338-06 Reloads Wanted

Nosler fifith edition shows the 338-06
IMR 4320 is most accurate at 45.5 grs with a high of 49.5
I'm also having one built but it won't be ready until this summer.
 
I use H-4350 under both the 225 Hornady SP and the 225 Accubond. IMR 4064 & IMR 4350 are also good powders. Winchester 760 is also a good performer.

I have found the Data in Speer's manual to be very realistic as is Hornady's. Nosler's data is very-very conservative to say the least as is Lee's.

I have found the 338-06 to be one of those rounds that digests almost all medium to medium-slow powders well.
 
Beaver skin...so far mine works best with 210 Nosler Partitions over 60.0 gr. IMR 4350, CCI # 34 primer, Fed. '06 brass.
This load stays in or around 3/4 " consistently.
Cheers..
 
Hornady 6th edtion (latest) indicates MAX loads with 225gr SST and SP of:
IMR4895- 53.0gr @2700
IMR4064- 53.4gr @2700
RL15- 54.2gr @2700
Viht N-150- 55.5gr @2700
Win 760- 62.0gr @2700
 
Sorry I didn't notice earlier. The 338-06 and 225 is ackward combination. The perfect case filling powder is 4 grains slower than 4064/Varget and 2 grains faster than 4350. Higginson 47N would have been perfect,except they were sold out when I started reloading my 338-06. A 24" barrel should top out at 2700,a more realistic goal with 22" barrel would be 2650. Last Saturday 61.0grains of VihtVouri N-550 gave a extreme spread of 7f/s and 2645f/s with my 22" barrel.The soft shelled CCI had half their radius,too.I started at 58 grains,and worked up,which I suggest you do too. 55.0 grains of IMR 4064 gave 2611,but I lost 3/4 of the primer radius.poor group,too.Hope this helps.
 
Thanks everyone! I think I'm going to start with IMR 4064, IMR 4350, and Varget because I already have some of each powder. The gun is a pre-64 m70 (1952) with a 24 inch Beaven King barrel in a McMillian stock. My target is around 2650 to 2700 with 225g bullets and it seems like that is an achievable number. :)
 
I have a 24" King barrel on my 338-06 and I safely get ~2740 fps with the 225 Hornady over 61 grains of H4350 in a RP case. The 225 Accubond reached 2750 with no pressure signs but accuracy was best at 2680.

Also I found that the necking 30-06 brass up to 338 works better than necking 35 Whelen down unless you turn the necks to a uniform thickness. Necking down tends to produce necks with uneven thickness that produces uneven neck tension that will in turn affect accuracy.
 
Hello,
My 338-06 Sako with a 24" Gaillard barrel gets 2750 fps with a Hornady 225gr SP and 60.0gr IMR 4350 with no signs of pressure.
Speer lists 61.0gr as max and that is likely conservative.
I use necked up '06 brass 'cause it's cheap.

Good Luck
John
 
My most accurate 225 gr load used the Partition over 62.5 grs of H4350 for 2600 fps in a 22" barrel. I never hunted with it opting for the 210 gr Partition over VV-N550 at 2800 fps for years taking quite a number of animals. Last elk season I gave the 185 gr Barnes Triple Shock with N550 a try at a few clicks under 3000 fps and dropped this guy on the spot at a lasered 270 yards. The bullet went in behind the near quartering shoulder and punched the off one stopping just under the hide. Surprisingly, it lost all four petals and weighed 122 grs. I have only lost a petal on an X once before and that was on a 250 yard shot at an eland with a 9.3x62. Otherwise always 100% retention of the few recovered that did not pass through.

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Billy The Kid said:
Try 'stanway', he had/has one.
Click to expand...


Yup, "had" one. Dizzy Dan has it now and it really like the loads that 'Boo gave me. Keep in mind that 338-06 was built on a VZ-24 action and is able to handle slightly 'warmer' loads.

That is a great cartridge, but I had always wanted a 350 Rem Mag, and thanks to Billy the Kid, I have one - and a Ruger to boot! :D

Good luck and load safe.

James
:)
 
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