. want to harvest a moose this season. may have to use the 454 i guess.
 
.358 bullet selection is not "minimal"... there are many great choices... I'm shooting .357 MAX, .358 Win, .35 Whelen and hunting for a .350 RM... every store in this area is well stocked in .358 projectiles.
 
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hoytcanon said:
.358 bullet selection is not "minimal"... there are many great choices... I'm shooting .357 MAX, .358 Win, .35 Whelen and hunting for a .350 RM... every store in this area is well stocked in .358 projectiles.
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x2. And remember that most .338 bullets are made for .338 Win Mag velocities. Some may not be suitable for .338-06 speed, especially with a 18.5" barrel. To me, a short barrel short range thumper means larger diameter and heavy bullets, ie: .35 Whelen.
 
First 35 Whelen I built decades backs I used a #5 contour Shilen and I cut it back to 20" after playing with it at 26" for a while. Cut to 20" it's weight is just OK manageable - but a chunky 9lbs or so scoped. So I regret not getting a slightly lighter contour - what I'm saying is a BULL barrel will grow old soon if hunting it much IMO.

Also the 35 Whelen and short barrels work really well together - little velocity is lost - especially to a handloader. At present I own several at 18 1/2" and have chronyed them some. However 20" length is sensible and may suit most hunters better.
 
You could, of course, just get a nice 9.3X62, shorten the barrel to 18 or 20 inches, and be about $200 ahead.

It would make a nice, handy carbine, still outrun a 35 Whelan by more than 100 fps, and do so with 286 gr bullets.

Ask me how I know that. :)
Ted
 
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Why not? said:
You could, of course, just get a nice 9.3X62, shorten the barrel to 18 or 20 inches, and be about $200 ahead.

It would make a nice, handy carbine, still outrun a 35 Whelan by more than 100 fps, and do so with 286 gr bullets.

Ask me how I know that. :)
Ted
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Don't the Zastavas come with a 20" barrel in full stock trim?

I wouldn't put a bull barrel on any hunting rifle I planned on walking around with. Balance would go out the window and you'd get sick of carrying it in short order. I'm not against a heavy sporter contour, especially if you're looking at bobbing a Wagner and losing a few ounces of weight. Mine is 7lb11oz with a full belly and a sling and it's all the fun you want when you're shooting off the bench.
 
Personally I always feel that the shorter your barrel, the larger you want your bore compared to the case size, so I'd go 35 whelen over 338-06 if I was stuck on those cartridge choices.

What I actually just did a couple of weeks ago was pick up a 9.3 x 57 with a 20" bbl from trade ex, to fulfill the same role. I'm fully expecting to get 2250 fps with 270 grain jacketed, or around 2050 fps with cast 285 grain bullets (based on my experinces with 24" bbls in this cartridge), whenever I rustle up a scope for it. A guy can get into something like this for about $300, to your door. Hard to argue with that...
 
Northman999 said:
What I actually just did a couple of weeks ago was pick up a 9.3 x 57 with a 20" bbl from trade ex, to fulfill the same role. I'm fully expecting to get 2250 fps with 270 grain jacketed, or around 2050 fps with cast 285 grain bullets (based on my experinces with 24" bbls in this cartridge), whenever I rustle up a scope for it. A guy can get into something like this for about $300, to your door. Hard to argue with that...
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This is a good idea!
 
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