338-06 ai

[toddc]

Anyone ever shove a 300 down one of these barrels? Some might say not ideal BUT....it is carrying almost 1400 ft-lbs at 1k with a 2200 start velocity. Thats a stupid ton of punch for any non-mag LA cartridge. Anyone ever load these and have a true velocity?

 

[AZShooter]

I have the ballistic twin to the 338-06 AI, the 338 RCM. Did try the 300s in it. Using RL-17 was able to get right around 2400 fps as max load with 22" barrel. Accuracy didn't impress so I am sticking with the 225 Accubond and RL-17 vel 2750. That load has accounted for 3 cow elk at ranges of 120-150 yds.

 

[benchracer]

Hey benchracer I think yer spellcheck is messed up! It replaced SAVAGE with REMINGTON. AND I QUOTE "Everybody knows that a serious rifleman carries a REMINGTON 700". Did you mean a RICH rifleman? Or a non_DIY type? Or did yer spellcheck stick REM 700 where ya typed SAVAGE? lmao

I used my SARCASM LOCK key to override spell check...

 

[toddc]

I used my SARCASM LOCK key to override spell check...

I never can find mine lol.
Seriously I liked your post I just always gotta gig a remington comment. Kinda neat to build a Mauser build. It was the rem 700 for 70+ years. Are you gonna go old school or build a mauser tube gun? Wow that would freak some folks out.

 

[toddc]

I have the ballistic twin to the 338-06 AI, the 338 RCM. Did try the 300s in it. Using RL-17 was able to get right around 2400 fps as max load with 22" barrel. Accuracy didn't impress so I am sticking with the 225 Accubond and RL-17 vel 2750. That load has accounted for 3 cow elk at ranges of 120-150 yds.

Thats a helluva 800 yd elk rig @ 2400 fps with a 300gr slug. Itll stay over 1600 fps till 850 and should expand easily at that velocity with a SMK. FPE is 1450 @1k and 1800 @ 800. Hitting an elk at those ranges and hitting it hard from a easy to load round is pretty impressive. Add in great brass lots of mag room and some nostalgia and bingo. I had thought of this round before for a 20" truck gun that'll slide out a window real easy. Might have to revisit this. I think I've got a standard savage bolt head somewhere.
And thanx for the info.

 

[benchracer]

I never can find mine lol.
Seriously I liked your post I just always gotta gig a remington comment. Kinda neat to build a Mauser build. It was the rem 700 for 70+ years. Are you gonna go old school or build a mauser tube gun? Wow that would freak some folks out.

I don't think the general shooting public is aware of the reputation that Savage rifles have for accuracy. I think you have to be a bit more advanced as a shooter to know that. By contrast, for years the gospel was that the Remington 700 is the most accurate factory rifle. That is why I chose the Remington in my sarcastic mini-rant. Plus, Savage isn't owned by the quality control allergic yellow bellies at Cerberus. You didn't really want me to pick on Savage did you?

Where my mauser build is concerned, my plan is to go old school:

VZ-24 action

Shilen #3 contour barrel

Richard's Microfit stock

plus the other stuff required for sporterization.


My first two bolt action rifles were Remington 700's. I still have one of them because it was and is a shooter. I still haven't built a rifle that will out shoot it in the accuracy department.

However, my Remingtons lost their luster when I bought my first milsurp mauser. The care that went into the design and the craftsmanship evident in the rifle, even though it was worn and much abused, completely changed the way I looked at rifles.

At $70, that first milsurp mauser was probably the second most expensive thing I ever did (the #1 slot is held by having women in my life). I am not talking about the expense of building up and sporterizing the rifle. Oh no, not by a long shot.

That $70 mauser was so expensive because it turned out to be a gateway drug to an incurable addiction!

 

[toddc]

Hmmmm the reason I like savage is the switch barrel and cheap. A $70 mauser intrigues the crap outa me. Google prepare to search! Wow havent really thought of a mauser in millenia. May have 2-3 layin around.

 

[benchracer]

Thats a helluva 800 yd elk rig @ 2400 fps with a 300gr slug. Itll stay over 1600 fps till 850 and should expand easily at that velocity with a SMK. FPE is 1450 @1k and 1800 @ 800. Hitting an elk at those ranges and hitting it hard from a easy to load round is pretty impressive. Add in great brass lots of mag room and some nostalgia and bingo. I had thought of this round before for a 20" truck gun that'll slide out a window real easy. Might have to revisit this. I think I've got a standard savage bolt head somewhere.
And thanx for the info.

Given the available case capacity, I think the 250g Berger or the 225g Cutting Edge would be better choices. I don't have first hand experience on the subject, but my understanding from what I have read is that the velocity threshold for expansion with the SMK bullets is much higher than 1600.

When I have my 338-06 together, I intend to experiment with four bullets in three weights:

250g Berger

225g SST

225g Cutting Edge

185g GMX

I haven't decided on a powder yet. Still figuring that out.

 

[Scot E]

Another good one to try may be the 210 gr. Swift Scirocco. It has a great BC and would give a high velocity. Should be a deadly combination.

Scot E.

 

[toddc]

Given the available case capacity, I think the 250g Berger or the 225g Cutting Edge would be better choices. I don't have first hand experience on the subject, but my understanding from what I have read is that the velocity threshold for expansion with the SMK bullets is much higher than 1600.

When I have my 338-06 together, I intend to experiment with four bullets in three weights:

250g Berger

225g SST

225g Cutting Edge

185g GMX

I haven't decided on a powder yet. Still figuring that out.

No doubt the 300 is heavy for this app. I have had the 300smk expand at under 1600 so Im ok there. A lot of SMKs may not expand but with the frontal area and FPE involved the 338 seems to work at lower velocities in my gun. 1600 fps may not upset in a 6.5mm but the forces involved are way different.
And yeah I would lean towards a high bc low weight slug in this app. That 225 CE might really be the ticket. You might also check into the rocky mountain lineup also.

 

[Scot E]

I have the ballistic twin to the 338-06 AI, the 338 RCM. Did try the 300s in it. Using RL-17 was able to get right around 2400 fps as max load with 22" barrel. Accuracy didn't impress so I am sticking with the 225 Accubond and RL-17 vel 2750. That load has accounted for 3 cow elk at ranges of 120-150 yds.

Areyou using Hornady brass? If so how is the quality? If it is as good as the Hornady 375 Ruger that would be a very good alternative. If it is as soft as some of Hornady's other stuff then the 338-06 with lapua brass may be a bit better for the long term.

Do you know of anyone with a 338 RCM reamer?

Scot E.

 

[AZShooter]

Scot E. :I think you are asking if anyone knows of a gunsmith that has a 338 RCM reamer?

I couldn't find anyone with this reamer so I bought my own. I got the reamer from Dave Kiff, Pacific Tool and Gauge for approx $140. The reamer is an exact duplicate in specs to the Hornady/Ruger . I know because I had a talk with Lonnie at Hornady before he retired. We compared notes on the specs. FYI Hornady's FL sizer of the two die set works better than Redding's FL sizer in their two die set.

I have two 338 RCMs, a 7 1/4 lb 22" #2 lilja SS in a Ruger M77 Tang safety that shoots the 225 accubond 2750 fps and a 14 lb 30" #7 Lilja SS in a Mark X LA long throated for the 300 gr Berger OTM 2550 fps . Hornady brass for this round is not soft. Getting super accuracy with both rifles.

 

[Scot E]

Scot E. :I think you are asking if anyone knows of a gunsmith that has a 338 RCM reamer?

I couldn't find anyone with this reamer so I bought my own. I got the reamer from Dave Kiff, Pacific Tool and Gauge for approx $140. The reamer is an exact duplicate in specs to the Hornady/Ruger . I know because I had a talk with Lonnie at Hornady before he retired. We compared notes on the specs. FYI Hornady's FL sizer of the two die set works better than Redding's FL sizer in their two die set.

I have two 338 RCMs, a 7 1/4 lb 22" #2 lilja SS in a Ruger M77 Tang safety that shoots the 225 accubond 2750 fps and a 14 lb 30" #7 Lilja SS in a Mark X LA long throated for the 300 gr Berger OTM 2550 fps . Hornady brass for this round is not soft. Getting super accuracy with both rifles.

Thanks for the info. What specifically works better in the Hornady dies?

Scot E.

 

[AZShooter]

Sorry for hijacking this thread...the FL sizer die sizes the brass properly. The Redding internal dimensions were off, the area just above the belt wasn't sized small enough to easily fit chamber.