Second thoughts on my .338-06

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So I have the bottom metal (drop box) now for my GEW Mauser, bolt bent, trigger and stock picked out too.

But I'm waffling on the cartridge. I have lots of rifles in various calibers so this isn't filling a need. But I keep bouncing back and forth between a .338 A Square and .25-06. Both are great cartridges in their own right and would be fun to own.

Like I said I have big and medium game rifles already, but a .25-06 would I guess slide in between my .270 and .223's, while the .338 would not as I have several.300 wms and several.308's.

Anyway, it's almost time to get the barrel, which means decision time.
 
I love my .338-06 rifles, a lot more than my .25-06. With the bullets available for the 6.8 SPC the. 270 will do everything a .25-06 will do. However, since you have .300 Win Mag rifles you're not gaining anything in range or energy, just a larger bullet diameter.

You're in a tough spot, as a .243 would be a better fit than a .25-06. I still vote for the .338-06, but I'm partial to it. Whatever you decide make it special, even if it takes several years to build.
 
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I'm not a huge 338-06 fan. I had one for a while, didn't dislike it, but came to the conclusion that it didn't offer me any real advantage over the 30-06 rifles I owned. But I'd still rather have 338-06 than 25-06.

The problem with all of the 25 calibers is much better bullet options in both 24 and 26 caliber. A 25-06 looks better on paper at the muzzle, but the better 243 loads and bullets will literally do anything a 25-06 will do, especially at longer ranges. The better 26 and 27 caliber loads beat it at almost everything. Since you already have a 270, then you really don't need anything in 26 caliber either. And if you eliminate deer from the equation your 223 will work on varmints at least as well as a 243.

In my opinion the 30-06 is still the most versatile of the 30-06 based cartridges. But since you don't have one I think 338-06 probably makes sense for you. I can see your 300's becoming expendable for you if you go 338-06. The 300's are a little more effective at longer ranges, but there is nothing I'd hunt with one I'd not hunt with 308, 270 or 338-06.
 
I have owned 4 and all were "beaten out of me" by men who wanted to buy them more than I wanted to keep them.

But it's pretty popular here in central Wyoming. I bet I have made 25 of them.
So far I have never made one for anyone that has disliked the caliber. They do very well with 180, 200 210 and 225 grain bullets and one man I know shoots 250s in his. Can't be too bad, he killed a few buffalo with it.
 
The problem with all of the 25 calibers is much better bullet options in both 24 and 26 caliber
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Nosler Makes a 110 .25 cal Accubond with a .418 BC... that's better than many of the other popular hunting bullets in other calibers. Also I think hornady makes an ELD-x in that caliber.


I got a line on some barrels here locally that were used in competition...30" or so in any caliber I want, lija, kreiger, bartlein etc. They were competition barrels swapped once the throats were eroded. I'm going to have 4-6" cut off and rechambered = a brand new bartlein or whatever barrel basically for $50 .

Anyway, my gut feeling is still .338 A-square. It's just such a spectacular performer without being a belted magnum. Top it with a Swarovski 3-9 and I'll have a great hunting rifle. I just wanted to have one final re-evaluation before I commit. Though I guess I could get another Mauser action and build both :cool:
 
I got one (338-06) and have a load for the Barnes 160 gain TTSX. It will replace my 30-06 as my hunting rifle ths year. I started out shooting 225 grain bullets and developed a load with a 250 grain bullet, they kick a little hard so I'm saving them for moose. If one ever wanders down to lower Alabama. Now what to do with that 30-06?
 
. If one ever wanders down to lower Alabama. Now what to do with that 30-06?
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Not a lot of elk or moose here in Mississippi either. But I go elk hunting every even year and antelope hunting on odd years back home in Western Nebraska.

But I will say my brother uses his 375 Holland and Holland on damn near everything bigger than a coyote...he hates blood tracking lol
 
I built a 338 A Square a few years back. It kicks as bad as my 338 Win Mag, so the A Square lives in the safe. I will eventually turn it into a 280AI.
 
I had a 338/06 (A-Square) built about 15 years back mainly because I couldn't handle the recoil of a 338 Win mag. Immediately after it was finished, it became apparent that my elk hunting forays would be extremely restricted. The 338/06 is sitting in a case in the gun room unfired beyond the initial handload work-up.
I shoot a 25/06 EVERY year as my primary deer rifle and windy day long range coyote rifle. What do you expect to do with your new riflle?
 
next rifle

Looks like you have lots of toys.

I have a custom 6mm Remington ,made from a k98 action many, many years ago that is a joy to shoot.

Just a tab "better" than the 243 if you'rt a reloader.
 
Well, you can't go wrong, and "both" might be the right answer. But, you asked, so...25-06 is kind of a unique caliber. Other than the 257 Weatherby, it's about as much fun as you can have with a quarter bore.

I looked hard at the 338-06 when I wanted a medium bore several years ago. I decided that, for a reloader, and these are all reloader's cartridges, the .338 Win Mag made more sense. I mean, I can ease off the powder to 338-06 levels if I want, or not. Same action length, same bullet selection. Everyone bad mouths belted "magnums" (it's just a name), but most love the original H&H. The belt is just an artifact (and stress riser if you set your shoulder back too much). So, while it, too, is a unique round, and there are no "bad" rounds, I don't get the 338-06.

I'll bet you will end up doing a lot of shooting with a 25-06.
 
How about 6.5, Lapua?

A bit different, does some amazing things (granted its in company with the Creed and 260 Remington.
 
As for Hornady making a eld in 25 cal, that would be news to me.
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Im sorry, it is an interbond....but still a nearly .4 BC which is respectable in such a small caliber, but not as high as the eld-M .24 cal bullets at .53ish.

As for the other suggestions, It is a Mauser action: Which means an action that will fit .30-06 length cartridges and similar diameter to .30-06. If I go longer or fatter, I have to do a bunch of modifications that I do not want to do because at that point I might as well start over with a different action. I can go shorter on the cartridge, but do not really want too.

The 6.5 lapua would work, but it is about 1/2" shorter than one of the .30-06 family of cartridges. It is a great cartridge though...very accurate. One of my mid-range F-Class buddies uses that cartridge for 600 yards.

The .280 is an option. Anyone with any experience with the .280?

or...6mm-06?
 
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When I was a lot younger, I used a 338 mag quite a bit, hated the recoil but never mentioned it. Now I'm older and it's been years since I've had a magnum of any kind. Over the years I have though about it though and I think the 338-06 would have suited me better than the 338 mag. First of all I used the 225gr Hornady in the 338. I'd fired a 250gr bullet from a friends 350 Rem and it d*mn near tore off my shoulder. Was no way I'd put it in a 338! But I've though since then and I think if your shooting a 338 cal and not shooting heavier bullet's, you might as well be shooting a 300 mag! back then Speer made a 338 275gr bullet that would have been awwesome,,,,,,on both ends. But that and the 250gr bullet would seem to be much mre usable in a 338-06. I've looked at it and the 35 Whelan in reload manuals and it seem's to me with the same bullet's, the 338 out preforms it!But for the rest of my life, my big gun will be my 30-06! it's hard growing old!
 
I'm with the others here who think 24 cal is a better choice than 25. I tried one, and for me it was no better than my 6mm Rem. You have a perfect opportunity to jump on the new 6mm Creedmoor bandwagon. Get a medium weight barrel, like the old" beanfield" rifles and you'll have a good bench shooter that you can hunt with.
 
"...this isn't filling a need..." No firearm does. It will fulfill the "I want one." reason though. Even though a .338-06 does absolutely nothing a .308 or any chambering you already have won't do.
Ditto for a .25-06. Pretty much a .270 that's slightly harder to find ammo and brass for in small places. Neither of 'em will do anything a .308 will not either.
6.5 Lapua is a 6.5 x 47. Over a buck each at Midway for brass that only comes from Lapua. You're right that it won't fit well in a .30-06 length action, but that can be fixed with a mag well spacer. Still expensive brass though.
What the whole thing boils down to is your budget. You want to spend extra money on a custom made barrel for a cartridge that ammo only comes from one or two suppliers and will not be found in small places? $75.99 per 20 for .338-06 ammo. No$ler only at Midway. Norma brass only and currently on No Back Order at Midway. Graf's shows lots at a bit over a buck each.
 
I got one (338-06) and have a load for the Barnes 160 gain TTSX. It will replace my 30-06 as my hunting rifle ths year. I started out shooting 225 grain bullets and developed a load with a 250 grain bullet, they kick a little hard so I'm saving them for moose. If one ever wanders down to lower Alabama.
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You may not see moose, but what about all those Alabama elephants that appear in the fall? I see them all the time, making a lot of noise, migrating to Tuscaloosa.

The 338-06 should be a great cartridge, but if you are thinking big, what about a 35 Whelen?
 
As for a 25-06 Berger makes (or at least had) a 115gr VLD-h. I pushed them to 3150-3200fps from my 27" barrel with decent accuracy. I think the BC was .440-.450. In traditional Berger fashion they are not cheap plinking bullets at something like $40-$45 /box 100. I have also pushed the 75gr sierras over 3700 fps (the accuracy node was at 3670). However, the 85gr noslers at 3450 will match the velocity of the 75gr bullets @ 100yds and beat them beyond that. Plus the 85gr noslers at 3450 was a better than MOA load for me.
 
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